Oxford is a city in northwestern

Butler County, Ohio Butler County is a County (United States), county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 390,357. Its county seat and largest city is Hamilton, Ohio, Ham ...

, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A

college town A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...

, Oxford was founded as a home for

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

and lies in the southwestern portion of Ohio, approximately northwest of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

and southwest of

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. It is part of the

Cincinnati metropolitan area The Cincinnati metropolitan area (also known as the Cincinnati Tri-State area or Greater Cincinnati) is a metropolitan area with its Urban area, core in Ohio and Kentucky. Its largest city is Cincinnati and includes surrounding counties in the U. ...

History

was chartered in 1809, and Oxford was laid out by James Heaton on March 29, 1810, by the

Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Colu ...

's order of February 6, 1810. It was established in Range 1 East, Town 5 North of the Congress Lands in the southeast quarter of Section 22, the southwest corner of Section 23, the northwest corner of Section 26, and the northeast corner of Section 27. The municipality of Oxford posits that it was named for

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

in England. The original village, consisting of 128 lots, was incorporated on February 23, 1830. Oxford was elevated to city status in 1971.

Freedom Summer Freedom Summer, also known as Mississippi Freedom Summer (sometimes referred to as the Freedom Summer Project or the Mississippi Summer Project), was a campaign launched by civil rights movement, American civil rights activists in June 1964 to r ...

started with orientations at Western College for Women in June 1964. This event is commemorated near the Kumler Chapel on the Western campus, now a part of Miami University. Oxford became a qualified Tree City USA as recognized by the

National Arbor Day Foundation The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communitie ...

in 1996.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Oxford is a part of Oxford Township, originally called the College Township.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 23,035 people and 7,187 households living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 79.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5.0%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 8.8% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 5.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino residents of any race were 4.0% of the population.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 21,371 people, 5,799 households, and 1,909 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 6,622 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.6%

, 4.0%

, 0.2% Native American, 5.4% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.

or Latino residents of any race were 2.3% of the population. There were 5,799 households, of which 14.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 67.1% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age in the city was 21.4 years. 6.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 67.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 10.9% were from 25 to 44; 8.8% were from 45 to 64; and 5.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 21,943 people, 5,870 households, and 2,066 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 6,134 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.2%

, 4.3%

, 0.2% Native American, 2.4% Asian, <0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

or Latino residents of any race were 1.44% of the population. There were 5,870 households, out of which 16.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.8% were

living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city, 8.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 66.8% was from 18 to 24, 11.7% from 25 to 44, 8.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,164, and the median income for a family was $52,589. Males had a median income of $35,833 versus $24,637 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $12,165. About 13.4% of families and 43.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Festivals and performances include: * Oxtoberfest. * Lectures and live performances at Miami University. * The Uptown Music Concerts is a four-month event featuring outdoor performance. * The Oxford Wine Festival is an annual summer festival. * The Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC) is a performing arts facility in Oxford. Events include the Chocolate Meltdown in January. The OCAC building was previously used for the Oxford Female Institute in 1849, then as the Oxford College for Women in 1906 after the Oxford Female Institute merged with the Oxford Female College. After the closing of the school in 1928, Miami University bought the building and renovated it. It is often used as a venue for large events such as weddings. Oxford has a public library, a branch of the Lane Libraries. Museums include the Robert A. Hefner Museum of Natural History, the Karl E. Limper Geology Museum, the William Holmes McGuffey Museum, and the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum.

Parks and recreation

The Miami University Natural Areas has over 17 miles of hiking trails throughout Oxford. Hikers can hike through the Silvoor Biology Sanctuary and up to the bluffs, or through the 100 acre Western Woods to enjoy a "magnificent stand of oaks, beech and maples".

