Ottawa

Formed March 6, 1840 (79^th county)

Ottawa County (40,355), Port Clinton (6,028)

The outstanding stone Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse was built in 1901.  It is located on Madison, 4^th, Jefferson, and 3^rd streets.  Ohio State Highway 163 is one block to the north.  Wing & Mahurin are the architects.  The building has an addition on the side.  The outside features a tower with a working clock and veteran memorials.  Inside is a mural of Commodore Perry and marble walls.  There was an earlier courthouse also in Port Clinton, the only county seat.  The county was founded on March 6, 1840 from parts of Erie, Sandusky, and Lucas counties as the 79^th county.  It is named for the Native American tribe.  It is the same name source as the county seat of Putnam County.  Port Clinton is named for New York Governor De Witt Clinton. 

Ottawa County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Three Common Pleas Court Judges serve Ottawa County.  The county is on the northwest border with Canada.  Toledo, Ohio is directly west and Cleveland, Ohio is east of the county.  The county center is 6.8 miles Northwest of Port Clinton nearer Lacarne.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Erie, Sandusky, Wood, and Lucas counties. 

The area of the county is 255 square miles.  It is 86 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 62 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 158.3 persons per square mile making it 33 out of 88 in the state.  Ottawa County has 34.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highways 80/90 clip the southwest corner twice from Sandusky County and return and finally into Wood County.  The county looks like a soda bottle with a straw sticking out lying on its side.  Port Clinton is located on the southeast quarter of the county.  Port Clinton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 14.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area.