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BHistory
History · Obetz

Obetz dates to 1838, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 57% of U.S. towns · #571 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it

Most of Obetz was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Its Register listing is the Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Below: maps from 1925 on and the census since 1940.

1838founded
1on the National Register
6%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Obetz began

When was Obetz founded?

1838

Obetz dates its founding to 1838 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1940.

First census: 771 in 19402020 census: 5,489188 years

How historic is Obetz?

B

More historic than 57% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1874.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Obetz’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Obetz is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #571 of 993 in Ohio. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Obetz’s overall grade.
Founding era1838, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19406.2% of homes (±3.1) · typical OH town 14.5% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register1 listing, 1.4 per 10,000 residents · typical OH town 2.9 · U.S. 2.4B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 57%
NewerOlder
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 43%

Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Obetz’s 1.4 sits near the middle of its state (50% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1838.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points).

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Obetz’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Obetz are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Obetz, and 3 old place names are still on the map.Deep rootsEstablished in 1838: 188 years of Obetz.On the map since 19257 editions of the USGS map, 1925 to 1994. Watch Obetz change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Obetz’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Obetz’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Obetz had its own post office from 1942 to 1948. Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Edwards Station
1874–1882
Edward
1882–1898
Valleycrossing
1895–1918
Obetz
1942–1948
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BrightEdwardValley Crossing
Gone or out of use
Edward Post Officepost officeObetz Post Officepost officeValleycrossing Post Officepost office
1cemetery inside Obetz
Obetz

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Timeline

Obetz, 1838 to 1925

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1838
    FoundingObetz is established
  3. 1874Post officeThe Edwards Station post office opens
  4. 1882Post officeThe Edwards Station post office closes
  5. 1882Post officeThe Edward post office opens
  6. 1895Post officeThe Valleycrossing post office opens
  7. 1898Post officeThe Edward post office closes
  8. 20th century
  9. 1918Post officeThe Valleycrossing post office closes
  10. 1925On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How Obetz came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Obetz.

Read it all →

The community (originally Obetz Junction, in honor of settler Charles Obetz) was formed in 1838 as a stagecoach junction, and incorporated in 1928. Nearby Reese Station served as the railroad station for the immediate area, while other adjacent communities such as Groveport, Lockbourne and Canal Winchester were part of the Ohio and Erie Canal canal and lock system. The close proximity of Obetz Junction to these towns transformed the area into a hub of commerce, travel and trade in the mid-19th century.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Obetz, decade by decade

Today12 recent
Columbus Motor Speedway - Track View2017Columbus Motor Speedway - Track ViewColumbus Motor Speedway - Track View 22017Columbus Motor Speedway - Track View 2Columbus Motor Speedway - Stands2017Columbus Motor Speedway - StandsColumbus Motor Speedway - Stands 62017Columbus Motor Speedway - Stands 6Columbus Motor Speedway - Stands 52017Columbus Motor Speedway - Stands 5Columbus Motor Speedway - Stands 42017Columbus Motor Speedway - Stands 4Columbus Motor Speedway - Stands 22017Columbus Motor Speedway - Stands 2Columbus Motor Speedway - Scoreboard2017Columbus Motor Speedway - ScoreboardColumbus Motor Speedway - Rumble Strips2017Columbus Motor Speedway - Rumble StripsMap of Franklin County Ohio Highlighting Obetz Village2015Map of Franklin County Ohio Highlighting Obetz VillageMapObetz Government Building2014Obetz Government BuildingOHMap-doton-Obetz2004OHMap-doton-Obetz
On the map

Obetz on the map, 1925 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Obetz. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Obetz on the 1925 USGS mapObetz on the 1943 USGS mapObetz on the 1955 USGS mapObetz on the 1964 USGS mapObetz on the 1973 USGS mapObetz on the 1985 USGS mapObetz on the 1994 USGS map1925East Columbus sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Obetz.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Obetz

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
2004
Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Romanesque Revival1
Zion's Evangelical Lutheran ChurchRomanesque Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Obetz, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,000194019601980200020205,489

Grew from 771 people in 1940 to 5,489 in 2020, 7 times over.

9 censuses, 1940–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Obetz’s Wikipedia page.

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Columbus181 historic placesAHamilton Township2 historic placesBGroveport4 historic placesAMadison Township35 historic placesA−

Questions about Obetz’s history

What year was Obetz founded?

In 1838, according to Wikidata. Obetz’s post office opened in 1874, and the census of 1940 counted 771 people here.

How does Obetz rank for history?

Obetz is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #571 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Obetz?

One place: the Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church (listed 2004).

How old are the homes in Obetz?

6% of Obetz’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1991.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.