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Ashtabula County, Ohio facts for kids

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Ashtabula County
Ashtabula County Courthouse
Official seal of Ashtabula County
Seal
Map of Ohio highlighting Ashtabula County
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Map of the United States highlighting Ohio
Ohio's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Ohio
Founded May 1, 1811
Named for Lenape ashtepihële 'always enough fish to go around'
Seat Jefferson
Largest city Ashtabula
Area
 • Total 1,368 sq mi (3,540 km2)
 • Land 702 sq mi (1,820 km2)
 • Water 666 sq mi (1,720 km2)  49%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 97,574Decrease
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 14th

Ashtabula County ( ASH-tə-BYU-lə) is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,574. The county seat is Jefferson. The county was created in 1808 and later organized in 1811. The name Ashtabula derives from the Lenape language phrase ashte-pihële, which translates to 'always enough (fish) to go around, to be given away' and is a contraction of apchi ('always') + tepi ('enough') + hële (verb of motion). Ashtabula County comprises the Ashtabula, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Cleveland–Akron–Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area.

The county is best known for having nineteen covered bridges within the county limits, including both the longest and the shortest covered bridges in the United States. Grapes are a popular crop and there are several award-winning wineries in the region due to the favorable microclimate from the nearby lake. During the winter, Ashtabula County (along with neighboring Geauga and Lake Counties, as well as Crawford and Erie Counties in neighboring Pennsylvania) receives frequent lake-effect snow and is part of the Southeastern Lake Erie Snowbelt.

History

After Europeans arrived in the Americas, the land that became Ashtabula County was originally part of the French colony of Canada (New France), which was ceded in 1763 to Great Britain and renamed Province of Quebec. In the late 18th century the land became part of the Connecticut Western Reserve in the Northwest Territory, then was purchased by the Connecticut Land Company in 1795.

Geography

Seal of Ashtabula County (Ohio) Auditor
Seal of the Ashtabula County Auditor

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,368 square miles (3,540 km2), of which 702 square miles (1,820 km2) is land and 666 square miles (1,720 km2) (49%) is water. It is the largest county in Ohio by area.

Adjacent counties

Across Lake Erie lie Elgin and Norfolk Counties, Ontario, Canada (north).

Major highways

  • I-90.svg Interstate 90 is the main interstate route through Ashtabula County, spanning from the Ohio Turnpike between the Ohio-Indiana State Line and Elyria Township to the Ohio-Pennsylvania State Line. It contains five interchanges in the county at OH 534 (Exit 218), OH 45 (Exit 223), OH 11 and OH 46 (Exit 228), OH 84 and OH 193 (Exit 235), and OH 7 (Exit 241).
  • OH-7.svg Ohio State Route 7 runs along the eastern part of the county as well as the state.
  • OH-11.svg Ohio State Route 11 is a south-to-north state freeway in the county known as Lake to River Highway.
  • OH-167.svg Ohio State Route 167 is a west-to-east state route in the northeastern part of the county running from Jefferson to the Pennsylvania State Line.
  • US 6.svg U.S. Route 6 Grand Army of the Republic Highway honoring American Civil War Veterans
  • US 20.svg U.S. Route 20 runs primarily along the coast of Lake Erie. It was the main west-to-east route in northern Ashtabula County, until I-90 was built.
  • US 322.svg U.S. Route 322 is the southernmost US route in the county that runs straight west to east until it approaches the Pymatuning Reservoir area and curves southeast before crossing the Ohio-Pennsylvania State Line.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 7,382
1830 14,584 97.6%
1840 23,724 62.7%
1850 28,767 21.3%
1860 31,814 10.6%
1870 32,517 2.2%
1880 37,139 14.2%
1890 43,655 17.5%
1900 51,448 17.9%
1910 59,547 15.7%
1920 65,545 10.1%
1930 68,631 4.7%
1940 68,674 0.1%
1950 78,695 14.6%
1960 93,067 18.3%
1970 98,237 5.6%
1980 104,215 6.1%
1990 99,821 −4.2%
2000 102,728 2.9%
2010 101,497 −1.2%
2020 97,574 −3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2020

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 101,497 people, 39,363 households, and 26,495 families residing in the county. The population density was 144.6 inhabitants per square mile (55.8/km2). There were 46,099 housing units at an average density of 65.7 per square mile (25.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.7% white, 3.5% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.9% were German, 15.8% were Irish, 12.6% were English, 11.1% were Italian, 10.0% were American, and 5.8% were Polish.

Of the 39,363 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.7% were non-families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 41.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,139 and the median income for a family was $50,227. Males had a median income of $40,879 versus $30,156 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,898. About 11.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Ashtabula County and neighboring Geauga, Lake and Trumbull Counties fostered a very large Finnish American community around the turn of the twentieth century, and as a result, the area is home to many Finnish Americans.

Ashtabula County has eighteen extant covered bridges. Of these, nine were constructed prior to 1900. See List of Ashtabula County covered bridges.

Communities

Map of Ashtabula County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Ashtabula County, Ohio with Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

Villages

Townships

  • Andover
  • Ashtabula
  • Austinburg
  • Cherry Valley
  • Colebrook
  • Denmark
  • Dorset
  • Geneva
  • Harpersfield
  • Hartsgrove
  • Jefferson
  • Kingsville
  • Lenox
  • Monroe
  • Morgan
  • New Lyme
  • Orwell
  • Pierpont
  • Plymouth
  • Richmond
  • Rome
  • Saybrook
  • Sheffield
  • Trumbull
  • Wayne
  • Williamsfield
  • Windsor

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

  • Chester H. Aldrich (1862–1924), governor of Nebraska 1911-1913
  • Brian Anderson, Cleveland Indians pitcher, originally from Geneva
  • Charles Case (1817–1883), born in Austinburg, United States congressman from Indiana
  • Tammy Cochran, country music singer from Austinburg; biggest hit was "Angels in Waiting"
  • Edwin Cowles (1825–1890), born in Austinburg, publisher of The Cleveland Leader, vice-president of the 1884 Republican National Convention
  • Charles DeBarber, a cyber intelligence analyst on CBS's Hunted (2017 TV series)
  • Joshua Reed Giddings (1795–1864), member of the U.S. House of Representatives and prominent opponent of slavery
  • Rosetta Luce Gilchrist (1850-1921), physician, writer, president of the Ashtabula Equal Rights Club
  • Francis Joseph Hall, was an American Protestant Episcopal theologian and author.
  • Ken Meyer, head coach of the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers in 1977
  • Urban Meyer, head football coach at the University of Florida (2005-2010), head football coach at The Ohio State University (2012-2018), head coach of the National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars (2021–present)
  • James Montgomery, (1814–1871), born in Ashtabula County, colonel in the American Civil War, raided several towns in Missouri and the American South
  • Danielle Nicolet, television, film, and voice actress born in Ashtabula
  • Larry Obhof, attorney and former President of the Ohio Senate
  • Ransom Eli Olds, pioneer of the American automobile industry, for whom both the Oldsmobile and Reo brands were named
  • Glenn W. Salisbury, agricultural scientist
  • Louis C. Shepard, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient from Ashtabula County, buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Port Clinton, Ottawa County, Ohio
  • Decius Wade, attorney, judge, writer, and politician who has been called the "Father of Montana Jurisprudence" for his role in establishing the common law and statutory law of the U.S. state of Montana
  • Connie Schultz, an American writer and journalist and wife of United States Senator Sherrod Brown.
  • Doug Tompkins, co-founder of North Face and Esprit

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Ashtabula para niños

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