Columbus Grove
Village · Putnam County · 2,160 residents · 1.25% municipal income tax
Local events in Columbus Grove
Nothing is posted for Columbus Grove itself yet; here is what is on within 20 miles. All local events in Columbus Grove
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
Deep dives about Columbus Grove
Long reads built from maps, newspapers and public records. All deep dives
How Columbus Grove began
Columbus Grove, in Pleasant Township, was established in 1842 and named for the Columbus, Ohio origins of many of its early settlers; it gained a post office in 1862 and incorporated in 1864. President Grover Cleveland made an impromptu speech from a train caboose here during his 1887 Goodwill Tour, and the village's 1935 municipal swimming pool is today a National Register listing. A June 2012 derecho caused significant downtown damage, and the village marked its 150th anniversary in 2014.
Platted 1842, incorporated 1864.
Where the name comes from
A large share of Columbus Grove's early settlers were natives of Columbus, Ohio, and that origin was chosen as the new settlement's name.
Before the town
No Native American site or village specific to Columbus Grove or Pleasant Township was located in the sources checked.
Timeline
- — Columbus Grove is established, named for the Columbus, Ohio origins of many early settlers.
- — A post office begins operating in Columbus Grove.
- — Columbus Grove incorporates as an Ohio village.
- — President Grover Cleveland, on his Goodwill Tour, makes an impromptu speech in Columbus Grove from a train caboose.
- — The Columbus Grove Municipal Pool is built northeast of the village in Pleasant Township.
- — The Columbus Grove Municipal Pool is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- — A derecho causes significant damage to downtown Columbus Grove.
- — Columbus Grove celebrates its 150th anniversary.
Stories
A President's Speech from a Caboose
In 1887, President Grover Cleveland undertook a nationwide Goodwill Tour intended to shore up support after his contested path to the presidency, stopping at cities and small towns alike as his train moved through the country. Columbus Grove, a modest Putnam County village not yet thirty years incorporated, was not a scheduled destination in the way a state capital would be, and Cleveland's remarks there were impromptu -- delivered from the caboose of his train rather than a platform or hall, to whatever crowd had gathered trackside once word spread that the presidential train was passing through. It was the kind of appearance nineteenth-century whistle-stop politics was built on: brief, informal, and remembered locally for generations after, long after the substance of whatever the president said that day had been forgotten. It remains the single most notable visitor Columbus Grove's written history records.
Photographs
Photo: Nyttend, public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Columbus Grove Village100% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Columbus Grove's boundary: 2 fire and EMS stations, 3 public schools, 1 private school, 2 poor-rated bridges, 1 library, 1 police station and 2 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Fire and EMS stations (2)
-
Columbus Grove - Pleasant Township Fire Department Station 20Columbus Grove
- Address
- 209 East Sycamore Street, Columbus Grove, OH 45830
- Coordinates
- 40.91887, -84.05529
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Columbus Grove - Pleasant Township Volunteer Fire Department Station 21Columbus Grove
- Address
- 105 South Main Street, Columbus Grove, OH 45830
- Coordinates
- 40.91969, -84.05945
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: USGS National Map structures (most Ohio records last updated 2019 to 2022), checked against the Columbus and Cleveland station lists. The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction and mutual aid, not by distance.
Public schools (3)
-
Columbus Grove Elementary School4.5 of 5 stars · Columbus Grove
- Address
- 201 W Cross St, Columbus Grove, OH 45830
- School district
- Columbus Grove Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 265
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 22.25
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 83.8%
- Ohio building IRN
- 007096
- NCES school ID
- 390493103558
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Columbus Grove High School4.5 of 5 stars · Columbus Grove
- Address
- 201 W Cross St, Columbus Grove, OH 45830
- School district
- Columbus Grove Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 267
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 12.6
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 89.1%
- Four-year graduation rate
- 98.5%
- Ohio building IRN
- 007104
- NCES school ID
- 390493103559
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Columbus Grove Middle School4.5 of 5 stars · Columbus Grove
- Address
- 201 W Cross St, Columbus Grove, OH 45830
- School district
- Columbus Grove Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 223
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 11.25
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 87.7%
- Ohio building IRN
- 038307
- NCES school ID
- 390493103560
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2024-25 and Common Core of Data 2023-24 (type, students, teachers); Ohio School Report Cards 2025-26 (Department of Education and Workforce), matched by name within the district.
Private schools (1)
-
St Anthony of Padua SchoolPrivate, Catholic · Columbus Grove
- Address
- 520 W Sycamore St, Columbus Grove, OH 45830
- Kind
- Catholic
- Students, 2023-24
- 98
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 10.3
- Students per teacher
- 9.51456
- Phone
- (419) 659-2103
- NCES private school ID
- 01060717
Source: NCES Private School Survey 2023-24.
