Crawford County is a county in Ohio, United States, in the north-central part of the state, along U.S. Route 30 between Marion and Richland counties. It had a population of 42,025 at the 2020 census and covers 403 square miles (1,040 km2), centred near 40°51′N 82°55′W.
Bucyrus is the county seat; its postal code is 44820. The county has two cities, five villages and roughly three dozen unincorporated communities spread across 16 townships, and observes Eastern time.
Towns & Villages in Crawford County
Crawford County has two incorporated cities, five incorporated villages, and a long list of unincorporated communities and small subdivisions — a mix of historic crossroads hamlets and 20th-century mobile-home-park developments. Every place named below appears in county gazetteer records; population and ZIP figures are shown only where independently confirmed.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucyrus | City · seat | Bucyrus | — | 44820 |
| Galion | City | — | — | 44833 |
| Chatfield | Village | Chatfield | — | 44825 |
| Crestline | Village | — | — | 44827 |
| New Washington | Village | — | — | 44854 |
| North Robinson | Village | — | — | 44856 |
| Tiro | Village | — | — | 44887 |
| Auburn Center | Unincorp. | Auburn | — | — |
| Benton | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Brandywine | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Brokensword | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| DeKalb | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Gardner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hill Street | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Leesville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lemert | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Linden Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lykens | Unincorp. | Lykens | — | — |
| Maple Grove Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mcfarlands Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Meadowood Estates | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mechanicsburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Middletown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mobile Manor Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Monnett | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| New Winchester | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| North Auburn | Unincorp. | Auburn | — | — |
| Northwood Estates | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Oceola | Unincorp. | — | — | 44860 |
| Olentangy | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Olentangy Estates | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pinecrest Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Plankton | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Ridgeton | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| River Edge | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Spore | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Spring Valley Court | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sulphur Springs | Unincorp. | — | — | 44881 |
| Waterford Glen | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Waynesburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Weir Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| West Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Crestline and Tiro both sit close to the Richland County line, and Galion’s built-up area extends slightly into neighboring Polk Township; the listings above cover the Crawford County portion of each place only.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Bucyrus | — | Bucyrus |
| Auburn | — | Auburn Center, North Auburn |
| Chatfield | — | Chatfield |
| Cranberry | — | New Washington |
| Dallas | — | — |
| Holmes | — | — |
| Jackson | — | — |
| Jefferson | — | — |
| Liberty | — | — |
| Lykens | — | Lykens |
| Polk | — | Galion (part) |
| Sandusky | — | Leesville |
| Texas | — | — |
| Tod | — | — |
| Vernon | — | — |
| Whetstone | — | North Robinson |
ZIP Codes
- 44820 — Bucyrus
- 44825 — Chatfield (PO Box only)
- 44827 — Crestline
- 44833 — Galion
- 44854 — New Washington
- 44856 — North Robinson (PO Box only)
- 44860 — Oceola (PO Box only, also serves nearby Whetstone Township)
- 44881 — Sulphur Springs (PO Box only)
- 44887 — Tiro
Smaller unincorporated communities without their own post office use the ZIP code of the nearest town listed above.
Geography
Crawford County covers 402 square miles of land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2) of water, about 0.2% of its total area, and is one of the smallest counties in Ohio by land area. The terrain is gently rolling farmland typical of the Ohio till plains, drained by the Sandusky and Olentangy rivers, both of which have headwaters in or near the county.
Crawford County borders Seneca County to the north, Huron County to the northeast, Richland County to the east, Morrow County to the southeast, Marion County to the southwest, and Wyandot County to the west.
Demographics
Crawford County had 42,025 residents at the 2020 census, giving a density of roughly 105 people per square mile of land. Bucyrus and Galion are the county’s two largest communities and together are home to a large share of its population. County-level household income has not been independently verified for this page; the statewide Ohio median household income is $67,769 (2023 ACS).
Economy & Local Life
Crawford County’s economy is a mix of manufacturing and agriculture. Bucyrus grew around 19th- and 20th-century machinery and foundry manufacturing, and both Bucyrus and Galion still host manufacturing employers along their rail corridors, while the surrounding townships remain in row-crop farming. Bucyrus hosts the annual Bratwurst Festival each August, one of the county’s largest community events.
History
Crawford County was created in 1820 and organized in 1836. It was named for Colonel William Crawford, a Revolutionary War officer who was captured and executed near the Sandusky River in 1782 during a failed campaign against British-allied Native American forces in the Ohio Country — an event that predates the county’s formal establishment but is the direct source of its name. Crestline later grew into a major 19th-century railroad junction on the Pennsylvania Railroad, shaping the county’s early industrial growth.
Getting There
U.S. Route 30 crosses Crawford County east–west, linking Bucyrus and Galion to Mansfield and Marion. State Routes 4, 19, 98, and 309 provide the main north–south connections through the county.
- Marion — about 25 miles south
- Mansfield — about 25 miles east
- Sandusky — about 45 miles north
- Columbus — about 65 miles south
The nearest major commercial airport is John Glenn Columbus International Airport, roughly 70 miles to the south.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Crawford County, Ohio?
It is in north-central Ohio, along U.S. Route 30 between Marion and Richland counties.
What is the population of Crawford County?
Crawford County had a population of 42,025 at the 2020 census.
How big is Crawford County?
The county covers 403 square miles (1,040 km2), of which 402 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Crawford County?
Bucyrus is the county seat and one of its two cities.
How many towns are in Crawford County?
The county has two cities, Bucyrus and Galion, five villages, and roughly three dozen smaller unincorporated communities across 16 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Crawford County?
Main ZIP codes include 44820 (Bucyrus), 44833 (Galion), 44827 (Crestline), 44854 (New Washington), and 44887 (Tiro).
Is Crestline in Crawford County?
Yes. The village of Crestline is in Crawford County, close to the Richland County line.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.