Amelia, Ohio, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Clermont County, spanning Pierce and Batavia townships, east of Cincinnati along State Route 125, historically known as the Ohio Turnpike.
The CDP occupies roughly 5.5 square miles in the western portion of Clermont County. Nearby communities include Batavia, the county seat, to the east; Withamsville to the west along SR 125; New Richmond to the south, along the Ohio River; and Pierce Township, which contains much of Amelia's former village area.
Amelia developed along important transportation corridors: the Ohio Turnpike (SR 125), and later, the Cincinnati, Georgetown & Portsmouth Railroad, which reached Amelia in 1878.
Although Amelia was never formally platted, settlement began in the early 19th century. The settlement was first known as Milltown, later Milton, reflecting its early sawmill economy. A post office was established in 1836, but because another Ohio town already used the name Milton, the new post office adopted the name Amelia, traditionally attributed to Amelia Bowdoin, a tollkeeper on the Ohio Turnpike. Amelia incorporated as a village on December 20, 1900.
Early settlement of the community was driven by agriculture, timber processing, and transportation. Early settlers included Daniel Kirgan (Kergan), who was likely the first permanent resident in 1809. A sawmill built by David Jernigan and John Butler in 1827 spurred the growth of the hamlet. The Ohio Turnpike, built in the 1830s, brought tollhouses, travel, and commerce.
Railroads serving the area included the Cincinnati & Portsmouth Railroad, which provided daily mail service; the Cincinnati, Georgetown & Portsmouth Railroad operated from 1878 to 1935; and the Interurban Railway & Terminal Company (Black Line), which ran through Amelia from 1903 to 1918.
Amelia became the most populous village in Ohio history to be dissolved, following a contentious local income tax issue. In 2008, the village council proposed a 1% income tax to maintain SR 125. Residents opposed the tax, leading to petitions and a failed attempt to dissolve the village in 2009. In February 2018, the council enacted a tax via emergency ordinance without standard readings, intensifying public backlash. On November 25, 2019, residents voted to dissolve the village, transferring services to Pierce and Batavia townships. The dissolution made Amelia the first dissolved village to be partitioned between two townships.
Timber and milling dominated the community's early development, giving rise to its Milltown and Milton origins. Agriculture supported early settlers, with fertile uplands attracting families from New England. Transportation-based commerce grew around the Ohio Turnpike and later rail lines.
Today, the community's economy is tied to retail, services, and suburban residential growth along SR 125. The area functions as a bedroom community for Cincinnati, with commercial corridors including shopping centers, restaurants, and small businesses. After the village's dissolution, economic administration and zoning shifted to Pierce and Batavia townships, although its commercial landscape remained continuous.
Places of interest in the Amelia CDP include the Amelia Bowdoin House, the historic tollkeeper's home on West Main Street, which has been preserved as a landmark. Its historic Main Street itself is a corridor reflecting Amelia's turnpike and interurban heritage. Former railroad sites include the 1878 CG&P Railroad station, also on Main Street. The Morse House site is believed to be Amelia's oldest home, built in the 1850s.
Amelia's history is one of early frontier settlement, transportation-driven growth, and a unique modern dissolution that reshaped its governance. Today, as a census-designated place, it remains a thriving suburban community with historical roots evident in its landmarks and layout.
Businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, museums, libraries, art galleries, entertainment venues, organisations, events, and recreational or sports-related facilities or programs are the focus of this part of our guide.
Categories
Faith & SpiritualityHealth & Public Safety | Places to ShopServices & Industries |
Recommended Resources
Although Amelia Village was dissolved in 2019, the former village's website may yet be of historical interest and remains partially online at this time. It includes meeting schedules, committee listings, and member names from 2019, along with other contacts that may or may not remain valid. Also available is its Community Landing page, which describes the village, its services, and facilities, as well as links to community businesses, many of which are still in operation.
https://www.ameliavillage.com/
Bristol Lake is a 245-home residential community built around a seven-acre lake in Amelia, Ohio, with a structured HOA and professional property management. Situated about 30 minutes east of downtown Cincinnati, the community is designed as a lake-centered suburban neighborhood, with the lake as the defining feature, surrounded by homes, walking areas, and community-maintained common spaces. Positioned within the Amelia CDP, it is part of the broader Clermont County suburban corridor.
