Lucas County, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucas County
U.S. county
The Lucas County Courthouse in Toledo
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Ohio's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Founded	June 20, 1835
Named for	Robert Lucas
Seat	Toledo
Largest city	Toledo
Area
• Total	596 sq mi (1,540 km2)
• Land	341 sq mi (880 km2)
• Water	255 sq mi (660 km2)  43%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	431,279
• Density	723.6/sq mi (279.39/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	5th, 9th

Lucas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is bordered to the east by Lake Erie, and to the southeast by the Maumee River, which runs to the lake. As of the 2020 census, the population was 431,279. Its county seat is Toledo, located at the mouth of the Maumee River on the lake. The county was named for Robert Lucas, 12th governor of Ohio, in 1835 during his second term. Its establishment provoked the Toledo War conflict with the Michigan Territory, which claimed some of its area. Lucas County is named after Robert Lucas, 12th Governor of the State of Ohio and the winning governor of the Toledo War, and is the central county of the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

On August 20, 1794, near the site of the present-day town of Maumee, American forces led by General Anthony Wayne won a decisive victory over allied Indian forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers after years of conflict in what was known as the Northwest Indian War. The defeat of the Native forces resulted in the opening of the entire Northwest Territory for white settlement. Northwest Ohio was occupied chiefly by villages and bands of the Odawa people, who had trading relations with the French at Fort Detroit since 1701. Other Odawa were located in southeast Michigan and further north on the peninsula. They ceded much of that territory in the Treaty of Greenville but retained control of lands along the Maumee River until after the War of 1812. The last Odawa band, that of Ottokee, grandson of Chief Pontiac, left the Maumee River area for Kansas in 1839.

The disputed portion of Michigan Territory claimed by the state of Ohio known as the Toledo Strip.

Lucas County was established in 1835. At that time, both Ohio and Michigan Territory claimed sovereignty over a 468-square-mile (1,210 km²) region along their border (see Toledo War). When Michigan petitioned Congress for statehood in 1835, it sought to include the disputed territory within its bounds. In response, the Ohio General Assembly formally organized part of the area as Lucas County, naming it after the incumbent governor of Ohio, Robert Lucas.

Geography

Devonian shell of Sylvania

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 596 square miles (1,540 km²), of which 341 square miles (880 km²) is land and 255 square miles (660 km²) (43%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Ohio by land area. Much of the county lies within what was at the time of its establishment, a vast network of forests, wetlands, and grasslands known as the Great Black Swamp.

Rivers

• Maumee River
• Ottawa River

Adjacent counties

• Monroe County, Michigan (north)
• Essex County, Ontario (northeast)
• Ottawa County (southeast)
• Wood County (south)
• Henry County (southwest)
• Fulton County (west)
• Lenawee County, Michigan (northwest)

National protected areas

• Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge
• Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge

Major highways

• I-73 (future)
• Interstate 75
• Interstate 80
• Interstate 90
• Interstate 280
• Interstate 475
• U.S. Highway 20
• U.S. Highway 23
• U.S. Highway 24

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 441,815 people, 180,267 households, and 111,016 families living in the county. The population density was 1,296.2 inhabitants per square mile (500.5/km²). There were 202,630 housing units at an average density of 594.5 per square mile (229.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.0% white, 19.0% black or African American, 1.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.8% were German, 13.2% were Irish, 9.7% were Polish, 8.0% were English, and 3.8% were American.

Of the 180,267 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.4% were non-families, and 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 37.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,072 and the median income for a family was $54,855. Males had a median income of $46,806 versus $33,394 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,981. About 14.0% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Map of Lucas County, Ohio with Municipal and Township labels

Cities

• Maumee
• Oregon
• Sylvania
• Toledo (county seat)
• Waterville

Villages

• Berkey
• Harbor View
• Holland
• Ottawa Hills
• Swanton
• Whitehouse

Townships

Census-designated places

• Curtice
• Neapolis

Unincorporated Communities

Ghost towns

• Providence
• Frankfort

Economy

Top Employers

According to the county's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten employers in the county are:

Images for kids

• 

  Lucas County Courthouse, 1910s

• 

  Historical map of Lucas County, 1899

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Lucas (Ohio) para niños