So you have chosen or are looking into residing in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Well we must say you have taken an interest in a great area of the state. Here in this blog we will list for you many of the different fun facts of the town, as well as some information a local may want to know. Prepare to see some great aspects of another beautiful place in Ohio.

Here’s what you should know when moving to Bellefontaine

• History of Bellefontaine 
• Facts and figures about Bellefontaine
• Local favorite things to do around Bellefontaine
• And more!
  

History of Bellefontaine

The town got its creative name due to the French translation, “beautiful spring.” A perfect name to sum up the many beautiful parts of this town. 

It is the “county seat” of Logan and was founded in 1817 by European Americans. The small town started to become what it is now due to the Blue Jacket, a war chief who settled in the area. History explained Europeans also began to settle in Bellefontaine and it wasn’t until railroads were administered that the area began to flourish.

The Mad River and the Lake Erie railroad built their first railroad connecting to Bellefontaine in 1837. Then in the 1890s the “Big Four Railroads” (Cleveland, Cincinnati, and St. Louis Railroad) had invested in creating a main terminal to the city. This made it easier to transport to both New York and St. Louis. 

Though the terminal did stop running in 1983 there is still a landmark representing Bellefontaine in America’s railways. Railroads truly do aid in the creation of a good city.

Something Bellefontaine is widely recognized for is for being the first to create a concrete street in the country; invented by George Bartholomew.

Bellefontaine by The Numbers

Learn about Bellefontaine’s Economy, Demographics, and What it’s Really Like to Live Here

This is where we will get into all of the nitty-gritty details of the town that you are looking at! As well as listing off some of the amazing spots to check out whether that be for entertainment or some delicious food. 

Economy 

Bellefontaine has had a steady economy with a continuously rising population. Starting out with 170 and to today’s population of 46,352, we see a 0.73% growth since the previous year, 2020. 

The median household income in Bellefontaine is $46,880. The year growth in income is 8.42%. Employing 6,610 people the most common jobs seen due to the size of the industry in the town are manufacturing, health care and social assistance, and retail trade. 

The highest paid industries in the town are finance and insurance, professional, scientific & technical services, and manufacturing.

Demographics

The 2010 census showed us the average age of a citizen in Bellefontaine is 34.8 years. The majority of the percentage, 24.7% were people between the ages of 45 and 64. The remaining 26.3% are 25 to 44, 27.1% under the age of eighteen, and 9.1% between eighteen and 24. With an overall gender percentage of 48.4% male and 51.6% female. There is also an average of 3.03 family members. 

The makeup of race in the area is as follows: 91.19% (White), 4.74% (Black or African American), 3.32% (two or more races), 0.62% (Asian), 0.07% (other race), and 0.06% (Native American). 

People

A good sign of a nice place to live is seeing a steady increase in population. We see a good example of that in Bellefontaine with the population starting so low back in the 1800s. 

You have 6,432 acres of land spread across such a beautiful town. No doubt you will have little trouble trying to find a cozy home to move into. 

The two U.S. senators representing Ohio, from both parties, are Sherrod Brown (Democrat) and Rob Portman (Republican). 

As for local representation, Ben Stahler is the mayor who is also a republican. 

Weather

Ohio will give you a mix of all of the seasons which many could see as a good thing. You never really get any changes in certain areas like California for example. So with that being said the comfort index of Bellefontaine according to Best Places is a 7/10. This is above average which seems like a pretty good deal. 

With an average of 205 sunny days in America, Bellefontaine will experience on average 177 of them. You can expect around 23 inches of snow and 40 inches of rain per year. According to the data, the best months to experience here are June, September, and August.

The hottest weather you may experience will probably be in July, reaching the most recorded typically at 84°. Not too bad especially if you aren’t a huge fan of sun-scorching weather. That’s a nice temperature to sit out and tan.

Not to mention the other weather you can actually experience like fall and a cold, possibly white, Christmas. 

Get to Know Bellefontaine Like a Local

We list here some of the places many love to eat, visit, and explore around the area! There is no shortage of what you will find.

Brewfontaine 

211 S Main St. | Bellefontaine | brewfontaine.com

Any good town has a great brewery to sit at with friends and family; obviously, we see Bellefontaine is no different because we get to experience Brewfontaine. 

Originally a restaurant in the 1950s, Brewfontaine was created years later to be a place to eat, drink, and have fun. 

Firstly let us take a look at what they clearly specialize in considering their name; the drinks! We have a ton of drinks to choose from on tap; such as “Epic brainless on Raspberries Nitro,” which is “Hints of raspberry bubble gum flavors from the Belgian yeast and fresh raspberries tease the palette in this Brainless offering.” 

