Marietta, OH

Marietta, Ohio, the seat of Washington County in the southeastern part of the state, sits at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. Home to approximately 14,000 residents, it holds the distinction of being the first permanent European-American settlement in the Northwest Territory, established in 1788. The city carries a quiet, historic Midwestern character shaped by brick storefronts, restored 19th-century row houses, and riverfront views, and it serves as a gateway to outdoor recreation in the rolling Appalachian foothills along the Ohio River. Marietta lies roughly 110 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio's capital and the nearest major city, and sits directly across the river from Parkersburg, West Virginia.

The historic downtown and the adjacent Harmar Village district form the heart of the city's appeal, with locally owned restaurants, antique shops, and the Campus Martius Museum, which interprets the founding of the Northwest Territory and early settlement of Marietta through artifacts, a reconstructed blockhouse, and the Rufus Putnam House.

A short walk from downtown, Mound Cemetery is one of the most distinctive historic sites in the region. It is built around a large prehistoric Adena burial mound, and the surrounding green space preserves other earthworks that link the city to its much older Indigenous past.

Across the Ohio River, Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park is accessible from Marietta by sternwheeler ferry that departs from Point Park on the city's riverfront. The park features a reconstructed Palladian-style mansion, costumed interpreters, wagon rides, and walking paths that offer a glimpse of frontier-era life on what was once a sprawling eighteenth-century estate.

Surrounded by the woodlands and public recreation lands of southeastern Ohio, Marietta combines small-town heritage, river scenery, and easy access to the outdoors. That mix of history and natural setting gives short-term rentals in the area broad year-round appeal, drawing heritage travelers, riverboat passengers, road trippers, and outdoor visitors exploring the Appalachian foothills.