Clark

Formed March 1, 1818 (51^st county)

Clark County (135,973), Springfield (58,651)                

The masonry and stone Second Empire structure was built in 1878 and restored in 1924.  It sits at the corner of Limestone and Columbia streets.  Columbia Street is United States Highway 40 in the town.  Thomas J. Tolan & Son are the original courthouse designers.  The 1988 County Office Building is connected to the courthouse.  The structure features a gold dome and working clock.  Veteran and first responder memorials are across the street.  The county was organized on March 1, 1818 as the 51^st county with Springfield as the only county seat.  It was created from Champaign, Madison, and Greene counties.  Clark County is named for General George Rogers Clark of American Indian War fame.  The county seat is named for a local spring. 

Clark County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Five Common Pleas Court Judges serve Clark County.  Clark County is in western Ohio with Columbus, Ohio east and Dayton, Ohio west of the county.  The county center is in Springfield 1.1 miles West of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Champaign, Madison, Greene, Montgomery, and Miami counties. 

The area of the county is 399.9 square miles.  It is 81 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 21 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 340.0 persons per square mile making it 17 out of 88 in the state.  Clark County has 51.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 travels through the county east to west from Madison County to Montgomery County.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Madison to Miami counties.  United States Highway 42 clips the southeast corner from Madison County, east, to Greene County, south.  United States Highway 68 crosses north to south from Champaign County to Greene County.  The county is a slanting rectangle.  Springfield is located in the center of the county.  Springfield is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 43.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Clifton