Benton Township is one of the eleven 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 Hocking County

Hocking County, Ohio

Hocking County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 29,380. Its county seat is Logan. Its name is from the Hocking River, the origins of which are disputed but is said to be a Delaware Indian word meaning "bottle river".-Geography:According to the...

, 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 814 people in the township.

Geography

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

• Laurel Township
  Laurel Township, Hocking County, Ohio
  Laurel Township is one of the eleven townships of Hocking County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,190 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Good Hope Township - north...
  
   - north
• Washington Township
  Washington Township, Hocking County, Ohio
  Washington Township is one of the eleven townships of Hocking County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,160 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
  
   - northeast
• Swan Township, Vinton County
  Swan Township, Vinton County, Ohio
  Swan Township is one of the twelve townships of Vinton County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 796 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
  
   - south
• Jackson Township, Vinton County
  Jackson Township, Vinton County, Ohio
  Jackson Township is one of the twelve townships of Vinton County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 714 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
  
   - southeast
• Salt Creek Township
  Salt Creek Township, Hocking County, Ohio
  Salt Creek Township is one of the eleven townships of Hocking County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,260 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southwestern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...
  
   - west
• Perry Township
  Perry Township, Hocking County, Ohio
  Perry Township is one of the eleven townships of Hocking County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,554 people in the township, 2,021 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - northwest corner

No municipalities are located in Benton Township, although the unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 of South Bloomingville

South Bloomingville, Ohio

South Bloomingville is an unincorporated community in western Benton Township, Hocking County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43152. It is located at the intersection of State Routes 56 and 664, slightly west of Hocking Hills State...

 lies in the central part of the township.

Situated in the heart of the Hocking Hills

Hocking Hills

The Hocking Hills is a deeply dissected area of the Allegheny Plateau in Ohio, primarily in Hocking County, that features cliffs, gorges, rock shelters, and waterfalls...

 region, Benton Township includes much of Hocking Hills State Park

Hocking Hills State Park

Hocking Hills State Park is a non-contiguous state park in the Hocking Hills region of Hocking County, Ohio, United States; it is contiguous with the Hocking State Forest...

, including the popular Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave.

Name and history

Statewide, other Benton Townships are located in Monroe

Benton Township, Monroe County, Ohio

Benton Township is one of the eighteen townships of Monroe County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 349 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Perry Township - north...

, Ottawa

Benton Township, Ottawa County, Ohio

Benton Township is one of the twelve townships of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,621 people in the township, 2,232 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...

, Paulding

Benton Township, Paulding County, Ohio

Benton Township is one of the twelve townships of Paulding County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,035 people in the township, 694 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...

, and Pike

Benton Township, Pike County, Ohio

Benton Township is one of the fourteen townships of Pike County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,520 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northwestern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...

Counties.

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.