River Mile: 596

Population: 860

U.S. Census Profile

The first settlement at Utica, across the Ohio River from the mouth of Harrods Creek, was in 1795 by James Noble Wood and his wife Margaret Smith Wood, among others. The town was laid out in 1816 by Judge Wood, Judge John Miller and Dr. Samuel Blight of Philadelphia. The town was a key ferry crossing, as the Falls of the Ohio made the crossing more treacherous downstream. Judge Wood, who was one of only a handful of judges in “Indian Territory” at the time, operated the first such ferry, which landed at Harrods Creek. A major flood in 1997 spurred growth in Utica as it had to strengthen its planning, zoning and building laws, leading to some growth. Utica remains an important Ohio River crossing point, serving as the northern terminus of the Lewis and Clark Bridge, which opened in 2016.