Oxford (Ohio) - city in Oxford Township, Butler County, Ohio, United States

Oxford is a small town in Butler County in Southwest Ohio. It is best known for being home to Miami University. Recognized as a Public Ivy, which describes state-funded public universities with academic programs akin to the Ivy League schools, Miami University has a body of more than 16,000 students in a town with a summer population just over 10,000. The City of Oxford's predecessor, College Township, was founded one year after Miami University was established in 1809. Miami was the second university in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains (after Ohio University (1804) in Athens).

Get in

Oxford is 30 miles northwest of Cincinnati, 35 miles southwest of Dayton and about 5 miles east of the state boundary separating Ohio and Indiana.

By plane

• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (IATA: CVG) is on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, so the distance is farther than that of Cincinnati, amounting to an approximately 50 mile drive to Oxford. Delta has its second largest hub at the CVG airport.
• Dayton International Airport (dead link: January 2023) (IATA: DAY) is also a short distance from Oxford (approximately 45 miles).
• Miami University Airport (IATA: OXD), 39.5022°, -84.7844°. is an airstrip available for the private pilot.

By car

Oxford is probably one of the most difficult cities in Ohio to locate by car. Oxford is most easily accessed:

• Off of I-70 west of Dayton via the Eaton exit heading southbound on US-127 and then westbound on SR-73 or
• Off of I-70 west of Dayton via the Eaton exit heading southbound on US-127 and then southbound on SR-732 or
• Via I-275 (Cincinnati outer belt) using the Colerain exit and heading northbound on US-27

By bus

Barons Bus Lines provides transportation connecting Miami University with Indianapolis, Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio. The fare is $10 one way and runs 365 days a year. Barons Bus Lines connect directly to Grey Hound buses that travel across the country, making travel to and from Oxford by bus relatively simple .

Get around

By foot

Oxford is a small town that can be easily traversed by foot. From the eastern edge of the Miami University campus to the western edge of Uptown Oxford, one could walk the distance in less than 30 minutes.

By bus

BCRTA is the bus system in Oxford. Transportation can be provided around campus, to off-campus housing, and Uptown. There are also routes that travel to the regional branches of Miami University. Students, faculty, and staff may ride freely by displaying their University ID cards and all public passengers must pay $2 for fare. During fall, spring and winter terms the BCRTA buses run daily. Transit is greatly reduced during the summer months.

See

As in most U.S. college towns, much of the art and cultural amenities are provided by the university. In Oxford, these include:

• Miami University, +1 513 529-1809. 212 Roudebush Hall, campus is primarily comprised of red-brick Georgian style buildings and broad lawns. Founded in 1809, this Public Ivy university named in honor of the Miami Native American tribe, was established 100 years before the City of Miami, Florida. At one time it was the fourth largest university in the U.S., behind Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth, and became known as the "Yale of the Early West". Accordingly, Miami's Elliott and Stoddard Halls, near the center of the academic quad, were modelled after Yale's Connecticut Hall.

  • Center for American and World Cultures.

  • Freedom Summer '64 Memorial, 39.501882°, -84.726295°. Located on Miami's historical Western Campus, this memorial commemorates civil rights workers who trained here in 1964. Three of these workers were later found murdered in Mississippi. 2017-08-18

  • Miami University Art Museum, 801 S Patterson Ave, 39.500940°, -84.729212°. 2017-08-18

  • Karl Limper Geology Museum, 39.5081°, -84.7319°. 2019-07-02

  • William Holmes McGuffey Museum, 401 E Spring St (At Miami University), 39.507012°, -84.735928°, +1 513 529-8380. Written by educator William H. McGuffey, the Eclectic McGuffey Reader was the primary material used to teach reading to five generations of Americans. A sculpture in his honor stands in front of McGuffey Hall near the northeast corner of Spring Street and Campus Avenue across from the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity house. 2017-08-18

  • Differdange Castle, 49.521111°, 5.888889°. 2019-07-02

• Dewitt Log Homestead (DeWitt Cabin), 39.510556°, -84.718611°. listed on the National Register of Historic Places 2019-07-02
• Lorenzo Langstroth Cottage. a National Historic Landmark 2019-07-02
• Black Covered Bridge, State Route 732 at Corso Rd. A 206-foot span built in 1869 over Four Mile (Talawanda) Creek. This is the only covered bridge in Butler County that has remained in its original location (restored in 2000). Bicentennial marker and explanation on site. 2019-07-02
• Pugh's Mill Covered Bridge, 39.524048°, -84.734746°. 2019-07-02

Do

• Hueston Woods State Park, 39.5761°, -84.7456°. The park, operated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is composed of almost 3,000 acres in Butler and Preble counties. Visitors enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing in and canoeing on Acton Lake, and golf. 2017-07-03

• You're Fired!, 6 North Beech St, +1 513-523-2734. A fun place to go and get artsy. Pick an already made piece to paint and let You're Fired! do the rest. Just make sure you leave yourself enough time to pick it up (about 7 days).

