Ross

Formed August 20, 1798 (6^th county)

Ross County (77,095), Chillicothe (22,050)                

The Greek Revival style red brick facility was built in 1858 and sits at the intersection of Paint and Main streets.  United States Highway 50 is Main Street in the town.  Edward Collins and Charles Autenrieth are the building designers.  The structure was enlarged in 1929 and renovated in 1961.  A Government Center sits next door.  The courthouse features a tower with a working clock.  The county was established on August 20, 1798 from parts of Adams and Washington counties as the 6^th county.  Chillicothe has always been the county seat.  Ross County is named for Pennsylvania Senator James Ross.  The county seat is a Native American word meaning “principal town.” 

Ross County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Three Common Pleas Court Judges serve Ross County.  The county is located in the south-central part of the state.  Columbus, Ohio is north and Cincinnati, Ohio is southwest of the county.  The county center is 6.1 miles West of Chillicothe nearer North Fork Village.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pickaway, Hocking, Vinton, Jackson, Pike, Highland, and Fayette counties. 

The area of the county is 688.4 square miles.  It is 2 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 32 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 112.0 persons per square mile making it 49 out of 88 in the state.  Ross County has 33.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 passes through the county north to south from Pickaway County to Pike County.  United States Highway 35 goes from Jackson County, southeast, to Fayette County, northwest.  United States Highway 50 crosses east to west from Vinton County to Highland County.  Ross County resembles a capital letter J lying on its back.  Chillicothe is located slightly east of center in the county.  Chillicothe is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 28.6% of the county population.  This county is in the Chillicothe Micropolitan Statistical Area.