Why visit Somerset
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 4 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Parks Covered Bridge, Randolph Mitchell House and Saint Joseph's Catholic Church.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 20 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Somerset
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Somerset
Somerset is a village in Perry County, Ohio, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 1,481. It is located 9.5 miles north of the county seat New Lexington and has a dedicated historical district. Saint Joseph Church, the oldest Catholic church in Ohio, is located just outside Somerset on State Route 383.
From the Wikipedia article Somerset, Ohio (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Parks Covered Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Covered bridge in Hopewell Township, Perry County, Ohio
Museums and landmarks5
Randolph Mitchell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic house in the small community of New Reading, Ohio, United States
Saint Joseph's Catholic Church
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Church building in Ohio, United States of America
Restaurants and cafes4
Strong & Co.
Restaurant · Pizza, Wings, Sandwich, Burger, Tacos, Soup, Salad
107 E Main Sreet, Somerset
Tu-Th 16:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Churches and places of worship2
History
The village of Somerset was established in 1807 by settlers from Somerset, Pennsylvania at the spot on Zane's Trace located midway between Lancaster and Zanesville. Seven years later, parts of Fairfield, Muskingum, and Washington counties were merged to create Perry County, and the house of a Somerset resident was named the first temporary courthouse. In 1819, the county government arranged for the erection of a purpose-built courthouse in Somerset; while most of the building was used for a jail, it also included a courtroom and space for some county offices. Ten years later, a permanent courthouse was constructed on the village's public square.
As the village of New Lexington grew in importance, its residents began to agitate for the county seat to be moved to their community. From 1851 to 1859, the state legislature passed three separate laws to permit the county seat to be moved; contentious elections and a decision by the Supreme Court of Ohio saw the county seat move to New Lexington, back to Somerset, and finally back to New Lexington. After it ceased to be used as a courthouse, the building was leased to Somerset for use as its village hall.
From the History section of Somerset, Ohio on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Somerset
20 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 18°F | 3.4 in | 8.6 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 20°F | 2.7 in | 5.3 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 27°F | 3.8 in | 2.8 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 36°F | 4.4 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 73°F | 47°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 56°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 61°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 59°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 52°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 40°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 30°F | 3.2 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 24°F | 3.3 in | 3.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for New Lexington 2 Nw (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Perry County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-10-02: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-31: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-18: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslide (Tornado)
- 2019-04-08: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2018-04-17: Severe Storms, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Zanesville Municipal Airport (ZZV) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 miles away.
- Crooksville 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Harbor Hills 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Roseville 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Fairfield Beach 12 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Buckeye Lake 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Hebron 15 mi northwest, about 24 min by car
- Baltimore 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Lancaster 17 mi west, about 28 min by car
- Heath 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Zanesville 19 mi northeast, about 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Somerset old courthouse, color, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fiat justitia ruat cælum in Somerset, Nyttend, Public domain
- Old Perry County Courthouse in Somerset, front, Frank J. Roos, Jr., Public domain
- Old Perry County Courthouse in Somerset, Perry E. Borchers, Public domain
- Somerset, Ohio Square, Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Holy Trinity Church in Somerset, front and southern side, Nyttend, Public domain
- Sheridan House in Somerset, Nyttend, Public domain
- St. Joseph's Catholic Church near Somerset, Nyttend, Public domain
- Parks Covered Bridge, eastern portal, Nyttend, Public domain
- Randolph Mitchell House in New Reading, Nyttend, Public domain
- ISS036-E-805 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS036-E-806 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-92914 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS038-E-34977 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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