We regularly feature an Ohio city as part of our Ohio Community Spotlight series.
For 2026 we are expanding the series to focus not only on Ohio’s cities but the counties where they are located.
This month, we’re traveling to Southwest Ohio as we look at Highland County and it’s county seat - Hillsboro!
Highland County and Hillsboro are the next stop in our Ohio Community Spotlight series.
Highland County had 43,317 residents in the 2020 Census; Hillsboro, its county seat and only city, had 6,481. This rural Appalachian county spans 553 square miles.
Map of Highland County, Ohio, United States with township and municipal boundaries by US Census, Ruhfisch (GNU Free Documentation License)
Before statehood, this land was part of Indigenous homelands. Native Land Digital maps southern Ohio to Shawnee, Myaamia (Miami), Osage and Kaskaskia connections. Highland County histories specifically record Shawnee activity, while local archaeology preserves ancient earthworks.
Public-domain image: Rocky Fork Park archaeological site, Wikimedia Commons — public domain
Ohio became a state in 1803; Highland County followed in 1805, created from parts of Ross, Adams and Clermont counties. Hillsboro was platted in 1807 and became the county seat, putting local government at the crossroads of southern Ohio.
Hillsboro's 1830s Greek Revival courthouse is Ohio's oldest county courthouse still in continuous operation. The city also became nationally known through the 1873 women's temperance crusade that helped inspire the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
Public-domain image: Highland County Courthouse, Wikimedia Commons
Highland County's economy was long rooted in agriculture and trade. Hillsboro's C.S. Bell foundry, started in 1858, made farm machinery and famous steel-alloy bells that became one of the community's best-known industrial products.
Reusable image: C.S. Bell Foundry and Showroom, Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0
The C.S. Bell Foundry and Showroom located at 154-158 West Main Street in Hillsboro, Ohio. Building constructed in 1892 by Aesopposea
Manufacturing still matters. County officials call it Highland County's largest employment sector. Major employers include Candle-lite, Weastec, Highland District Hospital, and the local school systems.
Recent growth is visible on Hillsboro's north side. Amazon announced a roughly 70,000-square-foot delivery station at 1122 N. West St. in 2025, with city officials projecting about 100 jobs. Aldi was also under construction nearby.
Brownfield work is active, too. In 2026, Ohio identified $750,000 for cleanup at the former Bell's Foundry site in Hillsboro. The Highland County Land Bank is also pursuing assessment or cleanup funding for other former industrial and gas-station sites.
Housing work is incremental. Hillsboro requires zoning approval for manufactured homes, while state or third-party permitting covers the units. The city has also offered small residential lots for sale.
Public transportation matters in a rural county. HARTS/FRS provides low-cost public rides for work, shopping, education and medical trips, while Highland County's mobility program coordinates services for older adults, disabled riders and others.
Active transportation is getting a boost: Hillsboro received $1.44 million in ODOT TAP funding for a 2026 Rails-to-Trails project on an abandoned rail bed, plus a West Main Street sidewalk linking the trailhead toward uptown.
Downtown placemaking is centered on Crossroads Park. Hillsboro received about $5.2 million in Appalachian Community Grant funding for an amphitheater, farmers market, playground, gathering space and streetscape improvements; construction is underway.
Revitalization extends beyond Hillsboro. State-funded projects in Leesburg and Lynchburg are rebuilding downtown parks with paths, play areas, lighting, bridges, gathering spaces and other amenities, spreading quality-of-life investment across Highland County.
Recreation is a Highland County strength. Rocky Fork and Paint Creek state parks offer boating, fishing, camping and trails, while Fort Hill adds hiking and archaeology.
Public-domain image: Aerial view of Rocky Fork State Park, Wikimedia Commons — public domain
Hillsboro's C.S. Bell legacy still rings. The Festival of the Bells celebrates a local manufacturer whose bells traveled far beyond Ohio, and a 54-inch C.S. Bell returned home in 2024.
Thank you for joining us on this tour of Highland County and Hillsboro. Be sure to visit again soon as we feature another Ohio Community.
This Spotlight was researched and drafted with AI assistance.