Athens: Ohio’s Best College Town

A recent list from the online travel site “Far & Wide” named Athens Ohio’s best college town. If you’ve spent any time in Athens, where it is somewhat difficult to tell where the Ohio University campus ends and the adjoining “Uptown” begins, you already knew Athens was well-deserving of the title.

Not only is Athens one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, it also offers everything you would expect in a college town, and more. A rich local food (and coffee) scene? Check ✅. Regular street festivals and concerts on the college green? Check ✅. Open mic nights and poetry slams. Science and art lectures open to the local community. Bike trails and picnic spots. Breweries galore and a year-round farmers market complete with local artists selling only-from-Athens goods.

Beyond all those awesome attributes of a great college town, Athens delivers to residents and visitors the added dimension of its unique location in Ohio, bumping up against the Appalachian mountains. Its foothills location means easy access to outdoor adventure, including hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and more all within a short drive of the city center and the University.

“Far & Wide” credits Ohio University for its role in adding to the appeal of Athens, but the city itself also plays a huge role in the appeal of OHIO to prospective students. Athens’ charm was part of the criteria that helped OHIO recently earn the No. 1 spot in the state (and No. 31 in the nation) on Niche.com’s Best College Campus list.

For Bobcats who have long known how special Athens is, it’s nice to know that others know OHIO offers The Best College Campus in the Best College Town.

For anyone who has yet to discover Athens, come see for yourself. Plan your visit to Athens and to Ohio University.