Education

, the large

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

of around 20,000 students that Oxford was established around, has historically always been the largest and most prominent post-secondary institution in the city. The Western College for Women operated from 1853 to 1974, first as a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

and later as a

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on Undergraduate education, undergraduate study in the Liberal arts education, liberal arts of humanities and science. Such colleges aim to impart ...

before it merged with Miami University. The Oxford College for Women in uptown Oxford was founded in 1849 in affiliation with the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

, and became a dormitory of Miami in 1928 before it became the Oxford Community Arts Center. Talawanda School District is the public

school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public Primary school, primary or Secondary school, secondary schools or both in various countries. It is not to be confused with an attendance zone, which is within a school dis ...

serving Oxford. The McGuffey Montessori School offers grades PK to 8.

Transportation

The Butler County Regional Transit Authority provides bus service in the city with connections to

, Middletown, as well as Springdale, where riders can transfer to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority serving greater

Notable people

* Walter Alston,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

manager, member of the

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United St ...

* Bill Bartlett, lead guitarist of The Lemon Pipers, psychedelic/

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, th ...

band, they had a Billboard #1 hit in 1968, "

Green Tambourine "Green Tambourine" is a song written and composed by Paul Leka (who also produced it) and Shelley Pinz. It was the biggest hit by the 1960s Ohio-based rock group the Lemon Pipers, as well as the title track of their debut album, '' Green Tambo ...

" * Jerome Conley, former mayor of Oxford and Dean of Miami University * Khashyar Darvich, film producer and director * Sarah Iliff Davis (1820-1909), milliner, business woman, and philanthropist * John Ward Dunsmore, artist * David J. Eicher, chief editor of ''Astronomy'' magazine and author of publications on astronomy and American History * Edith Emerson, painter * Weeb Ewbank, football coach, 3-time World Champion (1958, 1959, 1968), member of

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

* Earle Foxe, theater and film actor * Victor Furth, architect * Kason Gabbard,

pitcher * Nick Gillespie,

libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

journalist, former editor-in-chief of ''

Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...

'' magazine, current editor of reason.tv * Caroline Harrison, wife of President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

* Russell Benjamin Harrison, son of Benjamin and Caroline Harrison, Indiana politician * Darrell Hedric,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

and scout * Oliver Toussaint Jackson, businessman * Edgar Stillman Kelley, composer and music educator at Western College for Women * Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, "Father of American Beekeeping" * Henry MacCracken, educator, chancellor of

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

and

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

* Samuel Taylor Marshall, attorney and founder of

Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi (), commonly known as Beta, is a North American social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. One of North America's oldest fraternities, , it consist ...

fraternity * William Holmes McGuffey, educator *

William H. McSurely William Harvey McSurely (January 27, 1865 – May 27, 1943) was an American judge, lawyer, and politician. McSurely was born in Oxford, Ohio. He lived with his parents and family in Hillsboro, Ohio. McSurely received his bachelor's degree fr ...

, Illinois state representative and judge * Rob Miller, architect * Maurice Rocco, pianist

Sister cities

Differdange Differdange (; or locally ; ) is a Communes of Luxembourg, commune with List of towns in Luxembourg, town status in south-western Luxembourg, west from the Luxembourg City, country's capital. It lies near the borders with Belgium and France an ...

, Luxembourg, which is home to the

Miami University Dolibois European Center The Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) is an overseas campus of Miami University based in Differdange, Luxembourg. Established in 1968, the program is based in Differdange Castle in southwestern Luxembourg and enrolls ...

, is a sister city to Oxford. Oxford established a sister city relationship with

Dubno Dubno (, ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality located on the Ikva River in Rivne Oblast (oblast, province) of western Ukraine. It serves as the capital city, administrative center of Dubno Raion ...

, Ukraine, in 2023.

References

External links

City of Oxford

Oxford Visitors Bureau
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1810 Cities in Butler County, Ohio Miami University 1810 establishments in Ohio Cities in Ohio

History

Geography

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Arts and culture

Parks and recreation

Education

Transportation

Notable people

Sister cities

References

Further reading

External links