Lucas County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 455,054. Its county seat is Toledo. Lucas County was named for Robert Lucas, 12th governor of Ohio, in 1835 during his second term. Its establishment provoked the Toledo War conflict with the Michigan Territory.

Lucas County is part of the Toledo Metropolitan Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 596 square miles (1,543 km²).340 square miles (882 km²) of it is land and 255 square miles (662 km²) of it (42.86%) is water.

Lucas County is drained by the Maumee River.

Major highways

• Interstate 75
• Interstate 80
• Interstate 90
• Interstate 280
• Interstate 475
• U.S. Highway 20
• U.S. Highway 23
• U.S. Highway 24

Adjacent counties

• Monroe County, Michigan (north)
• Across Lake Erie lies Essex County, Ontario (northeast)
• Ottawa County (southeast)
• Wood County (south)
• Henry County (southwest)
• Fulton County (west)
• Lenawee County, Michigan (northwest)

History

On August 20, 1794, near the present-day town of Maumee, American forces led by General Anthony Wayne won a decisive victory over Indian forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. The battle opened the entire Northwest Territory for white settlement.

Lucas County was formally organized in 1835. At that time, Ohio and Michigan Territory disputed the ownership of the strip of land along the border (see Toledo War). As a move in the dispute, Ohio formally organized part of the disputed area as Lucas County, naming it after the incumbent governor of Ohio, Robert Lucas.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 455,054 people, 182,847 households, and 116,290 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,337 people per square mile (516/km²). There were 196,259 housing units at an average density of 576 per square mile (223/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.50% White, 16.98% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.86% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. 4.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 182,847 households out of which 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.70% were married couples living together, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.40% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county, the population was spread out with 26.30% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,004, and the median income for a family was $48,190. Males had a median income of $39,415 versus $26,447 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,518. About 10.70% of families and 13.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.70% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Localities

Municipalities

Berkey Harbor View Holland	Maumee Oregon Ottawa Hills	Swanton Sylvania Toledo	Waterville Whitehouse

Townships

Harding Jerusalem Monclova	Providence Richfield Spencer	Springfield Swanton Sylvania	Washington Waterville

Other localities

Curtice	Monclova	Neapolis	Providence

Lucas County Fair

The Lucas County Fair is located in Maumee, Ohio at the Lucas County Rec Center. The fair usually runs through the last week of July. The Lucas County Fair has plenty of events for all ages. The fair holds car shows, beauty pageants, competitions, children's day, and much more.

References

• Lucas County Government's website
• Lucas County Fair site
• Lucas County Skywarn website
• Lucas County Weather and NW Ohio Weather website

---