Bluffton

Downtown Bluffton

Bluffton is a college town in Northwest Ohio.

Understand

Bluffton was founded in 1831 by Swiss and Irish religious settlers, who originally named the town Shannon after the green hills surrounding the village. Today Bluffton maintains its heritage, with numerous churches and natural features dotted around the village.

Visitor information

• Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce (Explore Bluffton), 154 N Main St, ☏ +1 419-369-2985. (updated Feb 2019)

Get in

By car

I75 passes through Bluffton, going north to Findlay, and south to Lima.

By plane

• 1 Bluffton Airport (5G7), ☏ +1 419-358-7045. A small general aviation airport (updated Aug 2019)

Get around

By foot

Bluffton's downtown is extremely walkable, as is the campus of Bluffton University. Edge destinations can take longer to get to.

By bike

Bluffton is bike-friendly, and some roads have dedicated bike lanes. The Lions Way Path also offers a dedicated bike and hike trail.

See

• 1 Bluffton University. A private university that offers a number of public events. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 2 Sauder Visual Arts Center (The Albrecht Gallery). (updated Feb 2019)
  • 3 Yoder Recital Hall. A music hall at Bluffton university. Hosts performances year round as well as the annual community chorale performance of Handel's Messiah in December. (updated Aug 2019)
• 4 Schumacher Homestead (Swiss Community Historical Society), 8350 Bixel Rd. Jun-Aug: Sa 1-5PM. A preserved Swiss homestead. Hosts the Swiss Day celebration in June. (updated Aug 2019)
• 5 Village Arboretum. A small grove of trees on the shores of cob lake. Free. (updated Aug 2019)

Do

• 1 Bluffton Beavers football. The football team of Bluffton University. (updated Dec 2019)
• 2 Shannon Theater, 119 S Main St, ☏ +1 419-358-1141. $3-4 2D, $6 3D. (updated Feb 2019)
• 3 Bluffton University Nature Preserve. A former 160-acre farm turned into a permanent nature reserve. (updated Feb 2019)
• 4 Bluffton Annual Trout Derby (Buckeye Lake). First Sunday of May. An early summer fishing derby. (updated Aug 2019)
• 5 Bluffton Community Pool. Summer months. An outdoor swimming pool complex with a water slide and diving boards. (updated Aug 2019)
• 6 Motter Metro Park, 10740 Columbus Grove-Bluffton Rd. Dawn to dusk. A large park that preserves a meadow and woods along the bank of a river. In the right season this is a good place to hike, birdwatch, look at flowers, or look at butterflies. Free. (updated Aug 2019)
• Bluffton Fall Festival. Late September. (updated Aug 2019)

Buy

• 1 Bluffton Farmers Market (Citizens National Bank Parking Lot). Sa 8:30AM-Noon, May-October. Offers a variety of foods and crafts. (updated Aug 2019)
• 2 Book ReViews. Used bookstore. (updated Aug 2019)
• 3 The Food Store. A small food co-op that focuses on health foods. Also offers various soaps, oils, and health adjacent products. (updated Aug 2019)
• 4 The Black Lab Trading Company. (updated Aug 2019)

Eat

There are a small number of chain restaurants near the interstate.

• 1 Shirley's Gourmet Popcorn Company, 117 S Main St, ☏ +1 419-230-7606. (updated Jun 2020)
• 2 Twisted Whisk Cafe, 101 S Main St, ☏ +1 419-358-9622. (updated Aug 2019)
• 3 Community Markets, 154 Vance St. 7AM-10PM. Local grocery store (updated Aug 2019)
• 4 Padrone's Pizza. (updated Aug 2019)
• 5 Greenhorn. Saturdays around lunch. A vegan restaurant with a changing menu. (updated Aug 2019)
• 6 China Wok. Serves Chinese-American food. (updated Aug 2019)
• 7 LuLu's Diner. An American diner (updated Aug 2019)

Drink

• 1 Luke's, 133 N Main St, ☏ +1 419-358-4486. Bar, grill, and music venue. (updated Feb 2019)
• 2 Campito Lindo. A Mexican cantina. (updated Aug 2019)

Sleep

• 1 Comfort Inn, 117 Commerce Ln, ☏ +1 419-358-6000. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Offers free WiFi, breakfast, and indoor pool. ~$100. (updated Aug 2019)

Connect

• 1 Bluffton Post Office, 182 S Main St. A quaint post office in a classical building. (updated Aug 2019)
• 2 Bluffton Public Library, 145 S Main St, ☏ +1 419-358-5016. M-Th 9:30AM-9PM, F 9:30AM-5:30PM, Sa 9:30AM-2:30PM. (updated Feb 2019)

Go next

• Findlay
• Lima
• Ada

Routes through Bluffton

Toledo ← Findlay ←

N  S

→ Jct W E → Lima → Dayton