Apple-City heritage in Appalachian foothills
Jackson wears its “Apple City” nickname proudly in the Appalachian foothills of southern Ohio. A bright red apple-shaped water tower serves as a local landmark, orchards are set on the town’s edge and there's an annual Apple Festival that all nod to a long agricultural heritage here. Manufacturing endures in the form of a General Mills plant that anchors local employment, but Amish artisans operate bakeries, blacksmith shops and quilt rooms that make entrepreneurship a major income source here as well. “We’re out in the sticks, surrounded by national forests and endless outdoor scenery,” lifelong resident Pamela Brown says. "If you're looking for a busy city atmosphere this isn't the place, but it's not too far from Columbus."
Cottages and Victorian listings
Jackson’s housing stock skews older and varied, ranging from cottages and bungalows to brick ranch-style homes, Victorian two-stories and the occasional farmhouse. The median sale price is about $570,000, but location and size swing values sharply. Near Main Street, renovated Victorians and larger ranches of 2,000 to 2,500 square feet list for roughly $250,000 to $350,000. Entry-level buyers look to manufactured homes and compact cottages of about 600 to 650 square feet, typically priced between $150,000 and $170,000.
B-range campuses with AP Capstone at the high school
Local kids can start school at Jackson Westview Elementary, which earns a B-plus from Niche, then continue to the B-rated Jackson Middle School. Jackson High earns B-minus and offers special programs like an AP Capstone program, Academic Challenge Club, Drama Club and the LGBTA + Alliance Club.
Lake Alma beaches and Lake Katharine cliff-rimmed trails
Lake Alma State Park spreads across nearly 300 acres of wooded hills just north of town. Its 60-acre lake welcomes non-motorized boats and anglers looking for bass or bluegill, while two sandy swimming beaches, a lakeside campground and several miles of forest trails make the park a popular weekend spot.
Tucked into sandstone ridges a few miles west of the city, Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve protects more than 2,000 acres of Appalachian forest and a cliff-rimmed glacial lake. Three marked footpaths—ranging from the one-mile Calico Bush Trail to the 2.5-mile Pine Ridge Trail—lead past spring wildflowers, towering magnolias and quiet hemlock groves.
Inside city limits, Manpower Park offers a playground, open lawns and a paved walking loop on land once used as a vocational training center.
Craft brews, Appalachian fare and Amish bakery finds
Historic Main Street centers Jackson’s compact downtown, where 19th-century storefronts house taprooms, galleries and cafés. Craft-beer fans frequent Sixth Sense Brewing & Taproom for small-batch pours alongside pub plates, while the Markay Cultural Arts Center pairs art exhibits with theater nights that keep foot traffic flowing past boutiques. Arch & Eddie’s dishes Appalachian-inspired comfort food in a restored hotel lobby, rounding out the core restaurant scene.
On the rural edge, Amish and Mennonite artisans sell handmade quilts, furniture and ironwork; Four Mile Bakery & General Store is known for wagon-wheel doughnuts and shelves of locally jarred jams, cheeses and hardwood cutting boards. Roadside produce stands and blacksmith shops add to the “made-here” appeal.
Groceries come from Kroger’s full-service supermarket, and big-box basics line the commercial strip just beyond downtown.
September Apple Festival draws 30,000 with parades and pies
Every third full week of September, downtown Jackson transforms into a harvest-themed street fair for the Jackson Apple Festival, a tradition that dates to 1937. Main Street closes to traffic for five days of parades, live music, baking contests and the crowd-favorite apple butter stirring that perfumes the blocks with cinnamon and cloves. Carnival rides line the side streets, local civic groups run food booths featuring everything from fried apple pies to apple cider slushies, and Friday night’s “Apple Festival Parade” draws marching bands from across southeastern Ohio. The event celebrates the county’s long apple-growing heritage and regularly attracts more than 30,000 visitors.
U.S. 35 link to Columbus plus on-demand local buses
U.S. Route 35 skirts Jackson’s north side, providing a four-lane link west to Chillicothe and east to Gallipolis, while State Route 32 and State Route 93 carry commuters toward Athens and Portsmouth. U.S. Route 35 joins State Route 23 northwest of town, giving drivers a straight 75-mile shot to Columbus. Within the city, Main Street doubles as State Route 93 and handles most local traffic. Public transit is limited to Jackson-Vinton Community Action’s on-demand bus service, which offers weekday rides across town and to nearby medical appointments. For long-distance travel, residents drive 25 miles north to Ross County Airport for general aviation or about 60 miles to Port Columbus International Airport for commercial flights.
