PICKAWAY COUNTY
County Offices
139 West Franklin Street
Circleville 740-474-6093
www.pickaway.org
Chamber of Commerce
325 West Main Street
Circleville 740-474-3636
www.pickaway.com
Pickaway County is poised for rapid growth, welcoming more and more newcomers to the slower pace and natural beauty of a rural environment that is situated in a bustling metropolitan area. The county occupies the southern portion of Greater Columbus and is home to the Rickenbacker International Airport. During the mid 20th century, many companies including Fortune 500 settled into this primarily agricultural county for its attractive location, location to markets, and ease of transportation.
Services
Newcomers will be pleased to discover state-of-the-art healthcare services and facilities in Pickaway County, anchored by Berger Health System. Working to be “The Best Community Hospital & Healthcare System in Ohio,” Berger Health System provides comprehensive medical and surgical services as well as personalized inpatient and outpatient care. The list of specialty units and centers is exhaustive, ensuring that residents can meet nearly every need close to home. The hospital is active in community outreach and offers educational classes for everyone from diabetics to new mothers. The hospitals in Columbus are just minutes away, adding the comfort of easy access to a world of additional specialists, research centers, and experts in sub-specialties. Berger Health is completely committed to the health and well being of the entire community, generously giving back to the community to ensure that Pickaway County is a great place to live and work.
In addition to outstanding healthcare, Pickaway County provides quality education on every academic level, underlined by respected schools through grade 12. The private Ohio Christian University provides a liberal arts education with a Christian viewpoint designed to develop students intellectually, professionally, and spiritually. Traditional undergraduate programs are available on campus in Circleville, although the AIM Adult Degree Program is available at several other regional locations as well as online degree programs. The Trailblazer Academy of the college allows high school students to take online courses during their junior and senior years to earn college credit. For those who are seeking a community college environment, a public college, a private liberal arts college, or a major state university experience, the Columbus metropolitan region is rich in additional options for higher education. The largest of dozens of institutions is Ohio State University in Columbus. Three of the prestigious Five Colleges of Ohio are located in the metropolitan area including Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Denison University in Granville, and Kenyon College in Gambier.
Lifestyle
Pickaway County offers the best of all worlds: a thriving local economy, access to major metropolitan amenities, and peaceful rural landscapes dotted with attractive residential development. Slate Run Metro Park serves as a recreational and historic jewel, featuring the Slate Run Living Historical Farm, one of the most culturally significant sites in Central Ohio. Depicting farm life in the 1880s, visitors step back in time to view buildings, machinery, livestock, plants, and crops from a century past. Various habitats range from open grasslands and wetlands to meadows and forested areas that are all rich in wildlife. A dozen miles of trails meander through the area and take visitors across a covered bridge from the 1800s along the way. Canal Park is another attraction that combines historic significance with first-class recreation like kayaking and canoeing. Deer Creek State Park is another popular site for outdoor enthusiasts, filled with facilities for overnight stays at the former presidential Harding Cabin, camping, golfing, tennis, hiking, biking, swimming and fishing. A.W. Marion State Park and Hargus Lake offer a small but breathtakingly beautiful and serene retreat for active or passive recreation close to home.
Pickaway County’s premier event is the Circleville Pumpkin Show, drawing as many as 400,000 visitors. Distinguished as one of the nation’s major festivals, this four-day extravaganza fills each day with contests, parades, entertainment, demonstrations, and great food. Along with hosting the popular county fair, Pickaway County Fairgrounds serves as a venue for grand-scale shows and special events. The vaudeville performer who sang “Me and My Shadow” is honored at the Ted Lewis Museum, while Green’s Heritage Museum features a wide variety of regional memorabilia including an exceptional collection of horse-drawn carriages. The Ashville Museum is another unexpected delight, nationally recognized for its unique collection. Circleville Raceway Park adds excitement as one of the premier facilities in Ohio for professional kart and motorcycle racing. Take your time discovering the many byways and treasures of Pickaway County, the perfect place to call home.
Circleville
City Offices
740-477-8200
www.ci.circleville.oh.us
Chamber of Commerce
740-474-3636
www.pickaway.com
The city of Circleville is known as the “Home of the Pumpkin Show,” and little wonder. Four days of non-stop entertainment and activity brings 400,000 visitors to Pickaway County for this annual event. The city was named for a large prehistoric earthwork upon which it was built and the original planner matched that design, arranging streets in a circle around an octagonal courthouse. Dissatisfaction with the oddity in the 1800s led to changing the cityscape to the traditional grid style. What does remain is grand architecture, a charming downtown district, lovely tree-lined neighborhoods, and a friendly and appealing hometown atmosphere. Circleville is home to Berger Health System, fine schools and a private Christian college, as well as convenient services and thriving local businesses. A.W. Marion State Park and Hargus Lake are ideal for recreational activity close to home.
Village of Asheville
Village Offices
740-983-6367
www.ashvilleohio.net
Chamber of Commerce
740-474-4923
www.pickaway.com
The village of Ashville is located in northern Pickaway County just 18 miles from downtown Columbus. Nine miles north of the leading city of Circleville, village residents are just minutes from the fine museums, entertainment venues, expanded services, and commercial conveniences of the developed urban center for Pickaway County. Each year, the village hosts a large Independence Day celebration in the spacious community park, attracting visitors from across Ohio and even from nearby states. The village is nationally known for the Ashville Museum, a one-of-a kind venue featured in such prominent places as the Oprah Winfrey Show, the New York Times, and the book New Roadside America. Community development researchers at Ohio State University wrote that “no community has come so far,” honoring Ashville’s nationally recognized museum with such a modest budget as well as the ability of local residents to raise funds for a state-of-the-art library, a home for the elderly, new school buildings, a new fire station, scholarships, and many more improvements. Ashville had been referred to as “a dying community” just a few years earlier. Today, this progressive residential community is proud of its model accomplishments and looks forward to an even brighter future.
Village of Bloomfield
Village Offices
740- 983-2541
www.southbloomfieldoh.com
Chamber of Commerce
740-474-4923
www.pickaway.com
Like Ashville, the village of South Bloomfield is nestled in the northern part of the county 18 miles from downtown Columbus and nine miles from Circleville. South Bloomfield remained a relatively small and quiet community until recently, when metropolitan sprawl from Columbus has spurred a wave of new development. Multiple housing developments are springing up along with new local businesses, from restaurants to sundry stores and services. South Bloomfield is unique as a small town that hosts a large transient population of travelers. As many as 35,000 vehicles travel through the village on a daily basis. The highly motivated village leadership along with a widespread attitude to be “Dedicated to Progress” combine to make South Bloomfield a wonderful place to live or work—or travel through! Residents enjoy the green space and recreational opportunities of Marvin Webster Memorial Park just west of US 23.
Pickaway County Townships
Township Listing and Information
www.pickaway.org
Besides the cities, villages and towns within Pickaway County, 15 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. 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.
