Rio Grande ( ) is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in Gallia County, Ohio, United States. The population was 724 at the 2020 census. It is part of the rural Point Pleasant micropolitan area. Although the town is named after the

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

in the southern United States, its name is pronounced "Rye-O Grand" rather than the traditional Spanish pronunciation. Rio Grande is home to the University of Rio Grande/ Rio Grande Community College It is also the original location of

Bob Evans Restaurants Bob Evans Restaurants is an American chain of restaurants owned by Golden Gate Capital based in New Albany, Ohio. After its founding in 1948 by Bob Evans (1918–2007), the restaurant chain evolved into a company with the corporate brand name ...

. The restaurant chain began as a single

truck stop A truck stop (known as a service station in the United Kingdom, a travel center by major chains in the United States and a roadhouse in rural Australia) is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest (parking), and often ready-made f ...

diner A diner is a type of restaurant found across the United States and Canada, as well as parts of Western Europe and Australia. Diners offer a wide range of cuisine, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a comb ...

in Rio Grande.

History

Rio Grande was established on July 6, 1874. The name of Rio Grande was chosen to commemorate the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

. Despite Gallia County being named for its original French settlers, Welsh immigrants began to arrive to the area in 1818, and during the 1830s and 1840s, more than 3,000 more arrived from the parishes of Pennant, Tregaron, Llangeitho, Trefilan, Llangwyryfon, and Llanddeiniolen in

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

(then known as Cardiganshire). The original settlers are referred to as the "1818 Welsh" and were responsible for writing home and convincing others to come to Gallia and Jackson counties. Rio Grande's Welsh heritage is reflected in their village flag, which is identical to the

Flag of Wales The flag of Wales ( or , meaning 'Welsh Dragon, the red dragon') consists of a red European dragon, dragon attitude (heraldry)#Passant, passant on a green and white field (heraldry), field. As with many Charge (heraldry), heraldic charges, the ...

, with the name and establishment year included.

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 village has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Rio Grande is located very close to Raccoon Creek, a tributary of the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

Demographics

2010 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 2010, there were 830 people, 223 households, and 142 families residing in the village. 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 292 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 87.2%

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 ...

, 8.8%

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, 0.6% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 2.4% 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 of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 223 households, of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% 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, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.3% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age in the village was 21.9 years. 16% of residents were under the age of 18; 47% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17% were from 25 to 44; 12.6% were from 45 to 64; and 7.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 915 people, 232 households, and 145 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 277 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 90.82%

, 4.04%

, 1.09% Native American, 2.08% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population. There were 232 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were

living together, 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.82. In the village, the population was spread out, with 15.8% under the age of 18, 53.3% from 18 to 24, 15.6% from 25 to 44, 10.8% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males. The median income for a household in the village was $16,932, and the median income for a family was $29,167. Males had a median income of $25,139 versus $24,583 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 village was $10,822. About 32.6% of families and 35.9% 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 40.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The first Bob Evans restaurant was located in Rio Grande. The Bob Evans Farm is also located in Rio Grande. The original restaurant was replaced in the early 21st century by a new building. The farm has become a tourist attraction, featuring a picturesque windmill in a vast field, tours, and the annual Bob Evans Farm Festival. This event, held on an October weekend, attracts several thousand visitors.

Education

Public education in the village of Rio Grande is provided by the Gallipolis City School District. Campuses serving the village include Rio Grande Elementary School, Gallia Academy Middle School, and Gallia Academy High School. The University of Rio Grande is a private not-for-profit center of tertiary education.

References

{{Authority control Villages in Gallia County, Ohio Villages in Ohio