EXHIBIT 5


                        PORTER, WRIGHT, MORRIS & ARTHUR
                                ATTORNEYS AT LAW
                              41 SOUTH HIGH STREET
                           COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215-6194

                                 March 3, 1995


Huntington Bancshares Incorporated
41 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43287

         RE:      Acquisition of Reliance Bank of Florida

Gentlemen:

         With respect to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the
"Registration Statement") to be filed by Huntington Bancshares Incorporated
("Huntington") with the Securities and Exchange Commission related to the
registration of 1,300,000 shares of Huntington's common stock, without par value
(the "Stock"), to be issued in connection with the proposed merger (the
"Merger") of (i) Reliance Bank of Florida, a bank organized under the laws of
the State of Florida ("Reliance"), into The Huntington National Bank of Florida,
which will, at the time of the consummation of the Merger, be a wholly owned
subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares Florida, Inc., which is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Huntington ("Huntington Florida"), or (ii) under certain
circumstances, Huntington Federal Savings Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Huntington, into Reliance, we advise you as follows:

         We are counsel for Huntington and Huntington Florida and have
participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement. We have reviewed
the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 22, 1994, among
Huntington Florida, Security National Bank ("SNB"), a banking association
organized under the laws of the United States and a wholly owned subsidiary of
Security National Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and Reliance and the
Acquisition Agreement, dated as of December 22, 1994, among Huntington,
Huntington Florida, SNB and Reliance (collectively, the "Merger Documents"),
Huntington's Articles of Restatement of Charter, Huntington's Bylaws, the
corporate action taken to date in connection with the Registration Statement and
the issuance and sale of the Stock, and such other documents and authorities as
we deem relevant for the purpose of this opinion.

         Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

         (a)   upon the proper approval of the Merger Documents by the
shareholders of Reliance;

         (b)   upon the approval of the Office of the Comptroller of the 
Currency and the Florida Department of Banking and Finance and the expiration 
of all applicable waiting periods;

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated
March 3, 1995
Page 2

         (c)   upon compliance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
with the securities or "blue sky" laws of the states in which the Stock is to be
offered for sale; and

         (d)   upon the "Effective Time", as defined in the Merger Agreements;

the stock, when issued and delivered as provided in the Merger Documents in
accordance with the resolutions heretofore adopted by the Board of Directors of
Huntington, will be legally issued, fully paid, and nonassessable.

         We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption "Legal
Opinions" in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement.


                                             Very truly yours,



                                             /s/ PORTER, WRIGHT, MORRIS & ARTHUR

                                             PORTER, WRIGHT, MORRIS & ARTHUR