Washington County, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Washington County
U.S. county
Washington County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Ohio's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Founded	July 27, 1788
Named for	George Washington
Seat	Marietta
Largest city	Marietta
Area
• Total	640 sq mi (1,700 km2)
• Land	632 sq mi (1,640 km2)
• Water	8.0 sq mi (21 km2)  1.3%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	59,711
• Density	93/sq mi (36/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th

Washington County is a cool place in the southeastern part of Ohio, a state in the United States. It's a type of area called a county. In 2020, about 59,711 people lived here. Its main city, called the county seat, is Marietta.

Washington County is the oldest county in Ohio! It was named after George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. The county is part of a larger area that includes Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, which stretches into West Virginia.

Exploring Washington County's Geography

Washington County covers a total area of about 640 square miles. Most of this area, about 632 square miles, is land. The rest, about 8 square miles, is water. This makes it the fifth-largest county in Ohio by land size.

Rivers and Waterways

The southern and eastern edge of Washington County is formed by the Ohio River. This is a very important river! Other rivers and creeks also flow through the county. These include the Muskingum River, Little Muskingum River, Duck Creek, and the Little Hocking River. All of these eventually join the Ohio River.

Neighboring Counties

Washington County shares its borders with several other counties.

• To the north: Noble County
• To the northeast: Monroe County
• To the east: Tyler County, West Virginia
• To the southeast: Pleasants County, West Virginia
• To the south: Wood County, West Virginia
• To the southwest: Athens County
• To the northwest: Morgan County

Main Roads and Highways

Many important roads help people travel through Washington County. These include:

Special Natural Areas

Part of the Wayne National Forest is located in Washington County. This is a large forest area where people can enjoy nature. There's also the Boord State Nature Preserve, which helps protect local plants and animals.

People of Washington County

In 2010, about 61,778 people lived in Washington County. Most people were white, and smaller groups included Black or African American, Asian, and American Indian people. Some people were also from two or more racial backgrounds. A small percentage of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Many families live in the county. The average age of people living here was about 43 years old. The average income for a family was around $53,131 per year.

Learning and Education

Washington County has many schools for students of all ages.

High Schools

As of 2016, there are six high schools in Washington County:

• Belpre Golden Eagles
• Beverly Fort Frye Cadets
• New Matamoras Frontier Cougars
• Marietta Tigers
• Vincent Warren Warriors
• Waterford Wildcats

Colleges and Career Training

For students who want to continue their education after high school, there are several options:

• The Washington County Career Center is a school that teaches job skills.
• Washington State Community College offers two-year college programs.
• Marietta College is a four-year college.

All of these higher education schools are located in the city of Marietta.

Communities in Washington County

Map of Washington County, Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels

Downtown Marietta and the Muskingum River in July 2006

Washington County has different types of communities, from bigger cities to smaller villages and townships.

Cities

• Belpre
• Marietta (This is the county seat, the main city where the county government is located.)

Villages

• Beverly
• Lower Salem
• Lowell
• Macksburg
• Matamoras

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas within the county.

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are areas that are like towns but don't have their own separate local government.

• Devola
• Little Hocking
• Newport
• Reno
• Vincent
• Waterford

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that are not part of a city or village.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Washington (Ohio) para niños