Mt. Airy was first settled in 1806 and incorporated in 1865 from land granted by Mill Creek and Green townships. In 1911, Mt. Airy was annexed into the city of Cincinnati. The racially diverse community, which had 9,210 residents according to the 2020 U.S. Census, is a varied mix of single-family and high-density housing.

The community is home to two Queen City icons: Mt. Airy Forest, which provides 1,459 acres of greenspace that’s one of the largest urban municipal forests in the U.S., and the Mt. Airy Water Tower; a majestic, 15-building, 8.5-million-gallon-capacity structure that resembles a medieval fortress. The Water Tower has kept the Mt. Airy community hydrated since 1927.

In 2018, when the possibility of demolishing the Mt. Airy Water Tower was proposed, Mt. Airy residents successfully embraced the effort to have the Water Towers designated as an historic city landmark.