Scioto County, Ohio
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Scioto County is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
along 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 ...
in the south-central part of the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. At the 2020 census, the population was 74,008.2020 census
/ref> Its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
. The county was founded on March 24, 1804, from Adams County and is named for a Native American word referring to deer or deer-hunting. Scioto County comprises the Portsmouth, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is at the confluence of the Scioto and
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
rivers.


Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the county has an area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water. Many parts of Scioto County are heavily forested, especially in the western half of the county with Shawnee State Park.


Adjacent counties

* Pike County (north) * Jackson County (northeast) * Lawrence County (southeast) *
Greenup County, Kentucky Greenup County is a county located along the Ohio River in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,962. The county was founded in 1803 and named in honor of Christopher Greenup. Its c ...
(south) *
Lewis County, Kentucky Lewis County is near the northeastern tip of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 13,080. Its county seat is Vanceburg, Kentucky, Vanceburg. History Kentucky was part of Virginia unti ...
(southwest) * Adams County (west)


National protected area

*
Wayne National Forest The Wayne National Forest is located in the Appalachian part of the US state of Ohio, in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It is the first and only national forest in Ohio. Forest headquarters are located between The Plains and Nelsonville, ...
(part)


Other parks

Shawnee State Forest and Park, the state's largest with over , covers most of western Scioto County, and Brush Creek State Forest touches part of northwestern Scioto County. The county also has numerous parks and recreational areas in each of its townships, including Earl Thomas Conley Park on U.S. 52 west of Portsmouth. Public lands in the county also include the
Wayne National Forest The Wayne National Forest is located in the Appalachian part of the US state of Ohio, in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. It is the first and only national forest in Ohio. Forest headquarters are located between The Plains and Nelsonville, ...
on the Ironton Ranger District. The forest encompasses almost in three townships in Scioto County (Vernon , Green township , and Bloom 4,008.29 acres). Within the city limits of Portsmouth, there are 14 parks for the residents and for community use. These parks are Alexandria Park (Ohio and Scioto River confluence), Allard Park (Bonser Avenue in Sciotoville), Bannon Park (near Farley Square), Branch Rickey Park (on Williams Street near levee), Buckeye Park (near Branch Rickey Park), Cyndee Secrest Park (Sciotoville), Dr. Hartlage Park (Rose Street in Sciotoville), Labold Park (near Spartan Stadium), Larry Hisle Park (23rd Street and Thomas Avenue), Mound Park (17th and Hutchins Streets), York Park (riverfront), Spartan Stadium, Tracy Park (Chillicothe and Gay Streets), and Weghorst Park (Fourth and Jefferson Streets).


Demographics


2000 census

At the 2000
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 ...
, 79,195 people, 30,871 households, and 21,362 families resided in the county. 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 34,054 housing units at an average density of . The county's racial makeup was 94.88%
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 ...
, 2.73%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
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 ...
, 0.63% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.02%
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 ...
, 0.18% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 0.60% of the population were
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. There were 30,871 households, of which 31.80% had children under 18 living with them, 52.30% 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, 13.10% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.80% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96. 24.40% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% were 65 or older. The median age was 37. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 91.2 males. The
median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $28,008 and the median family income was $34,691. Males had a median income of $32,063 and females $21,562. 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 ...
was $15,408. About 15.2% of families and 19.3% 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 25.4% of those under 18 and 12.8% of those 65 or over.


2010 census

At the 2010 United States Census, 79,499 people, 30,870 households, and 20,911 families resided in the county. The population density was . There were 34,142 housing units at an average density of . The county's racial makeup was 94.4% white, 2.7% black or African American, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.9% were
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, 15.0% were Irish, 12.1% were American, and 10.1% were English. Of the 30,870 households, 32.2% had children under 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.3% were non-families and 27.4% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 38.8. The median household income was $32,812 and the median family income was $44,122. Males had a median income of $40,876 and females $29,675. The per capita income was $17,778. About 16.4% of families and 20.8% 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 28.4% of those under 18 and 11.8% of those 65 or over.


Politics

The county was recently a swing county, as most presidential elections before 2016 were won by close margins. Additionally, it voted for the nationwide winner in each election between 1964 and 2004. Donald Trump won 66% of the county's vote in 2016, 71% in 2020, and 74% in 2024.


