Prairie Township is one of the seventeen

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

of Franklin County,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 16,498. Prairie Township is on the far west side of Franklin County touching the east side of Madison County. Each year Prairie Township Fire Department hosts the Annual Fish Fry and Classic Car Show the last weekend of June. Westland Area Business Association (WABA) holds the Annual Independence Parade on the last Saturday of June in Prairie Township.

Geography

Located in the western part of the county, the township consists of several parts: *Most of the original township, in the west *A moderately-sized piece, in the northeast *A small piece, in the southwest corner *Several small islands, in the far northeast These various parts have the following borders: *The city of

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

surrounds the small islands and lies to the east of the main original piece, to the north, south, and west of the northeastern piece, and to the north and west of the southeastern piece *To the east, the moderately-sized piece in the northeast borders Franklin Township. *The small southeastern piece borders Jackson Township to the east. *The main original piece borders: ** Brown Township - north ** Norwich Township - northeast ** Pleasant Township - south ** Jefferson Township, Madison County - west Most of eastern Prairie Township is occupied by the city of Columbus, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Franklin County. Several populated places are located in the unincorporated areas of the township: *The

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Galloway Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. A native or i ...

, in the south *The former village, now unincorporated community, of

New Rome New Rome (Greek: Νέα Ῥώμη, ''Nea Rhomē''; ; Latin: ''Nova Roma''; ) was the original name given by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great in 330 CE to his new imperial capital, which was built as an expansion of the city of Byzantium o ...

, in the east *Part of the

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

of Lake Darby, in the northwest *The census-designated place of Lincoln Village, in the northeast

Name and history

Statewide, the only other Prairie Township is located in Holmes County. Prairie Township was organized in 1819.

Government

Prairie Township Administrative Center 1

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. Prairie Township adopted a limited home rule form of government (ORC Section 504) in 2002. 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.

Education

Some areas of this township are in the

Hilliard City School District Hilliard City School District is a public school district with its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. The school district contains all of what was once Norwich and Brown townships. This includes Hilliard. In 2009, Hilliard City School District ...

.Facts & Figures

Archive
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. Retrieved on June 14, 2014. Other areas of this township are in the

South-Western City School District (Franklin County, Ohio) The South-Western City School District is Ohio's sixth largest public school district located southwest of the city of Columbus. The district serves nearly 20,000 students throughout the southwest quadrant of Franklin County, including the c ...

Public libraries

The Westland Area Library of the Southwest Public Libraries is located in the Township.

Parks and recreation

Prairie Township features six neighborhood parks and a 111-acre sports complex (currently under construction). The Community Center opened in June 2015 and has an indoor swimming pool, indoor walking track, fitness area and gymnasium. The Recreation Department hosts annual events including the Pumpkin Swim, Trick or Treat Trail, Holiday Tree Lighting, Touch A Truck, and Discover the Greater Prairie.

References

External links

Prairie Township official websiteCounty website
{{authority control Townships in Franklin County, Ohio Townships in Ohio