Editing Portage County, Ohio

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Portage County
 | state                = Ohio
 | image_flag           = Flag of Portage County, Ohio.svg
 | seal                 = Seal of Portage County Ohio.svg
 | founded year         = 1808
 | founded date         = June 7
 | seat wl              = Ravenna
 | largest city wl      = Kent
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 504
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 487
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 17
 | area percentage      = 3.3
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 161791 {{increase}}
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2024
 | population_est       = 
 | density_sq_mi        = 320
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | web                  = https://www.portagecounty-oh.gov/
 | named for            = the [[portage]] between the [[Cuyahoga River|Cuyahoga]] and [[Tuscarawas River|Tuscarawas]] Rivers
 | ex image             = Portage County courthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Portage County Courthouse
 | district             = 13th
 | district2            = 14th
}}

'''Portage County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Ohio]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 161,791.<ref name="2020 census">{{Cite web |title=2020 Population and Housing State Data |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Census.gov |language=en}}</ref> Located in [[Northeast Ohio]], Portage County is part of the [[Akron metropolitan area|Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which is also included in the [[Northeast Ohio|Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area]]. Its [[county seat]] is [[Ravenna, Ohio|Ravenna]] and its largest city is [[Kent, Ohio|Kent]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web |title=P1: RACE - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P1?t=Population%20Total&g=050XX00US39133,39133$0600000&tp=true |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The county, [[List of Ohio county name etymologies|named]] for the [[portage]] between the [[Cuyahoga River|Cuyahoga]] and [[Tuscarawas River|Tuscarawas]] rivers, was created in 1807 and formally organized in 1808.<ref>{{cite web |date=2007 |title=Ohio: Individual County Chronologies |url=https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/OH_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406154847/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/OH_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |archive-date=April 6, 2016 |access-date=2025-01-27 |work=Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries |publisher=The Newberry Library}}</ref><ref name="osuedc">{{cite web |title=Portage County Profile - County Breakout |url=http://www.osuedc.org/profiles/profile_entrance.php?fips=39133 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424075206/http://www.osuedc.org/profiles/profile_entrance.php?fips=39133 |archive-date=2006-04-24 |access-date=April 28, 2007 |website=[[Ohio State University]] Extension Data Center |url-status=usurped |publisher=}}</ref> In addition to the cities of Kent and Ravenna, Portage County also includes the cities of [[Aurora, Ohio|Aurora]] and [[Streetsboro, Ohio|Streetsboro]], along with five villages, 18 [[civil township]]s, and several unincorporated places within those townships. Additionally, the county includes parts of the city of [[Tallmadge, Ohio|Tallmadge]], and part of the village of [[Mogadore, Ohio|Mogadore]], both of which are mostly in neighboring [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit County]].

==History==
The name "Portage" comes from an old Indian path called "Portage Path", which ran between the [[Cuyahoga River|Cuyahoga]] and [[Tuscarawas River|Tuscarawas]] rivers, where travelers [[portage]]d their canoes. The location of the trail today is within the boundaries of neighboring [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit County]].<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=The Western Reserve Company |last=Cherry |first=Peter Peterson |title=The Portage Path |location=Akron, Ohio |access-date=June 8, 2013 |year=1911 |url=https://archive.org/details/portagepath00cher}}</ref><ref name=portage>{{cite book |title=History of Portage County Ohio |last=Brown |first=R.C. |author2=Norris, J.E. |orig-year=1885 |year=1972 |publisher=Warner, Beers, and Company |location=[[Chicago, Illinois]] |pages=192–196 |quote=Portage County received its name from the fact that the old Indian Portage Path, between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers, was, originally, within its limits, though now in Summit County.}}</ref>

As of 1600, the area was likely almost entirely home to the [[Whittlesey culture]], a presumably Algonquian people who lived along the southern shore of Lake Erie, to the west of the Erie Nation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whittlesey Culture |url=http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2052&nm=Whittlesey-Culture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424031939/http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org:80/entry.php?rec=2052&nm=Whittlesey-Culture |archive-date=2013-04-24 |access-date=January 29, 2020 |website=ohiohistorycentral.org}}</ref> They were a mixed culture people and also exhibited signs of picking up traits from both Fort Ancients and Iroquoians. The Erie may have also held a bit of the area, but this is unclear. During the [[Beaver Wars]], approximately 1632–1701, the Whittlesey and Erie were already at war when the Erie decided to also declare war on the Iroquois for the atrocities being committed against allied tribes in Canada. The Erie lost around 1650 and the Whittlesey were likely similarly subjugated afterwards, as the Iroquois conquered all the way to the shores of Lake Michigan by the 1670s.<ref>Jesuit Relations</ref>

