Mineral is an 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...

 in 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...

, 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...

. Centered on State Route 356, it was established as a coal-mining community. It is located on Mud Lick Run, which flows into nearby Hewitt Fork, a tributary of Raccoon Creek

Raccoon Creek (Ohio)

Raccoon Creek is a stream that drains parts of five Ohio counties. It originates in Hocking County, Ohio. It flows through Vinton County and Gallia County and a corner of Meigs County. Its largest tributary, Little Raccoon Creek, arises in Jackson County. The watershed also includes part of Athens...

. The B&O Railroad once ran through the community, but was abandoned in the 1980s. In recent years, the portion of the old railroad grade going west from the community has become the Moonville Rail-Trail

Moonville Rail-Trail

right|thumb|King Switch TunnelThe Moonville Rail-Trail is a sixteen-mile rail-trail in southeast Ohio, located in Vinton and Athens Counties. It is largely embedded in the Zaleski State Forest and passes close to Lake Hope State Park...

. The King Switch Tunnel on the grade is close to the community. The next larger community is New Marshfield

New Marshfield, Ohio

New Marshfield is a census-designated place in central Waterloo Township, Athens County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 45766...

, also unincorporated, to the east in the same township.