St. Paris or Saint Paris 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 Champaign County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 1,882 at the 2020 census.

History

The area where St. Paris now stands was originally inhabited by Native Americans. The first white settlers arrived in 1797 and the village was founded in Johnson Township in 1831 by David Huffman, who originally named it New Paris, after the French capital city of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. Upon learning that another town in Ohio already had that name, he changed the name to Saint Paris, a 4th-century AD bishop. In 1846 and 1847 the Columbus and Piqua Railroad was built along the southern boundary of the village, greatly increasing its advantages compared to other communities in the surrounding area. After reorganization, when the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad between

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, and

Union City, Indiana Union City is a city in Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,454. Union Ci ...

opened on March 25, 1859, the local station was the most efficient transport option for area agricultural products and travellers. The railroad operated as part of the Bee Line, eventually becoming part of the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

and then

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busine ...

before abandonment in 1983. St. Paris was incorporated as a village in 1858. The village increased in area, and now straddles to boundary between Johnson Township and Jackson Township. One of the houses in the village, known as the " Monitor House", has been declared a

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been re ...

and is listed 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 ...

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 , all of it land. Kiser Lake and the

Kiser Lake State Park Kiser Lake State Park is a public recreation area in Champaign County, Ohio, located northwest of St. Paris and north of Dayton. The state park includes Kiser Lake, for which it was named, and the Kiser Lake Wetlands State Nature Preserve ...

are located about north of St. Paris.

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 2,089 people, 795 households, and 549 families living 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 857 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.8%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.1% from other races, and 1.4% 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 0.5% of the population. There were 795 households, of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% 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, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.9% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age in the village was 33.7 years. 31.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,998 people, 781 households, and 556 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 809 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.55%

, 0.10%

, 0.60% Native American, 0.15% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population. There were 781 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were

living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07. In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $39,917, and the median income for a family was $47,014. Males had a median income of $35,417 versus $22,326 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 $16,811. About 8.8% of families and 8.8% 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 10.8% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

St. Paris is served by Graham Local School District. Graham High School, a member of the Central Buckeye Conference, is located in St. Paris. There are also Graham Middle School and Graham Elementary School, both of which are newly built. The Board of Education offices were once located in the old Junior High School downtown, but have now been moved to a new location behind the high school. The Graham Digital Academy (GDA) and A. B. Graham Academy (ABGA) were also located in the building, until A. B. Graham Academy's closure in June 2014. All of these facilities are located on

U.S. Route 36 U.S. Route 36 (US 36) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that travels approximately from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an inte ...

Government

As of March 2024, the mayor of St. Paris is Susan Prince.St. Paris Village Government
St. Paris, Ohio. Accessed October 9, 2016. The members of the village council are Tony Hoyt, Frank Blair, Terry Ervin II, Steve Lett, and Joe Curran.

Notes and references

External links

St.Paris Village Website

Champaign County

Graham Local Schools
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Paris Villages in Champaign County, Ohio Populated places established in 1831 1831 establishments in Ohio Villages in Ohio