Geauga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,397. The county seat is Chardon. The county is named for an

Onondaga Onondaga may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Onondaga people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois League * Onondaga (village), Onondaga settlement and traditional Iroquois capita ...

Seneca language Seneca (; in Seneca, or ) is the language of the Seneca people, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League; it is an Iroquoian language, spoken at the time of contact in the western portion of New York. While the name ''Seneca'', attested as ...

word meaning ' raccoon', originally the name of the Grand River. Geauga County is part of the Cleveland-Elyria, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2008, Forbes Magazine ranked Geauga County as the fourth best place in the United States to raise a family. About 20% of the county's population is Amish, .

History

Geauga County is named after the

word ''jyo’ä·gak'' or Seneca ''jo’ä·ka'', both meaning ' raccoon' (originally the name of the Grand River). After the discovery of the New World, the land that became Geauga County was originally part of the French colony of Canada (New France), which was ceded in 1763 to Great Britain and renamed Province of Quebec. In the late 18th century the land became part of the Connecticut Western Reserve in the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...

, and then was purchased by the Connecticut Land Company in 1795. Geauga County was founded on March 1, 1806, as the second county in the Connecticut Western Reserve, originating from

Trumbull County, Ohio Trumbull County is a county in the far northeast portion of U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 201,977. Its county seat is Warren, which developed industry along the Mahoning River. Trumbull County is part of the You ...

. In 1808, the size of Geauga County was reduced by the creation of

Ashtabula County Ashtabula County ( ) is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,574. The county seat is Jefferson. The county was created in 1808 and later organized in 1811. The name Ashtabula deriv ...

Cuyahoga County Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban County (United States), county located in the Northeast Ohio, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the Canada–United States border, U.S.- ...

, and Lake County. The present-day boundaries were established in 1840 following the creation of Lake County. A disagreement about the location of the county seat began in 1808 when commissioners from Trumbull County began the process of identifying the seat of justice. Residents in the northern townships wanted the seat in Champion, renamed Painesville, Ohio in 1832. Residents in southern townships desired a centrally located county seat and took advantage of a tract of land donated by Peter Chardon Brooks called Chardon, Ohio. Despite Chardon being selected in 1809, the argument was never really settled. Over the next two decades, population growth in the seven northern townships exceeded the remaining sixteen southern townships, further fueling the disagreement. On January 21, 1840, a petition to create Lake County from seven townships in northern Geauga County and Willoughby Township from

were presented to the Ohio House of Representatives. Seabury Ford presented petitions against its creation. Lake County was established in March 1840 by the Ohio state legislature. As the newly formed Lake County did not have sufficient territory to meet the requirements for a county, the northern border included submerged land beneath the waters of Lake Erie. The first settlement in Geauga was at Burton, Ohio in the year 1798, when three families settled there from Connecticut.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has an area of , of which is land and (2.0%) is water. Geauga County receives the most precipitation of any county in northern Ohio, with most of the county receiving over 42 inches annually in an average year, and some parts exceeding 44 inches.

Drainage system

The geography of Geauga County was radically changed by

Illinoian The Illinoian Stage is the name used by Quaternary geologists in North America to designate the period c.191,000 to c.130,000 years ago, during the middle Pleistocene, when sediments comprising the Illinoian Glacial Lobe were deposited. It precedes ...

and

Wisconsinan glaciation The Wisconsin Glacial Episode, also called the Wisconsin glaciation, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated in the northern North American Cor ...

, which is evident in the deranged drainage system, landscape change, and glacial till. The

headwater The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

s of three

watercourses A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ar ...

in the Lake Erie basin are in Geauga County. These include the

Cuyahoga River The Cuyahoga River ( , or ) is a river located in Northeast Ohio that bisects the City of Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie. As Cleveland emerged as a major manufacturing center, the river became heavily affected by industrial pollution, so mu ...

Chagrin River The Chagrin River is located in Northeast Ohio. The river has two branches, the Aurora Branch and East Branch. Of three hypotheses as to the origin of the name, the most probable is that it is a corruption of the name of a Frenchman, Sieur de Seg ...

