Delaware County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 40°17′N83°01′W / 40.28°N 83.01°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Ohio |
Founded | February 10, 1808 [1] |
Named for | the Delaware Indians |
Seat | Delaware |
Largest city | Delaware |
Area | |
• Total | 457 sq mi (1,180 km2) |
• Land | 443 sq mi (1,150 km2) |
• Water | 14 sq mi (40 km2) 3.1% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 214,124 |
• Estimate (2022) | 226,296 |
• Density | 470/sq mi (180/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional districts | 4th, 12th |
Website | www |
*Based on population just within the county. [2] |
Delaware County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 214,124. [3] Its county seat and largest city is Delaware. [4] The county was formed in 1808 from Franklin County, Ohio. Both the county and its seat are named after the Delaware Indian tribe. [5] It is a frequent placeholder on the List of highest-income counties in the United States; Delaware County was listed as the 35th wealthiest county in the United States in 2020. [6] [7] Delaware County is included in the Columbus, Ohio, metropolitan area. U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes was born and raised in Delaware County. It is also home to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
The area including Delaware County was once home to numerous Native American tribes. In 1804, Colonel Moses Byxbe and Henry Baldwin, among others, migrated to central Ohio from Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and built a town on the west bank of the Olentangy River. [8] On February 10, 1808, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Delaware County. [9] Following the War of 1812, settlers began to arrive in the county and settled down in Delaware. The town was incorporated in 1816, being the first incorporated town in the county. Powell, originally named Middlebury, was founded in 1801, but was not incorporated until 1947. Sunbury was founded in 1816. Ohio Wesleyan University, a liberal arts college, was founded by Methodists in 1842.
Delaware County had Northern sympathies during the Civil War, and abolitionists brought the Underground Railroad through the area. A local road, Africa Road, derives its name from the era. Camp Delaware was one of the few Civil War camps that deployed African American soldiers. The Civil War played an important part in Delaware County's growth, bringing railroad business and technology. By 1900, Delaware had its first electric streetway, and an electric interurban railroad connecting Marion and Columbus ran through the county. The Little Brown Jug race was founded in 1946, and is one of the races in the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.
In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Delaware County as the fifth best place in the United States to raise a family and the second best in Ohio, behind Geauga County. [10] In 2020, Delaware was rated the best county to live in Ohio and 24th in the United States by Niche, [11] 17th healthiest county by US News, [12] and 24th best counties to live in by 247WallSt. [13]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 457 square miles (1,180 km2), of which 443 square miles (1,150 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (3.1%) is water. [14] The county has an even terrain and a fertile soil. [15]
The major rivers of the county are the Scioto River, Olentangy River, Alum Creek, and the Big Walnut Creek. These waterways run from north to south across the county. The Alum Creek Lake [16] and the Delaware Lake [17] are reservoirs created on Alum Creek and the Olentangy River, respectively.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1810 | 2,000 | — | |
1820 | 7,639 | 282.0% | |
1830 | 11,504 | 50.6% | |
1840 | 22,060 | 91.8% | |
1850 | 21,817 | −1.1% | |
1860 | 23,902 | 9.6% | |
1870 | 25,175 | 5.3% | |
1880 | 27,381 | 8.8% | |
1890 | 27,189 | −0.7% | |
1900 | 26,401 | −2.9% | |
1910 | 27,182 | 3.0% | |
1920 | 26,013 | −4.3% | |
1930 | 26,016 | 0.0% | |
1940 | 26,780 | 2.9% | |
1950 | 30,278 | 13.1% | |
1960 | 36,107 | 19.3% | |
1970 | 42,908 | 18.8% | |
1980 | 53,840 | 25.5% | |
1990 | 66,929 | 24.3% | |
2000 | 109,989 | 64.3% | |
2010 | 174,214 | 58.4% | |
2020 | 214,124 | 22.9% | |
2022 (est.) | 226,296 | [18] | 5.7% |
U.S. Decennial Census [19] 1790-1960 [20] 1900-1990 [21] 1990-2000 [22] 2010-2020 [23] |
As of the census of 2000, there were 109,989 people, 39,674 households, and 30,668 families living in the county. The population density is 249 people per square mile (96 people/km2). There were 42,374 housing units at an average density of 96 units per square mile (37 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.25% White, 2.52% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population. 26.8% were of German, 11.7% Irish, 11.3% English, 10.7% American and 6.9% Italian ancestry according to 2000 census.
