History

Religious persecution drove the Amish from Europe. Their first arrival in America is placed in the 1700s, initially settling in Pennsylvania but eventually pushing westward to Ohio. Holmes County, Ohio is the largest concentration of Amish people and represents about 45% of the total known Amish population.

Today, there are some 60,000 Amish in Ohio, spread across 52 individual settlements and over 400 church districts. Ohio Amish communities are located in the counties of Holmes, Geauga, Ashland and Medina. Smaller Amish communities are found in Hicksville and Plain City, both more than 100 years old. The Nebraska Amish, the only conservative Amish community outside of Pennsylvania, also call Ohio home.

The tourist industry for Amish in Ohio is largely concentrated in Holmes County, centered around the towns of Berlin, Walnut Creek, Millersburg, and Sugarcreek. It is in these communities that visitors will find the handcrafted furniture, quilts and other uniquely Amish treasures that have distinguished the region for decades.

These are the main towns you want to be sure and visit to get a complete, well-rounded Amish experience.