, and Grand River. Portions of all three are designated Ohio Scenic Rivers. Point sources of the east branch of the

are in Hambden Township, Claridon Township, and Burton Township,. The point source of the west branch of the Cuyahoga River is near the intersection of Pond and Rapids Roads in Burton Township. The point sources of the east branch of the

are at Bass Lake in Munson Township and the southwest corner of the city of Chardon. McFarland Creek in Bainbridge Township, sometimes referred to as Chagrin Falls because of the postal zip code, is a tributary of the Aurora branch of the

. Point sources of the Grand River are in Parkman Township, Troy Township, and Swine Creek in Middlefield Township. While the majority of waterways in Geauga County are part of the Lake Erie

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

, the Silver Creek in Troy Township is a tributary to the west branch of the Mahoning River, part of the Ohio River watershed, the largest tributary to the Mississippi River. There is another Silver Creek in Geauga County in Russell Township, which is a tributary to the east branch of the

Adjacent counties

* Lake County (north) *

(northeast) * Trumbull County (southeast) * Portage County (south) *

(west) * Summit County (southwest)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 93,389 people, 34,264 households, and 25,654 families residing in the county. The population density was 231.1 people per square mile (89.3/km²). There were 34,264 occupied housing units at an average density of 84.8 per square mile (32.8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.0% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.001% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. 88.1% spoke English, 4.6%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 1.2% Spanish, and 3.3% spoke other West Germanic languages. There were 34,264 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.50% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.10% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.16. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females there were 96.85 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.72 males. As of the census of 2000, 0.59% of the population were Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race, 26.8% were of

, 15.3% Irish, 14.3% English, 10.8% Italian 7.5%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

and 5.2%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

ancestry. According to Census 2000, 89.4% spoke English, 5.1%

, 1.5%

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...

and 1.0% Spanish as their first language. As of the census of 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $60,200, and the median income for a family was $67,427. Males had a median income of $48,443 versus $30,567 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,944. About 2.80% of families and 4.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.10% of those under age 18 and 5.10% of those age 65 or over. The median household income and per capita income were the second highest among Ohio counties after Delaware, and 74th and 79th in the country, respectively.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 93,389 people, 34,264 households, and 25,654 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 36,574 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.9% white, 1.3% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.4% were

, 17.1% were Irish, 13.8% were Italian, 13.8% were English, 8.3% were

, 5.5% were Hungarian, and 3.6% were

. Of the 34,264 households, 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.1% were non-families, and 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age was 43.3 years. The median income for a household in the county was $89,663 and the median income for a family was $101,780. Males had a median income of $94,863 versus $40,565 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,735. About 5.0% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Amish settlement

There is a large Amish community founded in 1886 in Geauga County. It is the fourth largest of all Amish settlements with 18,650 people in 132 congregations in 2017.The 12 Largest Amish Communities (2017).
at Amish America In 2017 the Amish accounted for 19.8% of Geauga County's population.

Politics

Geauga County is a Republican stronghold, having voted Democratic only once since 1856, in Lyndon Johnson's landslide, but Franklin D. Roosevelt came within just 220 votes in 1936.

Transportation

U.S. highways

U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...

Grand Army of the Republic Highway honoring American Civil War Veterans *

U.S. Route 322 U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was concurrent with ...

U.S. Route 422 U.S. Route 422 (US 422) is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western segment of US 422 runs from downtown Cleveland, Ohio, east to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. ...

State highways

* State Route 43 * State Route 44 * State Route 86 * State Route 87 * State Route 88 * State Route 166 * State Route 168 * State Route 306 * State Route 528 * State Route 608 * State Route 700 An officia
Geauga County Road Map

Public transportation

The mostly rural nature of Geauga County limits the feasibility of a fixed-route transit system. Instead,

Geauga County Transit Geauga County Transit is the transit bus agency serving Geauga County, Ohio Geauga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,397. The county seat is Chardon. The county is named for an On ...

offers a demand-responsive door-to-door transit system within the county with some out-of-county service. , one-way fares for door-to-door service were $6.00, with 50% discounts for the elderly, disabled, or children 6 years to 17 years old. Children 5-years and younger are free. Out-of-county fares are two times the posted in-county fares. Service is provided 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM Monday through Friday. Reservations are suggested with at least three days notice, but can be made up to one week in advance.

Airports

Geauga County is home to one public airport in Middlefield, Ohio. The Geauga County Airport call sign is 7G8. It is home to Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 5. The Geauga County Airport sits on 41 acres purchased by the Middlefield Chamber of Commerce and donated to Geauga County. Ground was broken August 31, 1967 and it was officially opened September 29, 1968. The airport has one 3500' long by 65' wide runway. Runway numbers are 11 on the west end and 29 on the east end. There are two T-hangars, one private hangar, two community hangars, a pilot lounge and restroom facility.