There were 39,674 households, out of which 40.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.70% were married couples living together, 6.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.70% were non-families. 18.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.30% 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 3.09.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.20% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $67,258, and the median income for a family was $76,453. Males had a median income of $51,428 versus $33,041 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,600. About 2.90% of families and 3.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.40% of those under the age of 18 and 4.80% of those 65 and older.
By 2007, the median income for a household and for a family had risen to $80,526 and $94,099 respectively.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Delaware County is the 21st fastest growing county in the United States.[ citation needed ]
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 174,214 people, 62,760 households, and 47,977 families living in the county. [24] The population density was 393.2 inhabitants per square mile (151.8/km2). There were 66,378 housing units at an average density of 149.8 units per square mile (57.8 units/km2). [25] The racial makeup of the county was 89.7% white, 4.3% Asian, 3.4% black or African American, 0.1% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.1% of the population. [24] In terms of ancestry, 34.2% were German, 16.3% were Irish, 14.0% were English, 8.1% were Italian, and 5.7% were American. [26]
Of the 62,760 households, 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.6% were non-families, and 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age was 37.4 years. [24]
The median income for a household in the county was $87,908 and the median income for a family was $101,698. Males had a median income of $70,949 versus $48,913 for females. The per capita income for the county was $40,682. About 3.4% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. [27]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 214,124 people, 77,713 households living in the county. [28] The racial makeup of the county was 80.9% white, 8.5% Asian, 5.6% from two or more races, 3.7% black or African American, Hispanic or Latino origin 3.3%, 1.1% from other races, 0.2% American Indian. [28]
Delaware County is considered a Republican stronghold, and has been for most of the party's history. [29] The only Democratic presidential candidate to win the county from 1856 to the present day was Woodrow Wilson in his 1912 and 1916 electoral victories.
However, in 2020, Joe Biden came within single digits of flipping the county, the closest result since Lyndon Johnson's landslide victory in 1964. The growth of suburban Columbus, which has been growing increasingly Democratic in recent years, is one of the factors driving Delaware County away from its former overwhelming Republican support. [30] In 2024, Kamala Harris won 46% of the vote in the county, the highest percentage for a Democratic presidential nominee since 1964, despite losing both Ohio and the presidential election.
In August 2023, the county voted against Ohio Issue 1, which would have changed the threshold required to modify the Ohio Constitution, by a margin of 57.72-42.28. [31] In November 2023, the county voted for Issue 1, which amended the state constitution to guarantee a woman's reproductive rights, by a margin of 59.21%-40.79%.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 70,448 | 52.42% | 61,657 | 45.88% | 2,278 | 1.70% |
2020 | 66,356 | 52.51% | 57,735 | 45.69% | 2,283 | 1.81% |
2016 | 57,568 | 54.50% | 40,872 | 38.69% | 7,199 | 6.81% |
2012 | 60,194 | 60.86% | 37,292 | 37.71% | 1,413 | 1.43% |
2008 | 54,778 | 59.17% | 36,653 | 39.59% | 1,150 | 1.24% |
2004 | 53,143 | 66.05% | 27,048 | 33.62% | 265 | 0.33% |
2000 | 36,639 | 66.13% | 17,134 | 30.93% | 1,630 | 2.94% |
1996 | 24,123 | 58.25% | 13,463 | 32.51% | 3,829 | 9.25% |
1992 | 18,225 | 49.43% | 9,263 | 25.12% | 9,385 | 25.45% |
1988 | 20,693 | 72.61% | 7,590 | 26.63% | 215 | 0.75% |
1984 | 19,050 | 76.23% | 5,773 | 23.10% | 166 | 0.66% |
1980 | 14,740 | 64.48% | 6,417 | 28.07% | 1,704 | 7.45% |
1976 | 12,285 | 61.88% | 7,058 | 35.55% | 510 | 2.57% |
