​Ohio State Route 197 is a jagged, erratic route in Mercer and Auglaize Counties, in northwestern Ohio.  The western end is at the central junction of downtown Celina, involving US Route 127, Ohio Route 29, and Ohio Route 703. The eastern end is just east of Buckland, at Ohio Route 198.  Between these two endpoints, Ohio Route 197 literally makes fifteen different turns from one road onto another.  This all occurs over the course of 25 miles.  The route starts out toward the northeast, and then roughly curves toward the southeast.  Due to the lack of commitment to keep Ohio Route 197 running in a consistent direction, I wonder why this state highway exists at all.

My photo of Ohio State Route 197 comes from its 4-way intersection with US Route 33.  This intersection is about 6 miles northwest of Saint Marys, or 6 miles northeast of Celina.  The signage depicted faces west, pointing out the turn onto Ohio Route 197 to people heading eastward on US Route 33. This photo was taken on the way to Columbus in June 2016.
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