Chillicothe, Ohio | |
|---|---|
 Central business district | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: Ohio's First Capital | |
 Interactive map highlighting Chillicothe | |
  Chillicothe  Chillicothe | |
| Coordinates:39°20′22″N82°59′42″W / 39.33944°N 82.99500°W /39.33944; -82.99500 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Ross |
| Founded | 1796 |
| Named after | Chalahgawtha |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Luke Feeney (D)[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.66 sq mi (27.62 km2) |
| • Land | 10.50 sq mi (27.19 km2) |
| • Water | 0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2) |
| Elevation | 637 ft (194 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 22,059 |
• Estimate (2023)[4] | 21,895 |
| • Density | 2,100.9/sq mi (811.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 45601 |
| Area codes | 740,220 |
| FIPS code | 39-14184[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2393514[3] |
| Website | https://www.chillicotheoh.gov/ |
Chillicothe (/ˌtʃɪlɪˈkɒθi/CHIL-ih-KOTH-ee)[6] is a city inRoss County, Ohio, United States, and itscounty seat.[7] The population was 22,059 at the2020 census.[8] Located along theScioto River 45 miles (72 km) south ofColumbus, Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio. It is the only city in Ross County and the center of theChillicothe micropolitan area, which is a part of theColumbus, Ohio Combined Statistical Area. Chillicothe is a designatedTree City USA by theNational Arbor Day Foundation.
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The region around Chillicothe was the center of the ancientHopewell tradition, which flourished from 200 BC until 500 AD. This Amerindian culture had trade routes extending to theRocky Mountains. They builtearthenmounds for ceremonial and burial purposes throughout the Scioto andOhio River valleys.
LaterNative Americans who inhabited the area through the time of European contact includedShawnees. Present-day Chillicothe is the most recent of seven locations in Ohio that bore the name, because it was applied to the main town wherever theChalakatha settled. Other population centers named Chillicothe in Ohio at one time[9] include: one located at present-dayPiqua, inMiami County; one located south of present-dayCircleville,Pickaway County, on theScioto River; a third about three miles (4.8 km) north ofXenia inGreene County, Ohio; a fourth at present-dayFrankfort, Ross County, onPaint Creek; and a fifth also located in Ross County, atHopetown, three miles north of modern Chillicothe.
In 1758 a settlement was established at this site by Shawnee Indians who had abandoned their village ofLower Shawneetown in November of that year.[10] A group of Shawnees fromLogstown also joined them.[11]
After theTreaty of Greenville in 1795 forced the Native Americans from most of Ohio, European settlers came to the area. Migrants fromVirginia andKentucky moved west along the Ohio River in search of land. The community Chillicothe was founded in 1796 by a party led by GeneralNathaniel Massie on his land grant. The town's name comes from theShawneeChala·ka·tha (Chillicothe in English), meaning "principal town", because it was the chief settlement of that division (one of five major divisions) of theShawnee people.
In 1798,Ross County became incorporated with Chillicothe as the county seat. Chillicothe was named the capital of the remnantNorthwest Territory in 1800, whenIndiana Territory was split off, and the Northwest Territory was reduced to Ohio, easternMichigan and a sliver of southeasternIndiana. In 1802 as Ohio moved toward statehood, the city hosted the Ohio Constitutional Convention. It served as the capital of Ohio from statehood in 1803 until 1810 then again from 1812 to 1816.[12][13]
Ohio was afree state, and early migrants to Chillicothe includedfree blacks, who came to a place with fewer restrictions than in theslave states. They created a vibrant community[who?] and aided runaway slaves coming north. As tensions increased prior to the breakout of theAmerican Civil War, the free black community at Chillicothe maintained stations and aid to support refugees on theUnderground Railroad. The Ohio River was a border with the slave states ofthe South, with slaves crossing the river to freedom, and then up the Scioto River to get more distance from their former homes and slave hunters. Whiteabolitionists aided theUnderground Railroad as well.
