ATHENS COUNTY
County Offices
15 South Court Street
Athens 740-592-3219
www.co.athensoh.org
Chamber of Commerce
340 West State Street
Athens 740-593-9353
https://athenschamber.com
The rural community of Athens County combines the pleasures of country living with a cosmopolitan atmosphere that brings together the best of all words: Major urban amenities and a friendly, small-town feeling. This progressive region in southeastern Ohio is located in the greater Columbus metropolitan area and nestles in the very heart of the rolling and scenic Appalachian Hocking Hills.
Services
Athens County provides outstanding educational and healthcare facilities and services, complemented by the world-class resources in nearby Columbus. The healthcare network is anchored by O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in the leading city of Athens. Proud of its long history of service, the hospital has continued to upgrade and expand through the decades to keep pace with technological advances in diagnostics and treatment. Today, patients enjoy a full spectrum of services from comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care to specialty units, community outreach, and highly specialized professional care. The recent addition of the Castrop Center now houses the O’Bleness Rehabilitation Center and satellites for other resources like laboratory and imaging. In 2006, the hospital opened the Cornwell Center for Cardiovascular and Diabetes Care as a regional resource with university affiliations. Doctor’s Hospital in Nelsonville adds another option for first-rate, comprehensive care.
The city of Athens is also home to Ohio University, distinguished as the oldest public institution of higher learning in Ohio, and its College of Osteopathic Medicine. The university is often recognized for academic quality and value by such publications as U.S. News and World Report, America’s 100 Best College Buys, Princeton Review’s Best Colleges, and Peterson’s Guide to Competitive Colleges. The John Templeton Foundation named Ohio University among the top character-building institutions in America and the university ranks first in Ohio for the number of nationally competitive awards garnered by its students. Hocking College in Nelsonville is also located in Athens County, providing a nationally recognized technical college with more than 40 diverse associate degree programs. Those with an interest in pursuing a quality education in the arts and crafts will find exceptional resources in the Foothill School of American Crafts, while Fur Peace Ranch in Pomeroy offers one of the finest music camps in the world. Many additional options for public and private colleges and universities along with specialty institutes are scattered throughout the Columbus metropolitan region within a reasonable commute from the county, ensuring virtually unlimited access to degree programs on every level.
Lifestyle
Breathtaking natural beauty and a slower pace of life are two of the features of Athens County that continues to draw new residents to southeastern Ohio. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the county is home to a national forest, scenic state parks, and a 19-mile paved recreation path that connects the cities of Athens and Nelsonville. Outdoor activities include hiking, bicycling, boating, fishing, camping, hunting, and canoeing on the Hocking River and surrounding lakes. The winding, scenic roads are especially ideal for bicycle touring and sight-seeing. Equestrians find a paradise in Athens County, where public horseback riding trails are available at many parks including Stroud’s Run State Park and Wayne National Forest. Several golf courses are available for those who want to perfect their backswing. Burr Oak State Park Resort and Conference Center is a regional destination for special events but also for recreational activities from tennis to basketball. The 664-acre lake is deal for fishing, boating and swimming.
Unlike many rural areas, cultural development is exceptionally strong in Athens county, where the arts, theater and museum scene is widely recognized. The Kennedy Museum of Art and the Ohio University Art Gallery at Ohio University Museum showcase a variety of permanent and traveling exhibits, while Ohio University Performing Arts Series and Ohio Valley Summer Theater present audience-pleasing events around the calendar year. Picturesque covered bridges, the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, historic Indian Mounds, and grand architecture create postcard images at every turn. Residents and civic leaders alike are committed to preserving the county’s rich historical heritage. Robbins Crossing offers a fully restored 1850’s-era Ohio village that also serves as a living laboratory for Hocking College student learning interpretive services. The Ridges is one of the few magnificent “lunatic asylums” from the 1800s that survives in much of its original splendor and natural surroundings. Today, this architectural jewel is part of Ohio University and features the Kennedy Museum of Art among other resources. Unique activities like the Quilt Barn Tour point out more than 20 historic barns adorned with colorful quilt blocks that depict rural life. The charming Historic Public Square in Nelsonville, once the bustling center of activity for surrounding coal mining communities, has been revitalized and transformed into a popular shopping destination. Final Friday is a weekly event where shops remain open in the evening to showcase the work of local artists. Blending quaint and contemporary, city and country, Athens County is a welcoming place to call home.
Athens
City Offices
740-592-3338
www.ci.athens.oh.us
Chamber of Commerce
740-593-9353
https://athenschamber.com
Rich in cultural diversity, the city of Athens is a thriving center of education, healthcare and commerce for Athens County. Rolling hills, grant architecture, towering trees, and breathtaking landscapes give Athens real visual appeal as a hometown environment. The vast campus of Ohio University infuses elements of cultural enrichment, youthful energy, and commercial vitality into the city and the region surrounding it. One of the hidden treasures of southeast Ohio, Athens features such unique attractions as the Dairy Barn Art Center with a full calendar or exhibits and activities, and more than 260 acres of recreational land maintained by an active Athens Arts Parks and Recreation Department. Highlight include the award-winning Athens Community Center, a nationally recognized Skate Park, a popular Dog Park, Sells Park trails and nature preserve, and scores of sports facilities from tennis courts to soccer fields. Athens serves as a progressive residential choice for urban living and also a thriving and sophisticated hub of services and amenities for the entire county.
Nelsonville
City Offices
740-753-1314
www.cityofnelsonville.com
Chamber of Commerce
740-593-9353
https://athenschamber.com
Connected to the leading city of Athens by a paved recreational trail, the welcoming city of Nelsonville is home to Hocking College, a premier technical college that offers two-year programs from culinary arts to forestry and adventure travel. One of the many special events that occur on the campus, the Timber & Outdoor Show, draws as many as 60,000 visitors to this quaint community. The Historic Public Square Arts District in Nelsonville is one of the cultural and commercial jewels in this Appalachian artist community, drawing residents and visitors alike to its Final Friday late-night gallery hopping and live entertainment as well as daily shopping in a quaint setting. Stuart’s Opera House showcases the talent of national acts, complemented by a full calendar of events like the popular Winter Jazz & Blues Festival. Recreational opportunities range from area golf courses and parks to outdoor adventures along miles of paved trails or in the vast resources of state parks and national forestland.
Athens County Townships
Township Listing and Information
www.co.athensoh.org/visitors/local_communities/index.php
Besides the cities, villages and towns within Athens County, 14 townships comprise a large part of the area in the county. These townships range from smaller rural communities with a few hundred residents to more than several thousand people such as the 27,000+ residents of Athens Township. The townships are spread throughout the region and are generally comprised of farm, rural and residential land.
Click on the link above to go to the State of Ohio listing of municipal web sites for the county.