Bridges rated poor (2)
-
County Road R over Plum CreekPoor · built 1900
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1900
- Length
- 12 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 477
- Coordinates
- 40.91932, -84.06129
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Drive To Wwtp over Plum CreekPoor · built 1996
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1996
- Length
- 11 ft
- Owner
- City
- Vehicles a day
- 100
- Coordinates
- 40.92390, -84.06254
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025. "Poor" means one major part rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale; it calls for repair, not closing, unless the state posts or closes the bridge.
Public libraries (1)
-
Columbus Grove BranchBranch · Columbus Grove
- Address
- 317 N. Main St., Columbus Grove, OH 45830
- What it is
- Branch
- Library system
- Putnam County District Library
- Open
- 1,404 hours a year, 52 weeks
- Building
- 1,708 sq ft
- System's visits, FY2024
- 103,896
- System's loans, FY2024
- 236,789
- People the system serves
- 34,378
- Phone
- (419) 659-2355
IMLS Public Libraries Survey (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: IMLS Public Libraries Survey FY2024 (outlets and their systems). Any Ohio resident can get a free card at any Ohio public library.
Police stations (1)
-
Columbus Grove Police DepartmentColumbus Grove
- Address
- 113 East Sycamore Street, Columbus Grove, OH 45830
- Coordinates
- 40.91928, -84.05623
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: USGS National Map structures, police stations, corrected and completed by hand (September 2026). The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction, not by distance.
Spills reported since 2021 (2)
-
Sheen Rainbow / Hydrocarbon2025-08-12 · Columbus Grove
- Reported
- 2025-08-12
- What spilled
- Sheen Rainbow / Hydrocarbon
- Where
- Columbus Grove, Putnam County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2508EPA0001350
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Hydraulic Fluid(S)2022-11-22 · Columbus Grove
- Reported
- 2022-11-22
- What spilled
- Oil Hydraulic Fluid(S)
- Largest amount reported
- 20 gallons
- Where
- Columbus Grove, Putnam County
- Ohio EPA district office
- NWDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2211EPA0001736
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: Ohio EPA emergency response spill reports, 2021 to September 2026, one point per case where Ohio EPA placed it. A report is what the caller or responder recorded; amounts are often blank or estimated.
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Columbus Grove, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.
| ZIP | Share | Water | Radon | Home value | Schools | Flood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45830 Columbus Grove | 37% | Mostly private wells | 4.3 pCi/L average radon | Median year built 1957 | Columbus Grove Local · 4.5 stars overall | 5.7% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Columbus Grove, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2019: 4 of 4 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-05 | Issue: Proposed Tax L.evy (Renewal) - Village of Columbus Grove | 647 | 362 | Passed (64.12% for) |
| 2020-11-03 | Issue: Columbus Grove Village | 668 | 353 | Passed (65.43% for) |
| 2019-11-05 | Issue: Columbus Grove L.SD Income Tax - Current Expenses | 495 | 230 | Passed (68.28% for), unofficial |
| 2019-11-05 | Issue: Columbus Grove Village Tax Levy - Fire (levy type not on the results report) | 254 | 86 | Passed (74.71% for), unofficial |
| 2019-11-05 | Issue: Columbus Grove Village Tax Levy - Current Expenses (levy type not on the results report) | 224 | 116 | Passed (65.88% for), unofficial |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Member of Council | Joanne McKanna 270, 21.21%; Aaron Siefker 564, 44.3%; Gretchen S. Staley 439, 34.49% |
| 2023-11-07 | Mayor | Edward Birnesser 425, 55.05%; Kenneth Wright 347, 44.95% |
| 2019-11-05 | Member of Council (unofficial count) | Chad Daniel Irwin 275, 53.71%; Gretchen S. Staley 237, 46.29% |
| 2019-11-05 | Mayor (unofficial count) | Kenneth Wright 298, 100.0% |
| 2017-11-07 | Member of Council (unofficial count) | Gregory Heckel 260, 19.56%; Peter C. Langhals 311, 23.4%; Skyler R. Mayberry 388, 29.19%; Brian J. Schroeder 370, 27.84% |
| 2015-11-03 | Member of Council (unofficial count) | James R. Karcher 419, 50.3%; Bryan J. Troyer 414, 49.7% |
Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.
Auditor of State record
- No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
- Financial Audit, 2022 to 2023, released 2024-08-13
The county
Putnam County: 13 ZIP codes, 31 cities, villages and townships, 35,849 people.
Nearby places
Rain and snow
How much has actually fallen on Columbus Grove, day by day, from 1893 to now. Daily totals, not averages.
