HomeOhioPutnam CountyOttoville
Ottoville, Ohio
Inside Ottoville's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 83% of mapped land, higher than 68% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 57%.
That water-table share is below Putnam County's 96%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45876 overlapping the city. Of its 368 homes, 45% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1983.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Putnam County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Ottoville
Basement waterproofing in Ottoville: a shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Ottoville's mapped land, more than in 68% of Ohio cities.
About 400 of Ottoville's 368 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Ottoville city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 56.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 82.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 14.6% |
| Mapped soil | 604 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 57% of the mapped land.
On 83% of Ottoville's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Putnam County
0% of Putnam County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Ottoville. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45876 | 99% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Ottoville
| Housing units | 368 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $249,100 |
| Single-family detached | 97% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Jennings | 3 mi | 71% | 96% |
| Delphos | 6 mi | 80% | 95% |
| Cloverdale | 6 mi | 93% | 98% |
| Middle Point | 8 mi | 74% | 97% |
| Dupont | 9 mi | 34% | 93% |
| Kalida | 9 mi | 39% | 90% |
| Grover Hill | 9 mi | 95% | 96% |
| Oakwood | 11 mi | 92% | 95% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status