Licking County is a county in Ohio, United States, centred on the city of Newark in the central part of the state. It had a population of 178,519 at the 2020 census and covers 683 square miles (1,770 km2) of land plus 5.0 square miles (13 km2) of water, centred near 40°05′N 82°29′W.
Newark is the county seat, and its postal code is 43055. The county has 6 cities, 10 villages, 8 census-designated places and 21 unincorporated communities spread across 25 civil townships, and sits in the Eastern time zone. Licking County was organised on January 30, 1808, from part of Fairfield County.
Towns & Villages in Licking County
Licking County’s populated places range from the county-seat city of Newark down to crossroads hamlets that never incorporated. The table below lists every verified city, village, census-designated place (CDP) and named unincorporated community, with the township each sits in where that is on record.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark | City · seat | Newark | — | 43055 |
| Heath | City | — | — | 43056 |
| Johnstown | City | — | — | 43031 |
| New Albany | City | — | — | 43054 |
| Pataskala | City | Liberty | — | 43062 |
| Reynoldsburg | City | — | — | 43068 |
| Alexandria | Village | St. Albans | — | 43001 |
| Buckeye Lake | Village | — | — | 43008 |
| Granville | Village | Granville | — | 43023 |
| Gratiot | Village | — | — | 43740 |
| Hanover | Village | Hanover | — | — |
| Hartford (Croton) | Village | Hartford | — | 43013 |
| Hebron | Village | Bowling Green | — | 43025 |
| Kirkersville | Village | Harrison | — | 43033 |
| St. Louisville | Village | Mary Ann | — | 43071 |
| Utica | Village | Union | — | 43080 |
| Beechwood Trails | CDP | — | — | — |
| Brownsville | CDP | — | — | — |
| Etna | CDP | Etna | — | 43062 |
| Granville South | CDP | Granville | — | — |
| Harbor Hills | CDP | — | — | — |
| Jacksontown | CDP | — | — | — |
| Jersey | CDP | Jersey | — | — |
| Marne | CDP | — | — | — |
| Amsterdam | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Appleton | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Boston | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Chatham | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Columbia Center | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fleatown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fredonia | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Homer | Unincorp. | McKean | — | — |
| Linnville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lloyd Corners | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Locust Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Luray | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| New Way | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Outville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Perryton | Unincorp. | Perry | — | — |
| Rain Rock | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Toboso | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Union Station | Unincorp. | Union | — | — |
| Wagram | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Welsh Hills | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wilkins Run | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
New Albany and Reynoldsburg are primarily Franklin County cities with only a small portion of their corporate limits reaching into western Licking County; both are listed here because part of each city sits inside the county line.
Townships
Licking County has 25 civil townships. Several share a name with a village or CDP that sits inside them, which is noted below; per-township 2020 population figures were not verified for this edition and are omitted rather than estimated.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Bennington | — | — |
| Bowling Green | — | Hebron |
| Burlington | — | — |
| Eden | — | — |
| Etna | — | Etna CDP |
| Fallsbury | — | — |
| Franklin | — | — |
| Granville | — | Granville, Granville South |
| Hanover | — | Hanover |
| Harrison | — | Kirkersville |
| Hartford | — | Hartford (Croton) |
| Hopewell | — | — |
| Jersey | — | Jersey CDP |
| Liberty | — | Pataskala (part) |
| Licking | — | — |
| Madison | — | — |
| Mary Ann | — | St. Louisville |
| McKean | — | Homer |
| Monroe | — | — |
| Newark | — | Newark (part) |
| Newton | — | — |
| Perry | — | Perryton |
| St. Albans | — | Alexandria |
| Union | — | Utica, Union Station |
| Washington | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 43055 — Newark (also serves much of central Licking County)
- 43056 — Heath
- 43031 — Johnstown
- 43054 — New Albany
- 43062 — Pataskala (also serves Etna)
- 43068 — Reynoldsburg (Licking County portion)
- 43001 — Alexandria
- 43008 — Buckeye Lake
- 43023 — Granville
- 43740 — Gratiot
- 43013 — Hartford (Croton)
- 43025 — Hebron
- 43033 — Kirkersville
- 43071 — St. Louisville
- 43080 — Utica
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Homer, Toboso and Wilkins Run generally share the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than carrying their own.
