Highland

Formed May 1, 1805 (22^nd county)

Highland County (43,317), Hillsboro (6,484)                

A small tower sits on top of the dark red brick courthouse built in 1832.  It sits at High and Main streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 50 in the town.  Pleasant Arthur designed the Greek Revival courthouse.  The building was enlarged in 1884 and renovated in 1978.  A Liberty Bell replica sits in front and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  An addition to the courthouse was completed in 1884.  Highland County was organized on May 1, 1805 from parts of Ross, Adams, and Clermont counties as the 22^nd county.  New Market was the first county seat followed by Hillsboro in 1805.  The county name is a geographical term for the countryside.  The county seat name is named for Fort Hill, a local fort.  Highland County is the birthplace of 1 Ohio Governor, Joseph B. Foraker. 

Highland County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Two Common Pleas Court Judges serve Highland County.  The county is in the southwest part of the state.  Columbus, Ohio is northeast and Cincinnati, Ohio is in the southwest.  The county center is 2.5 miles Northeast of Hillsboro.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Fayette, Ross, Pike, Adams, Brown, and Clinton counties. 

The area of the county is 553.3 square miles.  It is 15 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 56 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 78.3 persons per square mile making it 67 out of 88 in the state.  Highland County has 33.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 travels through the county east to west from Ross County to Brown County.  United States Highway 62 comes from Fayette County, northeast, and goes to Brown County, southwest.  The county looks like a fat slide facing west.  Hillsboro is located near the center of the county.  Hillsboro is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 15.0% of the county population.