Hocking County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 29,380, which is an increase of 4.0% from 28,241 in 2000. Its county seat is Logan. Its name is from the Hocking River, the origins of which are disputed but is said to be a Delaware Indian word meaning "bottle river".

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 423.63 square miles (1,097.2 km²), of which 421.32 square miles (1,091.2 km²) (or 99.45%) is land and 2.30 square miles (6.0 km²) (or 0.54%) is water.

The major waterway of Hocking County is the Hocking River, which flows roughly from WNW to ESE, arising in Fairfield County and flowing from Hocking County into Athens County. This river drains about half the county. To the southwest, much of the rest of the county is drained by Salt Creek, which flows from there into Vinton County. A small part of the southeastern county is drained by Raccoon Creek, which also flows into Vinton County. The easternmost area of the county is within the Monday Creek watershed. A small area in the north of the county is drained by Rush Creek.

Ohio (ⁱ/oʊˈhaɪ.oʊ/) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Ohio is the 34th most extensive, the 7th most populous, and the 10th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The state's capital and largest city is Columbus.

The name "Ohio" originated from Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning "great river". The state, originally partitioned from the Northwest Territory, was admitted to the Union as the 17th state (and the first under the Northwest Ordinance) on March 1, 1803. Although there are conflicting narratives regarding the origin of the nickname, Ohio is historically known as the "Buckeye State" (relating to the Ohio buckeye tree) and Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes".

The government of Ohio is composed of the executive branch, led by the Governor; the legislative branch, which comprises the Ohio General Assembly; and the judicial branch, which is led by the Supreme Court. Currently, Ohio occupies 18 seats in the United States House of Representatives. Ohio is known for its status as both a swing state and a bellwether in national elections.