The Iroquois placed a vassal tribe of captured Huron in the area who became known as the Wyandot, while they conquered further west.<ref>{{cite book |last=Connelley |first=William Elsey |url=https://archive.org/details/indianmyths00conn/page/n7/mode/2up |title=Indian Myths |publisher=Rand McNally & Company |others=Illustrated by William Wallace Clarke |year=1928}}</ref> Later, the French made it to the Mississippi River and volunteered to aid the Natives in that region to push the Iroquois back to New York. By the end of the Beaver Wars, the Wyandot had broken free of Iroquois control and reabsorbed surviving Hurons taking refuge all over the Great Lakes, but set aside the area roughly between the Cuyahoga River, the [[Mahoning River]] and the Ohio-Pennsylvania border as a collective hunting ground, to be enjoyed by all the tribes of the region. The Lenape had a village around modern day Youngstown, possibly established during the 1690s, from which they and the Seneca and Shawnee from further south staged ventures into the region<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hanna |first=Charles A. |url=https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/wildernesstrail02hann |title=The Wilderness Trail; or, The Ventures and Adventures of the Pennsylvania Traders on the Allegheny Path |publisher=[[G. P. Putnam's Sons]] |year=1911 |volume=2 |language=en |access-date=2025-01-27}}</ref> and up in Ashtabula County, the Ottawas, or Mississaugas, from the western end of Lake Erie were allowed to maintain a village at Conneaut.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://conneautohio.gov/about/history.php |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=The City of Conneaut}}</ref> Ashtabula itself seems to come from the Algonquian name for the area and roughly translates to "Place with Enough for everyone."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mahr |first=August C. |date=November 1959 |title=Practical Reasons for Algonkian Indian Stream and Place Names |url=https://kb.osu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/c6c44b7e-72a9-5e09-a469-cfa341ab0feb/content |journal=The Ohio Journal of Science |volume=59 |issue=6 |pages=365–375 |issn=0030-0950 |access-date=August 3, 2016 |hdl-access=free |hdl=1811/4658}}</ref> The Lenape later lost rights to the eastern extremes of their territory between the Potomac River and the Mahoning River by a government proclamation in 1763,<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Connell |first=Linda Matys |last2=Venditta |first2=David |date=November 27, 2006 |title=How peace was made |url=https://www.mcall.com/2006/11/27/how-peace-was-made/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |work=[[The Morning Call]]}}</ref> but sources say they began relocating into Tuscarawas and Holmes Counties in 1758 in preparation for such an event.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mitchener |first=Charles Hallowell |title=Ohio Annals: Historic Events in the Tuscarawas and Muskingum Valleys |publication-date=1876 |lccn=rc01002235}}</ref>

The region continued being used as such until around 1785,<ref>{{cite web |title=Treaty of Fort McIntosh (1785) |url=https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Treaty_of_Fort_McIntosh_%281785%29?rec=1422&nm=Treaty-of-Fort-McIntosh-1785 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020173431/https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Treaty_of_Fort_McIntosh_(1785)?rec=1422&nm=Treaty-of-Fort-McIntosh-1785 |archive-date=2020-10-20 |access-date=September 21, 2020 |website=ohiohistorycentral.org}}</ref> when the newly formed United States tried issuing a treaty stripping the vast majority of what is now Ohio from Native control and began offering subsidies for people to move into the region, sparking the [[Northwest Indian War]] from 1785-1795.<ref>{{cite book |last=Barnes |first=Celia |title=Native American Power in the United States, 1783–1795 |date=2003 |publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson University Press |isbn=978-0838639580 |location=Madison, NJ}}</ref> In the aftermath, the government issued the [[Treaty of Greenville]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Treaty With The Wyandot, Etc., 1785 |url=https://treaties.okstate.edu/treaties/treaty-with-the-wyandot-etc-1785-0006 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=Oklahoma State University Libraries Tribal Treaties Database}}</ref> which stripped even more land from the Natives than originally planned and opened up northeast Ohio for white settlement for the first time. Most Natives did not leave and mixed tribal communities still existed all over the state for some time afterwards, with permanent Ottawa, Seneca, and Wyandot villages still existing in what is now Portage and Geauga Counties,<ref>{{cite web |title=About Streetsboro |url=https://www.cityofstreetsboro.com/about-streetsboro/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=City of Streetsboro}}</ref> but all written accounts of Natives seems to have ceased sometime around the War of 1812, which is also when the Shawnee War (1811-1813) was occurring.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=H. Z. |url=https://archive.org/details/historyoftrumbul01will/page/n8/mode/1up |title=History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties |last2=& Bro. |year=1882 |volume=1 |page=56}}</ref> The local government had its own land arrangements with the Natives for a time. It is unclear where the Natives went, after that, but this may coincide with the [[1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes]], one of the most massive earthquakes to ever hit the east coast in recorded history, and was interpreted by many Ohio Natives that they should throw their support behind Shawnee cult leader, Tenskwatawa, at the Prophettown stronghold, which also coincides with the outbreak of the Shawnee War, later that year.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ehle |first=John |title=Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Anchor Books]] |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-385-23954-7 |pages=102-104}}</ref> Most of the Eastern nations got sucked up into his cult and many Natives relocated to live near him.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Edmunds. |first=R. David |title=The Shawnee Prophet |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=1985 |location=Lincoln, Nebraska |page=29}}</ref>