Government

Portsmouth is Scioto County's county seat. The county courthouse is at the corner of Sixth and Court streets. It was designed by John Scudder Adkins and constructed in 1936 as a public works project. The county jail, once in the courthouse, is now in a new facility at the site of the former
Norfolk and Western The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisio ...
rail depot, near U.S. 23. It was constructed in 2006. The current Scioto County Commissioners are Bryan Davis, Cathy Coleman, and Scottie Powell. The current Scioto County Recorder is Gary Jenkins, a Republican. Scioto County is the site of the state's Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, in Lucasville. It is Ohio's only maximum security prison and the site of Ohio's death house, where
death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting executio ...
inmates are executed. The county maintenance garage is also in Lucasville.


Economy

Scioto County's economy has been strongly based on that of Portsmouth after heavy industry replaced agriculture and river trade as most important. Through the early 20th century and until the 1970s,
heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
such as steel mills and shoe factories drove the county's economy. Since these factories closed, Scioto County has lost jobs and revenue. In the early 21st century, the
service industry The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the s ...
and healthcare, such as the Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC), is the county's largest employer. Scioto County is home to Ohio's newest state university,
Shawnee State University Shawnee State University (SSU) is a public university in Portsmouth, Ohio, United States, established in 1986. It is the southernmost member of the University System of Ohio. History Although its roots date back to 1945 when Ohio University est ...
, which enrolls between 3,300 and 4,000 students and grants associate, baccalaureate and master's degrees. Much of the recent economic growth and change in the county is related to SOMC and Shawnee State University. Recently Infra-Metals announced the development of a new steel shipping/fabrication site in New Boston, Ohio in the Bob Walton Industrial Park. The plant is under construction and will have access to both barge and rail loading facilities. In November 2002, the Portsmouth
Uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...
Enrichment Plant in nearby Piketon was recognized as an ANS Nuclear Historic Landmark by the American Nuclear Society. It had served a military function from 1952 until the mid-1960s, when the mission changed from enriching uranium for
nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission, fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion, fusion reactions (thermonuclear weap ...
to producing fuel for commercial
nuclear power plants A nuclear power plant (NPP), also known as a nuclear power station (NPS), nuclear generating station (NGS) or atomic power station (APS) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power s ...
. The Portsmouth Uranium Enrichment Plant ended enriching operations in 2001. It began to support operational and administrative functions and perform external contract work. All uranium enrichment in the area has been taken over by a sister plant in
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern Unit ...
. Uranium enrichment functions had been shared by the two plants. USEC interests in the area remain strong, and the American Centrifuge Plant was constructed in the first decade of the 21st century in Piketon. This commercial uranium enrichment facility was expected to employ up to 500 people and reach an initial annual production level of 3.5 million SWU by 2010. Scioto County has also been the benefactor of Suncoke (
coke (fuel) Coke is a grey, hard, and porous coal-based fuel with a high carbon content. It is made by heating coal or petroleum in the absence of air. Coke is an important industrial product, used mainly in iron ore smelting, but also as a fuel in stoves ...
production). Sole Choice, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of shoelaces, is in the county. Graf Brothers Flooring and Lumber, the world's largest manufacturer of rift and quartered oak products, has two satellite log yards in the county. Its main office is across the river in South Shore, Kentucky.


Education


Colleges and universities

The
Ohio University Southern Campus Ohio University Southern Campus is a satellite campus of Ohio University in Ironton, Ohio. The campus also has an extension in Proctorville, Ohio, and the Ohio Horse Park in Franklin Furnace, Ohio. The university began in 1956 when it hosted col ...
was in Scioto County until the early 1980s, when it relocated to Lawrence County ( Ironton). Shawnee State Community College used the former Ohio University buildings. The curriculum and facilities were developed to a full four-year undergraduate program and graduate studies, being established in 1986 as
Shawnee State University Shawnee State University (SSU) is a public university in Portsmouth, Ohio, United States, established in 1986. It is the southernmost member of the University System of Ohio. History Although its roots date back to 1945 when Ohio University est ...
from the former Scioto County Technical College, Ohio's 13th and newest higher education institution.


K–12 schools

Scioto County has ten 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 ...
s, one career technical center, one
private school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...
system, one
charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
system, and several
Christian schools A Christian school is a religious school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization. These schools often include religious education and worship in their curriculum. They may also have a distinct Christian mission or philosophy. ...
. These districts include Bloom-Vernon (South Webster), Clay, Green, Minford, New Boston, Northwest, Notre Dame (Catholic), Portsmouth, Scioto County Career Technical Center (serving both K–12 and post-secondary students), Sciotoville Community School/East HS (charter), Valley, Washington-Nile (Ports. West) and Wheelersburg. ''See also
Ohio High School Athletic Association The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of comp ...
and Southern Ohio Conference''.


