Van Wert County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,931. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Van Wert. The county was created in February 12, 1820 and later organized on March 18, 1837. It is named for

Isaac Van Wart Isaac Van Wart (October 25, 1762May 23, 1828) was a militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he was one of three men who captured British Major John André, who was convicted and executed as a spy for conspir ...

, one of the captors of

John André John André (2 May 1750/1751''Gravesite–Memorial''
Westmi ...

in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

. Van Wert County comprises the Van Wert, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included within the

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...

-Van Wert- Celina, OH

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

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 a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Paulding County Paulding County is the name of two counties in the United States of America: * Paulding County, Georgia Paulding County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. Part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, it had an ...

(north) * Putnam County (northeast) *

Allen County, Ohio Allen County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. The county seat is Lima. The county was created in 1820 and organized in 1831. The county is named in honor of Colonel John Allen, who was killed leading his ...

(east) * Auglaize County (southeast) * Mercer County (south) *

Adams County, Indiana Adams County lies in northeastern Indiana in the United States and shares its eastern border with Ohio. It was officially established in 1836. The county seat is Decatur. According to the 2020 census, its population was 35,809, an increase of ...

(southwest) *

Allen County, Indiana Allen County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 385,410, making it the third-most populous county in Indiana. The county seat and largest city is Fort Wayne, the second largest city in Indian ...

(northwest)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 29,659 people, 11,587 households and 8,354 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 72 people per square mile (28/km²). There were 12,363 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.43%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.75%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.11% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.75% from other races and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.56% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 11,587 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.20% 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, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $39,497, and the median income for a family was $46,503. Males had a median income of $32,377 versus $23,859 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $18,293. About 4.20% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.80% of those under age 18 and 4.00% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 28,744 people, 11,439 households and 7,921 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 12,615 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 43.6% were

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 ...

, 12.4% were Irish, 11.5% were English and 11.0% were American. Of the 11,439 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.8% were non-families, and 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 40.3 years. The median income for a household in the county was $44,415 and the median income for a family was $51,215. Males had a median income of $37,408 versus $28,692 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,772. About 6.1% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the

, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Van Wert County is a stronghold Republican county in presidential elections. In 2020,

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...

nearly won 80% of the votes cast in the county.

Government

Van Wert County has a 3-member Board of County Commissioners that administer and oversee the various County departments, similar to all but 2 of the 88 Ohio counties. The elected commissioners serve four-year terms. Van Wert County's three elected commissioners are: Thad Lichtensteiger (R), Stan Owens (R), and Todd Wolfrum (R).

Communities

Cities

* Delphos (part) * Van Wert (county seat)

Villages

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be use ...

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Chatham-Kent, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario ...

* Middle Point * Ohio City *

Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...

* Venedocia * Willshire *

Wren Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonl ...

Townships

* Harrison * Hoaglin * Jackson * Jennings *

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

* Pleasant *

Ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

* Tully * Union * Washington * Willshire *

York York is a cathedral city with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many hist ...

https://web.archive.org/web/20160715023447/http://www.ohiotownships.org/township-websites

Unincorporated communities

* Abanaka * Cavett *

Dixon Dixon may refer to: Places International * Dixon Entrance, part of the Inside Passage between Alaska and British Columbia Canada * Dixon, Ontario United States * Dixon, California * Dixon, Illinois * Dixon, Greene County, Indiana * Dixon, Indi ...

‡ * Dull * Glenmore * Hoaglin *

Jonestown The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, a U.S.–based cult under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became internationall ...

* Middlebury *

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

Schumm Schumm is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Caroline Zoe Schumm (born 1988), American fashion designer * Hans Schumm (1896–1990), German-born American Hollywood character actor * Harry Schumm (1877–1953), American actor *Her ...

* Seamersville

References

External links

County website

The Van Wert County Economic Development Group

Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor
{{Authority control 1837 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1837