Harrison County is a county in Ohio, United States, in the eastern part of the state along the Ohio-Pennsylvania coal and oil belt. It had a population of 14,483 at the 2020 census and covers 411 square miles (1,060 km2) centred near 40°17′N 81°05′W.
Cadiz is the county seat, and its postal code is 43907. Harrison County has 10 incorporated villages and roughly a dozen unincorporated communities spread across 15 townships, no cities. The county sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Harrison County
Harrison County has no incorporated cities — only villages and smaller unincorporated communities. The table below lists the county’s 10 villages plus its best-documented unincorporated places; Village = incorporated with its own government, Unincorp. = an unincorporated crossroads or hamlet with no separate municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadiz | Village · seat | Cadiz | — | 43907 |
| Adena | Village | Washington | — | — |
| Bowerston | Village | Franklin | — | 44695 |
| Deersville | Village | Archer | — | 44693 |
| Freeport | Village | Freeport | — | 43973 |
| Harrisville | Village | Short Creek | — | 43974 |
| Hopedale | Village | Green | — | 43976 |
| Jewett | Village | Nottingham | — | 43986 |
| New Athens | Village | Athens | — | 43981 |
| Scio | Village | German | — | 43988 |
| New Rumley | Unincorp. | Rumley | — | 43984 |
| Tippecanoe | Unincorp. | Monroe | — | 44699 |
| Cadiz Junction | Unincorp. | Cadiz | — | — |
| Conotton | Unincorp. | Franklin | — | — |
| Piedmont | Unincorp. | Moorefield | — | — |
| East Piedmont | Unincorp. | Moorefield | — | — |
| Georgetown | Unincorp. | North | — | — |
| Hanover | Unincorp. | North | — | — |
| Moorefield | Unincorp. | Moorefield | — | — |
| Smyrna | Unincorp. | Stock | — | — |
| Tappan | Unincorp. | Athens | — | — |
Bowerston straddles the Harrison-Carroll-Tuscarawas county line, and its listed ZIP also serves addresses across those borders. Adena’s built-up area is mostly in neighboring Jefferson County, with only its western edge in Harrison — the village has no dedicated Harrison-side ZIP.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlement |
|---|---|---|
| Cadiz | — | Cadiz |
| Athens | — | New Athens |
| Freeport | — | Freeport |
| German | — | Scio |
| Green | — | Hopedale |
| Moorefield | — | Moorefield, Piedmont |
| Nottingham | — | Jewett |
| Rumley | — | New Rumley |
| Short Creek | — | Harrisville |
| Archer | — | Deersville |
| Franklin | — | Bowerston, Conotton |
| Washington | — | Adena (part) |
| Monroe | — | Tippecanoe |
| North | — | Georgetown, Hanover |
| Stock | — | Smyrna |
ZIP Codes
- 43907 — Cadiz (county seat)
- 43988 — Scio
- 43973 — Freeport
- 43986 — Jewett
- 43976 — Hopedale
- 44695 — Bowerston
- 44699 — Tippecanoe
- 43981 — New Athens
- 43974 — Harrisville
- 44693 — Deersville
- 43984 — New Rumley
Smaller communities such as Cadiz Junction, Conotton, Georgetown, Hanover, Moorefield, Piedmont, Smyrna and Tappan share the ZIP of their nearest post office town rather than having their own.
Geography
Harrison County lies in the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau, with steep hills and narrow valleys cut by Short Creek, Conotton Creek and the Stillwater and Cross Creeks. Tappan Lake, an 1,700-acre Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District reservoir, sits in the county’s Athens Township and draws boating and fishing traffic from across the region. About 2 percent of the county’s 411 square miles is water.
Harrison County borders Carroll County to the north, Jefferson County to the east, Belmont County to the south, Guernsey County to the southwest, and Tuscarawas County to the west.
Demographics
Harrison County had 14,483 residents at the 2020 census, the fifth-least populous of Ohio’s 88 counties, giving it a density of about 35 people per square mile. Cadiz and Scio are its two largest villages. Median household income runs well below the Ohio median of $67,769, reflecting the county’s rural, thinly populated economy.
Economy & Local Life
Coal mining shaped Harrison County for a century, and surface mining, natural-gas and oil extraction (Utica Shale drilling) remain active industries alongside agriculture, forestry and small manufacturing. Tappan Lake Park, operated by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, is a major recreation draw with camping, cabins and a marina. The Conotton Creek Trail, an 11.4-mile rails-to-trails path, runs through the county’s northern end.
History
Harrison County was organized on February 1, 1813, from parts of Jefferson and Tuscarawas Counties, and named for General William Henry Harrison, who later became the ninth President of the United States. Oil was discovered near Jewett in 1895 and near Scio in 1898, touching off a short-lived Scio oil boom that faded by 1901. Edwin Stanton, Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, and General George Custer were both born in the county.
Getting There
U.S. Route 250 and State Route 9 cross through Cadiz; State Route 22 runs along the county’s southern edge.
- Steubenville — 25 miles east
- New Philadelphia — 25 miles west
- Cambridge — 25 miles south
- Wheeling, WV — 35 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Pittsburgh International Airport, about 70 miles northeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Harrison County, Ohio?
It sits in eastern Ohio, bordering Carroll, Jefferson, Belmont, Guernsey and Tuscarawas Counties.
What is the population of Harrison County?
14,483, per the 2020 census.
How big is Harrison County?
411 square miles (1,060 km2), of which about 8.4 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Harrison County?
Cadiz is the county seat.
How many towns are in Harrison County?
Ten incorporated villages, plus several unincorporated communities, across 15 townships. There are no incorporated cities.
What ZIP codes are in Harrison County?
Eleven ZIP codes serve the county, led by 43907 for Cadiz; see the ZIP Codes section above.
What lake is in Harrison County?
Tappan Lake, a 1,700-acre reservoir in Athens Township popular for boating, fishing and camping.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Ohio.