Ohio County is a county in Kentucky, United States, on the western coalfield of the state. It had a population of 23,772 at the 2020 census and covers 596 square miles (1,540 km2), of which 587 square miles is land and 9.0 square miles is water, centred near 37°28′N 86°50′W.
Hartford is the county seat, and its postal code is 42347. Beaver Dam is the largest city. The county has six incorporated cities, plus dozens of unincorporated communities and former coal-camp settlements. Ohio County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Ohio County
Ohio County has six incorporated cities — Beaver Dam, Centertown, Fordsville, Hartford, McHenry, and Rockport — and a large number of unincorporated communities, many tracing back to nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century coal camps, mill sites, and rail sidings. Unincorporated places are marked “Unincorp.” below; several no longer have a functioning post office.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford | City · seat | — | 42347 |
| Beaver Dam | City | — | 42320 |
| Centertown | City | — | 42328 |
| Fordsville | City | — | 42343 |
| McHenry | City | — | 42353 |
| Rockport | City | — | 42369 |
| Adaburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Aetnaville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arnold | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Askin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baizetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beda | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bells Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ceralvo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coffman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Combs Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cool Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cromwell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deanefield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dogwalk | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dukehurst | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dundee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Echols | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ellmitch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Equality | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flint Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haynesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heflin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Herbert | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Horse Branch | Unincorp. | — | 42349 |
| Horton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jingo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ken Wye | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kirtley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Magan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Matanzas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Pleasant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Narrows | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nineteen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| No Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olaton | Unincorp. | — | 42361 |
| Pleasant Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Point Pleasant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prentiss | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ralph | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Renfrow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rob Roy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosine | Unincorp. | — | 42370 |
| Sandefur Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Scottown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Select | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shreve | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shultztown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Simmons | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smallhous | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sulphur Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunnydale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taffy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Windy Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wysox | Unincorp. | — | — |
Rosine, in the county’s east, is the birthplace of bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and hosts a weekly acoustic music show at the Rosine Barn. Horse Branch and Olaton are former coal-camp communities along US 62 west of Beaver Dam.
ZIP Codes
- 42347 — Hartford
- 42320 — Beaver Dam
- 42328 — Centertown
- 42343 — Fordsville
- 42353 — McHenry
- 42369 — Rockport
- 42349 — Horse Branch (also serves nearby rural communities)
- 42361 — Olaton
- 42370 — Rosine
Most of the remaining unincorporated communities share a ZIP with their nearest post-office town rather than having their own code.
Geography
Ohio County lies in the Western Kentucky Coal Field, a rolling, forested landscape of low ridges and creek bottoms cut by the Green and Rough rivers, both tributaries of the Ohio River watershed that gives the county its name. Rough River Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir, forms part of the county’s northeastern boundary. The county’s terrain and coal seams supported a mining economy for over a century.
Ohio County borders Hancock County to the north, Breckinridge County to the northeast, Grayson County to the east, Butler County to the southeast, Muhlenberg County to the southwest, McLean County to the west, and Daviess County to the northwest.
Demographics
Ohio County had 23,772 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 40 people per square mile. Beaver Dam and Hartford are the county’s two largest communities. Ohio County’s median household income runs below the Kentucky median of $61,118, consistent with other rural counties in the western coalfield.
Economy & Local Life
Coal mining shaped Ohio County’s economy for more than a century; the county was for decades one of Kentucky’s leading coal producers, though underground and surface mining employment has fallen sharply since the 2010s, with a round of mine closures in December 2019 cutting roughly 3.5% of the county’s total workforce. Agriculture, timber, and manufacturing around Beaver Dam and Hartford now account for a larger share of local jobs. Ohio County is a “moist” county under Kentucky alcohol law — alcohol sales are permitted only inside certain city limits, including Beaver Dam, rather than countywide. Rosine’s weekly Saturday-night bluegrass show at the Rosine Barn draws visitors from across the region in tribute to native son Bill Monroe.
History
Ohio County was formed on December 17, 1798, from part of Hardin County, becoming Kentucky’s 35th county. It was named for the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern boundary before the county lost territory to the creation of Daviess County (1815) and Hancock County (1829). During the Civil War, Confederate cavalry burned the courthouse in Hartford in January 1865 because Union troops had been using it as a barracks; county records survived the fire. Coal mining took hold in the county in the late nineteenth century and remained its dominant industry through much of the twentieth.
Getting There
Ohio County is served by the Western Kentucky Parkway and U.S. Routes 62 and 231, which meet at Beaver Dam.
- Owensboro — 25 miles northwest
- Bowling Green — 45 miles southeast
- Elizabethtown — 45 miles northeast
- Madisonville — 30 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ohio County, Kentucky?
It is in west-central Kentucky, on the Western Kentucky Coal Field, bordered by Hancock, Breckinridge, Grayson, Butler, Muhlenberg, McLean, and Daviess counties.
What is the population of Ohio County?
23,772 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Ohio County?
596 square miles (1,540 km2), of which 9.0 square miles is water — Kentucky’s fifth-largest county by land area.
What is the county seat of Ohio County?
Hartford is the county seat; Beaver Dam is the largest city.
How many towns are in Ohio County?
Six incorporated cities — Beaver Dam, Centertown, Fordsville, Hartford, McHenry, and Rockport — plus dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Ohio County?
Including 42347 (Hartford), 42320 (Beaver Dam), 42328 (Centertown), 42343 (Fordsville), 42353 (McHenry), and 42369 (Rockport).
Why is Ohio County a “moist” county?
Kentucky law lets individual cities opt into alcohol sales even when the surrounding county is dry; several Ohio County cities, including Beaver Dam, have done so, while the rest of the county remains dry.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kentucky.