Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	BASIS OF PRESENTATION: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Ohio Valley Banc Corp. (“Ohio Valley”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, The Ohio Valley Bank Company (the “Bank”), Loan Central, Inc. (“Loan Central”), a consumer finance company, Ohio Valley Financial Services Agency, LLC (“Ohio Valley Financial Services”), an insurance agency, and OVBC Captive, Inc. (“the Captive”), a limited purpose property and casualty insurance company. Ohio Valley and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to as the “Company”. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These interim financial statements are prepared by the Company without audit and reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company at March 31, 2016, and its results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results to be anticipated for the full fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not purport to contain all the necessary financial disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) that might otherwise be necessary in the circumstances. The Annual Report of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2015 contains consolidated financial statements and related notes which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The consolidated financial statements for 2015 have been reclassified to conform to the presentation for 2016. These reclassifications had no effect on the net results of operations or shareholders’ equity.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	USE OF ESTIMATES IN THE PREPARATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: The accounting and reporting policies followed by the Company conform to US GAAP established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Areas involving the use of management’s estimates and assumptions that are more susceptible to change in the near term involve the allowance for loan losses, mortgage servicing rights, deferred tax assets, the fair value of certain securities, the fair value of financial instruments and the determination and carrying value of impaired loans and other real estate owned.
Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	INDUSTRY SEGMENT INFORMATION: Internal financial information is primarily reported and aggregated in two lines of business, banking and consumer finance.
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]	EARNINGS PER SHARE: Earnings per share are computed based on net income divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The weighted average common shares outstanding were 4,127,666 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 4,117,675 for the three months ended March 31, 2015. Ohio Valley had no dilutive effect and no potential common shares issuable under stock options or other agreements for any period presented.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS: In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”. The ASU creates a new topic, Topic 606, to provide guidance on revenue recognition for entities that enter into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enter into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Additional disclosures are required to provide quantitative and qualitative information regarding the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim reporting periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted on January 1, 2017. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on the Company's financial statements. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. The update provides updated accounting and reporting requirements for both public and non-public entities. The most significant provisions that will impact the Company are: 1) equity securities available for sale will be measured at fair value, with the changes in fair value recognized in the income statement; 2) eliminate the requirement to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments at amortized cost on the balance sheet; 3) utilization of the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes; and 4) require separate presentation of both financial assets and liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset on the balance sheet or accompanying notes to the financial statements. The update will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, using a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the year of adoption. Early adoption is not permitted. In February 2016, the FASB issued an update (ASU 2016-02, Leases) which will require lessees to record most leases on their balance sheet and recognize leasing expenses in the income statement. Operating leases, except for short-term leases that are subject to an accounting policy election, will be recorded on the balance sheet for lessees by establishing a lease liability and corresponding right-of-use asset. The guidance in this ASU will become effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this update on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

BASIS OF PRESENTATION: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Ohio Valley Banc Corp. (“Ohio Valley”) and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, The Ohio Valley Bank Company (the “Bank”), Loan Central, Inc. (“Loan Central”), a consumer finance company, Ohio Valley Financial Services Agency, LLC (“Ohio Valley Financial Services”), an insurance agency, and OVBC Captive, Inc. (“the Captive”), a limited purpose property and casualty insurance company. Ohio Valley and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to as the “Company”. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

These interim financial statements are prepared by the Company without audit and reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company at March 31, 2016, and its results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results to be anticipated for the full fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not purport to contain all the necessary financial disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) that might otherwise be necessary in the circumstances. The Annual Report of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2015 contains consolidated financial statements and related notes which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

The consolidated financial statements for 2015 have been reclassified to conform to the presentation for 2016. These reclassifications had no effect on the net results of operations or shareholders’ equity.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

USE OF ESTIMATES IN THE PREPARATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: The accounting and reporting policies followed by the Company conform to US GAAP established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Areas involving the use of management’s estimates and assumptions that are more susceptible to change in the near term involve the allowance for loan losses, mortgage servicing rights, deferred tax assets, the fair value of certain securities, the fair value of financial instruments and the determination and carrying value of impaired loans and other real estate owned.

Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

INDUSTRY SEGMENT INFORMATION: Internal financial information is primarily reported and aggregated in two lines of business, banking and consumer finance.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

EARNINGS PER SHARE: Earnings per share are computed based on net income divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The weighted average common shares outstanding were 4,127,666 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 4,117,675 for the three months ended March 31, 2015. Ohio Valley had no dilutive effect and no potential common shares issuable under stock options or other agreements for any period presented.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS: In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”. The ASU creates a new topic, Topic 606, to provide guidance on revenue recognition for entities that enter into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enter into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Additional disclosures are required to provide quantitative and qualitative information regarding the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim reporting periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted on January 1, 2017. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance on the Company's financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, “Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. The update provides updated accounting and reporting requirements for both public and non-public entities. The most significant provisions that will impact the Company are: 1) equity securities available for sale will be measured at fair value, with the changes in fair value recognized in the income statement; 2) eliminate the requirement to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments at amortized cost on the balance sheet; 3) utilization of the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes; and 4) require separate presentation of both financial assets and liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset on the balance sheet or accompanying notes to the financial statements. The update will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, using a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the year of adoption. Early adoption is not permitted.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an update (ASU 2016-02, Leases) which will require lessees to record most leases on their balance sheet and recognize leasing expenses in the income statement. Operating leases, except for short-term leases that are subject to an accounting policy election, will be recorded on the balance sheet for lessees by establishing a lease liability and corresponding right-of-use asset. The guidance in this ASU will become effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this update on its Consolidated Financial Statements.