1972 | 12,950 | 72.40% | 4,452 | 24.89% | 484 | 2.71% |
1968 | 9,029 | 57.72% | 4,056 | 25.93% | 2,559 | 16.36% |
1964 | 8,395 | 50.96% | 8,080 | 49.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 11,391 | 68.11% | 5,334 | 31.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 10,739 | 72.88% | 3,997 | 27.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 10,682 | 71.59% | 4,239 | 28.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 8,089 | 64.68% | 4,371 | 34.95% | 46 | 0.37% |
1944 | 9,186 | 66.78% | 4,569 | 33.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 9,570 | 62.81% | 5,666 | 37.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 7,364 | 50.06% | 7,045 | 47.90% | 300 | 2.04% |
1932 | 6,833 | 51.38% | 6,196 | 46.59% | 271 | 2.04% |
1928 | 8,049 | 67.75% | 3,720 | 31.31% | 111 | 0.93% |
1924 | 6,731 | 60.41% | 3,537 | 31.74% | 874 | 7.84% |
1920 | 7,700 | 59.21% | 5,241 | 40.30% | 63 | 0.48% |
1916 | 3,461 | 46.97% | 3,754 | 50.95% | 153 | 2.08% |
1912 | 2,584 | 35.32% | 2,934 | 40.10% | 1,798 | 24.58% |
1908 | 4,007 | 52.77% | 3,330 | 43.86% | 256 | 3.37% |
1904 | 4,163 | 58.82% | 2,607 | 36.83% | 308 | 4.35% |
1900 | 3,765 | 51.40% | 3,337 | 45.56% | 223 | 3.04% |
1896 | 3,789 | 50.39% | 3,612 | 48.04% | 118 | 1.57% |
1892 | 3,267 | 49.16% | 2,710 | 40.78% | 668 | 10.05% |
1888 | 3,432 | 49.66% | 3,004 | 43.47% | 475 | 6.87% |
1884 | 3,513 | 50.55% | 3,078 | 44.29% | 359 | 5.17% |
1880 | 3,508 | 52.90% | 2,968 | 44.75% | 156 | 2.35% |
1876 | 3,237 | 52.22% | 2,809 | 45.31% | 153 | 2.47% |
1872 | 2,713 | 54.72% | 2,013 | 40.60% | 232 | 4.68% |
1868 | 2,976 | 57.84% | 2,169 | 42.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
1864 | 2,900 | 60.28% | 1,911 | 39.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
1860 | 2,699 | 56.94% | 1,967 | 41.50% | 74 | 1.56% |
1856 | 2,367 | 55.75% | 1,649 | 38.84% | 230 | 5.42% |
The following school districts are located in Delaware County. [33]
The Ohio Wesleyan University, located in Delaware, is one of the top liberal arts colleges in the United States and one of the Five Colleges of Ohio.
The area is served by the Delaware Municipal Airport, [37] which serves the southern Delaware County area and the north portion of the Franklin County and Columbus areas. The airport contains a 5,000-foot (1,500 m) runway, flight terminal, lounges, and weather briefing areas. It is home to approximately 80 aircraft and an estimated 40,000 operations take place per year. Several smaller airports are located in the county.
The Delaware Gazette , a morning daily founded in 1885, is the dominant local newspaper in Delaware County, while the Sunbury News, a weekly community newspaper, serves eastern Delaware County and residents of the Big Walnut Local School District. Both publications are owned by Brown Publishing Company.
Additional local print publications include ThisWeek Delaware News, which covers the city of Delaware and the villages of Galena and Sunbury; and ThisWeek Olentangy Valley News, which covers Powell and the Olentangy Local School District. Both weekly papers are among 21 published by ThisWeek Community News, headquartered in southern Delaware County. ThisWeek is owned by GateHouse Media, which also owns the Columbus Dispatch . The Village of Shawnee Hills in southwestern Delaware County is served by a monthly newspaper - The Village Gazette. The Village Gazette is independent.
Other local publications include the Transcript , the student paper at Ohio Wesleyan University.
Delaware is famous for The Little Brown Jug, an internationally famous harness race which is part of the Triple Crown of harness racing.
The Methodist Theological School in Ohio is the Methodist graduate school seminary located between Delaware and Columbus. It is often referred to as METHESCO.
Additional notable places include:
Notable people who have lived in or been associated with the county include:
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,784. Its county seat is Marysville. Its name is reflective of its origins, being the union of portions of Franklin, Delaware, Madison, and Logan counties. Union County is part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Pickaway County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,539. Its county seat is Circleville. Its name derives from the Pekowi band of Shawnee Indians, who inhabited the area.