- rain, last 30 days
- 0.81 in
- 2026-09-30 to 2026-10-29
- rain so far in 2026
- 35.0 in
- 1.7 in above normal for the date
- snow so far in 2026
- 16.4 in
- a normal year brings 27.1 in
- a normal year
- 39.0 in
- average of 30 years, 1991-2020
| Month | Rain (in) | Snow (in) | Days counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 0.81 | — | 29 |
| September 2026 | 4.10 | — | 30 |
| August 2026 | 6.06 | — | 31 |
| July 2026 | 3.88 | — | 31 |
| June 2026 | 4.37 | — | 30 |
| May 2026 | 4.13 | — | 31 |
| April 2026 | 5.68 | — | 30 |
| March 2026 | 4.27 | 0.8 | 31 |
| February 2026 | 0.60 | 3.6 | 28 |
| January 2026 | 1.10 | 12.1 | 31 |
| December 2025 | 1.85 | 8.3 | 31 |
| November 2025 | 1.33 | 4.8 | 30 |
| Wettest year | 2011 — 54.3 in |
|---|---|
| Driest year | 1963 — 23.0 in |
| Snowiest year | 1895 — 56.3 in |
| Wettest day on record | 21 August 2007 — 4.10 in |
| Heaviest snowfall in a day | 16 November 1932 — 10.75 in |
| Deepest snow on the ground | 2 March 1912 — 37.99 in |
Estimated, not measured. No rain gauge has ever stood inside Columbus Grove, so every figure here is worked out from the gauges around it - the nearest ones weighted most. Treat them as close estimates rather than readings.
48,879 days of records, 1893-01-01 to 2026-10-29. Source: NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily, 3,240 gauges in and around Ohio. A day is "gauged" when a gauge standing inside the boundary reported it, and the value is the mean of those gauges. Otherwise it is interpolated by inverse distance from every gauge reporting within 50 miles. Nothing is carried forward, back-filled or smoothed. Against NOAA nClimDiv county monthly precipitation over 136,848 complete county-months (checked 2026-10-31): correlation 0.9515, median absolute difference 0.217 in a month. Built 2026-10-31 from the Cracked Buckeye precipitation archive. Snow is the softer number — snowfall is measured by hand with a ruler, no agency publishes a gridded county snowfall series, and blowing snow defeats every observer.
Environmental permits and filings
What Ohio EPA has on file for Columbus Grove: permits, inspections, violations, cleanups and the state loans behind sewer and water work. Every line links to the agency's own document.
- facilities and sites on file
- 12
- those placed on the map inside Columbus Grove
| Program | Facilities and sites |
|---|---|
| State sewer loans | 5 |
| State water loans | 3 |
| Public drinking water | 2 |
| Composting | 1 |
| Wastewater and stormwater discharge | 1 |
| Date | Facility or site | What |
|---|---|---|
| VILLAGE OF COLUMBUS GROVE | Composting inspection | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water notice of violation | |
| VILLAGE OF COLUMBUS GROVE | Composting inspection | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE COMMUNITY CENTER PWS | Public drinking water notice of violation | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water warning letter | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water report | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE COMMUNITY CENTER PWS | Public drinking water report | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE COMMUNITY CENTER PWS | Public drinking water notice of violation | |
| VILLAGE OF COLUMBUS GROVE | Composting inspection | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water notice of violation | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water inspection | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water inspection | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water warning letter | |
| VILLAGE OF COLUMBUS GROVE | Composting inspection | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water compliance letter | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water report | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE COMMUNITY CENTER PWS | Public drinking water report | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | State water loans | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water plan | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water notice of violation | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water inspection | |
| COLUMBUS GROVE VILLAGE PWS | Public drinking water notice of violation |
Source: Ohio EPA eDocument portal (edocpub.epa.ohio.gov), indexed 2026-10-14. Facilities are placed on the map from Ohio EPA's own map layers, EPA's Facility Registry, coordinates written in the filings, or a geocoded street address. A permit filed under a private person's name (most are household septic systems) is counted but never named, placed or linked; licenses for individual workers and open-burning notices are left out entirely.
Quick answers
What county is Columbus Grove, Ohio in?
Columbus Grove is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, with 2,160 residents.
When was Columbus Grove, Ohio founded?
Columbus Grove was laid out 1842; incorporated 1864. Source
How did Columbus Grove, Ohio get its name?
A large share of Columbus Grove's early settlers were natives of Columbus, Ohio, and that origin was chosen as the new settlement's name. Source
What ZIP code is Columbus Grove, Ohio?
Most of Columbus Grove is in ZIP code 45830.
Where does Columbus Grove, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Columbus Grove (Columbus Grove Village): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Columbus Grove, Putnam County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/columbus-grove/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31
