Scioto

Formed May 1, 1803 (17^th county)

Scioto County (74,012), Portsmouth (18,256)                

The masonry Neo-Classical courthouse was built in 1927 at the intersection of 7^th Street and Court Street.  United States Highway 23 is two blocks to the east of the site.  John Scudder Adkins provided the building designs.  There were 1817 and 1836 versions earlier.  Scioto County was created on May 1, 1803 as the 17^th county.  It was formed from Adams County.  The county center is 6.9 miles North-Northeast of Portsmouth nearer Twin Valley.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pike, Jackson, and Lawrence counties and Kentucky and Adams County.  Alexandria was the first county seat until 1817 when Portsmouth became the seat.  The county’s name is derived from the Native American word meaning “deer hunting.”  The county seat is named for Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Scioto County is the birthplace of 1 Ohio Governor, Theodore Strickland.  The county is shaped like a seahorse. 

Scioto County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Five Common Pleas Court Judges serve Scioto County.  The county is on the southern border with Kentucky.  The Ohio River forms its southern border.  Columbus, Ohio is north and Cincinnati, Ohio is northwest of the county. 

The area of the county is 612.3 square miles.  It is 8 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 35 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 120.9 persons per square mile making it 43 out of 88 in the state.  Scioto County has 29.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 travels through the county from north to south from Pike County to Kentucky.  United States Highway 52 goes east to west following the Ohio River from Lawrence County to Adams County.  Portsmouth is located on the southwest border of the county.  Portsmouth is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 24.7% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SIE-OE-TOE.  This county is in the Portsmouth Micropolitan Statistical Area.