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Erie County, Ohio facts for kids

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Erie County
U.S. county
Erie County Courthouse
Official seal of Erie County
Seal
Map of Ohio highlighting Erie 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 March 16, 1838
Named for Erie tribe
Seat Sandusky
Largest city Sandusky
Area
 • Total 626 sq mi (1,620 km2)
 • Land 252 sq mi (650 km2)
 • Water 374 sq mi (970 km2)  60%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 75,622
 • Density 120.80/sq mi (46.64/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts 4th, 9th

Erie County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,622. Its county seat is Sandusky. The county is named for the Erie tribe, whose name was their word for "wildcat". It was formed in 1838 from the northern third of Huron County and a portion of Sandusky County.

Erie County comprises the Sandusky, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area.

It is home to the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and their flagship amusement park Cedar Point.

History

Erie County was initially created about 1838, and formed from a portion of Huron County (although a few subsequent changes to Erie County's boundaries occurred shortly after its initial formation).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 626 square miles (1,620 km2), of which 252 square miles (650 km2) is land and 374 square miles (970 km2) (60%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Ohio by land area after Lake County . The county borders Canada to the north across Lake Erie.

It is drained by Huron and Vermilion rivers. Near Huron River are several ancient mounds and enclosures, and at Sandusky are extensive quarries of valuable limestone. The surface is generally level, the soil alluvial and exceedingly fertile.

Adjacent counties and municipalities

Major highways

  • I-80 (Ohio Turnpike)
  • I-90 (Ohio Turnpike)
  • US 6
  • US 250
  • SR 2
  • SR 4
  • SR 13
  • SR 60
  • SR 61
  • SR 99
  • SR 101
  • SR 113
  • SR 269

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 12,599 —
1850 18,568 47.4%
1860 24,474 31.8%
1870 28,188 15.2%
1880 32,640 15.8%
1890 35,462 8.6%
1900 37,650 6.2%
1910 38,327 1.8%
1920 39,789 3.8%
1930 42,133 5.9%
1940 43,201 2.5%
1950 52,565 21.7%
1960 68,000 29.4%
1970 75,909 11.6%
1980 79,655 4.9%
1990 76,779 −3.6%
2000 79,551 3.6%
2010 77,079 −3.1%
2020 75,622 −1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2020

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 77,079 people, 31,860 households, and 21,011 families residing in the county. The population density was 306.4 inhabitants per square mile (118.3/km2). There were 37,845 housing units at an average density of 150.4 per square mile (58.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.0% white, 8.6% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 38.8% were German, 15.2% were Irish, 11.7% were English, 8.5% were Italian, and 4.6% were American.

Of the 31,860 households, 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.1% were non-families, and 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 43.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $46,593 and the median income for a family was $61,247. Males had a median income of $46,211 versus $32,621 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,290. About 8.5% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Map of Erie County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Erie County, Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

Villages

Townships

  • Berlin
  • Florence
  • Groton
  • Huron
  • Margaretta
  • Milan
  • Oxford
  • Perkins
  • Vermilion

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Places of interest

Education

All or part of eleven school districts serve Erie County and its residents:

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Erie (Ohio) para niños

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