Athens Township is one of the fourteen townships

Civil township

A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...

 of Athens County

Athens County, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 62,223 people, 22,501 households, and 12,713 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 24,901 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

 found 27,714 people in the township, 6,680 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.

Geography

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

• Dover Township
  Dover Township, Athens County, Ohio
  Dover Township is one of the fourteen townships of Athens County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,797 people in the township, 2,730 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - north
• Ames Township
  Ames Township, Athens County, Ohio
  Ames Township is one of the fourteen townships of Athens County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,231 people in the township, 1,047 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - northeast corner
• Canaan Township
  Canaan Township, Athens County, Ohio
  Canaan Township is one of the fourteen townships of Athens County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,780 people in the township, 1,472 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - east
• Lodi Township
  Lodi Township, Athens County, Ohio
  Lodi Township is one of the fourteen townships of Athens County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,403 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Canaan Township - north...
  
   - southeast corner
• Alexander Township
  Alexander Township, Athens County, Ohio
  Alexander Township is one of the fourteen townships of Athens County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,614 people in the township, 2,590 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - south
• Lee Township
  Lee Township, Athens County, Ohio
  Lee Township is one of the fourteen townships of Athens County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,531 people in the township, 1,747 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - southwest corner
• Waterloo Township
  Waterloo Township, Athens County, Ohio
  Waterloo Township is one of the fourteen townships of Athens County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,605 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:*York Township - north...
  
   - west
• York Township
  York Township, Athens County, Ohio
  York Township is one of the fourteen townships of Athens County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 7,740 people in the township, 1,947 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - northwest corner

Most of the city of Athens

Athens, Ohio

Athens is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Athens County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Hocking River in the southeastern part of Ohio. A historic college town, Athens is home to Ohio University and is the principal city of the Athens, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...

, the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Athens County, is located in central and eastern Athens Township, and the census-designated place

Census-designated place

A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

 of The Plains

The Plains, Ohio

The Plains is a census-designated place in Athens County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,931 at the 2000 census.-Geography:The Plains is located at ....

 is located in northern Athens Township.

Name and history

Statewide, the only other Athens Township is located in Harrison County

Athens Township, Harrison County, Ohio

Athens Township is one of the fifteen townships of Harrison County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 520 people in the township, 187 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...

.

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, 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.