Formed March 1, 1805 from Washington County · home to Ohio University and the county seat, Athens. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Athens County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube1 South Court St., 2nd Floor, Athens, OH 45701 · (740) 592-3251
Wills, estate/guardianship records, and marriage licenses.
15 S. Court Street, Room 236, Athens, OH 45701 · (740) 592-3228
jmarkins@athensoh.org · co.athensoh.org/government/recorders_office
Deeds/real property records from 1790–present and veteran DD214 discharge filings; records also searchable free online via the office's AvaWeb portal.
1 S. Court Street, 4th Floor, Athens, OH 45701 · (740) 592-3242
co.athensoh.org/departments/clerk_of_courts/index.php
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
15 S. Court Street, #330, Athens, OH 45701 · (740) 592-3223
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
95 W. Washington St., Nelsonville, OH 45764 · (740) 753-2118
Athens County Public Libraries' local history/genealogy collection is centered here — not at the Athens branch.
24 W. State Street, Athens, OH 45701 · (740) 592-2280
Formerly the Athens County Historical Society & Museum, rebranded around 2016. Houses the Jim and Shirley Hayes Family Genealogy Center and the Charles and Rita Levering Library; the county's OGS chapter operates from the same site.
278 W. Union Street, Athens, OH 45701 · (740) 592-4431
athenspublichealth.org — see Vital Statistics
Ohio birth certificates and Athens County death certificates, 1909–present.
Find A Grave — Athens County and Interment.net — Athens County.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Athens County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Athens County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Athens County was formed in 1805 from Washington County. For records made before then, search the parent county:
Part of Athens County lies in the Ohio Company Purchase, land bought by the Ohio Company of Associates, the New England veterans who founded Marietta in 1788. The first titles came from the company, so start with the earliest deeds at the county Recorder (or the parent county's).
Other parts of the county were federal Congress Lands or smaller special tracts. Where land was sold by the federal government, the first purchase appears as a federal patent.
Titles that covered Athens County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.
| Title | Years | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| The Athens Messenger | 1850–present | Chronicling America (1861–1893, 1902–1909); GenealogyBank (2009+); current at athensmessenger.com; full run on microfilm at OU's Alden Library |
| The Athens Journal | 1875–1912 | Chronicling America |
| The Nelsonville Tribune | 1935–1971 | Chronicling America |
| The Athens News | 1977–2026 (absorbed into the Messenger) | Microfilm/print at OU Library Annex — check Athens County Historical Society |
| Athens County Independent | Current, online-only | athensindependent.com |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Athens County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
County guides, record walkthroughs, and brick wall breakthroughs. Subscribe on YouTube and tap the bell so new episodes find you.
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