A scenic river runs through it…..

Mount Vernon is a beautiful community nestled along the Kokosing River approximately 45 minutes north of Columbus and home to 17,000 residents.  In the  November 2017 issue of Ohio Magazine, Mount Vernon was recognized as one of the five best hometowns in the publication's 12th annual Ohio's Best Hometowns issue.  Mount Vernon was named Ohio's Most Livable Community in the 1994 issue of Ohio Magazine.  Mount Vernon sits at the base of the glaciated Appalachian Plateau surrounded by rolling hills and valleys.  Being the seat of Knox County, Mount Vernon has a rich historical past and is home of America's Oldest Authentic 19th Century Theater, The Woodward Opera House. 

The downtown area of Mount Vernon is a thriving commercial and industrial complex intermixed with the following educational institutions: Central Ohio Technical College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and Kenyon College, situated in the historic Buckeye Candy Building.  Kenyon's main campus is located seven miles east of Mount Vernon in Gambier.

Mount Vernon residents and visitors are privileged to pursue an active, outdoor lifestyle by enjoying the many community parks and green spaces, including the Kokosing Gap Trail, which runs 14 miles along the State Scenic Kokosing River.  The Mount Vernon area features two incredible parks:  the 250 acre municipal Ariel Foundation Park and the 260 acre Wolf Run Regional Park.  The newest addition to the downtown square is the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel a joint partnership between Ariel Corporation and MVNU.