LOVELAND, Ohio — Loveland has been named one of Ohio Magazine’s Best Hometowns for 2026-2027, one of just five communities statewide to receive the annual recognition, the city announced.
Loveland joins Marietta, Marion, Massillon and Tiffin as this year’s honorees. The five communities will be featured in the magazine’s November/December 2026 and July/August 2027 issues, according to Ohio Magazine.
The city said in a Facebook post that it was chosen for its community spirit, vibrant downtown, local events and outdoor recreation.
Ohio Magazine editors select Best Hometowns winners each year after soliciting nominations and evaluating finalists across six categories: community spirit, education, entertainment, health and safety, business environment, and culture and heritage, according to the magazine. The selection process includes site visits to finalist communities during the spring and summer.
Ohio Magazine launched the Best Hometowns program in 2006 to spotlight communities the editors consider both great places to live and interesting places to visit. Five towns are selected each year; last year’s honorees were Ashland, Barnesville, Green, Mount Vernon and Yellow Springs.
Loveland traces its roots to 1795, when Col. Thomas Paxton purchased 1,200 acres along the Little Miami River. The settlement was renamed in 1850 for James Loveland, a local storekeeper and postmaster, before incorporating as a village in 1876 and becoming a chartered city in 1961. The city, home to about 13,300 residents, sits roughly 15 miles northeast of Cincinnati and is known regionally as the “Sweetheart of Ohio.”
Loveland’s downtown runs through the Little Miami River valley and anchors the Loveland Bike Trail, a segment of the Little Miami Scenic Trail built along a former rail corridor that draws cyclists, canoeists and other visitors from across the region.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Loveland.