Portage County is also home to a burial mound—Towner's Mound, in Franklin Township—which outdates all the above mentioned cultures.<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Bragg |first1=Chloe E. |title=Towner Mound: Creating Content and Sparking Curiosity for the Portage County Parks |date=May 2015 |access-date=2025-01-28 |degree=BS |publisher=Kent State University |url=https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/etd/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=ksuhonors1430692663}}</ref> It was unique in structure to other types of burial mounds from the Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient cultures, but identical to two other excavated mounds in [[North Benton, Ohio]], and [[Warren, Pennsylvania]].

After the discovery of the [[New World]], the land that became Portage County was originally part of the French colony of [[New France|Canada (New France)]], which was ceded in 1763 to [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] and renamed the [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]]. In the late 18th century the land became part of the [[Connecticut Western Reserve]] in the [[Northwest Territory]], then was purchased by the [[Connecticut Land Company]] in 1795.

The first European settler in what is now Portage County was Abraham Honey in 1798 in the area now known as [[Mantua Township, Portage County, Ohio|Mantua Township]], followed by Asa Hall in what is now [[Atwater Township, Portage County, Ohio|Atwater Township]] in April 1799. In June 1799, [[Benjamin Tappan]], Jr. arrived and founded [[Ravenna, Ohio|Ravenna]], David Daniels came to what is now [[Palmyra Township, Portage County, Ohio|Palmyra Township]], and Ebenezer Sheldon settled in what is now [[Aurora, Ohio|Aurora]].<ref>Brown and Norris, pp. 229–232</ref> A family group of [[Huguenot]] refugees also eventually migrated to Portage County by 1804.<ref>{{cite book |last=Calvin |first=Claude W. |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062866439;view=1up;seq=1 |title=The Calvin Families |date=1945 |publisher=Edwards Brothers, Inc. |pages=67–68}}</ref>

[[File:Portage County 1826.jpg|left|250px|thumb|1826 map of Portage County with 30 townships]]
When first settled, the area that presently constitutes Portage County was part of the original [[Jefferson County, Ohio|Jefferson County]], which had been organized in 1797. In 1800, the area was made part of [[Trumbull County, Ohio|Trumbull County]], which followed the boundaries of the [[Connecticut Western Reserve]]. In 1802, all of what is now Portage County was organized under the name of [[Franklin Township, Portage County, Ohio|Franklin Township]] with other townships being formed later. On February 10, 1807, the Ohio state legislature passed the act to create Portage County from Trumbull County and it took effect June 7, 1807. Portage County remained attached to Trumbull County until June 8, 1808, when the first elections were held. Initially, the county included a large area of the Western Reserve that encompassed most of present-day Summit County, all of Medina and Huron counties, and parts of Lorain and Ashland counties. There were six organized townships in 1808: Franklin, Deerfield, Aurora, Hiram, Springfield, and Hudson with new townships organized later, reaching a maximum of 30. The present-day boundaries of Portage County were established in 1840 following the 1812 creation of Medina County, a slight boundary adjustment in 1827 with Cuyahoga County, and finally the creation of Summit County in 1840, which took 10 townships from Portage County along with 3 townships from Medina County and two from Stark County.<ref name=portage/>

What is referred to as the last great train robbery in US history occurred in Garrettsville in 1935.<ref>{{cite web |last=Guerrieri |first=Vince |date=November-December 2021 |title=America's Last Great Train Heist |url=https://www.ohiomagazine.com/ohio-life/article/the-last-great-train-heist |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Ohio Magazine}}</ref> The government sent in a massive team to investigate, whom the locals called the G-Men. Today, the James A. Garfield schools in Garrettsville have the G-Men as their team mascot.

