Allen

Formed March 1, 1820 (57^th county)

Allen County (102,204), Lima (35,580)

The classic stone Second Empire and Victorian facility was erected in 1882.  It is located at the intersection of Main and North streets.  North Street is Ohio State Highway 65 in the town.  George H. Maetzel provided the designs.  The building features a tower with a working clock and columns.  Veteran memorials and a canon are on the grounds.  There were also 1832 and 1842 courthouses in Lima, the only county seat.  A Justice Center was added in 1992.  The county was established on March 1, 1820 from Native American Territory as the 57^th county.  Allen County is named for War of 1812 Colonel John Allen.  The county seat is named for Lima, Peru. 

Allen County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Four Common Pleas Court Judges serve Allen County.  The county is in the northwest part of Ohio.  Toledo, Ohio is northeast and Columbus, Ohio is southeast of the county.  The county center is in Lima 3.5 miles Northwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Putnam, Hancock, Hardin, Auglaize, and Van Wert counties. 

The area of the county is 404.4 square miles.  It is 75 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 26 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 252.7 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 88 in the state.  Allen County has 48.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 enters the county from the northeast, Hancock County, and exits to the south, Auglaize County.  United States Highway 30 goes east to west from Hancock County to Putnam County.  The county could be described as a locomotive heading west.  Lima is located in the southern third of the county.  Lima is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 34.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced LIE-MA.  This county is in the Lima Metropolitan Statistical Area.