Carbondale is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in northwestern Waterloo Township, Athens County,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

with the ZIP code 45717. It is located a short distance north of State Route 56. The town is located on Carbondale Creek, which flows into Hewett Fork just below the town. Hewett Fork is a tributary of Raccoon Creek, which is a tributary of the Ohio River. The name refers to the once-abundant coal resources in the hills and valleys surrounding the community. The first coal mines in Carbondale opened in 1867, soon after the railroad was completed to that point. The area was extensively mined, with all mines closing years ago. The community is closely hemmed in by the

Zaleski State Forest Zaleski State Forest is a state forest in the U.S. state of Ohio, located primarily in Vinton County, with areas in Athens County as well. The 28,000 acre (110 km²) forest surrounds Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County, and borders the ...

, including the Enderlin Forest just west of town, which includes one of the earliest large-scale

white pine ''Pinus'', the pines, is a genus of approximately 111 extant tree and shrub species. The genus is currently split into two subgenera: subgenus ''Pinus'' (hard pines), and subgenus ''Strobus'' (soft pines). Each of the subgenera have been further ...

plantations in the state, and features the state's champion white pine tree.

Education

Public Education in the community of Carbondale is provided by the Alexander Local School District. Campuses serving the community includ
Alexander Elementary School
(Grades PK-5)
Alexander Middle School
(Grades 6-8), and Alexander High Schoolbr>
(Grades 9-12).

References

Unincorporated communities in Ohio Unincorporated communities in Athens County, Ohio 1867 establishments in Ohio {{AthensCountyOH-geo-stub