700 W. Union Street, Athens, OH 45701  (740) 568-4320 

Athens County is located in the southeast portion of Ohio, at the foothills of the scenic Appalachian Mountains. Athens County has a total of 530 lane miles of state and U.S. highway maintained by District 10. U.S. Route 50 and State Routes 32, 56, and 550 cross the county east and west, and U.S. Route 33, and SR 13, 144, 329, and 681 run north and east. 

The first settlement in Athens County was set up with the idea of establishing a university west of the Alleghenies. The Ohio University was founded in 1804, and William Holmes McGuffy, author of the McGuffey Readers, was one of it’s early presidents. 

Major attractions in Athens County include the Wayne National Forest; Zaleski State Forest; Burr Oak State Park and Lodge; Strouds Run State Park; Ohio Cultural Arts Center (The Dairy Barn); and Ohio University.

County Manager: John Burdette

Transportation Manager: Rebecca Walton