Bellefontaine, Ohio

Last updated: April 6, 2023

From living in the south my whole life with mountains and beaches to explore, to moving to the Indiana/Ohio boarder where the land is flat and is surrounded by other states is quite the adjustment. In my determination to continue exploring, I’ve come to discover that adventures do exist here; they’re just… quirky.

Enter Bellefontaine, Ohio. Once a major railroad center, it serves as the administrative capital of Logan County, and is also home to the state’s highest point, America’s oldest concrete street, and America’s shortest street. While all this is interesting, it’s still a far cry from making this city a significant place nationwide.

The name Bellefontaine means “beautiful spring” in French, and is purported to refer to several springs in the area. However, locally, the original French pronunciation is not used, and it is pronounced “bell fountain.”

Downtown, where the oldest concrete street is located, there are some really cute shops, including Sweet Aromas. This little coffee shop was a relief to find since it was 17 degrees when Kris and I visited. Lots of homemade bakery items!

You’ll even find the a cave system, Zane Shawnee Caverns. The caverns are show caves owned by the nonprofit United Remnant Band of the Shawnee Nation as of 1995. You can rent a small cabin and camp here! Kris and I decided to explore this at another time since it was so cold. I plan to take my parents here in the spring when they visit next to do all the Bellefontaine things. 😀

So Bellefontaine has the highest, the oldest and the shortest, along with some really good chai lattes! This is a cute little day trip that I’m glad we took. Check it out in if you’re ever in the area or driving through!