Defiance

Formed April 7, 1845 (81^st county)

Defiance County (38,274), Defiance (17,052)

The 1873 red brick courthouse was remodeled in 1950.  An earlier wooden courthouse was also in Defiance, the only county seat.  The structure is on a square surrounded by 2^nd, Wayne, Court, and Clinton streets.  Clinton Street is Ohio State Highway 15 in the town.  J. C. Johnson provided the Italianate and Second Empire designs.  Two county office buildings augment the courthouse.  The grounds have a Liberty Bell, an eternal flame, and veteran memorials.  Defiance County was founded on April 7, 1845 from parts of Williams, Henry, and Paulding counties as the 81^st county.  The county and county seat are named for the settlers’ defiance against the Native Americans. 

Defiance County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Two Common Pleas Court Judges serve Defiance County.  Defiance County is on the northwest border with Indiana.  Toledo, Ohio is northeast and Columbus, Ohio is southeast of the county.  The county center is 9.3 miles Northwest of Defiance nearer Ney.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Williams, Henry, Putnam, and Paulding counties and Indiana. 

The area of the county is 411.2 square miles.  It is 62 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 65 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 93.1 persons per square mile making it 59 out of 88 in the state.  Defiance County has 56.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 24 passes through the county from Henry County, east, to Paulding County, south.  United States Highway 127 goes north to south from Williams County to Paulding County.  The county looks like a capital letter F lying on its face.  The City of Defiance is located in the southeast quarter of the county.  Defiance is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 44.6% of the county population.  This county is in the Defiance Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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