Fayette County, Ohio
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,951.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat and largest city is Washington Court House.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was named for the Marquis de Lafayette,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> a Frenchman who was an officer in the American Army in the Revolution, when established on March 1, 1810. Fayette County comprises the Washington Court House, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area. Recently, on April 2, 2025, it was one of a few counties with minor damage from an EF-1 tornado in southern Ohio. The total costs of the damage have yet to be determined.
History
Fayette County was formed on March 1, 1810, from portions of Highland and Ross Counties. It was named after Marie-Joseph Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, a French general and politician who took the side of the Colonials during the American Revolutionary War and who played an important role in the French Revolution.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Parks
Trails
Tri-County Triangle Trail - This trail goes between Washington Court House and Chillicothe.<ref>Tri-County Triangle</ref>
Clinton-Fayette Friendship Trail - This trail goes between Melvin to Borum Road and starts back at Bush Road to Jamison Road.Template:Citation needed
Xenia-Jamestown Connector - Opened in 2022, this trail allows travel from Xenia to Octa. This trail is Template:Convert long.<ref>Xenia-Jamestown Connector. Accessed:November 21, 2024</ref><ref>Stahl, Dan. Trails in Fayette Co.: A step in the right direction. Record Herald. May 8, 2023. Accessed: November 21, 2024.</ref>
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Adjacent counties
- Madison County (north)
- Pickaway County (northeast)
- Ross County (southeast)
- Highland County (south)
- Clinton County (southwest)
- Greene County (northwest)
Major highways
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct
Demographics
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980<ref name=1980Census>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 26,519 | 26,544 | 27,022 | 27,227 | 26,260 | 96.55% | 96.64% | 95.04% | 93.79% | 90.70% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 718 | 655 | 568 | 569 | 521 | 2.61% | 2.38% | 2.00% | 1.96% | 1.80% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 20 | 49 | 41 | 59 | 43 | 0.07% | 0.18% | 0.14% | 0.20% | 0.15% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 50 | 98 | 130 | 151 | 171 | 0.18% | 0.36% | 0.46% | 0.52% | 0.59% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref> | x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref> | 2 | 8 | 11 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 24 | 31 | 17 | 32 | 88 | 0.09% | 0.11% | 0.06% | 0.11% | 0.30% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref> | x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref> | 301 | 464 | 1,176 | x | x | 1.06% | 1.60% | 4.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 136 | 89 | 352 | 520 | 681 | 0.50% | 0.32% | 1.24% | 1.79% | 2.35% |
| Total | 27,467 | 27,466 | 28,433 | 29,030 | 28,951 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 29,030 people, 11,436 households, and 7,834 families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 12,693 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 94.6% white, 2.0% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 21.9% were German, 15.4% were American, 10.6% were Irish, and 9.7% were English.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Of the 11,436 households, 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.5% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 39.4 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>
The median income for a household in the county was $39,599 and the median income for a family was $48,424. Males had a median income of $39,078 versus $31,434 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,525. About 12.9% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>
2000 census
As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, there were 29,030 people, 11,436 households, and 7,834 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 12,693 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 94.63% White, 2.02% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. 1.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,436 households, out of which 32.53% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.05% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.34% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.67% under the age of 18, 7.88% from 18 to 24, 24.89% from 25 to 44, 27.59% from 45 to 64, and 14.97% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females there were 96.69 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.56 males.
Template:As of, the median income for a household in the county was $37,619, and the median income for a family was $45,108. Males had a median income of $30,516 versus $20,223 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,603. About 16.1% of families and 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Fayette County is a stronghold of the Republican party in presidential elections; it has voted Democratic only four times since 1856. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow |} Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot
Government
Fayette County has a 3-member Board of County Commissioners that oversee the various County departments, similar to all but 2 of the 88 Ohio counties. As of 2025, Fayette County's elected commissioners are Tony Anderson, Donnie Fleak, and Jim Garland.<ref>Fayette County Ohio, County Commissioners, Accessed: January 22, 2025</ref>
Transportation
Airport
Fayette County Airport is a general aviation facility owned by the county and located northeast of the city of Washington Court House.
Communities
City
- Washington Court House (county seat)
Villages
Townships
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Blessing
- Bookwalter
- Boyds
- Buena Vista
- Cook
- Cunningham
- Eber
- Edgefield
- Fairview
- Georgetown
- Ghormley
- Glendon
- Hagler
- Jasper Mills
- Johnson
- Luray
- Luttrell
- Madison Mills
- Manara
- McLean
- New Martinsburg
- Parrott
- Plano
- Pleasant View
- Rock Mills
- Shady Grove
- South Plymouth
- Staunton
- West Lancaster
- White Oak
- Yankeetown
- Yatesville
See also
References
Template:Fayette County, Ohio Template:Ohio Template:Authority control Template:Coord