On May 12, 1948, a C. & O. engine suffered a boiler explosion due to a low water level near Chillicothe, Ohio. The train's engineer, fireman and front brakeman were killed.[14]
Chillicothe lies within theecoregion of theWestern Allegheny Plateau.[15] It lies between theScioto River andPaint Creek near their confluence.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.60 square miles (27.45 km2), of which 10.43 square miles (27.01 km2) is land and 0.17 square miles (0.44 km2) is water.[16]
The city is surrounded by farming communities, and Chillicothe residents describe the area as the foothills of theAppalachians.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 2,426 | — | |
| 1830 | 2,846 | 17.3% | |
| 1840 | 3,977 | 39.7% | |
| 1850 | 7,100 | 78.5% | |
| 1860 | 7,626 | 7.4% | |
| 1870 | 8,920 | 17.0% | |
| 1880 | 10,938 | 22.6% | |
| 1890 | 11,288 | 3.2% | |
| 1900 | 12,976 | 15.0% | |
| 1910 | 14,508 | 11.8% | |
| 1920 | 15,831 | 9.1% | |
| 1930 | 18,340 | 15.8% | |
| 1940 | 20,129 | 9.8% | |
| 1950 | 20,133 | 0.0% | |
| 1960 | 24,957 | 24.0% | |
| 1970 | 24,842 | −0.5% | |
| 1980 | 23,420 | −5.7% | |
| 1990 | 21,923 | −6.4% | |
| 2000 | 21,796 | −0.6% | |
| 2010 | 21,901 | 0.5% | |
| 2020 | 22,059 | 0.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 21,895 | [4] | −0.7% |
| Sources:[5][17][18][19][20][21][22] | |||
As of thecensus[8] of 2020, there were 22,059 people, 9,576 occupied housing units, and 5,589 families residing in the city. Of the 9,576 households, 2,856 were occupied by a married couple family, 191 had a male householder with no spouse present, and 545 had a female householder with no spouse present. Of the 5,589 families, 37.7% weremarried couple families living together, 36.9% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 17.1% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average family size was 2.95.
Of the 22,059 people, 18,892 wereWhite, 1,348 wereBlack or African American, 88 wereAmerican Indian and Alaska Native, 155 wereAsian, 351 wereHispanic orLatino, 6 wereNative Hawaiian andPacific Islanders, 1,419 were two or more races, and 151 wereother races.
The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 7.0% of resident were under the age of 5; 21.1% were under the age of 18; 78.9% were 18 years and over; and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,251, and the median income for a family was $66,224. About 18.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, with 25.5% of them being under 18 years old, 18.4% being 18 to 64 years old, and 9.5% being 65 years and over.
As of thecensus[23] of 2010, there were 21,901 people, 9,420 households, and 5,559 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,099.8 inhabitants per square mile (810.7/km2). There were 10,600 housing units at an average density of 1,016.3 per square mile (392.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.1%White, 7.2%African American, 0.3%Native American, 0.5%Asian, 0.5% fromother races, and 3.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.3% of the population.
There were 9,420 households, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% weremarried couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no spouse present, 5.0% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 41.0% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the city was 41.5 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.
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As the only city in its area, Chillicothe is a hub for economic activity. Hospitals (Adena Regional and Chillicothe VA Medical Centers), prisons (Ross andChillicothe Correctional Institutions) and a college campus (Ohio University Chillicothe) are among the largest employers. In April 2025, the Pixelle paper mill, formerly named for past ownersGlatfelter andMead Paper, and employing about 800 people, announced its closure.[24][25]
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Chillicothe is home to the 158-year-old continuously operating Majestic Theatre. Its stage has been graced by such greats asLaurel and Hardy,Milton Berle,George Arliss,Sophie Tucker,Bob Hope and many others. In 1853 the Masonic Hall was built, as the first incarnation of what is now the Majestic Theatre.The two-story brick building was a combination lodge room, dance hall, and theater. Stock companies stayed for as long as a month, performing a repertory of plays. In 1876 the Masons appointed a building committee to enlarge their building. The original building was 40 ft × 100 ft (12 m × 30 m) and was later extended to 50 ft × 120 ft (15 m × 37 m). Upon completion in December 1876 it was announced that the Masonic Opera House was one of the finest theaters in the state. After the remodeling and with the completion of the Clough Opera House across the city, theater offerings were tremendous, and varied drama, comedy, farce, minstrel shows, and operas were presented.
