About Muskingum County

Welcome to OSU Extension in Muskingum County!

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We gratefully acknowledge the continued help and support of our Muskingum County Commissioners.  Their input and participation into our programming efforts is appreciated.

Muskingum County is a rural/suburban county in east-central Ohio. In the 1790s, a settlement was established at the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum Rivers as Colonel Ebenezer Zane and his son-in-law John McIntire blazed Zane’s Trace, the original pioneer trail into the old Northwest Territory. Zanesville served as the capital of Ohio from 1810 to 1812.

Today Muskingum County has a population of about 86,000 with Zanesville being the largest city (about 28,000 residents). The community has grown into a regional center for manufacturing and diversified services. Major employers include a regional hospital, county and city governmental agencies, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, medical services, public educational institutions, food processors, hospitality services, basket manufacturer, distribution and warehouse centers, oil and gas field services, retail stores and transportation services. Muskingum County is home to Muskingum University, Ohio University-Zanesville and Zane State College. The county covers 673 square miles.

Muskingum County has a rich historical and cultural heritage. The world famous Y- Bridge, National Road, Zanesville Museum of Art, pottery manufacturers and retailers, Longaberger baskets, the Wilds, Dillon and Blue Rock State Parks and an active art community provide many cultural and recreational experiences and opportunities for both residents and visitors.

About OSU Extension

Since 1914, Extension has been helping all Ohioans build better lives, better businesses and better communities.

Ohio State University Extension brings the knowledge of the university directly to you. We fulfill the land-grant mission of The Ohio State University by interpreting knowledge and research developed by Extension and other faculty and staff at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State main campus, and other land-grant universities – so Ohioans can use the scientifically-based information to better their lives, businesses and communities.

The Extension system is the world’s largest non-formal educational system. Extension programs address the needs of the local community while also addressing state, national, and global issues. Our practical educational programs combine the needs of local citizens and communities with new research and technical information.

No matter which county you visit, you can find people who are helped by the four major OSU Extension program areas: family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, community development, and agriculture and natural resources. These program areas – and many other special topics – are continuously evaluated and updated to meet the changing needs and issues facing each community. Extension provides practical advice, sensible solutions, and realistic down-to-earth answers for ALL Ohioans.

OSU Extension…

Our vision: Ohioans have the knowledge and resources they need to actively engage in creating conditions in which they thrive.

Our mission: We create opportunities for people to explore how science-based knowledge can improve social, economic, and environmental conditions.