The city of Marietta enjoys the best qualities of America's Midwest, the "heartland" of America. With only 15,000 people, Marietta is a friendly and safe community where international students can feel welcome and comfortable. The city of Marietta, Ohio, is located in southeastern Ohio where the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers meet. It is 120 miles (192 km) southeast of Columbus, Ohio; 140 miles (224 km) southwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and 90 miles (144 km) north of Charleston, West Virginia. Marietta is a truly historic city. Long before Europeans came to America, American Indians constructed distinctive earthen mounds on the shores of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. Today, you can still see these mounds, which are over 2,000 years old. After the United States of America was formed, Marietta became Ohio's first city and the first settlement in the new Northwest Territory. The settlement was founded in 1788 by officers from America's Revolutionary War. In fact, the College library has documents signed by United States presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In 1797, an academic academy was started in Marietta that eventually led to the founding of Marietta College . During the 19th century, the city of Marietta was an important stop for sternwheeler, boats. Today, Marietta is regularly visited by the giant cruise sternwheelers, and each September the city hosts a sternwheeler festival which includes fireworks, concerts, and sternwheeler boat races. There are some very good museums, fine restaurants, and annual festivals that attract thousands of tourists. Near the College, brick streets lined with tall trees create a pleasant environment for an afternoon walk or bicycle ride. For those who like nature, the town is located near state parks, national forests and wide rivers. The climate in Marietta is temperate, with four distinct seasons and an average annual rainfall of 38 inches (965 mm). In Ohio, the average temperature in the summer is 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius), and in the winter, the average temperature is 37 degrees F (3 degrees Celsius). In Marietta, students can enjoy the beauty of each season: colorful leaves on the trees in autumn; moderate snowfall in the winter; bright flowers in the spring; and warm days in summer.