Lenawee

Formed September 18, 1822 (12^th county)

Lenawee County (99,424), Adrian (20,645)

The classic red brick Romanesque courthouse was constructed in 1884 on a square at Main, Front, Winter, and Maple streets.  Michigan State Highway 52 is Main Street.  Edward Oscar Fallis provided the designs.  It features a bell tower.  A Judicial Building was added in 1980.  Lenawee County was created from Monroe County on September 18, 1822 as the 12^th county.  Tecumseh was the county seat until 1838 when Adrian assumed that position.  The county name is Native American for “man.”  The county seat is named for the Roman emperor Hadrian. 

Lenawee County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 9 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Court Judges, Two District Court Judges, One Probate Court Judge and court clerk serve Lenawee County (judicial.) The county is in the southeast part of the southern peninsula.  Ohio is on its southern border.  The county center is 3.1 miles Northwest of Adrian.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Washtenaw and Monroe counties and Ohio and Hillsdale and Jackson counties. 

The area of the county is 761 square miles.  It is 41 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 21 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 130.6 persons per square mile making it 22 out of 83 in the state.  Lenawee County has 43.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 12 enters the county from the north, Washtenaw County, and exits to the west, Hillsdale County.  United States Highway 127 clips the northwest corner from Jackson County to Hillsdale County.  United States Highway 223 goes east to west from Monroe County to termination.  The county is a rectangle.  Adrian is located near the center of the county.  Adrian is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 20.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced LEE-NA-WEE.  This county is in the Adrian Micropolitan Statistical Area.