Newark, OH
What Newark is actually like
Newark was founded in 1802 by General William C. Schenck, who named the new settlement after his hometown of Newark, New Jersey; it became the seat of Licking County Wikipedia: Newark, Ohio.
The site had already been shaped by a far older builder. Roughly 2,000 years ago, Hopewell-culture people built the Newark Earthworks, a complex of geometric earthen enclosures spanning several square miles — the largest set of geometric earthworks known anywhere in the world — including the 30-acre Great Circle Earthworks in neighboring Heath and the Octagon Earthworks in Newark itself, a 20-acre circle joined to a 50-acre octagon and sited above Raccoon Creek's floodplain. On September 19, 2023, UNESCO inscribed these earthworks, together with six other Hopewell ceremonial earthworks sites across southern Ohio, as the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks World Heritage Site — the United States' 25th World Heritage Site and Ohio's first Ohio History Connection: Newark Earthworks, Ohio History Connection: UNESCO Inscription.
Newark's population is estimated at 51,473 as of the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimate, up from 49,934 at the 2020 census, making it the largest of the outer Columbus MSA county seats U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Newark city, Ohio.
Home values in Newark
The Zillow Home Value Index for Newark, OH was $249,974 as of July 31, 2026, up 3.3% over the prior year Zillow: Newark, OH Home Values.
Getting around
Newark's Walk Score of 36 reflects a historic downtown square and older neighborhoods near the Ohio State University Newark campus that offer walkable stretches, while the commercial corridors along SR-16 and Hebron Road are built for cars. Licking County Transit provides public transit, but there's no COTA presence, and most residents drive for work and errands.
Newark FAQ
Is Newark, Ohio a good place to live if I commute to Columbus?
It's the longest commute among the Columbus-area county seats — about 40 miles and 45-55 minutes to downtown depending on traffic — so it suits people who want a larger, more self-sufficient city of over 51,000 people with its own hospital, schools, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rather than a short commute.
How far is Newark, Ohio from Columbus?
About 40 miles from downtown Columbus, typically 45 to 55 minutes by car depending on traffic and route.
What is the Newark Earthworks?
A complex of Hopewell-culture geometric earthworks built roughly 2,000 years ago, including the Great Circle Earthworks in neighboring Heath and the Octagon Earthworks in Newark; UNESCO inscribed the site, along with six other Hopewell ceremonial earthworks in southern Ohio, as a World Heritage Site on September 19, 2023 — the first in Ohio and the 25th in the United States.
Is there flood risk in Newark, Ohio?
Newark sits along the Licking River and its forks, and NOAA maintains active stream gauges on both the Licking River and the North Fork Licking River in the city given the ongoing flood potential; even the ancient Octagon Earthworks were sited above the local floodplain by their original builders.
Does Newark, Ohio have COTA bus service?
No — COTA's service area doesn't extend to Licking County. Local transit is provided by Licking County Transit.
Nearby alternatives*We're not ranking these — every place has real trade-offs, and which ones matter is up to you.
New Albany
The nearest Columbus suburb to Newark, about 20 miles west via SR-161, and the edge of COTA-served suburbia.
Gahanna
A Columbus suburb along the SR-161/I-670 corridor most Newark commuters use heading toward downtown.
Lancaster
The outer-ring county seat furthest south, about 35 miles away, and Newark's closest peer in size among the five outer anchor cities.
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