Hancock

Formed April 1, 1820 (59^th county)

Hancock County (74,926), Findlay (40,314)                

The classic brown stone Second Empire and Victorian courthouse was built in 1888 and sited on Main and Main Cross.  Ohio State Highway 12 is Main Street in this part of the town.  Frank Weary and George Washington Cramer provided the designs.  There have been 1833 and 1840 structures earlier in Findlay, the only county seat.  The courthouse features a tower with a working clock and stain glass windows.  A rot iron fence is in front and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  A Justice Center is a block west.  The county was formed on April 1, 1820 from Logan County as the 59^th county.  It is named for the signer of the Declaration of Independence John Hancock.  Findlay is named for the local fort founder Colonel James Findlay. 

Hancock County government consists of an auditor, a sheriff, an attorney, and a coroner (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three Common Pleas Court Judges and a court clerk serve Hancock County (judicial.)  The county is in the northwest part of the state.  Toledo, Ohio is north and Cleveland, Ohio is east of the county.  The county center is in Findlay 2.7 miles Southwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wood, Seneca, Wyandot, Hardin, Allen, Putnam, and Henry counties. 

The area of the county is 531.4 square miles.  It is 20 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 34 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 141.0 persons per square mile making it 36 out of 88 in the state.  Hancock County has 66.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 crosses the county north to southwest from Wood County to Allen County.  United States Highway 23 is joined with Interstate Highway 75 from Wood County, splits and heads southeast to Wyandot County.  United States Highway 30 goes east to west from Wyandot County to Allen County.  United States Highway 68 originates and heads south into Hardin County.  United States Highway 224 passes east to west from Seneca County to Putnam County.  The county is a rectangle with the southeast corner cut away.  Findlay is located near the center of the county.  Findlay is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 53.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced FIND-LEE.  This county is in the Findlay Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Bluffton