Education

Public school districts

Geauga County is home to six public school districts as illustrated in this list of school districts in Ohio. The Geauga County Educational Service Center provides collaborative programs and services for the seven local school districts in Geauga County, leveraging resources to reduce overall costs to each district. The ESC has formed a P-16 bridge initiative whose ''mission is to create workforce readiness in our youth and adults through substantive partnerships between educators, businesses, community organizations, parents focusing on important transitions experienced at each level. Geauga County P-16 will develop a sustainable process and program to insure its continued success''. Geaugacountyfix

In addition, there are five neighboring public school districts that serve portions of Geauga County residents.

Joint Vocational School District

Taxpayers in six of the seven school districts in Geauga County support a Joint Vocational School District (JVSD) at the Auburn Career Center in Concord Township, Ohio. The career center offers a variety of programs in health, education, and hands-on technology.

Private and parochial schools

Geauga County is home to eight private, parochial, and/or specialized schools.

Higher education

Geauga County has one institution of higher learning: * Kent State University - Geauga is in Burton, Ohio. KSU - Geauga is one of seven regional campuses of Kent State University. The Burton Township campus was established as an academic center in 1964 and became a regional campus in 1976. , more than 2,000 full and part-time students were enrolled. The Geauga campus does not have any student housing. KSU -Geauga offers a variety of academic programs, including certificate programs, Associate's degrees, and Bachelor's degrees in business, education, general studies, nursing, science, and technology.

Government

Congressional representation

U.S. representation

Seal of the United States House of Representatives

Ohio's 14th Congressional District The 14th congressional district of Ohio is in the far northeast corner of the state, bordering Lake Erie and Pennsylvania. It is currently represented in the United States House of Representatives by Dave Joyce. As defined in January 2013, it ...

U.S. Senate

State representation

76th Ohio House District Seal of the Ohio House of Representatives

99th Ohio House District Seal of the Ohio Senate

18th

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

District

32nd

District

Judiciary

U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * Eastern District of Kentucky * Western District of ...

Ohio 11th District Courts of Appeals

Communities

City

* Chardon (county seat)

Villages

* Aquilla *

Burton Burton, Burtons, or Burton's may refer to: Companies * Burton (retailer), a clothing retailer ** Burton's, Abergavenny, a shop built for the company in 1937 **The Montague Burton Building, Dublin a shop built for the company between 1929 and ...

Hunting Valley Hunting Valley is a village in Cuyahoga and Geauga counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, and an eastern suburb of the Greater Cleveland area. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 707. At the 2000 census, it was ranked the 6th highest- ...

* Middlefield * South Russell

Townships

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

* Bainbridge *

* Chardon *

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

* Claridon * Hambden * Huntsburg * Middlefield * Montville * Munson * Newbury *

Parkman Parkman may refer to: ; People * Francis Parkman (1823–1893) * His uncle George Parkman (1790–1849), the victim in the Parkman-Webster murder case ; Places in the United States * Parkman, Maine * Parkman, Ohio * Parkman, Wyoming ; Fictional ...

Russell Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) Places Australia *Russell, Australian Capital Territory *Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation) **Ru ...

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...

* Troy

Census-designated places

* Bainbridge * Bass Lake * Chesterland *

Unincorporated communities

* Bostwick * Bundysburg * Claridon * East Claridon * Fowlers Mill * Fullertown * Hampden * Huntsburg * Materials Park * Montville * Newbury Center * Novelty * Popes Corners * Russell Center * South Newbury * South Thompson *

* Welshfield

Notable people

Leman Copley Leman Copley (March 25, 1781 – December 1862) was an early convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in Connecticut, Copley moved to Rutland County, Vermont, sometime before 1800 and was living in Thompson Township, Ohio, b ...

, early Mormon elder * Larry Dolan, attorney and the owner of the Cleveland Guardians * Seabury Ford, lawyer,

governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

(1849-1850) * Charles Martin Hall, inventor of modern aluminum production process * Peter Hitchcock, lawyer, soldier, legislator, judge * General Mortimer Leggett, Civil War general, commander of Volunteer Army of Ohio *

Frances Spatz Leighton Frances Spatz Leighton (born Frances Ornstein; September 4, 1919April 6, 2007) was an American author, ghostwriter, and journalist. She ghostwrote several memoirs and accounts of Washington D. C. life, writing over 30 books, including ''My Thir ...