• Oxford Farmer's Market, Uptown, +1 513-505-5238. May-Nov: Saturdays 8AM-noon. Local Goods

• Oxford Community Arts Center, 10 South College Ave, 39.510015°, -84.746036°, +1 513-524-8506. 10AM-6PM. Located in the historic Oxford College for Women building, the OCAC is a home for community artists and arts organizations. free

• Green Beer Day. 2019-07-02

  • Miami University Performing Arts Series.

• Oxford Memorial Park Pavilion, 39.51074°, -84.74205°. On the northeast corner of High and Main Streets is the former home to the Oxford water tower (a bygone symbol of the town) and now provides an amphitheater for concerts and other performances. 2019-07-02

• Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 39.51074°, -84.74283°. It has dancing water fountains that provide enjoyment for children (both by viewing and playing in them). 2019-09-30

Sports

The Miami RedHawks compete in NCAA Division I college sports, mostly in the Mid-American Conference. Since the MAC does not sponsor men's ice hockey, that team instead plays in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Sports fans are also attracted by Miami's reputation as the Cradle of Coaches, having served as a rung (either as a player or coach) in some of the most momentous coaching careers including: Earl Blaik, Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Bill Arnsparger, George Little, Weeb Ewbank, Sid Gillman, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler, John Pont, Bill Mallory, Jim Tressel, Joe Novak, Ron Zook, Dick Crum, Randy Walker, Terry Hoeppner, Sean Payton, and Sean McVay.

• Football - Yager Stadium, 30,012 capacity seating, the team that raised Super Bowl Champion Big Ben Roethlisberger!
• Basketball - Millett Hall, 9,200-seat arena, names like Wally "World" Szczerbiak, five-time NBA champ Ron Harper (twice with Lakers and thrice with Bulls), Randy Ayers (of NCAA basketball coaching fame including the Ohio State Buckeyes) and Wayne Embry (of NBA management fame including the Cleveland Cavaliers) made their mark playing b-ball at Miami before the NBA, coaching and other achievements.
• Baseball - McKie Field opened in 2002.
• Hockey - ice arena opened in 2006-2007 and too many professional hockey alumni to name. Visit the official site or the unofficial fan site .

Buy

• Juniper, 9 E High St, +1 513-523-2022. Clothing & cosmetics. 2019-07-02
• Alpha House, 11 S Main St, +1 513-523-8290. Greek gifts. 2019-07-02
• The Apple Tree, 28 E High St, +1 513-523-1388. Distinctive gifts. 2019-07-02
• BikeWise Bike Center, 9 N Beech St, 39.51081°, -84.74385°, +1 513-523-4880. Bikes & service. 2019-07-02
• The Bird House Antiques, 114 W High, +1 513-523-0121. Antiques. 2019-07-02
• Butterfield Farm Market, 4000 Oxford Trenton Rd, +1 513-524-2676. Farm produce. 2019-07-02
• DuBois Bookstore, 118 E High St, +1 513-523-7111. Miami clothing & gifts. 2019-07-03
• Follett's Miami Co-op Bookstore, 110 E High St, +1 513-523-4900. Miami clothing & gifts. 2019-07-03
• Magnolia, 313 S College St, +1 513-524-3133. Women's clothing. 2019-07-03
• Oxford Flower Shop, 119 E High St, +1 513-523-7673. Flowers & gifts. 2019-07-03
• Oxford Shoe, 123 W High St, +1 513-523-5142. Shoe sales & service.
• Village West Framing, 316 S College, +1 513-523-4345. Art & framing. 2019-07-03
• Walker's Footwear & Apparel, 1 W High St #102, +1 513-280-6320. Footwear & apparel. 2019-07-03
• Wild Berry, 15 W High St, +1 513-523-4345. Incense & eclectic items. 2019-07-03

Eat

Uptown Oxford is a charming five block district with a variety of restaurants, including fine dining, pizza parlors, sub shops and college pubs.

• Bagel & Deli Shop, 119 E High St, +1 513-523-2266. Bagel sandwiches. 2019-07-03
• Bruno's Pizza, 31 E High St, +1 513-523-2266. Pizza. 2019-07-03
• Fiesta Charra, 25 W High St, +1 513-524-3114. Mexican. 2019-07-03
• La Bodega, 11 W High St, +1 513-523-1338. Deli. 2019-07-03
• Paesano's Pasta House, 308 S Campus Ave, +1 513-524-9100. Italian. 2019-07-03
• Phan-Shin, 104 W High St, +1 513-523-1020. Chinese & Thai. 2019-07-03
• SDS Pizza & Subs, 7 E Chestnut St, +1 513-523-1234. Pizza & subs. 2019-07-03
• Wild Bistro, 37 E High St, +1 513-523-5888. Asian. 2019-07-03
• Doughby's, 36 W High St, +1 513-524-2000. Calzones & crepes. 2019-07-03
• El Burrito Loco, 102 S Locust St, +1 513-523-6639. Mexican. 2019-07-03
• Krishna, 28 W High St, +1 513-273-2900. Indian. 2019-07-03
• Oxford Doughnut Shoppe, 120 S Locust St, +1 513-523-9911. Doughnuts. 2019-07-03
• Patterson's Cafe, 103 W Spring St, +1 513-523-0770. Breakfast & lunch. 2019-07-03
• Sohi Grilled Sandwiches, 17 E High St, +1 513-523-2079. Subs & burgers. 2019-07-03
• Spring Street Treats, 321 W Spring St, +1 513-839-8021. Ice cream. 2019-07-03
• Sushi Nara, 22 N College St, +1 513-523-1200. Sushi, Japanese & bar.
• Yum Yum, 24 E Park Pl, +1 513-280-6365. Chinese. 2019-07-03
• Johnny's Campus Deli, 209 E Sycamore St, +1 513-523-1123. American & beer. 2019-07-03

