Lexington is a village along the Clear Fork River in Troy Township and Washington Township in Richland County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Mansfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,822 at the 2010 census, an increase from 4,165 in 2000.

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is located just outside Lexington in Troy Township. This venue hosted an annual round of the CART series from 1990 to 2003, has hosted the IndyCar Series back 2007, has hosted the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the past 2013, hosts Honda Super Bikes, and Vintage Bikes in addition to a few other annual high-profile events.

Lexington was founded by Amariah Watson Jr. in 1812, a home speculator who had purchased wide lands locally in order to sell to other settlers. During the 1800s, Lexington had many taverns, hotels, and grist mills — most of which at one grow old or unusual burned to the ground. In the 19th century, leading members of the community were William Cockley Thad and Martin Kell, Les Griebling, Erwin Castor, Sgt. Patrick Gass, and Jacob Cook. The first road constructed through town was what is now State Route 97, and the second was what is now Lexington-Ontario Road.

Lexington was first inhabited by the Delaware, Wyandot and Mohawk Indians. These tribes inhabited long houses in remaining villages and cultivated crops such as corn, beans, and squash to accessory their diet of hunted meat and foraged berries and herbs. The Indians were friendly with Watson following he and his associates moved into the Place until Watson’s pig ate their baby. The Indians demanded Watson’s newborn daughter, who was the first white child born in Lexington, as replacement to their own. Watson approved the upheaval by agreeing to present the Indians the pig instead. Watson chose to make known his new home Lexington. He chose this out of veneration for his father who fought in the Revolutionary War of which the first fight was fought in Lexington, Massachusetts. In 1813, Watson built a water-powered sawmill along the Clear Fork River. The mill made be active easier and attracted more and more settlers. Business owners used the gristmills for their woolen and axiom mills and as well as distilleries.