Xenia
Xenia (Pronounced: Zeen-ya) is a city in Southwest Ohio, near Dayton.
Understand
Xenia is the county seat of Greene County Ohio and was founded in 1803. The name stems from the Greek word for hospitality, and is the largest city in the United States whose name begins with the letter X with over 26,000 residents as of 2017.
Visitor information
- eXplore Xenia, 107 E Main St, ☏ +1 937-376-7232.
Get in
Map of Xenia
By car
Xenia is connected by US 35, US 42, and US 68.
By bike
All of the following bike paths connect at Xenia Station, and are part of the Ohio to Erie Trail project.
- 1 Little Miami Bike Trail (Little Miami Scenic Trail). A 50-mile (80-km) trail, which can be used by runners, hikers, bicyclists, and roller bladers. Heads north to Yellow Springs and then to Springfield. At Springfield it connects with the Simon Kenton Trail which goes to Urbana and the Buck Creek Senic Trail which goes to Springfield parks. Going south, the trail passes through Spring Valley, Corwin near Waynesville, Morrow, South Lebanon, the outskirts of Mason, Loveland, Milford, Newtown, and ends at the edge of Cincinnati near the Cincinnati municipal airport.
- 2 Prairie Grass Trail. Goes northeast to Cedarville and then to South Charleston where it is interrupted by a few blocks of local roads before continuing to London. From London it is possible to connect to the Roberts Pass trail a few blocks away, which eventually merges into the Camp Chase trail and ends in Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park in suburban Columbus.
- 3 Creekside Trail. Goes north to Beavercreek, then splits north to the Mad River Recreation Trail and the downtown core of Dayton, and south to the Iron Horse Trail which leads to suburban Dayton.
- 4 Jamestown Connector Bikeway. Connects to Jamestown Ohio, and from there goes on to Rosemoor, which is close to the intersection of I71, US35, and SR435 where there are some shopping outlets.
By plane
- 5 Lewis A Jackson Regional Airport. A General aviation and light cargo airport.
Get around
- Greene CATS Public Transit, 2380 Bellbrook Ave, ☏ +1 937-708-8322, toll-free: +1-877-227-2287. M-F 8AM-4PM. A irregular transit service that arranges for scheduled rides and flex routes. In-county scheduled: $3, out-of-county scheduled $6.
See
In Xenia
- 1 Xenia Station, 150 Miami Avenue. 1998 replica of Xenia's 1880s brick railroad station. Now the hub for a number of rail trails. Has car parking, restrooms, a preserved railroad caboose, and a splash pad.
- 2 Greene County Courthouse. A historic courthouse with a large clocktower.
- 3 McDonald Farm. A historic farm that was once provided the highest quality limestone in the state. The farm helped provide stone for the Washington Monument in Washington, DC.
- 4 Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home. A historic orphanage built to help heal the wounded after the American Civil War, the orphanage only ceased to function in 1997. It now houses Christian ministries such as Athletes in Action.
In Wilberforce
Wilberforce is a small community next to Xenia. Named after William Wilberforce who helped abolish the slave trade in the British empire, this community was an important stop on the Underground Railroad.
- 5 Central State University (CSU), 1400 Brush Row Rd, ☏ +1 937-376-6011, toll-free: +1-800-388-2781. A historically black public university across the street form Wilberforce University.
- 6 Wilberforce University, 1055 N Bickett Rd, ☏ +1 937-376-2911. A historically black private college that was the first to be owned and operated by African Americans. W.E.B. Du Bois was once a professor here.
- 7 National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center (NAAMCC), 1350 Brush Row Rd, ☏ +1 937 376-4944, toll-free: +1 800 752-2603, InfoNAAMCC@ohiohistory.org.
- 8 Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, 1120 US Route 42 E, ☏ +1 937-352-6757. By appointment only. The preserved home of a former slave who became the third African American to graduate from West Point, and the first African American to reach the status of Colonel in the American army. Free.
Do
Activities and Events
- 1 Skydive Greene County, 177 South Monroe-Siding Rd (Green County Incorporated Airport), ☏ +1 937-372-0700, info@skydiveohio.com. Hours (weather permitting): Sa Su 8AM-8PM; M-F 8:30AM-8PM. Reservations recommended. $250/person; group, cash, college and military discounts.
- 2 Greene County Fair. $6 for an entry ticket (Ages 10 and up).
- 3 Dayton Hamvention (Greene County Fairgrounds), ☏ +1 937-276-6930, info@hamvention.org. May. One of the largest HAM radio conventions in the world, typically with over 20,000 guests in attendance. $22 general admission.
- [dead link] Kevin Sonnycalb Fireworks Festival (KSFireworks). Around the 4th of July. A fireworks festival that includes shows, activities, and live music.
- [dead link] Xenia Hometown Christmas. Late November. A Christmas festival that includes a visit from Santa Claus, horse drawn cartridge rides, train rides, live music, and games. Carriage rides are $3 a person, or $5 for a couple.
Parks
- 4 Shawnee Park, 591 S Park Dr. A park with a nice pond and picnic pavilions.
- 5 Sol Arnivitz Park, 436 Towler Rd. A park with a disk golf course, trails, and fishing.
Buy
- K&G Bikes, 594 N Detroit St, ☏ +1 937-372-2555. M-Sa 10AM-6PM. Sells, rents, and repairs bicycles.
Eat
- The Corner Restaurant, 434 Cincinnati Avenue, ☏ +1 937-376-1783. Small town home cooking.
- 1 One Bistro.
- 2 Linda's Restaurant.
Drink
- 1 Willie's Bar and Grille.
- Devil Wind Brewing Company. Tu-Th 4PM-10PM, F 4PM-midnight, Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-8PM.
Sleep
- Holiday Inn, 300 Xenia Towne Square, ☏ +1 937-372-9921.
Connect
- 1 Xenia Community Library, 76 E Market St, ☏ +1 937-352-4000. Offers public computers and public WiFi
- 2 Xenia Post Office.
Cope
- Xenia Daily Gazette. A local daily newspaper that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975.
- 3 YMCA, 336 Progress Dr, ☏ +1 937-376-9622.
Go next
| Routes through Xenia |
| Dayton ← Beavercreek ← | W  E |
→ Washington Court House → Chillicothe |
Cincinnati ← Waynesville ← Jct W  ← |
W  E |
→ London → Delaware |
| Springfield ← Yellow Springs ← | N  S |
→ Wilmington → Lexington |