Libraries

The Portsmouth Public Library was established as a Carnegie library in 1906. It now has four branches and a bookmobile to serve the county as well. The library has branches in Lucasville, New Boston, South Webster and Wheelersburg.


Transportation


Highways

Scioto County is served by two major highways, the north–south U.S. 23 and the east–west U.S. 52. Other routes include SR 73, SR 104, SR 125, SR 139, SR 140, SR 335, SR 348, SR 522, SR 728, SR 776, and SR 823.


Rail

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
offers a railyard for long-distance shipping and is currently reopening the repair shops.
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
offers a passenger service to the Portsmouth/Scioto County area under the ''Cardinal'' route. The passenger station is located in South Shore, Kentucky, across 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 ...
.


Air

Scioto County offers air services with the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport located in
Minford, Ohio Minford is a census-designated place located on the border of Harrison and Madison townships in northeastern Scioto County, Ohio, United States, about northeast of the county seat of Portsmouth. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of ...
, which is approximately northeast of Portsmouth on SR 335. The nearest airport with scheduled passenger service is Huntington/Tri-State Airport (HTS) in West Virginia, about east of Portsmouth on I-64.


Public transportation

Public transportation for Scioto County is offered through Access Scioto County.


Media

Scioto County is a dividing line of numerous television markets, which includes the Columbus,
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 ...
and Huntington- Charleston markets. Local television stations include WSAZ-NBC (channel 3.1), WZAS-myNetwork (myZtv channel 3.2), WOWK-CBS (channel 13.1), WCHS-ABC (channel 8.1) and WQCW, a CW affiliate with an office in Portsmouth and Charleston, and more recently WTZP-LD "The Zone", an America One Affiliate that offers more local programming, such as news, high school sports, community events and locally produced shows about the area. Local radio stations WIOI, WPYK, WNXT and WZZZ serve the county and surrounding areas. The county is also served by three newspapers. The ''
Portsmouth Daily Times ''Portsmouth Daily Times'' is a morning newspaper in Scioto County, Ohio with a print circulation of about 10,000. It was first printed in 1852 and printed Monday through Saturday, except Christmas Day. The newspaper is a member of the Associated ...
'' is the county's only daily newspaper. The ''Community Common'' is a free biweekly newspaper, and the ''Scioto Voice'' is a weekly newspaper that is mailed to subscribers. The ''University Chronicle'' is Shawnee State University's student-led newspaper. Of these, only three are locally owned and operated (WTZP, WIOI, and ''The Scioto Voice'').


Sports


Professional

Scioto County had a series of semi-pro football teams in the 1920s and 1930s, the most notable being the Portsmouth Shoe-Steels, whose roster included
player-coach A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...
Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...
. From 1929 to 1933, Portsmouth was home to a professional football team, The Portsmouth Spartans. This team later became the NFL franchise
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
in 1934. The Portsmouth Spartans also competed in the first professional football night game versus the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in 1930. The Portsmouth Explorers were one of the original baseball teams in the
Frontier League The Frontier League (FL; French: ''Ligue Frontière'', LF) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 18 teams – 15 in the United States and 3 in Canada. The FL is one of the eight independent baseball leagues in North Ame ...
, a non-affiliated minor league organization. The Explorers played in the league's first three seasons, from 1993 to 1995. In 1938, Portsmouth was also home to the Portsmouth Red Birds, a minor-league team owned by the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
.


Collegiate

Shawnee State University (SSU) is a member of the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...
(NAIA-Division II). It has participated in 24 national championships in 6 of 11 sponsored sports. The university's women's basketball team won an NAIA National Title in 1999 and finished in the final four in 1995. The softball team has also had national exposure, reaching the "Sweet 16" on several occasions. The team finished 10th in 1992, 8th in 1995, 9th in 1996, and 9th in 2001.


Amateur

The 12 local high schools, the other educational institutions, the adult leagues, and the development leagues (e.g. AAU and club organizations) generate a great deal of participation as either participants or as followers of sports teams. The teams have made 60 trips to the
Ohio High School Athletic Association The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of comp ...
championships, winning 19 state titles. These have included four softball titles (Clay HS in 1980, 1981, & 1983 and Wheelersburg HS in 2016); five baseball titles (East HS in 1973, Valley HS in 1975, and Wheelersburg HS in 1996, 2012, and 2013); four football titles (two by Notre Dame HS in 1967 and 1970 and two by Wheelersburg HS in 1989 and 2017); and six boys' basketball titles (1931, 1961, 1978 and 1988 by Portsmouth HS and 2006 by South Webster HS).