Drink

Oxford has typically provided at least 1 bar for every 1,000 students at Miami University. The nightlife is very active Thursday through Saturday night, when most of the bars remain open until 2AM. At most places, if there is live music, expect a cover charge. Because Oxford was once known for its St. Patrick's Day celebrations, Spring Break now always occurs the week of March 17th. However, St. Patty's proxy, Green Beer Day, occurs the Thursday before Spring Break.

Bars

• Brick Street, 36 E High St, 39.510792°, -84.741110°, +1 513-523-1335. M-Th 9PM-2:30AM, F Sa noon-2:30AM, Su closed. If you are looking for a place to eat, a few drinks with friends, some amazing entertainment, or to let loose with some dancing, Brick Street is the place. There is something going on every night of the week: theme nights such as 90's Night, big-name bands, and local DJs. 2019-07-03
• Mac & Joe's, 21 E. High St (rear; enter from the alley), 39.510030°, -84.741722°, +1 513-523-8018. Historically a pub with frequently scheduled Poetry readings. 2019-07-03
• Steinkeller, 15 E High Street (basement), 39.510101°, -84.741931°, +1 513 524-2437. German-style bar and restaurant (mostly American bar food) with a wide selection of German beers. 2019-07-03
• O'Pub, 10 W Park Pl, 39.510919°, -84.743294°, +1 513 461-9032. Beer, wine, liquor, music. 2019-07-03
• Circle Bar, 15 E High St (Green Alley Door, Near Mac & Joe's), 39.510032°, -84.741842°, +1 513 529-2232. Sports, darts, White Russians. 2019-07-03
• Skipper's Pub & Top Deck, 121 E High St, 39.510273°, -84.739731°, +1 513 523-0066. Munchies, liquor & beer. 2019-07-03
• The Wood's, 17 N Poplar St, 39.511158°, -84.740283°, +1 513 524-2277. Sports bar. 2019-07-03

Coffee & tea

• Kofenya, 38 W High St. Has a very relaxed atmosphere, it's a hang out for many Miami students.
• Oxford Coffee Company, 21 S. Lynn St, +1 513 609-4000. Coffee 2019-07-03

Sleep

Budget

• Best Western Sycamore Inn, 6 E Sycamore Street (a few blocks north of Uptown.), 39.515739°, -84.741674°, +1 513 523-0000. 2017-08-18

Mid-range

• The Hamiltonian, +1 513 896-6200. 1 Riverfront Plaza, in Hamilton, 15 minute drive southwest of Oxford. 2017-08-18
• Hueston Woods Resort and Conference Center, 5201 Lodge Rd, College Corner, 39.571698°, -84.740958°, +1 513 523-6381. Lakefront resort in College Corner, just north of Oxford. 2017-08-18
• Marcum Conference Center is on the Miami University campus just north of East Quad.
• The Elms, 75 S Main St, 39.509837°, -84.742125°, +1 513-524-2002. 2017-08-18

Bed & Breakfast

• The White Garden Inn, 6194 Brown Rd, 39.542956°, -84.748520°, +1 513 524-5827. 2017-08-18

Connect

• Oxford Visitors and Convention Bureau, 30 W. Park Place, +1 513 523-8687. 2nd floor.

• Lane Public Library, 441 S Locust St, 39.5054°, -84.7483°, +1 513 523-7531. 2019-09-30

• Oxford Post Office, 39.51625°, -84.74665°. 2019-09-30

Read

• The Miami Student. The nation's oldest college newspaper which can be found throughout Oxford and on Miami's campus. 2017-07-03
• The Oxford Press, 15 S Beech St, +1 513 523-4139. A local newspaper serving Northwestern Butler County. 2017-07-03

Listen

• WMUB, 230 Williams Hall (88.5 FM), 39.5575°, -84.7933°, +1 513 529-5885. 2019-07-03
• WMSR (Red Hawk Radio). 24/7. Miami's own student-run online radio. 2019-07-03

Go next

• Cincinnati - most destinations can be reached in one-half to one hour.
• Dayton - about a 45-minute drive.