, writer *

Charles C. Paine Charles C. Paine (August 13, 1824 – February 16, 1907) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Paine was born on August 13, 1824 in Chardon, Ohio. His father was James Harvey Paine (1791–1879). James was a general in the stat ...

, politician *

Halbert Eleazer Paine Halbert Eleazer Paine (February 4, 1826April 14, 1905) was an Americans, American lawyer and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician. He served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War, and after the war was elected t ...

, lawyer, Civil War Union general, congressman from Wisconsin, Commissioner of Patents (1879-1881) *

Seth Ledyard Phelps Seth Ledyard Phelps (January 13, 1824 – June 24, 1885) was an American naval officer, and in later life, a politician and diplomat. Phelps received his first commission in United States Navy as a midshipman aboard the famous USS ''Independen ...

, Civil War officer, President of the District of Columbia Board of Commissioners (1878–1879) *

Albert Gallatin Riddle Albert Gallatin Riddle (May 28, 1816 – May 15, 1902) was a U.S. Representative from Ohio. Early life Born in Monson, Massachusetts, Riddle moved with his parents to Newbury, in the Western Reserve of Ohio, in 1817. He completed preparatory ...

, lawyer, educator, Ohio House of Representatives (1848-1850) *

Nick Schuyler ''Not Without Hope'' is a 2010 in literature, 2010 non-fiction book by Nick Schuyler and Jeré Longman. The book describes a 2009 boating accident in which Schuyler was the sole survivor; his three friends, including NFL players Marquis Cooper a ...

, author (''

Not Without Hope ''Not Without Hope'' is a 2010 in literature, 2010 non-fiction book by Nick Schuyler and Jeré Longman. The book describes a 2009 boating accident in which Schuyler was the sole survivor; his three friends, including NFL players Marquis Cooper a ...

'') *

JoAnn M. Tenorio JoAnn Marie Tenorio (February 5, 1943 – March 3, 2019) was an American entomologist who also worked in publishing in Hawaii. She was co-author of two popular manuals, ''What Bit Me?'' (1993) and ''What's Bugging Me?'' (1995). Early life JoAn ...

, entomologist in Hawaii * Brigham Young, Mormon leader

Athletes

* Andrew Brown, professional baseball pitcher * Mel Harder, professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians *

Matt Hutter Matthew Hutter (born May 19, 1971) is a retired American stock car racing driver. He has raced in the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Hutter won the pole for the 1996 NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series Slim Jim 200 at Nashville ...

, NASCAR driver * Leroy Kemp, collegiate and Olympian wrestler *

Tom Kipp Tom Kipp (born November 17, 1968) from Chardon, Ohio is an American former motorcycle racer. A List of Superbike World Championship race winners, Superbike World Championship race winner, Kipp won the AMA 600 SuperSport Championship in 1992 and t ...

, international professional motorcycle racing champion

Musical artists and groups

Midnight Syndicate Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo that has been working primarily in the genre of neoclassical dark ambient music since 1997 and is based in Chardon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The band refers to their CDs as "soundtracks for the ...

, a

Gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...

band * John Popper, frontman for rock band

Blues Traveler Blues Traveler (formerly known as "The Establishment" or "The Black Cat Jam" or "The Establishment Blues Band") is an American rock band that formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. They are known for extensive use of segues in live performance ...

The Chardon Polka Band The Chardon Polka Band is an American, Ohio-based, Cleveland-Style polka band. It was started by Jake Kouwe in 2003 when he recruited four other teenagers to form a polka band at Chardon High School, and the group was originally called "The Cha ...

, a

Cleveland-Style polka Slovenian-style polka (also known as Cleveland Style polka) is an American style of polka in the Slovenian tradition. It is usually associated with Cleveland and other Midwestern cities. Instruments The Slovenian style polka band always include ...

band

References

External links

Geauga County Government's website

Geauga Park District

Geauga County Public Library

City of Chardon

Burton Village

Great Geauga County Fair

Geauga County Maple Festival

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio: Statewide School District Map

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio: Statewide Zip Code Areas
* {{authority control 1806 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1806 Amish in Ohio Ohio counties in the Western Reserve