Monroe County is a county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Ohio, across the Ohio River from West Virginia. As of 2023, the population was 13,153, making it the second smallest in terms of population in Ohio. Its county seat is Woodsfield. The county was created in 1813 and officially set up in 1815.

History

Monroe County was created on January 28, 1813, from parts of Belmont, Guernsey, and Washington counties. It was named after James Monroe, who was the U.S. Secretary of State when the county was formed and later became the fifth President of the United States. When the county was first organized, its eastern border was with the state of Virginia. This area left Virginia during the American Civil War and became the separate state of West Virginia, which joined the Union. Monroe County is mostly rural and had its largest population in the 19th century. Later, as cities grew, many people moved to or near them for jobs and other opportunities. Today, the county remains a center for Amish communities and farming.

In 1891, an oil field in West Virginia called Sistersville Field was found to be located partly in Monroe County. By 1901, 300 oil wells near Woodsfield, Ohio, were producing 55,000 barrels of oil each month.

On or around December 20, 2011, ExxonMobil, a petroleum company based in New Jersey, bought 20,056 acres of gas leases in Monroe County’s Utica Shale from Beck Energy through its subsidiary, XTO Energy.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county covers a total area of 457 square miles (1,180 km²). Of this, 456 square miles (1,180 km²) is land, and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), or 0.4%, is water. The county is bordered by the Ohio River to the east. The land is hilly, with rivers and streams flowing through parts of the Appalachian Plateau. This plateau stretches from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, which flows southwest from the southern side of the county.

Adjacent counties include:
• Belmont County (north)
• Marshall County, West Virginia (northeast)
• Wetzel County, West Virginia (east)
• Tyler County, West Virginia (southeast)
• Washington County (south)
• Noble County (west)

The area also includes part of Wayne National Forest.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 13,385. The median age was 47.4 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18, and 24.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 96.7% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.2% from some other race, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 0.5% of the population.

1.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 98.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 5,747 households in the county. 24.7% of these households had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.8% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 7,133 housing units, of which 19.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.5% were owner-occupied, and 22.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%, and the rental vacancy rate was 13.5%.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 14,642 people, 6,065 households, and 4,183 families living in the county. The population density was 32.1 inhabitants per square mile (12.4/km²). There were 7,567 housing units at an average density of 16.6 units per square mile (6.4 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.1% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 34.8% were German, 14.5% were Irish, 10.6% were English, and 9.6% were American.

Of the 6,065 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 56.0% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.0% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 44.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,030, and the median income for a family was $43,261. Males had a median income of $39,261, versus $24,922 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,738. About 12.3% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,180 people, 6,021 households, and 4,413 families living in the county. The population density was 33 people per square mile (13 people/km²). There were 7,212 housing units at an average density of 16 units per square mile (6.2/km²). The racial

Politics

Monroe County, like many Appalachian counties, mostly voted for the Democratic Party in elections from 1856 until 2008, only 7 times voting for other parties. In 2012, Monroe County voted for the Republican Party for the first time since 1972. In 2016, the county strongly supported Republican candidate Donald Trump. During the 2014 state governor election, Monroe County was one of two counties that voted for Democrat Ed FitzGerald instead of Republican John Kasich (the other was Athens County). However, in 2018, Monroe County voted for Republican Mike DeWine instead of Democrat Richard Cordray.

Government

Monroe County has three County Commissioners who manage the different parts of the county government, just like 85 of the other 88 counties in Ohio. The current Commissioners are: Mick Schumacher (R), Bill Bolon (R), and Diane Burkhart (R).

Monroe County is supported by the Monroe County District Library, which operates from its main office in Woodsfield, Ohio. The library also provides a bookmobile service to reach more people.

In 2005, the library loaned over 141,000 items to its 6,000 library members. The library’s total collection includes more than 64,000 books and over 140 subscriptions to magazines and newspapers. This library is part of the SOLO Regional Library System.

Education

Monroe County includes the following schools in the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District:

• Elementary Schools: Beallsville Elementary School in Beallsville, Ohio; River Elementary School in Hannibal, Ohio; Skyvue Elementary School in Graysville, Ohio; Woodsfield Elementary School in Woodsfield, Ohio; St. Sylvester Central in Woodsfield, Ohio
• High Schools: Monroe Central High School in Woodsfield, Ohio; River High School in Hannibal, Ohio; Beallsville High School in Beallsville, Ohio (closed in 2025)
• Career Center: Swiss Hills Career Center in Woodsfield, Ohio

Communities

• Hannibal
• Sardis

• Cameron
• Duffy
• Fly
• Laings
• Malaga
• Rinard Mills
• Sardis
• Sycamore Valley

• Quarry

Notable people

• Philip Allen, who worked in the Wisconsin State Assembly
• William C. Chynoweth, who worked in the Illinois House of Representatives
• Sam V. Stewart, a Montana Supreme Court Justice and the sixth Governor of Montana