In 1835, the Ohio legislature incorporated Worthington as a village, with an elected village council and mayor.

After 1956, when voters adopted the first charter for the City of Worthington, including the council-manager form of government, the mayor is recognized as the ceremonial head of Worthington, but does not serve as the city's administrative official. 

Today, the mayor serves as judge of the Mayor's Court and handles traffic violations and other misdemeanors in the City of Worthington.

James Kilbourne, 1835-1836
Potter Wright, 1838-1839
John Snow, 1839-1840
James Kilbourne, 1840-1842
Capt. Levi Pinney, 1842-1843
William D. Bishop, 1844-1845
James Kilbourne, 1846-1847
Walter Foss, 1862-1865
Flavel Tuller, 1865-1866
Walter Foss, 1867-1869
Isaac N. Wells, 1875-1878
Isaac N. Wells, 1885-1890
James F. Pinney, 1892-1894
James S. Wagner, 1905-1907
Edward L. Robinson, 1907-1909
William J. Darby, 1915-1917
W. C. Long, 1922-1923
William C. Long, 1922-1923
Edward L. Robinson, 1924-1927
Leonard Insley, 1933-1943
George V. Wing, 1945-1955
James J. Lorimer, 1967-1979
Larry A. Ford, 1980-1980
Lawrence H. Braun, 1981-1996
James J. Lorimer, 1996-1997
James Friedt, 1998-1999
Harvey S. Minton, 1999-2013
Scott Holmes, 2014-