Carroll County is a county in Ohio, United States, in the east-central part of the state, about
20 miles south of Canton. It had a population of 26,721 at the 2020 census, an estimated 26,475
by 2025, and covers 395.4 square miles (1,024 km2) of land centred near 40°35′N 81°05′W.
Carrollton is the county seat and the county’s only city; its postal code is 44615. The
county holds 1 city, 6 incorporated villages and 2 census-designated places across 14 townships,
plus more than a dozen smaller unincorporated communities, and it runs on Eastern Time. Its FIPS
code is 39019.
Towns & Villages in Carroll County
Carroll County has 22 named places on record: Carrollton, 6 villages, 2 census-designated
places (CDPs) and 13 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. CDP stands
for census designated place; Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no formal
boundary.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrollton | City · seat | Center | 3,087 | 44615 |
| Minerva | Village | Brown | 3,684 | 44657 |
| Malvern | Village | Brown | 1,110 | 44644 |
| Magnolia | Village | Rose | 1,013 | 44643 |
| Lake Mohawk | CDP | Brown | 1,601 | — |
| Dellroy | Village | Monroe | 268 | 44620 |
| Sherrodsville | Village | Orange & Monroe | 222 | 44675 |
| Pekin | CDP | Brown | 314 | — |
| Leesville | Village | Orange | 127 | 44639 |
| Augusta | Unincorp. | Augusta | — | — |
| Harlem Springs | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kilgore | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Leavittsville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lindentree | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mechanicstown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Morges | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| New Harrisburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Oneida | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pattersonville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Petersburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Scroggsfield | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wattsville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Two villages straddle the county line. Minerva’s population figure above is citywide
— the village sits mainly in Stark County’s Paris Township, with a smaller share in
Carroll County’s Brown Township and a small district in Columbiana County. Magnolia works
the same way: most of its residents live in Stark County’s Sandy Township, and only the
smaller remainder falls inside Carroll County’s Rose Township. Sherrodsville is split
between two Carroll County townships, Orange and Monroe, but does not cross the county line.
ZIP Codes
- 44615 — Carrollton
- 44657 — Minerva (also covers the Stark County side of the village)
- 44644 — Malvern
- 44643 — Magnolia (also covers the Stark County side of the village)
- 44620 — Dellroy
- 44675 — Sherrodsville
- 44639 — Leesville
Lake Mohawk and Pekin have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under
Malvern’s or Carrollton’s code depending on location. The 13 unincorporated
communities — Augusta, Harlem Springs, Kilgore, Leavittsville, Lindentree, Mechanicstown,
Morges, New Harrisburg, Oneida, Pattersonville, Petersburg, Scroggsfield and Wattsville —
are addressed under whichever incorporated ZIP their rural route serves.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | 7,214 | Malvern, Lake Mohawk, Pekin, part of Minerva |
| Center | 4,428 | Carrollton |
| Harrison | 2,397 | — |
| Monroe | 1,924 | Dellroy, part of Sherrodsville |
| Augusta | 1,531 | Augusta |
| Rose | 1,444 | Part of Magnolia |
| Washington | 1,116 | — |
| Orange | 1,133 | Leesville, part of Sherrodsville |
| Lee | 1,022 | — |
| Fox | 977 | — |
| Perry | 934 | — |
| Loudon | 925 | — |
| East | 808 | — |
| Union | 868 | — |
Geography
Carroll County sits in Ohio’s Appalachian foothills, a belt of steep wooded ridges east
of the flatter glaciated plains that cover most of the state. Of its 399 square miles, 395 are
land and 4.3 are water, about 1.1 percent, mostly held in Atwood Lake and Leesville Lake, two
flood-control reservoirs built by the Army Corps of Engineers on Indian Fork and the McGuire
Creek watershed. Atwood Lake, shared with neighboring Tuscarawas County, is the larger of the
two and anchors a state park on its Carroll County shore; Leesville Lake, near the village of the
same name, is the smaller of the pair.
Columbiana County lies to the northeast, Jefferson County to the southeast, Harrison County to
the south, Tuscarawas County to the southwest, and Stark County to the northwest. Columbiana County, Jefferson County, Harrison County, Tuscarawas County and Stark County all border Carroll
directly.
Demographics
Carroll County had a population of 26,721 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the
county near 26,475 residents, a slight decline typical of Ohio’s rural Appalachian
counties. Minerva and Carrollton are the two largest communities by name, though most of
Minerva’s residents live across the line in Stark County. Ohio’s statewide median
household income was $67,769 (2023 ACS). Population density in Carroll County works out to
roughly 67 people per square mile of land, among the lowest in northeastern Ohio.
Economy & Local Life
Oil and natural gas production from the Utica Shale formation, developed heavily since the
early 2010s, added royalty income and drilling-related jobs across the county’s rural
townships. Carroll County-Tolson Airport, just outside Carrollton, serves general aviation.
Atwood Lake Park draws boaters and campers from across the region each summer, and the county
fairgrounds in Carrollton host the Carroll County Fair every July, the county’s biggest
annual event.
History
The Ohio legislature formed Carroll County on 1 January 1833, assembling it from parts of
Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Stark and Tuscarawas counties. It was named for Charles Carroll
of Carrollton, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, who died the same
year the county was organized. The county seat, first platted as Centreville in 1815, was
renamed Carrollton in 1834 to match the county.
Several members of the Fighting McCooks, an Ohio family that produced 15 Union officers during
the Civil War, lived in Carrollton in the 19th century. The Sandy and Beaver Canal, a short-lived
1830s-40s project meant to link the Ohio River to Lake Erie, ran through the county’s
northern townships before railroads made it obsolete.
Getting There
No interstate highway crosses Carroll County. State Routes 9, 39, 43, 164, 171, 183, 212, 332,
524 and 542 carry most of the county’s traffic, with SR 39 and SR 43 meeting at
Carrollton.
- Canton — about 25 miles northwest
- New Philadelphia — about 20 miles southwest
- Steubenville — about 30 miles southeast
- East Liverpool — about 25 miles northeast
Akron-Canton Airport, roughly 35 miles northwest of Carrollton, is the nearest major commercial
airport. Carroll County-Tolson Airport, on the edge of Carrollton, handles general aviation only.
Amtrak does not serve Carroll County; the nearest station is in Alliance, about 20 miles north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Carroll County located?
It sits in Ohio’s Appalachian foothills, about 20 miles south of Canton, bordered by
Columbiana, Jefferson, Harrison, Tuscarawas and Stark counties.
What is the population of Carroll County?
26,721 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 26,475.
How big is Carroll County?
399 square miles (1,030 km2) in total, of which 395 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Carroll County?
Carrollton, renamed from Centreville in 1834, is the county seat and only city.
How many towns and villages are in Carroll County?
One city, Carrollton, plus six villages — Minerva, Malvern, Magnolia, Dellroy,
Sherrodsville and Leesville — and two census-designated places, Lake Mohawk and Pekin.
What ZIP codes does Carroll County use?
44615 for Carrollton, 44657 for Minerva, 44644 for Malvern, 44643 for Magnolia, 44620 for
Dellroy, 44675 for Sherrodsville and 44639 for Leesville.
What is Carroll County known for?
Atwood Lake and its state park, Utica Shale oil and gas drilling, and the Fighting McCooks, a
Civil War-era military family who lived in Carrollton.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.