Pickerington, Ohio

Pickerington, Ohio
City
The welcome sign located on Hill Road N. (OH-256)
Nickname:  Violet Capital of Ohio
Location of Pickerington, Ohio
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Counties	Fairfield, Franklin
Founded	1815
Government
• Type	Mayor-council-manager
• Mayor	Mitch O'Brian
• Interim City Manager	Tim Hansley
Area
• Total	7.4 sq mi (19.3 km2)
• Land	7.4 sq mi (19.3 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation Template:GR	837 ft (255 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	9,792
• Density	1,317.4/sq mi (508.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	43147
Area code	614
FIPS code	39-62498Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1061537Template:GR
Website	ci.pickerington.oh.us

Pickerington is a city situated in Fairfield and Franklin counties in the central region of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a suburb of Columbus. The population was 9,792 at the 2000 census. As land annexation and development in and around Columbus continues, the City of Pickerington (like many area suburbs) have generally followed suit. The 2005 population estimate for Pickerington was 15,878.

Geography

Pickerington is located at 39°53′32″N 82°45′50″W (39.892168, -82.763837)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²). None of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 9,792 people, 3,468 households, and 2,687 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,317.4 people per square mile (508.8/km²). There were 3,573 housing units at an average density of 480.7/sq mi (185.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.18% White, 3.72% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.38% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.

There were 3,468 households out of which 48.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $63,664, and the median income for a family was $71,161. Males had a median income of $51,155 versus $31,850 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,839. About 2.6% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Pickerington Local School District is a two-branch school district enrolling 9,714 students as of the 2005-2006 school year. Enrollment has been expanding at an average of 425 students over the past five years. The Pickerington Local School district is the 19th largest school district in Ohio. In the 2004-2005 school year, the district was rated effective, after six years with an excellent rating. From the district's founding until 2003, the district had one mascot, the tiger. In 2003, the district branched with the opening of Pickerington High School North, which has the panther as a mascot. With the opening of Pickerington High School North, the original Pickerington High School was renamed Pickerington High School Central.

Currently the district has eleven schools.

• Schools are listed alphabetically and with attendant grade levels.
  • Diley Middle School (5-6)
  • Fairfield Elementary (K-4)
  • Harmon Middle School (5-6)
  • Heritage Elementary School (K-4)
  • Lakeview Junior High School (7-8)
  • Pickerington Elementary (K-4)
  • Pickerington High School Central (9-12)
  • Pickerington High School North (9-12)
  • Ridgeview Junior High School (7-8)
  • Tussing Elementary (K-4)
  • Violet Elementary (K-4)

The district has a policy of equity between schools. Almost every course or service that is offered at Pickerington High School Central is also offered at Pickerington High School North, and the equity extends down to the junior high, middle, and elementary schools.

Various awards have been given to the district and to individual teachers. In 2006, the district was rated as one of the top school districts in the United States by Expansion Management magazine.

There is also a part of a branch of Ohio University in Pickerington. The Pickerington Center is affiliated with Ohio University Lancaster in Lancaster, Ohio.

Facts about Pickerington

Pickerington uses the finest bus system in the state, and is also the most expensive.

Pickerington Lakeview has had 300 honor students.

Pickerington Lakeview Junior High won an OCC championship in only 3 years (2004, 2005, 2006) and won 3 OCC titles in 2007-08

Pickerington, Ohio is home to the nationally renowned Pickerington High School Central Marching Tiger Band and Pickerington High School North Marching Panther Band. The Tiger Band has been one of the most active and successful bands in the Midwest since 1986. The Marching Tigers hold a record of 19 consecutive years of superior ratings at Ohio Music Education Association State Marching Band Finals as of 2007. The Marching Panthers hold 4 consecutive years of superior ratings as of school year 2004/2005. Both bands have made prestigious national appearances including The Parade of Roses, The Fiesta Bowl Parade, and New York's Vetrans Day Parade. The Marching Panthers have gone to Disney World and received Grand Champions in the Marching and Winterguard categories, while The Marching Tigers have appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There is quite a rivalry between the schools, however, no one school is better than the other. In the fall of 2008 the two football teams will play each other for the first time.

Pickerington's girls' high school basketball program is also one of the winningest in the state[1]. Pickerington earned a #1 vote from the Associated Press (AP) poll in every year from 1989 through 1997, a 9 year period in which Pickerington only suffered 4 regular-season losses, and won the post-season OHSAA state championship tournament 3 times in that same period. Pickerington received an AP #1 vote in 2002.

The Men's Cross Country team remains the only men's sport in Pickerington history to win a state title. The Tigers won the state D1 championship in 1997, under coach John Long.

Each summer since 1998, Pickerington has hosted the annual Violet Festival.

Pickerington is home to an Indian Mound, off East Columbus Street near Olde Mound Lane.

Notables from Pickerington

• Earl Moore, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians who pitched the American League's first no-hitter in 1901.
• Arthur Raymond Robinson, U.S. Senator from Indiana, presidential candidate in 1932, and rumored member of the Ku Klux Klan.
• Jenny Morris, a member of the now-disbanded pop group innosense.
• Dan and Tom Ryan, professional Halo 2 players, and the 2005 Halo 2 world champion team "Team 3D". Both are currently members of Team Final Boss.
• Paul McHardy, on-air personality for an evening talk radio program with Bonneville International Communications in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Lindsay Hollister, character actor who has appeared on Scrubs, Desperate Housewives, and Big Love.
• Basil Sands, thriller writer and voice actor.
• Kristin Huffman, Miss Ohio 1989 and 4th Runner-up & Talent Award Winner at Miss America.
• Greg Cole, Mister Ohio 2001.

External links

• Official web site of the City of Pickerington
• Pickerington Chamber of Commerce
• Pickerington Local School District
• Fairfield County Visitors & Convention Bureau