check out history - Portsmouth, OH. | WikiXM

As of 2010, Portsmouth has a population of approximately 20,000. It has shared in the loss of jobs due to unskilled labor outsourcing and population migration to more populous urban areas. Despite its relatively small size, Portsmouth has been a regular stop for recent Presidential campaigns of the 21st century.

In September 2004, George W. Bush visited the city as part of his reelection campaign. Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards also visited Portsmouth that month. The campaigns of 2008 resulted in numerous candidates and surrogates visiting Portsmouth, and some spoke at Shawnee State University: Bill Clinton on behalf of his wife Hillary Clinton, Republican candidate John McCain, and US Senator Barack Obama, who won the election.

In 2012, candidate Mitt Romney spoke at Shawnee State University. In March 2016, Bill Clinton visited Portsmouth again to campaign for his wife, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. In August 2017, US Senator and former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, spoke at a rally held at Shawnee State University.Portsmouth, and other parts of Scioto County, have worked to redevelop blighted properties and create a new economy.

Along with adapting disused residential properties, Portsmouth has begun the process of transforming abandoned industrial and commercial properties to other uses. The city has initiated new developments in its downtown. The Ohio Legislature passed House Bill 233 on April 20, 2016, to authorize cities to create Downtown Redevelopment Districts.

They operate similarly to a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District. The city of Portsmouth formed a Downtown Redevelopment District (DRD) in 2017 in the Boneyfiddle neighborhood of the city to increase investment and development there.Through the early 21st century, there has been a noticeable increase in investment in Portsmouth's local economy.

New investments and developments in the local economy led to Portsmouth's inclusion in Site Selection Magazine's "Top 10 Micropolitan areas". Celina, Defiance and Portsmouth were among a group of cities tied for 10th. Portsmouth attracted nine significant economic development projects in 2016, nearly as many as it had from 2004 to 2013 combined.In 2014, Portsmouth was one of 350 cities to enter a submission in the America's Best Communities competition, hoping to win the $3 million first place prize.

In April 2015, Portsmouth was chosen as one of the 50 quarter-finalists, winning $50,000 to help prepare a Community Revitalization Plan. In January 2016, Portsmouth's plan, which emphasized using its most valuable asset, the Ohio River, as a key to revitalizing the city, earned it one of 15 spots in the competition's semi-finals.

In April 2016, Portsmouth was one of seven cities eliminated at the semi-final round, but received an additional $25,000 for use in continuing to develop its plans to improve commercial and community access to the Portsmouth riverfront by making the port a premier regional destination for industrial development, small business development, and riverfront recreation.In 2019, Portsmouth was named Hallmarks' Hometown Christmas Town.

The Friends of Portsmouth group held the annual Winterfest celebration event that brought Christmas lights, vendors, ice skating, carriage rides, tree lighting, and more to Market Square.In 2020 the National Civic League named Portsmouth as an "All-American City," along with nine other cities.