Ohio's 12th congressional district is a United States congressional district in central Ohio, covering Athens County, Coshocton County, Fairfield County, Guernsey County, Knox County, Licking County, Morgan County, Muskingum County and Perry County along with parts of Delaware, Holmes and Tuscarawas counties. The district includes communities east of Columbus including Zanesville, Cambridge, and Mount Vernon. It is currently represented by Troy Balderson, a member of the Republican Party. Balderson took office following a special election held on August 7, 2018, to replace Rep. Pat Tiberi, who had resigned on January 15, 2018. Balderson was then re-elected in the 2018 general election two months later.

Athens County is a county in southeastern Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,431. Its county seat and largest city is Athens. The county was formed in 1805 from Washington County. Because Ohio's first state university, Ohio University, was established here in 1804, the town and the county are named for the ancient center of learning, Athens, Greece.