Nelson Township is one of the eighteen townships

Civil township

A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...

 of Portage County

Portage County, Ohio

Portage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 152,061 at the 2000 Census and 161,419 at the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Ravenna. Portage County is named for the portage between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

 found 2,985 people in the township.

Geography

Located in the northeastern corner of the county, it borders the following other townships and municipalities:

• Parkman Township, Geauga County
  Parkman Township, Geauga County, Ohio
  Parkman Township is one of the sixteen townships of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,546 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southeastern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...
  
   - north
• Farmington Township, Trumbull County
  Farmington Township, Trumbull County, Ohio
  Farmington Township is one of the twenty-four townships of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,353 people in the township, 1,834 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
  
   - northeast corner
• Southington Township, Trumbull County
  Southington Township, Trumbull County, Ohio
  Southington Township is one of the twenty-four townships of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,817 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
  
   - east
• Braceville Township, Trumbull County
  Braceville Township, Trumbull County, Ohio
  Braceville Township is one of the twenty-four townships of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,887 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southwestern part of the county, it borders the following townships and village:...
  
   - southeast corner
• Windham Township
  Windham Township, Portage County, Ohio
  Windham Township is one of the eighteen townships of Portage County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,060 people in the township.-Name and history:Named for the town of Windham, Connecticut, it is the only Windham Township statewide....
  
   - south
• Hiram Township
  Hiram Township, Portage County, Ohio
  Hiram Township is one of the eighteen townships of Portage County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,296 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northern part of the county, it borders the following other townships:...
  
   - west
• Troy Township, Geauga County
  Troy Township, Geauga County, Ohio
  Troy Township is one of the sixteen townships of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,567 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Burton Township - north...
  
   - northwest corner

Most of the village of Garrettsville

Garrettsville, Ohio

Garrettsville is a village in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It was formed from portions of Hiram, Nelson, and Freedom townships in the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 2,262 at the 2000 census. On July 1, 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 2,203 people resided in the...

 was formed from southwestern Nelson Township.

Formed from the Connecticut Western Reserve

Connecticut Western Reserve

The Connecticut Western Reserve was land claimed by Connecticut from 1662 to 1800 in the Northwest Territory in what is now northeastern Ohio.-History:...

, Nelson Township covers an area of 25 square miles (64.7 km²).

Culture

Nelson Township is the site of Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Park

Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Park

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park is located in Nelson Township, Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is accessible from U.S. Route 422 and State Route 305 via State Route 282....

, a 167 acres (67.6 ha) park featuring several rock formations that includes hiking trails, waterfalls, and picnicking areas. Also in the township is the Nelson Ledges Road Course hosts motorcycle and sports car racing events. Nelson hosted the 4th, 5th, and 6th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos

Gathering of the Juggalos

The Gathering of the Juggalos is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by Robert Bruce, Insane Clown Posse , and their label in 2000...

 from the duo Insane Clown Posse

Insane Clown Posse

Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...

at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park from 2003–2005.

Government

The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. Two are elected in the year after the presidential election and one is elected in the year before it. There is also an elected township fiscal officer, who serves a four-year term beginning on April 1 of the year after the election, which is held in November of the year before the presidential election. Vacancies in the fiscal officership or on the board of trustees are filled by the remaining trustees.