Benton Township, Hocking County, Ohio

Benton Township is one of the eleven townships of Hocking County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 780.

Benton Township, Hocking County, Ohio
Township
The popular Ash Cave, part of Hocking Hills State Park
Location of Benton Township in Hocking County
Coordinates: 39°24′36″N 82°34′47″W
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Hocking
Area
• Total	37.8 sq mi (97.9 km2)
• Land	37.7 sq mi (97.7 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation [1]	928 ft (283 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	780
• Density	21/sq mi (8.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	39-05578[3]
GNIS feature ID	1086316[1]

Geography

Located in the southwestern part of the county, it borders the following townships:

• Laurel Township - north
• Washington Township - northeast
• Swan Township, Vinton County - south
• Jackson Township, Vinton County - southeast
• Salt Creek Township - west
• Perry Township - northwest corner

No municipalities are located in Benton Township, although the unincorporated community of South Bloomingville lies in the central part of the township.

Situated in the heart of the Hocking Hills region, Benton Township includes much of Hocking Hills State Park, including the popular Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave.

Name and history

Statewide, other Benton Townships are located in Monroe, Ottawa, Paulding, and Pike counties.^[4]

Government

The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. Two are elected in the year after the presidential election and one is elected in the year before it. There is also an elected township fiscal officer,^[5] who serves a four-year term beginning on April 1 of the year after the election, which is held in November of the year before the presidential election. Vacancies in the fiscal officership or on the board of trustees are filled by the remaining trustees.