Morrow County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,950. Its county seat is Mount Gilead. The county was organized in 1848 from parts of four neighboring counties and named for Jeremiah Morrow who was the Governor of Ohio from 1822 to 1826. Shawnee people used the area for hunting purposes before white settlers arrived in the early 19th century. Morrow County is included in the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the center of population of Ohio was located in Morrow County, near the village of Marengo. Morrow County's historic World War I Victory Shaft, unique in the United States, is located in the center of downtown Mount Gilead. Other areas interesting to the tourist include: Mount Gilead State Park; Amish farms and businesses near Johnsville and Chesterville; the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Steam Corners; the rolling Allegheny foothills of eastern Morrow County; the site of the birthplace of President Warren G. Harding near Blooming Grove; the site of the former Ohio Central College in Iberia; the early 19th-century architecture of buildings in Chesterville, Ohio; the Revolutionary War Soldiers' Memorial in Mount Gilead; the Civil War monument in Cardington; and the mid-19th-century architecture of the Morrow County Courthouse and Old Jail in Mount Gilead.
Monroe County is a county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Ohio, across the Ohio River from West Virginia. As of 2023, the population was 13,153, making it the second-least populous county in Ohio. Its county seat is Woodsfield. The county was created in 1813 and later organized in 1815.
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,359. Its county seat is Marion. The county was erected by the state of Ohio on February 20, 1820 and later reorganized in 1824. It is named for General Francis "The Swamp Fox" Marion, a South Carolinian officer in the Revolutionary War. Marion County comprises the Marion, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area.
Madison County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,824. Its county seat is London. The county is named for James Madison, President of the United States and was established on March 1, 1810. Madison County is part of the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Licking County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. At the 2020 census, the population was 178,519. Its county seat is Newark. The county was formed on January 30, 1808, from portions of Fairfield County.
Greene County is located in the southwestern portion of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 167,966. Its county seat is Xenia and its largest city is Beavercreek. The county was established on March 24, 1803 and named for General Nathanael Greene, an officer in the Revolutionary War. Greene County is part of the Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio west of Toledo. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,713. Its county seat and largest city is Wauseon. The county was created in 1850 with land from Henry, Lucas, and Williams counties and is named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat. Fulton County is a part of the Toledo metropolitan area.
Franklin County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,323,807, making it the most populous county in Ohio. Most of its land area is taken up by its county seat, Columbus, the state capital and most populous city in Ohio. The county was established on April 30, 1803, less than two months after Ohio became a state, and was named after Benjamin Franklin. Originally, Franklin County extended north to Lake Erie before it was subdivided into smaller counties. Franklin County is the central county of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Fairfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,921. Its county seat and largest city is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster. Fairfield County is part of the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Erie County is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,622. Its county seat and largest city is Sandusky. The county is named for the Erie tribe, whose name was their word for "wildcat". It was formed in 1838 from the northern third of Huron County and a portion of Sandusky County.
Columbiana County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 101,877. The county seat is Lisbon and its largest city is Salem. Created in 1803, the county name is derived from that of 15th-century Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.
Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County, Ohio, United States. It is located near the center of Ohio, about 30 miles (48 km) north of Columbus as part of the Columbus metropolitan area. The population was 41,302 at the 2020 census. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816.
Powell is a city in Delaware County, Ohio, United States, located 14 miles (21.5 km) north of the state capital of Columbus. Powell had an estimated population of 14,163 at the 2020 census. Founded in the early 1800s, it is now a suburb of Columbus.
Huber Ridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Blendon Township, Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,940 at the 2020 census.
Lincoln Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prairie Township, Franklin County, Ohio, United States. It is centered near the intersection of US 40 and I-270 on the west side of Columbus. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,702.
Minerva Park is a village in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,009 at the 2020 census.
Riverlea is a village in Franklin County, Ohio, United States, surrounded by Worthington on its north, south, and east sides, and bordered on the west by the Olentangy River, across which is Columbus. Riverlea was incorporated in 1939, a small community that formed on former farmland. The population was 599 at the 2020 census.
Lewis Center is an unincorporated community in northwestern Orange Township, Delaware County, Ohio, United States, in the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.