Ottawa County, Ohio Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Ottawa County

U.S. county

Ottawa County Courthouse

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Ohio

Ohio's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Ohio

Founded

March 6, 1840

Named for

the Ottawa tribe or a word meaning "trader"

Seat

Port Clinton

Largest city

Port Clinton

Area

• Total

585 sq mi (1,520 km²)

• Land

255 sq mi (660 km²)

• Water

330 sq mi (900 km²) 56%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

40,364

• Density

69.00/sq mi (26.640/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional districts

5th, 9th

Ottawa County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,364. Its county seat is Port Clinton. The county is named either for the Ottawa (Odawa) Indigenous peoples who lived there, or for an Indigenous word meaning "trader".

Ottawa County comprises the Port Clinton, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Toledo-Port Clinton, OH Combined Statistical Area.

History
Geography
- Adjacent counties
- National protected areas
Demographics
- 2010 census
Transportation
- Major highways
- Airports
Communities
Notable residents
See also

History

On September 10, 1813, during the War of 1812, nine vessels of the United States Navy under Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, decisively defeated six vessels of Great Britain’s Royal Navy in the Battle of Lake Erie near Put-in-Bay. This action was one of the major battles of the war.

Ottawa County was formed on March 6, 1840 from portions of Erie, Lucas and Sandusky counties. It was named after the North American Indian tribe of the Ottawa.

In 1974, the County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The county is notable in presidential politics for being a bellwether, having continuously voted for the winning candidate for thirteen elections beginning in 1964.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 585 square miles (1,520 km²), of which 255 square miles (660 km²) is land and 330 square miles (850 km²) (56%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Ohio by land area. It borders Ontario across Lake Erie.

Adjacent counties

Essex County, Ontario, Canada (northeast)
Erie County (southeast)
Sandusky County (south)
Wood County (west)
Lucas County (northwest)

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	2,248	—
1850	3,308	47.2%
1860	7,016	112.1%
1870	13,364	90.5%
1880	19,762	47.9%
1890	21,974	11.2%
1900	22,213	1.1%
1910	22,360	0.7%
1920	22,193	−0.7%
1930	24,109	8.6%
1940	24,360	1.0%
1950	29,469	21.0%
1960	35,323	19.9%
1970	37,099	5.0%
1980	40,076	8.0%
1990	40,029	−0.1%
2000	40,985	2.4%
2010	41,428	1.1%
2020	40,364	−2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2020

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 41,428 people, 17,503 households, and 11,884 families living in the county. The population density was 162.5 inhabitants per square mile (62.7/km²). There were 27,909 housing units at an average density of 109.5 per square mile (42.3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.5% white, 0.8% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 44.6% were German, 11.9% were Irish, 9.8% were English, 6.3% were American, and 6.1% were Polish.

Of the 17,503 households, 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.1% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age was 46.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,463 and the median income for a family was $64,258. Males had a median income of $52,736 versus $33,557 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,809. About 6.3% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.