Noble County is a county in Ohio, United States, in the state’s southeastern hill country between the Muskingum and Ohio river valleys. It had a population of 14,115 at the 2020 census and covers 405 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 398 square miles (1,030 km2) are land, centred near 39°46′N 81°27′W.
Caldwell is the county seat, and its postal code is 43724. The county has six incorporated villages — Batesville, Belle Valley, Caldwell, Dexter City, Sarahsville and Summerfield — no incorporated cities, and dozens of unincorporated communities spread across its 15 townships. Noble County observes Eastern time.
Towns & Villages in Noble County
Noble County has six incorporated villages and roughly fifty smaller unincorporated communities, crossroads and former post-office settlements. In the table below, “Village” marks a place with its own municipal government; “Unincorp.” marks a community with no separate municipal government, some no longer more than a name on a map and a cluster of houses.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ava | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Batesville | Village | — | — |
| Belle Valley | Village | — | 43717 |
| Caldwell | Village · seat | — | 43724 |
| Carlisle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chaseville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coal Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crooked Tree | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dexter City | Village | — | 43738 |
| Dudley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dungannon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duvall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Union | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elk | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flag | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Florence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fredericksdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fulda | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harriettsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillview MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hiramsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Honesty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hoskinsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Keith | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kennonsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kilmer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lashley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Middleburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moundsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Ephraim | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Zion | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mud Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olive Green | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Renrock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rich Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Road Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rochester | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rose Addition | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sarahsville | Village | — | 43779 |
| Sharon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Slaters | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Steamtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sue-Lin Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Summerfield | Village | — | 43788 |
| Three Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whigville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Most unincorporated names on this list are rural crossroads or former post-office communities rather than towns with defined boundaries; the county’s 2020 census count of 14,115 is almost entirely spread across the townships rather than concentrated in the six villages.
Townships
Noble County is divided into 15 civil townships. Township-level 2020 census counts and settlement rosters were not independently verifiable for this profile, so populations are omitted rather than estimated.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver | — | — |
| Brookfield | — | — |
| Buffalo | — | — |
| Center | — | Caldwell |
| Elk | — | Elk |
| Enoch | — | — |
| Jackson | — | — |
| Jefferson | — | — |
| Marion | — | — |
| Noble | — | — |
| Olive | — | Olive Green, South Olive |
| Seneca | — | — |
| Sharon | — | Sharon |
| Stock | — | — |
| Wayne | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 43724 — Caldwell
- 43717 — Belle Valley
- 43738 — Dexter City
- 43779 — Sarahsville
- 43788 — Summerfield
Batesville and the county’s many unincorporated communities are served by one of these five post offices or by a rural route address in a neighboring county rather than a ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Noble County sits on Ohio’s unglaciated Appalachian Plateau, a landscape of steep wooded ridges and narrow bottomland valleys typical of the state’s southeastern counties. Elevations run from around 700 feet along the streambeds to over 1,300 feet on the highest ridgetops. The county’s east side drains toward Duck Creek and, beyond it, the Ohio River; its west side drains toward the Muskingum River watershed. About 6.6 square miles (17 km2), 1.6% of the county’s area, is water, chiefly farm ponds and small impoundments rather than a single large lake.
Noble County borders Guernsey County to the north, Belmont County to the northeast, Monroe County to the east, Washington County to the south, Morgan County to the west, and Muskingum County to the northwest.
Demographics
Noble County had 14,115 residents at the 2020 census, spread across roughly 35 people per square mile of land — one of the more sparsely populated counties in Ohio. Caldwell, the county seat, is the largest incorporated place, followed by Summerfield and Sarahsville; most residents, though, live outside the six villages in the county’s rural townships. Noble County’s median household income trails the Ohio median of $67,769, a pattern shared with most of Ohio’s Appalachian southeastern counties.
Economy & Local Life
Noble County’s economy has long centred on oil and gas extraction, timber and livestock farming. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction operates the Noble Correctional Institution near Caldwell, one of the county’s largest employers alongside the county government, local school districts and the health system based in neighboring Guernsey County. Cattle and hay farming remain common on the county’s steep, wooded land, and the annual Noble County Fair in Caldwell is the area’s biggest community gathering.
History
Noble County was organized on March 11, 1851, from parts of Guernsey, Monroe, Morgan and Washington counties — the last of Ohio’s 88 counties to be formed. It is named for Warren P. Noble, an early settler in the area who went on to serve in the Ohio House of Representatives. Long before the county existed, the Thorla-McKee Well near what is now Caldwell struck oil in 1814, an event often cited as the first drilled oil well in North America, decades ahead of the more famous 1859 Titusville, Pennsylvania strike.
Getting There
State Route 78 runs east–west through Caldwell and is the county’s main highway, connecting to State Route 821 and other secondary routes that reach the surrounding county seats.
- Cambridge, Ohio — about 20 miles north
- Zanesville, Ohio — about 35 miles northwest
- Marietta, Ohio — about 30 miles south
- Wheeling, West Virginia — about 35 miles east
The nearest commercial air service is Wheeling Ohio County Airport to the east; the nearest major hub is John Glenn Columbus International Airport, roughly 85 miles west.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Noble County, Ohio?
It lies on Ohio’s unglaciated Appalachian Plateau in the state’s southeastern corner, between the Muskingum and Ohio river valleys, bordered by Guernsey, Belmont, Monroe, Washington, Morgan and Muskingum counties.
What is the population of Noble County?
Noble County had a population of 14,115 at the 2020 census, making it one of Ohio’s least populous counties.
How big is Noble County?
The county covers 405 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 398 square miles are land and 6.6 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of Noble County?
Caldwell is the county seat.
How many towns are in Noble County?
Noble County has six incorporated villages — Batesville, Belle Valley, Caldwell, Dexter City, Sarahsville and Summerfield — plus dozens of smaller unincorporated communities across its 15 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Noble County?
The main ZIP codes are 43724 (Caldwell), 43717 (Belle Valley), 43738 (Dexter City), 43779 (Sarahsville) and 43788 (Summerfield).
Why is Noble County historically significant for oil?
The Thorla-McKee Well near Caldwell struck oil in 1814, an event often described as the first drilled oil well in North America, decades before Pennsylvania’s famous 1859 Titusville well.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.