Geography
Licking County sits in the till plains of central Ohio, where the flat glaciated land west of Newark gives way to the rolling, unglaciated foothills of the Appalachian Plateau to the east and south. The North Fork and South Fork of the Licking River join near Newark to form the main Licking River, which the county is named for, and Buckeye Lake — a reservoir built for the Ohio and Erie Canal — sits on the county’s southern edge.
Licking County borders Knox County to the north, Coshocton County to the northeast, Muskingum County to the east, Perry County to the southeast, Fairfield County to the southwest, Franklin County to the west, and Delaware County to the northwest. See Knox County, Coshocton County, Muskingum County, Perry County, Fairfield County, Franklin County and Delaware County.
Demographics
Licking County had 178,519 residents at the 2020 census, making it one of the larger counties in Ohio by population. Newark and Pataskala are the two largest communities, followed by Reynoldsburg’s Licking County section and the fast-growing New Albany corporate area. Median household income runs above the Ohio median of $67,769 in the county’s Columbus-commuter townships (Liberty, Etna, St. Albans) and below it in the more rural east; the county figure sits close to the state median overall. Population density is roughly 261 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Licking County’s economy blends Columbus-metro logistics and tech investment with older manufacturing and agriculture. Amazon operates major data-center and distribution facilities along the Etna/Pataskala/New Albany corridor, and Intel’s semiconductor campus under construction just across the Franklin County line has driven new housing and warehouse growth in western Licking County. Licking Memorial Health Systems and AEP Ohio are among the county’s largest employers, and Kroger runs a large regional distribution operation near Etna. Denison University, a private liberal-arts college, anchors Granville’s economy and campus-town character. Newark’s annual events include the Hartford Fair, one of Ohio’s oldest county fairs, held each August in Croton.
History
Licking County was organised on January 30, 1808, from part of Fairfield County and named for the Licking River, itself named for nearby salt licks used by wildlife and early settlers. Newark, laid out the same year, grew around the Ohio and Erie Canal and later the National Road (US 40), which still runs through the county. The Newark Earthworks, a set of Hopewell-era ceremonial mounds and geometric enclosures built roughly 2,000 years ago, are among the largest surviving earthworks in North America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The county also has a long glass-manufacturing history centered on Newark, once home to major glassworks that shaped the city’s 20th-century economy.
Getting There
Interstate 70 crosses the southern part of the county, with US 40 and US 62 and State Routes 13, 16, 37, 79, 146, 161, 586 and 657 providing the rest of the road network.
- Columbus — 30 miles west
- Zanesville — 25 miles east
- Mount Vernon — 25 miles north
- Lancaster — 25 miles south
John Glenn Columbus International Airport, about 25 miles west in Franklin County, is the nearest major commercial airport. Newark-Heath Airport, a smaller regional field, handles general aviation traffic within the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Licking County, Ohio?
It is in the central part of Ohio, just east of Columbus, centred near 40°05′N 82°29′W.
What is the population of Licking County?
178,519 at the 2020 census.
How big is Licking County?
683 square miles (1,770 km2) of land, plus 5.0 square miles (13 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Licking County?
Newark is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Licking County?
The county has 6 cities, 10 villages, 8 census-designated places and 21 named unincorporated communities across 25 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Licking County?
Main ZIPs include 43055 (Newark), 43056 (Heath), 43031 (Johnstown), 43062 (Pataskala) and 43023 (Granville), among others.
What is Licking County known for?
The Newark Earthworks — a UNESCO World Heritage Hopewell ceremonial site — and Denison University in Granville.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.