https://www.bristollake.com/
Campbell’s Barn Restaurant & Saloon
Family-owned and operated, the Barn was built by the Campbell family in 1992, hosting hundreds of events over the years. Previously a banquet hall, the restaurant was added in 2009. Its location near Ohio Route 132 and the Walmart in Amelia, Ohio, along with its hours of operation, dinner, drinks, and carry-out menus, and information on booking the facility for special events and parties, are featured on the site, along with contact details, announcements, and photographs.
https://www.thecampbellsbarn.com/
Don Rigo Amelia is a Mexican restaurant on West Main Street in Amelia, Ohio, that offers Mexican cuisine with both takeout and table reservations. Its website emphasizes its consistent, high-quality dishes prepared with fresh ingredients. Online ordering is available for pickup, with real-time order confirmation and readiness updates. Special offers may also be posted on the site, along with their location, hours, and contact details. Menus and online ordering are available.
https://www.donrigoamelia1.com/
Kenny's is an American restaurant in Amelia, Ohio, catering to food and craft beer enthusiasts with a menu featuring smash burgers, hoagies, and its signature wings. With an array of beers on tap and live music, Kenny's is ideal for a fun night out or a casual gathering with friends. Its location, open hours, menus, services, and contact details are provided on the website, along with customer reviews, photographs, and information on ordering for delivery via Dorodash.
https://kennysplaceoh.com/
Legends Rise is a 3,000-square-foot indoor training facility in Amelia, Ohio. Its modular indoor gym is ideal for basketball, pickleball, weightlifting, or even more holistic types of training, like yoga or qi gong. Interested individuals or organizations are invited to schedule a rental of the facilities, to find a trainer, or ask questions about rentals. The facility is situated near private property near East Fork State Park, across from the Starlite Drive-In.
https://www.legendsrisetraining.com/
Oakmont Flats is an apartment community in Amelia, Ohio, near Cincinnati. It offers one and two-bedroom apartments. The website highlights apartment and community amenities, property details, floor plans, photographs, and available properties (with photos, costs, and other details), a portal allowing tenants to pay rent online, request maintenance, or sign up for an available apartment. Other resources include a contact form and other contact details.
https://www.oakmontflats.com/
St. Bernadette is a Catholic PK-8th-grade school in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, with a strong emphasis on faith formation, individualized instruction, and a close-knit parish school community. Its website highlights Mark 10:13-16, underscoring its focus on welcoming children, nurturing them, and blessing them through education and formation. Located in Amelia, Ohio, the school offers preschool programs, elementary and middle school grades, and integration of faith formation across subjects.
https://stbameliaschool.org/
Starlite is a fully active, privately operated drive-in theater on State Route 125 in Amelia, Ohio. It offers regular showings, classic nights, concessions, and community events. Its food permit policies are posted, along with show schedules and box office information. Tickets may be purchased in person or online, and gift cards are available at the box office or online. Current pricing is listed on the site, and promotions and special offers are included.
https://www.starliteohio.com/
Tiger Tales - Amelia Elementary School
Functioning as a personal or professional blog, the website is the work of Steph N. Walker, seemingly a former teacher or staff member associated with the school. It includes a brief personal introduction mentioning the author's teaching background, as well as several entries related to classroom activities, student projects, personal reflections, photographs of classroom activities, bulletin boards, and student work, serving as a snapshot of the school's environment.
https://stephnwalker.wordpress.com/
Hosted on the Pierce Township website, as part of the township history, this is a history of the former Village of Amelia, although ending well before the village's dissolution in 2019. Included are photographs of the Cincinnati, Georgetown & Portsmouth Railroad station, several of the Morse House, considered to have been the oldest house in Amelia, and a newspaper clipping of the story of that house being moved to a new location in 1958, along with a brief textual history of the former village.
https://piercetownship.org/history/village-of-amelia/
Woodland Lakes Christian Camp & Retreat Center
Woodland Lakes is a large, four-season Christian camp in Amelia, Ohio, offering summer programs, retreats, and a wide range of outdoor activities. The camp and retreat center is built around creating a safe, nurturing, spiritually focused environment for kids, teens, families, and church groups. Its website emphasizes growth across spiritual, social, emotional, and physical dimensions. Its summer camp programs, retreat and lodging facilities, and recreational activities are cited.
https://www.woodlandlakes.com/
