[8] The municipality is located in Southeast Ohio along the Ohio River about 55 miles (89 km) southeast of Chillicothe and 44 miles (71 km) northwest of Charleston, West Virginia.

[9][10] They were led by Count Jean-Joseph de Barth, an Alsatian member of the French National Assembly.

[11] It was the second city to be founded in the newly organized Northwest Territory of the United States.

They sailed to the United States on several ships, most to Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington, DC.

They survived somehow, building cabins close together in what is now City Park, with a defensive palisade and bastions.

Under the terms of this grant, settlers had to live on the land for 5 years and show cultivation to become owners.

Settlers who chose to stay in Gallipolis had to pay again for their plots, this time to the Ohio Company.

[15] On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge, connecting Gallipolis to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, across the Ohio River, collapsed under the weight of rush-hour traffic, resulting in the deaths of 46 people.

It had been built in 1928, and analysis showed that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it had originally been designed for and had been poorly maintained.

When the population dropped below 5,000, Gallipolis lost its city status and was classified as a village under state law.

The village experiences four distinct seasons, with hot, muggy summers, and cold, dry winters.

During the spring and summer, severe thunderstorms may be accompanied by lightning, hail, flooding and tornadoes.

Other major employers in Gallipolis/Gallia County include: American Electric Power (General James M. Gavin Plant), Ohio Valley Electric Company (Kyger Creek Power Plant), Holzer Healthcare System, University of Rio Grande, and Gallipolis City Schools.

Sports facilities include Memorial Field and Cliffside Golf Club.

The Elizabeth L. Evans Waterfowl and Bird Sanctuary are adjacent to Memorial Field, which also features a skate park.

The village owns and operates the Pine Street and Mound Hill cemeteries.

Mound Hill Park has picnic tables and is adjacent to the cemetery; both have a long view over the Ohio River, the village of Gallipolis, and the opposite shore.

[27] U.S. Route 35 traverses the community, and provides a link to West Virginia across the Ohio River.

Educator and amateur mycologist Miron Elisha Hard served as principal from 1873 to 1875.

The new Gallia Academy High School, which was completed in the summer of 2009, is located at 2855 Centenary Road, a few miles outside the village limits.