Champaign Culture

Champaign County is rich with history and the arts—and an appreciation for them. Urbana celebrates its aviation heritage, as the home of the Father of Aviation Lighting, Warren Grimes. Urbana’s airport, donated to the city by Mr. Grimes, hosts two aviation museums and is part of the National Aviation Heritage Area.

You’ll also find tributes to famed frontiersman Simon Kenton, a museum devoted to Johnny Appleseed and a historical museum that preserves Champaign County’s past. 

The birthplace of John Quincy Adams Ward—known as the Dean of American Sculpture—Urbana, as well as Champaign County, continue to embrace the arts. The county has an active arts council, a downtown gallery, concerts in the park, a bluegrass festival and one of the country’s largest barn quilt tours, which pays tribute to the area’s folk art and agricultural traditions.

The county’s historic downtown and residential districts attract visitors who admire the area’s vintage architecture.

Fast Facts

Champaign County is conveniently nestled in the heart of west central Ohio.

  • Established in 1805
  • 30 miles from Columbus or Dayton; 10 miles from Springfield
  • Serviced by U.S. Routes 68 and 36; within 15 miles of Interstates 70 and 75
  • Blend of service, retail, manufacturing and agricultural businesses
  • Miles of bike trails, hiking trails, rivers and wooded area wind its way through the county
  • Population approximately 39,800; 428 square miles
  • Quaint shopping, dining and art/antique shops
  • Home to Warren Grimes the "father of aviation lighting"
  • Well-known Champaign Countians include: William Saxbe, Clancy Brown, Johnny Appleseed and A.B. Graham
  • Airport: Grimes Field (General Aviation)
  • Home to Urbana University
  • Destinations: Simon Kenton recreation trails, Cedar Bog, Ohio Caverns, Johnny Appleseed Museum, Mad River, Champaign County Fairgrounds, Kiser Lake State Park