Hamilton County, Ohio

History

Most of Hamilton County was originally owned and surveyed by John Cleves Symmes, and the region was a part of the Symmes Purchase. The first European-American settlers rafted down the Ohio River in 1788 following the American Revolutionary War. They established the towns of Losantiville (later Cincinnati) and Cleves.

Hamilton County was organized in 1790, as the second county in the Northwest Territory. Its area then included about one-eighth of Ohio, and had about 2,000 inhabitants (not including the remaining Native Americans). The United States persuaded most of the Shawnee and other Indian peoples to remove in the 1820s to locations west of the Mississippi River.

Since then, other counties were created from Hamilton, reducing the county to its present size. Rapid growth occurred during the 1830s and 1840s as the area attracted many German and Irish immigrants, especially after the Great Famine in Ireland and the revolutions in Germany in 1848.

During the Civil War, Morgan's Raid (a Confederate cavalry campaign from Kentucky) passed through the northern part of the county during the summer of 1863.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 413 square miles (1,070 km²), of which 406 square miles (1,050 km²) is land and 6.7 square miles (17 km²) (1.6%) is water.

Geographic features

The county lies in a region of gentle hills formed by the slopes of the Ohio River valley and its tributaries. The Great Miami River, the Little Miami River, and the Mill Creek also contribute to this system of hillsides and valleys. No naturally occurring lakes exist, but three major manmade lakes are part of the Great Parks of Hamilton County. The largest lake by far is Winton Woods Lake covering 188 surface acres followed by Miami Whitewater Lake covering 85 surface acres and Sharon Lake covering 36 surface acres.

The county boundaries include the lowest point in Ohio, located in Miami Township, where the Ohio River flows out of Ohio and into Indiana. This is the upper pool elevation behind the Markland Dam, 455 feet (139 m) above sea level.

The highest land elevation in Hamilton County is the Rumpke Sanitary Landfill at 1,045 feet (319 m) above sea level in Colerain Township.

Adjacent counties

2000 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 806,631 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile (801/km²). There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile (354/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 69.2% White, 26.0% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 2.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 346,790 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.40% were married couples living together, 14.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.70% were non-families. 32.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,964, and the median income for a family was $53,449. Males had a median income of $39,842 versus $28,550 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,053. About 8.80% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 802,374 people, 333,945 households, and 197,571 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,976.7 inhabitants per square mile (763.2/km²). There were 377,364 housing units at an average density of 929.7 per square mile (359.0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.8% white, 25.7% black or African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.0% were German, 14.7% were Irish, 7.7% were English, and 6.6% were American.

Of the 333,945 households, 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.8% were non-families, and 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 37.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,234 and the median income for a family was $64,683. Males had a median income of $48,344 versus $37,310 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,799. About 11.1% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

As of 2016, the members of the Hamilton Board of County Commissioners include Dennis Deters, Chris Monzel, and Todd Portune. Since 1963, the Board has employed an administrator to run the day-to-day operations of the county; the current administrator is Christian Sigman.

Other elected officers include Dusty Rhodes (Auditor), Joe Deters (Prosecutor), Jim Neil (sheriff), Theodore B. Hubbard, (Engineer), Wayne Coates (Recorder), Robert A. Goering (Treasurer), and Lakshmi Sammarco (Coroner).

The elected Common Pleas Court include: Judge Nadine Allen, Judge Kim Wilson Burke, Judge Ethna M. Cooper, Judge Pat DeWine, Judge Dennis S. Helmick Judge Charles J. Kubicki, Jr., Judge Jody M. Luebbers, Judge Melba D. Marsh, Judge Steven E. Martin, Judge Jerome J. Metz, Jr., Judge Beth A. Myers, Judge Robert P. Ruehlman, Judge John Andrew West, Judge Ralph E. Winkler, Judge Robert C. Winkler

Education

Public elementary and secondary education is provided by 21 school districts:

In 2016, Cincinnati Public Schools had 35,000 students, 63% of which were African-American. The county also has a vocational school district, the Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development. Parochial schools of various denominations add to this base. Among these the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati maintains a system of 108 elementary and 22 secondary schools, the ninth largest private system in the United States.

Major highways

Interstate 71, Interstate 74, Interstate 75, Interstate 471 and Interstate 275 serve the county. The Norwood Lateral and Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway are also prominent east-west thoroughfares in the county.

Railroads

CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, RailAmerica, and Amtrak.

Recreation

The county, in cooperation with the City of Cincinnati, operates the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County system with a main library and 41 branches. Major sports teams are listed under the communities in which they are located, primarily Cincinnati. The Great Parks of Hamilton County district resides within Hamilton County and maintains a series of preserves and educational facilities. Three of the largest parks within the system are Miami Whitewater Forest, Winton Woods, and Sharon Woods. The Hamilton County Fair is the oldest county fair in Ohio.

Unincorporated communities