Washington County

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 640 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 632 square miles (1,640 km2) is land and 8.0 square miles (21 km2) (1.3%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Ohio by land area.

Washington County's southern and eastern boundary is the Ohio River. The Muskingum River, Little Muskingum River, Duck Creek, and the Little Hocking River flow through the county to the Ohio River.

History

Washington County, originally about one-half the territory now included in the State of Ohio, was established by proclamation of Gov. Arthur St. Clair – Governor of the Northwest Territory, on the 26th day of July, 1788. Events which led up to this establishment were due to the perseverance of two great men, Gen. Rufus Putnam and Rev. Dr. Manasseh Cutler, the formation and function of the Ohio Company and the passage by the Continental Congress of the Ordinance of 1787. Settlement at Marietta on April 7, 1788 grew out of the appropriation of lands made by Congress in 1776 to officers and soldiers of the army. In 1783 the Newburgh Petition of 285 Continental Army officers was presented to Congress asking for western lands to be located in the country which is now approximately the eastern one-half of the State of Ohio. Following this Gen. Putnam and Gen. Benjamin Tupper founded the Ohio Company which met in Boston, March 1, 1786 when they decided to raise funds in continental certificates for buying western lands in the Western Territory and making a settlement. Rev. Dr. Manasseh Cutler, one of the Directors of the Company, was employed to purchase land for the Company and in July 1787 went to Continental Congress. He helped to frame the Ordinance of 1787, which allowed for the purchase of 1,500,000 acres located on the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers.

The location of Fort Harmar, built in 1785–1786, at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers, had an influence upon the Ohio Company in their choice of the Muskingum region as settlement in the West. Gen. Putnam was superintendent of the colony of 47 pioneers who landed in Marietta for the first lawful, organized English settlement in the Northwest Territory. He started a survey of the town of 8-acre lots. A stockade was built called Campus Martius where the Court of Common Pleas was first held on Sept. 2, 1788. The first judges of the Court were Gen. Rufus Putnam, Gen. Benjamin Tupper and Col. Archibald Crary: the Sheriff was Col. Ebenezer Sproat and the Clerk, Col. Return Jonathan Meigs. Paul Fearing, Esq., was the first attorney in the territory.

As early as 1792, the Court of Quarter Sessions submitted estimates for a Court House and Jail to cost $1,000 for each. A log house near Campus Martius was fitted for a jail in 1793 and the first Court House was built in 1799 costing about $3,000. By 1819 a new Court House was needed and this one was built on Second and Putnam Streets in 1822. By 1854 an addition was built, a jail having been built in 1848. The present Court House was built in 1901.

Adjacent counties

Noble County (north)

Monroe County (northeast)

Tyler County, West Virginia (east)

Pleasants County, West Virginia (southeast)

Wood County, West Virginia (south)

Athens County (southwest)

Morgan County (northwest)

Protected areas

Wayne National Forest (part)

Boord State Nature Preserve

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 59,771. The median age was 44.3 years, 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18, and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.8 males.

As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 93.6% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.1% from two or more races, while Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.2% of the population.

As of the 2020 census, 41.7% of residents lived in urban areas and 58.3% lived in rural areas.

As of the 2020 census, there were 25,254 households in the county, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them; 48.3% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the 2020 census, there were 27,987 housing units, of which 9.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.2% were owner-occupied and 26.8% were renter-occupied, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 1.4% and a rental vacancy rate of 8.0%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 61,778 people, 25,587 households, and 17,092 families living in the county. The population density was 97.8 inhabitants per square mile (37.8 inhabitants/km2). There were 28,367 housing units at an average density of 44.9 units per square mile (17.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.5% white, 1.1% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.3% were German, 16.7% were Irish, 11.8% were English, and 10.7% were American.

Of the 25,587 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.2% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 43.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,654 and the median income for a family was $53,131. Males had a median income of $42,460 versus $28,828 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,786. About 10.8% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 63,251 people, 25,137 households, and 17,671 families living in the county. The population density was 100 inhabitants per square mile (39 inhabitants/km2). There were 27,760 housing units at an average density of 44 units per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.33% White, 0.92% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 0.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.5% were of German, 23.4% American, 12.3% English and 11.0% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 25,137 households, out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,275, and the median income for a family was $41,605. Males had a median income of $32,034 versus $21,346 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,082. About 8.60% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Washington County has a 3-member Board of County Commissioners that oversee the various County departments, similar to all but 2 of the 88 Ohio counties. Washington County's elected commissioners are: Eddie Place (R), Greg Nohe (R), and Charlie Schilling (R).

Politics

Washington County typically votes Republican. In 1976, it was one of only two counties on the eastern Ohio border to vote for President Gerald Ford, and in 1996, it was the only county on the eastern border to vote for Bob Dole. Only five Democratic Party presidential candidates have won the county from 1856 to the present day, the most recent being Lyndon B. Johnson in his statewide & national landslide of 1964.

Education

School districts in Washington County, including those that may operate their schools in other counties, include:

There are six high schools in the county boundaries that serve the people of Washington County (as of 2016).

Belpre Golden Eagles

Beverly Fort Frye Cadets

New Matamoras Frontier Cougars

Marietta Tigers

Vincent Warren Warriors

Waterford Wildcats

There is also the Washington County Career Center, a tech school, Washington State College of Ohio, a two-year college, and Marietta College, a four-year college. All are located in Marietta.

Communities

Cities

Belpre

Marietta (county seat)

Villages

Beverly

Lower Salem

Lowell

Macksburg

Matamoras

Census-designated places

Devola

Little Hocking

Newport

Reno

Vincent

Waterford