Clermont County, Ohio facts for kids

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Clermont County

U.S. county

Clermont Commission Building, Batavia

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Ohio

Ohio's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Ohio

Founded

December 6, 1800

Named for

Clermont-Ferrand, France

Seat

Batavia

Largest city

Milford

Area

• Total

460 sq mi (1,200 km²)

• Land

452 sq mi (1,170 km²)

• Water

7.7 sq mi (20 km²) 1.7%

Population

(2020)

• Total

208,601

• Estimate

(2021)

209,642

• Density

453/sq mi (175.1/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

2nd

Website

http://www.clermontcountyohio.gov/

Clermont County, often called Clermont, is a county in the state of Ohio. In 2020, about 208,601 people lived here. Clermont is one of Ohio's oldest counties, created in 1800. It's also the westernmost county in the Appalachian Ohio region. Clermont County is part of the larger Cincinnati metropolitan area.

The county's name comes from a French phrase meaning "clear hills" or "clear mountain." This name describes the hills you can see through the thick fog from the Ohio River. The county seat, which is like its main government town, is Batavia. The biggest city in Clermont County is Milford.

History
Geography
- Neighboring Counties
People in Clermont County (Demographics)
Economy
Education
- High Schools in Clermont County
Colleges
Parks and Libraries
Communities
Gallery
See also

History

Clermont County got its name from a place in France called Clermont-Ferrand. This French city was famous for being the home of Vercingetorix, a Celtic leader who fought against the Roman invasion. The name "Clermont" means "clear mountain," which fits the local hills when seen through the fog from the Ohio River.

Long before Europeans arrived, many different groups of Native Americans lived in this area. These included the Paleoindian, Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient people. Places like the Gatch Site show us what life was like for them. Later, the Shawnee, Miami, Lenape, Mingo, Odawa, Cherokee, and Wyandot tribes also lived in or visited Clermont.

Clermont County was officially created in 1800 by the state of Virginia. Virginia gave land here to its military veterans as a reward. At first, Clermont was huge, covering 23 of today's Ohio counties and over 4 million acres of thick forests! The first land sale happened in 1796. Even George Washington owned land in Clermont County.

The county's first capital was Williamsburg, founded in 1796. A stone dairy house built in 1800 in Williamsburg is thought to be the oldest building still standing in Clermont. It's near Harmony Hill, one of the first farms in the area.

The last Native American village in Clermont was near Marathon. It was the site of the biggest frontier battle in the county, the Battle of Grassy Run, in 1792. During this battle, pioneer Simon Kenton fought against the famous chief Tecumseh. The Wyandot people lived there until 1811. The Bullskin Trail, an old Native American path, runs through Clermont and was used by frontiersmen like Kenton and Daniel Boone.

The county seat moved a few times. In 1823, New Richmond became the seat, and then in 1824, it moved to Batavia, where it is today. In the early 1800s, Moscow in Clermont County became a temporary home for French royalty, including Louis-Philippe, who later became King of France. Point Pleasant was the birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant, a famous Union general and later the 18th President of the United States. He was born there on April 27, 1822.

During the 1800s, many people in Clermont County were against slavery. Thomas Morris from Bethel was a U.S. Senator who strongly opposed slavery. In 1844, he even ran for Vice President with a party that wanted to end slavery.

Also in 1844, an inventor and thinker named Josiah Warren started a special community in Clermont called Utopia. It was meant to be a place where everyone was equal and shared things.

Later, John M. Pattison, who would become the Governor of Ohio, was born near Owensville in 1847. During the American Civil War, John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate soldiers raided Clermont in 1863. After the war, Ulysses S. Grant became the commander of the U.S. Army and was elected president in 1868.

Thomas Morris, a U.S. Senator who fought against slavery.
John M. Pattison, who became Governor of Ohio.
Hugh L. Nichols, a Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice.

Clermont's last covered bridge was built in 1878 and was fixed up in 2014. Ulysses S. Grant's birthplace, which was a small cabin, is still a popular place to visit. It was even moved by boat and taken to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair before coming back to Clermont.

In 1905, John M. Pattison became the first person from Clermont County to be elected Governor of Ohio. He lived in Milford, and his home, called the Promont, was used as the official governor's residence. Today, this mansion is a museum. Hugh L. Nichols from Batavia also served as Lieutenant Governor and became the first Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in 1914. Orpha Gatch of Milford was the first woman elected to her local school board and helped start the League of Women Voters in the county.

Geography

Clermont County covers about 460 square miles. Most of this (452 square miles) is land, and a small part (7.7 square miles) is water.

Neighboring Counties

People in Clermont County (Demographics)

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	9,965	—
1820	15,820	58.8%
1830	20,466	29.4%
1840	23,106	12.9%
1850	30,455	31.8%
1860	33,034	8.5%
1870	34,268	3.7%
1880	36,713	7.1%
1890	33,553	−8.6%
1900	31,610	−5.8%
1910	29,551	−6.5%
1920	28,291	−4.3%
1930	29,786	5.3%
1940	34,109	14.5%
1950	42,182	23.7%
1960	80,530	90.9%
1970	95,725	18.9%
1980	128,483	34.2%
1990	150,187	16.9%
2000	177,977	18.5%
2010	197,363	10.9%
2020	208,601	5.7%
2023 (est.)	211,972	7.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010-2020

In 2010, there were 197,363 people living in Clermont County. Most people (95.9%) were white. About 1.2% were Black or African American, and 1.0% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. Many people in Clermont County have German (34.0%), Irish (18.1%), American (12.0%), or English (11.1%) backgrounds.

The average age in the county was 38.5 years old. The average income for a family was about $68,485 per year.

Economy

Clermont County has its own airport, the Clermont County Airport. The local newspapers are the Clermont Sun and the Community Press papers. Here are some of the biggest employers in the county:

#	Employer	# of Employees	Location
1	Total Quality Logistics	2,000	Union Township
2	American Modern Insurance Group	1,207	Batavia Township
3	Clermont County	1,152	Batavia
4	Mercy Hospital - Clermont Hospital	850	Batavia Township
5	West Clermont Local School District	835	Union Township
6	Milford Exempted Village School District	767	Miami Township
7	Siemens Digital Industries Software	750	Miami Township
8	Milacron	662	Williamsburg Township
9	L3 Harris Fuzing & Ordnance Systems	607	Withamsville
10	Huhtamaki, Inc.	500	Batavia Township

Education

High Schools in Clermont County

Here are the high schools in Clermont County, along with the year their current buildings opened:

(1957) Clermont Northeastern High School, Batavia
(1963) Milford High School, Milford
(1965) New Richmond High School, New Richmond
(1996) Williamsburg High School, Williamsburg
(1997) Batavia High School, Batavia
(2002) Bethel-Tate High School, Bethel
(2002) Goshen High School, Goshen
(2004) Felicity-Franklin High School, Felicity
(2017) West Clermont High School, Batavia

Colleges

(1972) Clermont College, Batavia

Parks and Libraries

Clermont County has many natural places to enjoy. These include the Cincinnati Nature Center at Rowe Woods and Valley View Nature Preserve in Milford. The county also manages five parks, three nature preserves, and a hiking/biking trail, covering over 600 acres. You can also find East Fork State Park and Stonelick State Park here. The Clermont Public Libraries offer many books and resources for everyone.