Champaign County is a county in Ohio, United States, centred on the Urbana micropolitan area in the west-central part of the state. It had a population of 38,714 at the 2020 census and covers 429 square miles (1,111 km2) of land, centred near 40°08′N 83°46′W.
Urbana is the county seat, and its postal code is 43078. The county has one city, five villages and a scattering of unincorporated communities and mobile-home communities across its twelve townships. It observes Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Champaign County
Champaign County has 37 named places on record, from the county seat down to small crossroads and mobile-home communities. Only Urbana is a city; five places are incorporated villages; the rest are unincorporated communities (Unincorp.), including several mobile-home parks that function as small residential communities.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urbana | City · seat | Urbana | — | 43078 |
| Saint Paris | Village | Jackson | — | 43072 |
| Mechanicsburg | Village | Salem | — | 43044 |
| North Lewisburg | Village | Concord | — | 43060 |
| Christiansburg | Village | Goshen | — | 45389 |
| Woodstock | Village | Harrison | — | 43084 |
| Mutual | Village | Johnson | — | 43047 |
| Cable | Unincorp. | Rush | — | 43009 |
| Mingo | Unincorp. | Rush | — | 43047 |
| Rosewood | Unincorp. | Wayne | — | 43070 |
| Terre Haute | Unincorp. | Wayne | — | — |
| Westville | Unincorp. | Urbana | — | 43083 |
| Kennard | Unincorp. | Mad River | — | — |
| Thackery | Unincorp. | Adams | — | — |
| Bowlusville | Unincorp. | Adams | — | — |
| Millerstown | Unincorp. | Union | — | — |
| Kingscreek | Unincorp. | Union | — | — |
| Carysville | Unincorp. | Salem | — | — |
| Fountain Park | Unincorp. | Urbana | — | — |
| Grandview Heights | Unincorp. | Urbana | — | — |
| Meadows of North Lewisburg | Unincorp. | Concord | — | — |
| Paris Court East | Unincorp. | Jackson | — | — |
| Paris Court West | Unincorp. | Jackson | — | — |
| Catawba Station | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Crayon | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Darnell | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Eris | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Five Points | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lippincott | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Middletown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Northville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Powhattan | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Springhills | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Frost MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Harvest Square MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mar-nel MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| McKeever MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Valley View MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Mingo and Cable sit close together in Rush Township along the CSX line north of Urbana; the several MH Park communities (Frost, Harvest Square, Mar-nel, McKeever, Valley View) are manufactured-home communities scattered around the county rather than platted towns, and none has its own ZIP code.
Townships
Champaign County is divided into twelve civil townships. Per-township 2020 census population figures are not independently verified for this page and are omitted rather than estimated.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Urbana | — | Urbana, Westville, Fountain Park, Grandview Heights |
| Salem | — | Mechanicsburg, Carysville |
| Jackson | — | Saint Paris, Paris Court East, Paris Court West |
| Concord | — | North Lewisburg, Meadows of North Lewisburg |
| Goshen | — | Christiansburg |
| Harrison | — | Woodstock |
| Johnson | — | Mutual |
| Rush | — | Cable, Mingo |
| Wayne | — | Rosewood, Terre Haute |
| Mad River | — | Kennard |
| Adams | — | Thackery, Bowlusville |
| Union | — | Millerstown, Kingscreek |
ZIP Codes
- 43078 — Urbana
- 43072 — Saint Paris
- 43044 — Mechanicsburg
- 43060 — North Lewisburg (also serves Meadows of North Lewisburg)
- 45389 — Christiansburg
- 43084 — Woodstock
- 43047 — Mingo (also serves Mutual)
- 43009 — Cable
- 43070 — Rosewood
- 43083 — Westville
Smaller unincorporated communities and the mobile-home communities use the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Champaign County sits on gently rolling farmland in west-central Ohio, drained by the Mad River and its tributaries, which cross the county from northeast to southwest through the Urbana area. Kings Creek and Buck Creek also run through the county’s western and southern townships. Most of the land is in row-crop agriculture, with wooded stream corridors along the Mad River valley.
Champaign County borders Logan County to the north, Union County to the northeast, Madison County to the southeast, Clark County to the south, Miami County to the southwest and Shelby County to the northwest.
Demographics
Champaign County had a population of 38,714 at the 2020 census, giving a density of about 90 people per square mile of land. Urbana, the county seat, is by far the largest community; Saint Paris and Mechanicsburg are the next-largest incorporated places. Median household income figures at the county level are not independently verified for this page; Ohio’s statewide median household income is $67,769 (2023 ACS), and Champaign County’s largely rural, agricultural and manufacturing economy places it in a comparable range to other non-metro Ohio counties.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — corn, soybeans and livestock — remains a major part of the county’s economy, alongside manufacturing and warehousing tied to the Urbana micropolitan area and the wider Dayton–Springfield region. Urbana University (now a branch campus of Franklin University) and Mercy Health’s Urbana hospital are among the county’s larger institutions. The Champaign County Fair, held each August in Urbana, is the county’s biggest annual community event.
History
Champaign County was organized on March 1, 1805, becoming the 18th of Ohio’s eventual 88 counties. It was formed from parts of Greene and Franklin counties, and its name comes from a French term for open, level country, reflecting the character of the land at the time of settlement. Urbana was laid out as the county seat that same year and grew as a market town on the road network linking Columbus, Dayton and points north.
Getting There
U.S. Route 68 and State Route 36 both pass through Urbana, and State Route 29 crosses the northern part of the county; Interstate 70 runs just south of the county line through Clark County.
- Springfield — 15 miles south
- Dayton — 30 miles southwest
- Columbus — 45 miles east
- Bellefontaine — 15 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is John Glenn Columbus International Airport, about an hour’s drive east.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Champaign County, Ohio?
It is in west-central Ohio, centred near Urbana, roughly halfway between Dayton and Columbus.
What is the population of Champaign County?
38,714 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Champaign County?
429 square miles (1,111 km2) of land, plus a small amount of water.
What is the county seat of Champaign County?
Urbana is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Champaign County?
One city (Urbana) and five incorporated villages, plus about thirty unincorporated communities and mobile-home communities.
What ZIP codes are in Champaign County?
Ten ZIP codes serve the county, led by 43078 (Urbana), 43072 (Saint Paris) and 43044 (Mechanicsburg).
What river runs through Champaign County?
The Mad River crosses the county from northeast to southwest through the Urbana area.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.