Historic and lush village green marks the beautiful city of Worthington, located at the junction of SR-23 and Highway 161. One of the first towns in Ohio was Worthington, founded in 1803 by immigrants from New England. Its charming downtown has retained much of its New England charm, with brick buildings, preserved old architecture, and a thriving historic society where you can browse their collections. Take a stroll through the famed McConnell Arts Center, stop by our Saturday Farmers Market, listen to music at concerts on the Green on summer Sundays, or stop for all the fun in the city at one of the iconic events in the historic area.
FOUNDING OF WORTHINGTON
James Kilbourne, the owner of the Scioto Company, developed the location that is now known as Worthington. On May 7, 1803, Kilbourne came to this location to evaluate and buy the land for his business. On August 10, 1803, it was given Gov. Thomas Worthington’s name. One of its original settlers was Ezra Griswold. Worthington’s post office opened in 1805 and Worthington village was established in 1835. In 1954, Worthington became a city once again.
GOVERNMENT OF WORTHINGTON
The City of Worthington’s original charter was approved by voters in 1956. The endorsement of the council-manager form of government was a part of the charter. Seven council members will be chosen using this ballot for at-large, nonpartisan elections with a tenure of four years. These seven council members then choose the city manager, who serves as the municipality’s top administrative representative.
November-elected Worthington City Council members begin serving in January of the following year. The Council elects a President to preside over the meetings of the City Council and, when he is not present, elects a Pro tem President to fill the position of the President. Elections are held for the posts with a term of two years.
WORTHINGTON GEOGRAPHY
The location of Worthington is 40°5′29′′N 83°1′15′′W. As per the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.63 square miles, of which 5.55 square miles is land and 0.08 square miles is wat.
The neighborhood of Columbus is made up of the cities of Worthington and Riverlea. Interstate 270, US Route 23, Ohio State Route 161, and Ohio State Route 315 are a few of the highways that go through or close to Worthington. Just to the east of the city, I-71 and 161 cross as the primary exit to get to Worthington. Columbus totally envelops Worthington, with the exception of a narrow boundary with Perry Township (Brookside Estates) on the west. Neighborhoods around Worthington include Linworth to the west, Clintonville to the south, Forest Park and Northgate to the east, and Crosswoods to the north. Counter-intuitively, Worthington Hills is not in Worthington, but north of the city and outside I-270 but still a part of Columbus.
WORTHINGTON DEMOGRAPHICS
EDUCATION IN WORTHINGTON OHIO
There are 12 schools in Worthington, including 3 private schools and 9 public ones. Schools in Worthington spend $13,313 on each pupil (the US average is $12,383). There are 15 students in the classroom, 681 in the library, and 479 in the counseling office.
If knowledge is power, Worthington has a lot of power. In Worthington, 66.33% of adults have completed at least four years of college and have earned a master’s degree, doctorate, law degree, or even a Ph.D. However, the average nationwide percentage of all cities and municipalities is 21.84%.
The Worthington City School District, which has two high schools, four middle schools, and 11 elementary schools, serves Worthington. Griswold Christian Academy, Worthington Christian Schools, St. Michael School are three of the local private schools available. None located specifically in Worthington, but Columbus is home to many colleges just a short drive from Worthington, including The Ohio State University, Columbus State Community College, Capital University, Franklin University, and more.
EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESSES IN WORTHINGTON
With 92.05% of the workforce occupied in white-collar jobs, significantly over the national average, Worthington is definitely a white-collar city. The majority of the population in Worthington work as managers, professionals, salespeople, and office workers. People who work in management (18.03%), office and administrative support (10.93%), and healthcare (10.21%) are particularly numerous in Worthington.
It is also interesting to note that Worthington has a higher concentration of residents employed in math and computers than 95% of other US cities. It is important to recognize that Worthington is a creative city. Compared to 90% of US municipalities, Worthington has more media professionals, artists, and designers. This concentration of creativity influences Worthington’s personality.
FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM WORTHINGTON
Legendary Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce was from Worthington. After another legend, Woody Hayes, was fired, Bruce was offered the job and coached from 1979-1987. He won 4 Big Ten championships during his time but was never able to win a National championship with the Buckeyes.
Nick Swisher, MLB outfielder and power hitter, was born in Worthington. He played for Ohio State’s baseball team then went on to play for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Atlanta Braves, winning a championship in 2009 with the Yankees.
Worthington is also home to a number of TV and film stars which include Susan Diol, Michael R. Perry, Rachael Harris, and Maggie Grace who was most notably on hit TV series “Lost.”
Maybe not as well known but a very important person, Betty Montgomery was the first woman Attorney General in the state of Ohio. She served in office under many roles which also included the Ohio State Auditor.