Monroe

Formed July 14, 1817 (2^nd county)

Monroe County (154,812), Monroe (20,466)

An outstanding stone and tan brick Renaissance Revival courthouse was constructed in 1880.  The building is on 1^st Street at Washington Street.  Michigan State Highway 50 is one block northwest of the courthouse.  Edward O. Fallis is the architect.  The structure was enlarged in 1954, 1966, and 1986 and restored in 1992.  The building features a tower with a working clock.  In front on the grounds is a canon and a statue of President James Monroe.  The county was established on July 14, 1817 and named for United States President James Monroe.  Monroe has always been the county seat.  The county was taken from Wayne County as the 2^nd county.  The county seat is named for the county. 

Monroe County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 9 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three Circuit Court Judges, Three District Court Judges, Three Probate Court Judges and court clerk serve Monroe County (judicial.) The county is in the southeast corner of the southern peninsula.  Lake Erie is its eastern border and Ohio is its southern border.  Detroit, Michigan is directly northeast of the county.  The county center is 8.3 miles Northwest of Monroe nearer Maybee.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wayne County and Canada and Ohio and Lenawee and Washtenaw counties. 

The area of the county is 680 square miles.  It is 47 out of 83 in the state.  It ranks 15 out of 83 in population in the state.  It has a density of 227.7 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 83 in the state.  Monroe County has 22.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 crosses north to south in the county from Wayne County to Ohio.  United States Highway 23 goes north to south from Washtenaw County to Ohio.  United States Highway 24 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Wayne County to Ohio.  U.S. Highway 223 originates in the county and goes west into Lenawee County.  The county is a scoop.  The City of Monroe is on the eastern border of the county.  Monroe is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 13.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Milan