Culture

The Vern Riffe Arts Center, on the
Shawnee State University Shawnee State University (SSU) is a public university in Portsmouth, Ohio, United States, established in 1986. It is the southernmost member of the University System of Ohio. History Although its roots date back to 1945 when Ohio University est ...
campus, hosts many local and traveling performances, including Broadway plays and Miss Ohio pageants. Scioto County is home to the Boneyfiddle Historical District (which is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
), SSU's Clark Planetarium, the 1810 House, Greenup Locks & Dam, the Philip Moore Stone House,
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...
' Memorabilia Exhibit, the Southern Ohio Museum, and
Spartan Municipal Stadium Spartan Municipal Stadium, formerly known as Universal Stadium, is a stadium in Portsmouth, Ohio. It hosted the National Football League's Portsmouth Spartans (now the Detroit Lions) from 1930 to 1933, as well as local high school teams. Th ...
.


Events

Scioto County is best known for Portsmouth's "River Days" activities, which include a parade, a pageant associated with local high schools, boat races on the Ohio River (in the past), musical performances and a carnival. River Days occurs on
Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
(the first Monday of September) weekend. Activities begin on Thursday evening and the parade and pageant is on Saturday. The Scioto County Fair is held in the first full week of August of each year. It is one of the largest in the state, drawing approximately 75,000 visitors each year (the single-day record is 17,000). The first county fair was held in 1828; in 1908 Lucasville became the official site when three fairs (Mount Joy, Portsmouth and Lucasville) merged into one. The
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...
' Homecoming Festival is held each June.


Communities


City

*
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
(county seat)


Villages

* New Boston * Otway * Rarden * South Webster


Townships

* Bloom * Brush Creek *
Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
*
Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...
* Harrison * Jefferson * Madison * Morgan *
Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...
*
Porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., a locom ...
* Rarden * Rush * Union *
Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
* Vernon * Washington


Census-designated places

* Clarktown * Franklin Furnace *
Friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...
* Lucasville *
McDermott McDermott or MacDermott is an Irish surname and the anglicised version of Mac Diarmada (also spelled Mac Diarmata), the surname of the ruling dynasty of Moylurg, a kingdom that existed in Connacht from the 10th to 16th centuries. The last ruling ...
* Minford * Rosemount * Sciotodale * West Portsmouth * Wheelersburg


Unincorporated communities

*
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
* Bear Creek * Bloom Junction * Buena Vista * Dry Run * Eifort‡ * Hales Creek * Harrison Mills * Haverhill * Henley * Junior Furnace * Lombardsville *
Lyra , from ; pronounced: ) is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and is one of the modern 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Lyra was often represented on star ...
* McGaw * Mount Joy * Mule Town * Pinkerman * Pond Run * Powellsville * Rubyville * Rushtown * Scioto Furnace * Sedan * Slocum * Wallace Mills


Notable residents

* Dale Bandy, former
Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...
basketball coach *
Kathleen Battle Kathleen Deanna Battle (born August 13, 1948) is an American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances ...
,
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
singer * Al Bridwell, former
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 ...
(MLB) player * Earl Thomas Conley,
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer and writer * Martin Dillon, musician * Chuck Ealey,
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
player * Steve Free, folk singer, State of Ohio Governor's Award winner (for Individual Artist) in 2008 *
Bob Haney Robert Gilbert Haney, Jr. (March 15, 1926 – November 25, 2004) was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Lance Bruner, Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and ...
, former basketball player and coach for the University of South Carolina * Bill Harsha, congressman * Larry Hisle, former MLB player, manager of youth outreach in the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
organization since 2019 * Redonda Miller, MD, MBA, first female president of the Johns Hopkins Hospital * Rocky Nelson, former MLB player * Josh Newman, former MLB pitcher for the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
and
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
*
Al Oliver Albert Oliver Jr. (born October 14, 1946) is an Americans, American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder and first baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams ...
, former MLB player * Branch Rickey, baseball executive * Vern Riffe, Ohio politician (1959–95), Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives (1975–94) * Brett Roberts, former
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
player * Barbara Robinson, author *
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...
, singer and
cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
movie star * Ted Strickland, former
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
from Ohio and former
governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
* Gene Tenace, former MLB player


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Scioto County, Ohio * Scioto Company (1787 - 1790)


References


External links


Scioto County official website

Clay Local School District

Ohio History Central
(Ohio Historical Society)
Southern Ohio Museum
{{authority control Appalachian Ohio Ohio counties on the Ohio River 1803 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1803