A comment by Al in KY got me thinking about how many Amish settlements I’ve actually visited.

I had tallied this up before, but it was years ago. So I thought it a good idea to put together a fresh list.

I believe the very first settlement I went to was Lancaster County, but that would have been with my parents as a young child in the 1980s.

I found myself visiting a random Amish home in Michigan in 1998, really by accident.

But the first Amish settlement I properly visited was Arthur, Illinois in 2004, where I spent about three weeks.

By my count, as of 2020 I have visited 58 Amish communities in 15 states (I suspect I’ve left off 2 or 3 more, but let’s go with 58).

That’s only around 10% of all Amish settlements (currently totaling 574 according to Joe Donnermeyer), which underscores how dispersed the Amish are.

However these 58 communities include all 10 of the 10 largest, and I estimate represent over half of the total Amish population.

The list below contains all the communities I have visited at least once.

Those I’ve been to multiple times are marked with an asterisk (*).

Some of the places are quite obscure. I may have only been there for an hour or two.

Others I have returned to a half-dozen times or more, and sometimes spent weeks at a time.

How many of these – or others – have you visited?

UPDATE May 2022: I’ve added some more communities to the list below, in states including Colorado, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The total is now up to 70 communities in 17 states.


Amish Communities I’ve Visited (Since 2004)

* indicates multiple visits

Pennsylvania (11)

*Lancaster County
York County (Glen Rock)
*Lebanon County
Dauphin County
*Big Valley (Mifflin County)
Sinking Valley (Blair County)
Juniata County
Somerset County
*New Wilmington
Enon Valley
Mercer County


Ohio (13)

*Holmes County
*Geauga County
Lodi/Homerville
Hardin County (Kenton)
Fredericktown/Bellville
*Belle Center
Logan County (De Graff)
Andover (Ashtabula County)
Hicksville (Defiance County)
Ashland County (Ashland)
Gallipolis (Gallia County)
Beaver (Jackson County)
Oak Hill (Jackson County)


Indiana (11)

*Elkhart-LaGrange Counties
*Nappanee
*Allen County
*Adams County
Whitley County (South Whitley)
Steuben County (Hamilton)
Kokomo
Milroy
Parke County (Rockville)
Daviess County
Salem (Washington County)


Virginia (6)

*Halifax County
*Charlotte County
Pittsylvania County
Farmville
*Burke’s Garden
*Pearisburg


Kentucky (8)

Munfordville
Guthrie
Sonora (Hardin County)
Hillsboro (Fleming County)
Flemingsburg (Fleming County)
Owingsville (Bath County)
Peasticks (Bath County)
Bethel (Bath County)


Colorado (4)

Monte Vista
La Jara
Westcliffe
Hillside


Michigan (3)

Centreville (St. Joseph County)
California Township (Branch County)
Quincy


Illinois (2)

Arthur
Macomb (McDonough County)


Iowa (2)

Kalona
Bloomfield (Davis County)


Maryland (2)

Mechanicsville (St. Mary’s County)
Cecilton


North Carolina (2)

*Union Grove
*Ellenboro


Delaware (1)

Dover


New York (1)

Morris (Otsego County)


Tennessee (1)

*Ethridge


Mississippi (1)

Pontotoc County


Florida (1)

*Pinecraft


West Virginia (1)

Summers County (added 2021)

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