Lawrence County is a county in Ohio, United States, the state’s southernmost county, bounded by the Ohio River across from West Virginia and Kentucky. It had a population of 58,240 at the 2020 census and covers 457 square miles (1,180 km2) in total — 453 square miles (1,170 km2) of land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2) of water — centred near 38°35′N 82°32′W.
Ironton is the county seat, and its postal code is 45638. The county has one city, six villages, and roughly a hundred unincorporated communities spread across 14 townships. Lawrence County sits in the Eastern time zone and is part of the Huntington-Ashland metropolitan area.
Towns & Villages in Lawrence County
Ironton is the only city and county seat. Six places are incorporated villages: Athalia, Chesapeake, Coal Grove, Hanging Rock, Proctorville and South Point. The rest of the county is a dense scatter of unincorporated hamlets, many dating to the 19th-century iron-furnace era that once made this stretch of the Ohio River a national iron-producing hub — several place names below (Buckhorn Furnace, Lawrence Furnace, Olive Furnace, Vesuvius Furnace) mark former furnace sites directly. Population and ZIP figures are given where confirmed; unlisted cells use —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ironton | City · seat | 10,571 | 45638 |
| South Point | Village | — | 45680 |
| Proctorville | Village | — | 45669 |
| Coal Grove | Village | 1,889 | — |
| Chesapeake | Village | 765 | 45619 |
| Athalia | Village | 279 | — |
| Hanging Rock | Village | 204 | — |
| Kitts Hill | Unincorp. | — | 45645 |
| Pedro | Unincorp. | — | 45659 |
| Scottown | Unincorp. | — | 45678 |
| Willow Wood | Unincorp. | — | 45696 |
| Waterloo | Unincorp. | — | 45688 |
| Rock Camp | Unincorp. | — | 45675 |
| Aid | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Andis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arabia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bald Knob | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bartles | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bartramville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belle Court | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blackfork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bradrick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brayfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brentwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookover Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buckhorn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buckhorn Furnace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burlington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cannons Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cebee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Station | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clearview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Corryville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cranford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crescent Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deering | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dobbston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ellisonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Essex | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Etna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fair Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Firebrick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Five Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forestdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gardner Terrace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Getaway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gillette | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glendale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenroy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greasy Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Green Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Guthrie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hecla | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Home Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Howell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hyland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| La Grange | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lawco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lawrence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lawrence Furnace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Le Mae | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lecta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lincoln Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Linnville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lisman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lockdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Miller | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Miller Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mott | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Castle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Kenova | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Okey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olive Furnace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Plantation Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Platform | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Polkadotte | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rappsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverside Terrace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverview Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rome | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Royersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saundersville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sheridan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sherritts | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Suiter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sulphur Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunny Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunrise | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sybene | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Symmes Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Three Oaks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vernon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vesuvius Furnace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walnut Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilgus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willowvale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yarico | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two entries from the old scrape were dropped as duplicates: a second “Miller” line and “Coryville,” a misspelling of Corryville already listed above.
Townships
Lawrence County is divided into 14 civil townships: Aid, Decatur, Elizabeth, Fayette, Hamilton, Lawrence, Mason, Perry, Rome, Symmes, Union, Upper, Washington and Windsor. Verified 2020 township-level population and settlement-assignment figures were not available within this rewrite’s research budget, so they are omitted rather than guessed.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Aid | — | — |
| Decatur | — | — |
| Elizabeth | — | — |
| Fayette | — | — |
| Hamilton | — | — |
| Lawrence | — | — |
| Mason | — | — |
| Perry | — | — |
| Rome | — | — |
| Symmes | — | — |
| Union | — | — |
| Upper | — | — |
| Washington | — | — |
| Windsor | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 45638 — Ironton (also serves the county seat area)
- 45680 — South Point
- 45669 — Proctorville
- 45619 — Chesapeake
- 45645 — Kitts Hill
- 45659 — Pedro
- 45678 — Scottown
- 45696 — Willow Wood
- 45688 — Waterloo
- 45675 — Rock Camp (PO Box delivery only)
Athalia, Coal Grove and Hanging Rock use neighboring post offices rather than a dedicated ZIP code of their own, and most of the county’s unincorporated hamlets are served by one of the ten codes above.
Geography
Lawrence County lies in the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau, Ohio’s hilliest terrain, and includes part of Wayne National Forest. The Ohio River forms the county’s entire southern and eastern boundary, and Symmes Creek is the largest interior stream, draining much of the county’s northern townships before reaching the Ohio River near Chesapeake. The county borders seven others: Jackson County, Ohio, to the north (Jackson County); Gallia County, Ohio, to the northeast (Gallia County); Scioto County, Ohio, to the west (Scioto County); Cabell County, West Virginia, to the east across the Ohio River (Cabell County); Wayne County, West Virginia, to the southeast (Wayne County); Boyd County, Kentucky, to the south across the Ohio River (Boyd County); and Greenup County, Kentucky, to the southwest across the Ohio River (Greenup County).
Demographics
Lawrence County had 58,240 residents at the 2020 census, for a density of about 128.6 people per square mile. Ironton, with 10,571 residents, is by far the largest community, followed by Coal Grove at 1,889. Median household income in Lawrence County runs well below the Ohio median of $67,769, reflecting the county’s position in Appalachian Ohio, one of the state’s lower-income regions.
Economy & Local Life
Healthcare and education are the county’s largest employment sectors today, a shift from its 19th- and 20th-century base in iron smelting and, later, steel. Ohio University Southern operates its regional campus in Ironton, and King’s Daughters Health System serves the county alongside smaller local clinics. Retail and services cluster along U.S. Route 52 and the Ironton riverfront, and many residents commute across the Ohio River into the Huntington, West Virginia, job market.
History
Lawrence County was created on December 20, 1816, and organized on March 1, 1817, taking its name from Captain James Lawrence, the naval officer remembered for the order “Don’t give up the ship” during the War of 1812. The county seat was originally Burlington but moved to the newly platted iron town of Ironton in 1851, as the local iron industry — dozens of charcoal-fired furnaces scattered through the county’s hills — drew the county’s population and commerce toward the riverfront. About 3,200 county men served in the Union Army during the Civil War, and roughly 2,200 served in World War I, with 99 killed.
Getting There
U.S. Route 52 runs the length of the county along the Ohio River, and State Routes 93, 141 and 217 connect the interior townships. The Huntington Tri-State Airport (HTS), across the river in West Virginia, is the county’s nearest commercial airport.
- Huntington, West Virginia — about 15 miles east
- Portsmouth, Ohio — about 30 miles west
- Ashland, Kentucky — about 10 miles south
- Columbus, Ohio — about 120 miles north
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lawrence County, Ohio?
It is Ohio’s southernmost county, on the Ohio River across from West Virginia and Kentucky, in the Huntington-Ashland metropolitan area.
What is the population of Lawrence County?
58,240 at the 2020 census.
How big is Lawrence County?
453 square miles (1,170 km2) of land plus 3.9 square miles (10 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Lawrence County?
Ironton is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Lawrence County?
One city (Ironton) and six villages — Athalia, Chesapeake, Coal Grove, Hanging Rock, Proctorville and South Point — plus roughly a hundred unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lawrence County?
Ten ZIP codes serve the county, headed by 45638 (Ironton), 45680 (South Point) and 45669 (Proctorville).
Why is it called Lawrence County?
It is named for Captain James Lawrence, the U.S. naval officer killed in the War of 1812 who is remembered for the order “Don’t give up the ship.”
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.