Morrow County, Ohio

Morrow County is a county in Ohio, United States, about 41 miles north of Columbus. It had a
population of 34,950 at the 2020 census, an estimated 36,305 by 2025, and covers 407 square miles
(1,050 km2) centred near 40°32′N 82°48′W.

Mount Gilead is the county seat; its postal code is 43338. The county holds 7 incorporated
villages and 5 smaller unincorporated communities across 16 townships, and it runs on Eastern
Time. Its FIPS code is 39117.

Towns & Villages in Morrow County

Morrow County has 12 named places on record: 7 incorporated villages and 5 unincorporated
communities with no local government of their own. Ohio incorporates municipalities as villages
below 5,000 residents and cities above that mark — every incorporated place in Morrow
County is a village. Unincorp. covers crossroads settlements with a post-office history but no
municipal boundary.

Two names on this list are easy to mix up. Johnsville and Shauck are the same crossroads —
the village was laid out as Johnsville in 1834, but its post office, established a decade
earlier, was called Shauck, and that name stuck locally. Separately, the city of Galion sits
mostly in Crawford and Richland counties; only a small edge of its built-up area reaches into
Morrow County’s Troy Township, so it is not counted as a Morrow County place on this list.

Townships

Morrow County has 16 civil townships. Their populations add up to the county’s full 34,950
residents, since every Ohio township includes the incorporated villages inside its borders.

ZIP Codes

• 43338 — Mount Gilead
• 43315 — Cardington
• 43320 — Edison
• 43325 — Iberia
• 43334 — Marengo
• 43321 — Fulton
• 43317 — Chesterville
• 43350 — Sparta
• 43349 — Johnsville (Shauck), served by the Shauck post office

Blooming Grove, Steam Corners and Williamsport have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is
delivered under the nearest village’s code.

Geography

Morrow County sits on the till plains of central Ohio, flat to gently rolling, with the
Allegheny foothills rising along the county’s eastern edge. Of its 407 square miles, 406 are
land and 1.1 are water, about 0.3 percent — the county has no large natural lake, and its
surface water is mostly small streams. The Olentangy River rises about three-quarters of a mile
southwest of Blooming Grove, in North Bloomfield Township, and flows south out of the county
toward Delaware and Columbus.

Crawford County lies to the north, Richland County to the northeast, Knox County to the
southeast, Delaware County to the southwest and Marion County to the west. Crawford County, Richland County, Knox County, Delaware County and Marion County all border Morrow
directly.

Demographics

Morrow County had a population of 34,950 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the
county near 36,305 residents. Mount Gilead and Cardington are the two largest communities, with
3,503 and 2,051 residents respectively. Median household income runs $71,047 (2023 ACS), above
Ohio’s statewide figure of $67,769 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 86 people
per square mile of land, low for central Ohio and consistent with the county’s largely rural,
agricultural character.

Economy & Local Life

Manufacturing employs the most workers in the county, about 2,731 people, followed by health
care and social assistance at 2,600 and construction at 1,988, out of roughly 16,978 total
employed residents. OhioHealth Morrow County Hospital, in Mount Gilead, is the county’s major
health care employer. Amish farms and businesses operate near Chesterville and Johnsville,
supplying produce and furniture to the wider region. Troy Township is home to the Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course, a road-racing circuit near the village of Lexington in neighboring Richland
County. The track’s biggest annual event is the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, an IndyCar Series
race held each July that draws crowds far larger than the county’s own population.

History

Ohio’s legislature organized Morrow County in 1848 from parts of four neighboring counties,
naming it for Jeremiah Morrow, who served as governor from 1822 to 1826. Shawnee people hunted
the area before white settlers arrived in the early 19th century.

Iberia, in Washington Township, was home to Ohio Central College, a Presbyterian-affiliated
school whose most notable graduate was future president Warren G. Harding. Harding was born
near Blooming Grove, in North Bloomfield Township; the birth site itself no longer stands, but an
Ohio Historical Society marker identifies the location. In December 1919, the federal government
gave Mount Gilead the Victory Shaft, a monument in the town square thanking Morrow County
citizens for buying more war bonds per capita during World War I than any other US county.

Getting There

Interstate 71 crosses the county with interchanges at State Route 61 and State Route 95. US
Route 42 runs through Cardington and Mount Gilead, and State Routes 95, 97, 229 and 656 connect
the county’s smaller villages.

• Columbus — about 41 miles south
• Marion — about 25 miles northwest
• Mansfield — about 35 miles northeast
• Mount Vernon — about 25 miles southeast

John Glenn Columbus International Airport, roughly 45 miles south of Mount Gilead, is the
nearest major commercial airport. No Amtrak route serves Morrow County directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Morrow County located?
It sits in central Ohio, about 41 miles north of Columbus, bordered by Crawford, Richland, Knox,
Delaware and Marion counties.

What is the population of Morrow County?
34,950 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 36,305.

How big is Morrow County?
407 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 406 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Morrow County?
Mount Gilead, home to 3,503 residents, is the county seat.

How many towns and villages are in Morrow County?
Seven incorporated villages — Mount Gilead, Cardington, Edison, Marengo, Fulton,
Chesterville and Sparta — plus five unincorporated communities: Iberia, Johnsville
(Shauck), Blooming Grove, Steam Corners and Williamsport.

What ZIP codes does Morrow County use?
43338 for Mount Gilead, 43315 for Cardington, 43320 for Edison, 43325 for Iberia, 43334 for
Marengo, 43321 for Fulton, 43317 for Chesterville, 43350 for Sparta and 43349 for Johnsville.

What is Morrow County known for?
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Troy Township, and Iberia’s Ohio Central College, alma mater
of President Warren G. Harding, who was born near Blooming Grove.

More counties in this state: Towns and
villages in Ohio.