Lima is a city in Allen County, Ohio, United States. The population of Lima was 40,081 in 2000. The mayor of Lima is David Berger. Lima was founded in 1831 as a county seat which was mandated by the Ohio legislature. It got its name from Patrick G. Goode, who was a judge. He insisted on the Spanish pronunciation "Lee-mah" after the capital city of Peru, but the pronunciation — "Lye-mah" — won.