County outline
Where Ashland County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.1% of Ashland County’s measured area and water for 0.9%. Its combined area converts to 1,105.5 square kilometers or approximately 273,174 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 422.986 | 1,095.529 | 270,711 |
| Water | 3.849 | 9.969 | 2,463.4 |
| Total | 426.835 | 1,105.498 | 273,174.4 |
How Ashland County compares
By original Census land area, Ashland County ranks #49 of 88 in Ohio and #2396 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.97 times the Ohio county-equivalent median of 436 square miles. It accounts for 1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Ohio ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Ashland County
The Census Bureau estimates that 52,523 people lived in Ashland County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #992 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #48 of 88 in Ohio. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 52,446, the population has grown by 77 (+0.1%), compared with +0.9% for Ohio as a whole.
With 423 square miles of land, that is 124 people per square mile (48 per km²), placing Ashland County #858 nationally for density and #41 in Ohio. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Ohio median is 120. Put another way, there are about 5.2 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 52,485 | 52,169 | 51,927 | 52,125 | 52,435 | 52,523 |
| Change | — | −316 | −242 | +198 | +310 | +88 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Ashland County
9 incorporated places lie at least partly in Ashland County. Together they are home to 24,229 people (46.1%); the other 28,294 (53.9%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Ashland city, with 18,730 residents in the county.
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland cityCounty seat | 18,730 | −2.5% | 11.5 |
| Loudonville villageAlso in 1 other county | 2,662 | −1.7% | 2.722 |
| Perrysville village | 729 | −0.3% | 0.795 |
| Jeromesville village | 529 | −0.9% | 0.345 |
| Hayesville village | 441 | −0.5% | 0.738 |
| Bailey Lakes village | 347 | −0.6% | 0.381 |
| Savannah village | 331 | +0.6% | 0.56 |
| Polk village | 306 | −1% | 1.012 |
| Mifflin village | 154 | −1.3% | 0.183 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Ashland County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Ashland County is a central county of the Ashland, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area. Ashland County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 423 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #468 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #209 by population. It belongs to the Mansfield-Ashland-Bucyrus, OH Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
19 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Ashland County; 9 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
43014442354428744638446914480544837448384484044842448434485144859448644486644874448784488044903
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Ashland County
Ashland County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Wayne County (555 mi²) and the smallest is Medina County (421.5 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Ashland County forms a block of 3,825.6 mi² of land, of which it holds 11.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Ashland | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 555 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Knox County | 525.5 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Richland County | 495.2 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Huron County | 492.2 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Lorain County | 490.5 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Holmes County | 422.6 | about the same | Compare |
| Medina County | 421.5 | about the same | Compare |
How big is Ashland County compared with U.S. states?
Ashland County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.4 times as much. Ohio’s county land could hold about 97 areas the size of Ashland County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 20.6 miles (33.1 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Ashland County?
Ashland County has more land than 826 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Ashland County at #2,457 nationally by total area, 61 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.3 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Ashland County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2395 | Mingo County, West Virginia | 423.1 | Compare |
| #2396 | Ashland County, Ohio | 423 | This county |
| #2397 | Boone County, Indiana | 422.9 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 40.843274, -82.270126. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,095,528,151 m²; AWATER: 9,969,110 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Ashland County?
Ashland County, Ohio has 423 square miles (1,095.5 km²) of land and 3.849 square miles of water, for a total area of 426.8 square miles. It ranks #2396 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Ashland County the largest county in Ohio?
No. Ashland County ranks #49 of 88 in Ohio by land area. The largest is Ashtabula County, with 702.4 square miles of land.
What counties border Ashland County?
Ashland County shares a land border with Richland County, Wayne County, Holmes County, Lorain County, Huron County, Knox County, and Medina County.
What is the population of Ashland County?
The Census Bureau estimates Ashland County had 52,523 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #992 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 124 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Ashland County?
The county seat of Ashland County is Ashland.
What cities and towns are in Ashland County?
Ashland County has 9 incorporated places. The most populous five are Ashland city, Loudonville village, Perrysville village, Jeromesville village, and Hayesville village; 28,294 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Ashland County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Ashland, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Ashland County?
19 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Ashland County, and 9 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Ashland County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.4 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Ashland County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 270,711 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 273,174 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.