Van Wert

Formed April 1, 1820 (69^th county)

Van Wert County (28,937), Van Wert (11,113)

The outstanding red brick and stone Italianate courthouse was constructed in 1874.  The courthouse is on Main Street at Court Street.  Ohio State Highway 1118 is Main Street.  Thomas J. Tolan and Son provided the designs.  A Justice Annex is across the street.  The building has towers and the grounds have canons and veteran memorials.  The county was established on April 1, 1820 from Darke County as the 69^th county with Van Wert as the only county seat.  Van Wert County and its county seat are named for American Revolutionary War hero Isaac Van Wart. 

Van Wert 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 Van Wert County (judicial.)  The county is on the western border with Indiana.  Toledo, Ohio is northeast and Columbus, Ohio is southeast of the county.  The county center is in Van Wert 2.6 miles South of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Paulding, Putnam, Allen, Auglaize, and Mercer counties and Indiana. 

The area of the county is 410.1 square miles.  It is 64 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 75 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 70.6 persons per square mile making it 72 out of 88 in the state.  Van Wert County has 60.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 30 crosses east to west through the county from Putnam County to Paulding County.  United States Highway 33 clips the southwest corner from Indiana, west, to Mercer County, south.  United States Highway 127 enters from the north, Paulding County, and exits to the south, Mercer County.  United States Highway 224 passes east to west from Putnam County to Indiana.  The county is a rectangle with a nose pointing east and a foot on the southeast corner.  The City of Van Wert is located in the western third of the county.  Van Wert is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 38.4% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced VAN WERT.  This county is in the Van Wert Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Scott