Crittenden

Formed April 1, 1842 (93^rd county)

Crittenden County (8,988), Marion (2,912)                

A red brick and concrete Modern building was constructed in 1961 and is located on a square Main, Carlisle, Court, and Belleville streets.  United States Highway 60 is Main Street.  Max W. Bisson is the architect.  There were two earlier courthouses, one was built in 1871.  Veteran memorials and a gazebo are on the courthouse grounds.  Crittenden County was created on April 1, 1842 from Livingston County as the 93^rd county and named for Governor John J. Crittenden.  Marion is named for Revolutionary War hero General Francis Marion.  He is also the namesake of Marion County.  Marion has always been the county seat. 

Crittenden County government consists of a County Judge Executive, a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 6 Magistrates (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge, Two District Court Judges, and Two Family Court Judges serve Crittenden, Union, and Webster counties and a court clerk serves Crittenden County (judicial.) The county is in the northwest on the Ohio River border with Illinois.  Owensboro, Kentucky is northeast and Paducah, Kentucky is west of the county.  Marion is located close to center in the county.  Marion is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 32.4% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KRIT-EN-DEN.

The area of the county is 362 square miles.  It is 41 out of 120 in the state.  It ranks 103 out of 120 in population in the state.  It has a density of 24.8 persons per square mile making it 116 out of 120 in the state.  Crittenden County has 32.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 60 crosses the county east to west from Union County to Livingston County.  United States Highway 641 originates in the county and heads south into Caldwell County.  The county is shaped like a bowl turned over.  The exception is the wavy Ohio River northern border.  The county center is in Marion .2 miles South-Southeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Union, Webster, Caldwell, Lyon, and Livingston counties and Illinois.