Where is Devil in Ohio set and is it actually filmed in Ohio? What you need to know about the locations in the show that's giving us all the chills

If you’ve been wondering where is Devil in Ohio set and if it was actually filmed in the US state then you might not be the only one as not everything is as it seems with this tense thriller.

There’s nothing quite like a mystery packed full of dark twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat and this year has had some suspenseful releases, from The Secrets She Keeps season 2 to The Staircase and now Netflix’s Devil in Ohio. After escaping the clutches of a cult, Mae Dodd is taken in by psychiatrist Dr Suzanne Mathis. From there things become increasingly unnerving, building to *that* Devil in Ohio ending that could change your perception of the characters forever. 

With so many disturbing moments many fans might be wondering - is Devil in Ohio based on a true story? - and the locations certainly add to the drama.  

But where is Devil in Ohio set and was the disturbing show actually filmed in Ohio?

*Warning: Spoilers ahead!*

Where is Devil in Ohio set?  

Whilst location is always important for setting the scene, for mystery dramas and thrillers the location often becomes intrinsically linked with the action unfolding and almost a character itself. After all, who could imagine Shetland season 7 without the atmospheric seascapes that make it so distinct and Sherwood just wouldn’t have been Sherwood without its Nottinghamshire setting. Netflix’s Devil in Ohio is, perhaps unsurprisingly, set in the US state of Ohio. 

However, the show has fictionalized the specific Ohio setting, with the sinister cult Mae Dodd finds herself drawn back to set in Amontown in Amon County. Amontown was created for the Devil in Ohio and - just like the show’s cult, The Devil’s Own - doesn’t actually exist in real life.

Similarly, psychiatrist Suzanne who formed such a close bond with Mae across the course of the intense series works at the completely fictional Remmingham Memorial Hospital in Ohio.

This makes sense given that whilst Devil in Ohio isn’t directly based on a true story, it is an adaptation of Daria Polatin’s Devil in Ohio book that was loosely inspired by true Ohio-based events and was also set in Ohio. In her book, Daria’s fictional town is situated just outside of Cleveland. 

The only location that could be seen as somewhat significant outside the state is West Virginia, as it’s revealed that this is where the fictional Caleb Dodd who went on to start The Devil’s Own cult lived in the Edenville Settlement in 1922.

Was Devil in Ohio actually filmed in Ohio? 

Although the title of the Netflix hit might naturally seem to suggest that Ohio could’ve been one of the filming locations for the show, Devil in Ohio wasn’t actually filmed in Ohio. Just like where Firefly Lane was filmed and where Virgin River was filmed, it was reportedly Canada that stood in for Ohio for much of the gripping show. Vancouver and the surrounding areas in particular were understood to have been the filming locations of choice for Devil in Ohio.

Back in September 2021, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Emily Deschanel was tapped to star in Devil in Ohio and reported that the series was under production in Canada. Whilst HITC has reported that the show was filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia and added that one particular location used was Northbrook Studios in Burnaby. The publication also claimed that the Poppy Estate Golf Course in Langley nearby was also reportedly used. 

Speaking previously to The Columbus Dispatch, author Daria Polatin - who is also the creator, executive producer and showrunner for the show - discussed how they’d focused on creating an authentic sense of Ohio whilst filming in Canada. 

“You try not to get those big BC evergreen trees,” she explained. “We really tried to make the forest, the woods look like Ohio.”

Daria also went on to express how whilst the town was fictional, they wanted to throw in some “Easter eggs” as a special bonus for any Ohio-based viewers.

She said, “We made up a fictional town in the story, but we really wanted to be as specific as we could for the Ohio viewers and give those Easter eggs for the audience.”

Delving into what some of these were, the Devil in Ohio author added, “ Suzanne and (her husband) Peter met while they were studying at OSU [Ohio State University], and Peter talks with an old friend about Mirror Lake. I wrote the specific dialogue on the radio… to be discussing Ohio teams. I was really, really trying to make it specific.”

So anyone who’d found themselves wondering the ultimate question - where is Devil in Ohio set and was it actually filmed in Ohio - now has the answer they’ve been looking for. Whilst the setting for the unmissable mystery thriller is indeed the Midwestern state, when you delve a little deeper the specific town locations are fictional and the filming didn’t take place in Ohio itself. 

Despite this, it seems there was a desire to create a believable sense of Ohio for the series that has captured fans’ imaginations. Whether it’s the downright dark storyline or the brilliant performances of Devil in Ohio lead cast members Emily Deschanel (Suzanne) and Madeleine Arthur (Mae) that have drawn you in, once you reach the end you might just be tempted to re-watch all the spooky details all over again…

All episodes of Devil in Ohio are available to watch now on Netflix.