In 1904 A. R. Wolf bought the Masonic Opera House. Mr. Wolf remodeled the theater and enlarged the stage. He replaced all the windows in the front of the building with stained glass. The Masonic Opera House continued under Wolf's managerial abilities until he sold it to the Myers Brothers in 1914. They again made some improvements and repairs and installed a movie screen and equipment. The Myers Brothers changed the name to the Majestic Theatre. They occasionally had live theater productions on the stage but finally switched exclusively to motion pictures.In July 1971, Harley and Evelyn Bennett became the new owners of the Majestic Theatre. They did careful restoration with reference to the original wall painting.Three Chillicothe businessmen (Robert Evans, Robert Althoff and David Uhrig) bought the theater as a non-profit organization in 1990. All new wiring throughout the theater, fire safety, and security systems were installed.
Chillicothe, rich inNative American history, hosts the annual Feast of the Flowering Moon Festival. Started in 1984, the May festival draws crowds of approximately 85,000. Yoctangee Park, in the historic downtown, is the setting for this family-oriented, three-day event featuring Native American music, dancing, traders and exhibits, a mountain men encampment, rendezvous with working craftsmen and demonstrations, and an extensive arts and crafts show with more than 80 crafters and commercial exhibits. The main stage has a schedule of family-friendly entertainment, such as local school bands and performers. The streets are lined with food booths and games/contests. Events are free to the public.
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Chillicothe has several public parks, includingYoctangee Park, Patrick Park, Poland Park, Strawser Park, Manor Park, Goldie Gunlock Park, Pine Street Park, Veterans Memorial Park, and Western View Park.
The biggest park, Yoctangee Park, consists of numerous baseball /softball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and playground equipment. There is also a skatepark within Yoctangee park called Henry Good skatepark, which was constructed with help from a generous donation of $65,000 from Henry Good, a local Chillicothe citizen.
Chillicothe's floodwall, protecting the city from floods of theScioto River, has a 5.0-mile-long paved bike path. This path connects to the Tri-County Triangle Trail which currently is 30.3 miles long, measured from Bridge St. (SR 159) in Chillicothe, passing throughFrankfort and then to Christman Park nearWashington Court House inFayette County, Ohio. The Tri-County Triangle Trail's goal is to connect Chillicothe andGreenfield. This same former railroad continues toJamestown andXenia, but those connections are a long range plan.
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is found on the north end of the city. The park is administered by theNational Park Service and has a large concentration of Native Americanearthworks.
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TheChillicothe Paints are a baseball team that was established in February 1993. The team was previously a member of theFrontier League, playing there from its founding until 2008. They were one of the original teams in the league. The Paints are now a member of the summer collegiateProspect League, The Paints play their home games atV.A. Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1954.
V.A. Memorial Stadium has hosted a number of other events, including theMid-American Conference baseball tournament from 2008 to 2011, along with high soccer and baseball playoff games for theOhio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA).
Chillicothe is governed by a mayor–council structure in which the mayor is elected separately from the members of the city council. Chillicothe's mayor is Luke Feeney (D) and council president is Kevin Shoemaker (D).[26]
The public Chillicothe City School District operates five primary and secondary schools for children in the city.[27] Bishop Flaget School is a privateCatholic school for students in grades prekindergarten through 8th.[28] Ross County Christian Academy was formed in 2007 and now offers K through 12th grade at two sites.[29] Chillicothe is home toPickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center, avocational-technical school founded in 1974.
Ohio University – Chillicothe is aregional campus of Ohio University founded in 1946. It was the first regional campus in Ohio.[30] The campus has an annual enrollment of approximately 2,000 students.[31] Chillicothe is also home to theRecording Workshop, an audio engineering school.
Chillicothe is served by the main branch and Northside branch of Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library.[32]
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Municipalities and communities ofRoss County, Ohio,United States | ||
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| Townships | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Geographic | |
| Other | |
