About Hilliard
Rich in history, our family-friendly community is home to Rails to Trails, a historic village with over nine authentic buildings and a museum and the only Early Television Museum in the United States. Visit our community to experience small town charm and hospitality with all the amenities of a big city. Be sure to stop by our unique restaurants and shops in historic downtown.
Location
The City of Hilliard, Ohio is a quiet town of about 28,000 residents located centrally in the heart of Ohio and close to the capital, Columbus. Hilliard is known for its close proximity to the I-270 local outerbelt and easy access to well-known I-70 and I-71.
Historical Perspective
John Reed Hilliard bought ten acres of farmland in western Franklin County from Hoseah High and Abraham Wendell. Geographically, the Hilliard area is located between Big Darby Creek on the west and the Scioto River on the east in 1852. Originally called Hilliard’sStation, the town grew around the railroad route of the Piqua and Indiana Railroad station, which bisected the former Hilliard farmland. Hilliard’s Station served as an ideal shipping point for agricultural products going to market and supplies coming to the farmers in the area. The original Hilliard area was platted by John Hilliard on September 1, 1853. Until the mid-20th century, the railroad station and Main Street were the town center. In 1854, a post office was established in Hilliard’s Station and the word “Station” was dropped from the town name. The Village of Hilliard became incorporated on July 13, 1869 with a population of 280 residents. In 1886 the first railroad station was located on the north side of the tracks, west of Main Street, and remained there until 1962 when all railroad services ceased. The original train station has been restored and is a part of the Historical Village located in Weaver Park. The original platted area contained a mix of residences and businesses of varying ages and architecture.
The construction of three large residential subdivisions in the 1950s brought explosive growth to Hilliard. The connection to the Columbus regional sewer and water systems in the 1960s opened up the area to development. The Village of Hilliard gained city status officially from the Secretary of State of Ohio, by attaining a population of 5,633 on December 12, 1960. With the completion of the I-270 outerbelt in the 1980s, a second wave of explosive growth came to the area. A rich heritage of residential structures and architectural styles can be found in the historic district along Norwich Street. For further information on the history of Hilliard contact Northwest Franklin County Historical Society at 614-876-5880 or www.franklincountyohiohistory.org. or www.northwesthistoryexpress.org.
QR Walking Tour of historic buildings in downtown Hilliard and at the Historical Village at Weaver Park that was created by Hilliard City School students. Using your smartphone, click on the QR Code by the building to watch a video on the history of the building. For a list of buildings and more information on the QR Walking Tour, download the brochure by clicking QR Walking Tour.
The Future
A dedication for preserving the past while advancing towards a new and promising future is evident throughout Hilliard. The city's respect of its roots is equally evident in the recent multimillion dollar investment in streetscape and walkability improvements in Old Hilliard as is the dedication to the future via more than $40,000,000.00 worth of new roadways and telecommunications infrastructure to open more than 600 acres of prime freeway office and commercial land to development. Development in Hilliard continues to be a mix of residential and commercial development.