Auglaize is a county in Ohio, United States, in the west-central part of the state, along the Auglaize River. It had a population of 46,422 at the 2020 census and covers 402 square miles (1,040 km2), of which about 401 square miles is land, centred near 40°34′N 84°13′W.
Wapakoneta is the county seat and its postal code is 45895. The county has 2 cities, 6 villages, several unincorporated communities and 14 civil townships. It runs on Eastern time and carries FIPS code 39011.
Towns & Villages in Auglaize County
Auglaize County has 8 incorporated places — 2 cities and 6 villages — plus a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities. Minster straddles the Auglaize–Shelby County line, with most of the village in Auglaize. Type key: City · seat = the county seat; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wapakoneta | City · seat | — | 9,875 | 45895 |
| Saint Marys | City | Saint Marys Township | 8,506 | 45885 |
| Minster | Village | German Township | 2,880 | 45865 |
| New Bremen | Village | German Township | 3,077 | 45869 |
| Cridersville | Village | — | 1,822 | 45806* |
| New Knoxville | Village | Washington Township | 888 | 45871 |
| Waynesfield | Village | Wayne Township | 815 | 45896 |
| Buckland | Village | — | 350 | 45819 |
| Uniopolis | Unincorp. | — | — | 45888 |
| Saint Johns | Unincorp. | — | — | 45884 |
| New Hampshire | Unincorp. | — | — | 45870 |
| Moulton | Unincorp. | Moulton Township | — | — |
| Fryburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Glynwood | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kossuth | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Egypt | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Villa Nova | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
*Cridersville sits near the Allen County line and its post office ZIP, 45806, is the same one that serves Lima. Several old-list entries — Barlage Trailer Park, Bulkhead, Colonial Estates, Columbia Estates MH Park, Four Seasons Trailer Park, Geyer, Green Acres, Gutman, Harmons Landing, Holden, Lock Two, Paradise Court, Parker Shady Acres MH Park, Royal Crest MH Park, Sandy Beach, Sherwood Forest, Slater, South Shore Acres and Southmoor Shores — are mobile-home parks and lake-cottage subdivisions around Grand Lake St. Marys and Lake Loramie rather than standalone settlements; they are omitted here for lack of verifiable independent standing.
Townships
Auglaize County has 14 civil townships. Population figures below are unverified and shown as unknown; townships are listed alphabetically.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Clay | — | — |
| Duchouquet | — | — |
| German | — | Minster, New Bremen |
| Goshen | — | — |
| Jackson | — | — |
| Logan | — | — |
| Moulton | — | Moulton |
| Noble | — | — |
| Pusheta | — | — |
| Saint Marys | — | Saint Marys |
| Salem | — | — |
| Union | — | — |
| Washington | — | New Knoxville |
| Wayne | — | Waynesfield |
ZIP Codes
- 45895 — Wapakoneta
- 45885 — Saint Marys
- 45865 — Minster
- 45869 — New Bremen
- 45871 — New Knoxville
- 45896 — Waynesfield
- 45819 — Buckland
- 45888 — Uniopolis
- 45884 — Saint Johns
- 45870 — New Hampshire
Cridersville has no ZIP code of its own and instead uses 45806, the Lima post office code that serves both sides of the Auglaize–Allen County line.
Geography
Auglaize County sits in the till plains of west-central Ohio, mostly flat farmland drained by the Auglaize River, which flows north through Wapakoneta on its way to the Maumee River. The southwestern corner of the county touches Grand Lake St. Marys, one of the largest inland lakes built in Ohio, and Lake Loramie lies along the Auglaize–Shelby line to the southeast. The county is bordered by Allen County to the north, Hardin County to the east, Logan County to the southeast, Shelby County to the south, Mercer County to the west and Van Wert County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 46,422 residents, spread over 401 square miles of land for a density of about 116 people per square mile. Wapakoneta (9,875) and Saint Marys (8,506) are the county’s two largest communities, together holding roughly two in five county residents. Auglaize County’s median household income runs above the Ohio median of $67,769, reflecting the county’s manufacturing base and low unemployment relative to the rest of the Lima metro region.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing anchors the county economy. Crown Equipment Corporation, a forklift and material-handling manufacturer headquartered in New Bremen, is the county’s largest private employer. Minster Machine Company, a maker of stamping presses, and a Goodyear-linked hose plant in Wapakoneta (long known locally by its earlier name, Veyance Technologies) round out the industrial base, alongside dairy and grain farming across the surrounding townships. Wapakoneta is also the birthplace of astronaut Neil Armstrong, and the Armstrong Air & Space Museum on the edge of town draws visitors off Interstate 75 year-round.
History
Auglaize County was organized on February 14, 1848, carved from parts of Allen, Mercer, Shelby and Darke counties. It takes its name from the Auglaize River, whose name is usually traced to a French rendering of an Ottawa or Shawnee word associated with fallen timber or clay along the riverbank. Wapakoneta had already served as the seat of the Shawnee reservation established after the War of 1812 before the tribe’s removal west in 1832, and the town became county seat when Auglaize County was formed sixteen years later. German Catholic and Lutheran settlement shaped Minster and New Bremen from the 1830s onward, giving those villages a distinct architectural and cultural identity that persists today.
Getting There
Interstate 75 runs north–south through the county, passing directly by Wapakoneta and Cridersville and linking the county to Lima and Dayton.
- Lima — 15 miles north
- Dayton — 50 miles south
- Columbus — 75 miles southeast
- Fort Wayne, Indiana — 60 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Dayton International Airport; Lima Allen County Airport offers general aviation service closer by.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Auglaize County?
It is in west-central Ohio, along Interstate 75 between Lima and Dayton.
What is the population of Auglaize County?
46,422 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Auglaize County?
402 square miles (1,040 km2), making it Ohio’s second-smallest county by land area.
What is the county seat of Auglaize County?
Wapakoneta, also the county’s largest city and the birthplace of Neil Armstrong.
How many towns and villages are in Auglaize County?
Two cities (Wapakoneta and Saint Marys) and six villages (Buckland, Cridersville, Minster, New Bremen, New Knoxville and Waynesfield), plus several smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Auglaize County?
Ten ZIP codes, including 45895 (Wapakoneta), 45885 (Saint Marys) and 45865 (Minster); Cridersville uses Lima’s 45806.
What is Auglaize County known for?
Manufacturing — Crown Equipment and Minster Machine Company are both headquartered here — and as the boyhood home of Neil Armstrong.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.