Lucas

Formed June 20, 1835 (75^th county)

Lucas County (431,273), Toledo (270,880)

The masonry Classical Revival courthouse in Toledo was erected in 1897.  It sits on a square at Adams, Erie, Jackson, and Michigan streets.  Ohio State Highway 25 is Erie Street in the city.  David L. Stine provided the designs.  The facility features a dome and columns.  The building sits in a park setting with a statue of President William McKinley in front.  A courts building is across the street.  Maumee had the 1835 courthouse for the county.  Lucas County was formed on June 20, 1835 from parts of Wood, Sandusky, and Huron counties as the 75^th county.  It is named for Governor Robert Lucas.  The county seat is named for Toledo, Spain. 

Lucas County government consists of an auditor, a sheriff, an attorney, and a coroner (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Sixteen Common Pleas Court Judges and a court clerk serve Lucas County (judicial.)  The county is in the northwest part of the state.  It borders both Michigan and Canada.  Lake Erie forms its northeast border.  Cleveland, Ohio is east and Columbus, Ohio is southeast of the county.  The county center is in Toledo 4.8 miles East-Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Michigan and Canada and Ottawa, Wood, Henry, and Fulton counties. 

The area of the county is 340.5 square miles.  It is 85 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 6 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1266.6 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 88 in the state.  Lucas County has 79.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 passes north to south in the county from Michigan to Wood County.  Interstate Highways 80/90 cross east to west from Ottawa County to Fulton County.  United States Highway 20 parallels Interstate Highway 80 from Ottawa to Fulton counties.  United States Highway 23 enters from the north, Michigan, and joins United States Highway 20 into Ottawa County.  United States Highway 24 comes from Michigan, north, and goes to Henry County, southwest.  United States Highway 223 enters from Michigan and terminates.  The county looks like a laser gun pointing east.  Toledo dominates the central part of the county.  Toledo is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 62.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced TOE-LEE-DOE.  This county is in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area.