Or maybe you want a classic bottle of Budweiser or Busch Light. You also have your option of white and red wine. And of course, some cocktails like Blueberry smash (Tito's Handmade vodka, fresh blueberries, St. Germain, simple syrup, and ginger ale) or a Cosmopolitan. 

Then we come across the food options like salads, sandwiches, and sweets. Some notable options like “Italian Mama Johnson” which is Bavarian ham, mozzarella cheese, Italian dressing, banana peppers, onions, and tomatoes served on grilled artisan Italian Bread. Then served with a side of kettle chips and a house-made Pale Ale Pickle. 

“Stopped in quickly for lunch and was not disappointed in the slightest. The sandwich (original panini) was amazing with roasted red peppers and so big I had to take half of it home.

Considering it's a brewery I missed out by stopping in at lunch but the bartender/servers were having conversations with a few patrons and they had some cool beer options.

Definitely a cool local place to check out and only a few minutes off the highway.” -Yelp review.

The Syndicate

213 S Main St. | Bellefontaine | syndicatedowntown.com

Another popular location to go enjoy some good food, drinks, and even a performance! Syndicate offers brunch (served Saturday and Sunday from 10-2), cocktail hours (served Saturdays from 2-4), and of course, dinner (served Thursday through Saturday from 4-9).

Looking at their dinner menu you have a bunch of different delectable foods to choose from. Goat cheese ravioli and shrimp cocktail starters along with soup or salad. The main signature dishes to choose from like Chicken Marsala, Napolitano Pork Chop, or Salmon Ponzu which is sticky rice, Ponzu sauce, and Bok Choy. 

Concerts are offered as entertainment at the restaurant as well, which definitely makes them stand out among other places in the area. If you look at their current list of concerts under their “entertainment” tab on their website you can see who you may get to see live!

“Excellent new establishment in the heart of downtown Bellefontaine. Awesome menu, wide range of meals available. Extensive cocktail selection and very friendly and attentive service. We had Syndicate Old Fashioned, Times strawberry margarita and Manhattan. All were amazing. Meals included shrimp & grits with braised beef, chicken marsala, breaded chicken special and calamari. Everything was fantastic. I honestly don't think you can go wrong by ordering anything off the menu.”- Yelp review.

Honey Bee

909 S Main St. | Bellefontaine | honeybeemediterranean.com 

Let’s switch up the kind of food we have been on the track with so far and look into another amazing type of cuisine; Mediterranean. A place not as commonly seen as others but just as delicious. 

Honey Bee is a place that prioritizes healthy ingredients in their food and a chef who combines family recipes with the fresh food cooked in the kitchen. Food is always better fresh and homemade so this is quite a promising idea.

Now, to look at their menu, pick an appetizer and then choose between some of their main selections like salads, sandwiches, meat entrees, soup, and seafood. 

Mediterranean Grilled Seafood is grilled tilapia and shrimp, toasted with caramelized butter sauce; it just sounds like it would melt in your mouth. But if you aren’t a fan of seafood, maybe try their Kefta kabob which is ground lamb and beef with tahini sauce. 

Top it all off with a dessert, perhaps Baklava which is a traditional dessert made with “sheets of phyllo dough stuffed with crushed nuts.” 

“Such good gyro by far the best place in bellefontaine, we came across this place while out and my first reaction was I don't know looks kinda empty and when we got our food let me just say it was by far the best gyro I have ever had and I have been to many places and this place is by far our favorite, fresh and small but don't let the outside fool you because the food is delicious.”- Yelp review. 

Now a place to visit-- The Logan County History Center

521 E Columbus Ave. | Bellefontaine | loganhistory.com

Are you a history fanatic like us? Why not take a peek into Bellefontaine’s local history for a day and see why you chose the right place to live. 

The Logan history museum offers a number of rooms and each has a theme to a particular story that you can learn about upon your arrival. 

Some of these include “Doctors office” (a room where you learn about medical history and who practiced it in Logan county), “Communications room” (you get to learn about equipment and instruments that people over the years have used to communicate), and “Underground Railroad room” (which is a room that teaches about the underground railroad that slaves used in the Civil war). 

Who doesn’t love to learn about the past? It does nothing but teaches us to do better! 

Home Sweet Home? 

We hope that this has given you some clarity about the place you may move, or have already chosen to move to. Bellefontaine is a perfect smaller area with plenty of places to offer. Surely you will become one with the community and find your own spot in a great place like this. You can see now why their name partially means beautiful!