During the mid-1800s, Clarington grew considerably and soon was a booming river port town with nearly 1,500 residents.

The village boasted a cigar factory, blacksmith shop, restaurants, lodgings, and employed many residents at the local boat yard.

Mozena Brothers Boat Yard designed and built many western river steam "packet-boats" on site in Clarington near the mouth of Sunfish Creek.

Barges, small gas powered ferries, and other craft continued to be built in Clarington up to 1941.

Geographically, Clarington was the last port on the Ohio River before crossing the Mason–Dixon line just a few miles south of the village.

[6] Noted author, river historian, and educator J. Mack Gamble was a lifelong resident of the town.

As of late 2014, Appalachian Resins had signed a letter of intent to lease 50 acres in Clarington.

The Houston-based company plans to construct a $1 billion plant on the site that will use ethane, a component of natural gas, from the nearby Utica and Marcellus formations and break it down into ethylene.

The project is considered a major development and boost to the economy of Monroe County following the closure of the Ormet aluminum plant.

[11] The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year.