Portage County was also the site of the [[Kent State shootings]] on May 4, 1970.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Philip |first=Philip |date=May 4, 2005 |title=The Kent State Shootings, 35 Years Later |url=https://www.npr.org/2005/05/04/4630596/the-kent-state-shootings-35-years-later |access-date=November 9, 2007 |work=[[NPR]] |quote=These would be the first of many probes into what soon became known as the Kent State Massacre. Like the Boston Massacre almost exactly two hundred years before (March 5, 1770), which it resembled, it was called a massacre not for the number of its victims, but for the wanton manner in which they were shot down.}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Towners Woods gazebo.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Gazebo at Towner's Woods Park in Franklin Township, part of the county park system]]

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|504|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|487|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|17|sqmi}} (3.3%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_39.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 10, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504223453/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_39.txt|archive-date=May 4, 2014}}</ref>

[[West Branch State Park]] is a very large state park in central Portage County, consisting of a large green surrounding the Michael J. Kirwan Dam and Reservoir. There are a number of smaller state and local parks.

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Geauga County, Ohio|Geauga County]] (north)
* [[Trumbull County, Ohio|Trumbull County]] (east)
* [[Mahoning County, Ohio|Mahoning County]] (southeast)
* [[Stark County, Ohio|Stark County]] (south)
* [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit County]] (west)
* [[Cuyahoga County, Ohio|Cuyahoga County]] (northwest)

===Major highways===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* {{jct|state=OH|I|76}}
* {{jct|state=OH|I|80|OHTP}}
* {{jct|state=OH|I|480}}
* {{jct|state=OH|US|224}}
* {{jct|state=OH|US|422}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|5}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|14}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|43}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|44}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|59}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|82}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|88}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|183}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|225}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|261}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|282}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|303}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|305}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|306}}
* {{jct|state=OH|OH|700}}
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1810= 2995
|1820= 10095
|1830= 18826
|1840= 22965
|1850= 24419
|1860= 24208
|1870= 24584
|1880= 27500
|1890= 27868
|1900= 29246
|1910= 30307
|1920= 36369
|1930= 42682
|1940= 46660
|1950= 63984
|1960= 91798
|1970= 125868
|1980= 135856
|1990= 142585
|2000= 152061
|2010= 161419
|2020= 161791
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/oh190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref> 2020 <ref name="2020 census"/>
}}

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 152,061 people, 56,449 households, and 39,175 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|309|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 60,096 housing units at an average density of {{convert|122|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The racial makeup of the county was 94.40% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 3.18% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.18% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.82% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.22% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.19% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 23.5% were of [[germans|German]], 11.0% [[Irish people|Irish]], 9.9% [[Italian people|Italian]], 9.7% [[English people|English]], 9.7% [[United States|American]] and 5.2% [[Polish people|Polish]] ancestry according to [[Census 2000]]. 96.1% spoke [[English language|English]] and 1.2% [[Spanish language|Spanish]] as their first language.

There were 56,449 households, out of which 32.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.70% under the age of 18, 14.30% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,347, and the median income for a family was $52,820. Males had a median income of $37,434 versus $26,232 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $20,428. About 5.90% of families and 9.30% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.90% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.

Using the [[Gini coefficient]] to measure household inequality, Portage County received a .43 in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title =Portage County - Gini coefficient Portage County, Ohio |url=http://portage.oh.networkofcare.org/ph/indicator_detail.aspx?id=GINIcoeff |website=portage.oh.networkofcare.org |access-date=September 22, 2015 |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120160445/http://portage.oh.networkofcare.org/ph/indicator_detail.aspx?id=GINIcoeff |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013 16.1% of the population, or 25,196 people, were poor or impoverished. The county saw an increase in its poor population, as this can be compared to a 9.3% poverty rate (13,395 people) in 1999.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=January 2015 |title=The Ohio Poverty Report |url=https://development.ohio.gov/files/research/P7005.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120101725/https://development.ohio.gov/files/research/P7005.pdf |archive-date=2015-11-20 |access-date=September 21, 2015 |publisher=Ohio Development Services Agency |page=53}}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 161,419&nbsp;people, 62,222&nbsp;households, and 40,757&nbsp;families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39133
  |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data
  |access-date=December 27, 2015
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213014751/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39133
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The population density was {{convert|331.2|PD/sqmi}}. There were 67,472 housing units at an average density of {{convert|138.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}.<ref name="census-density">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39133
  |access-date=December 27, 2015
|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213184534/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39133
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 92.3% white, 4.1% black or African American, 1.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 30.7% were [[Germans|German]], 17.1% were [[Irish people|Irish]], 11.5% were [[English people|English]], 11.0% were [[Italians|Italian]], 6.6% were [[Polish people|Polish]], and 5.7% were [[Americans|American]].<ref name="census-dp2">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39133
  |title=DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=December 27, 2015
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213015143/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39133
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

Of the 62,222&nbsp;households, 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.5% were non-families, and 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 37.4 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $50,447 and the median income for a family was $65,306. Males had a median income of $46,014 versus $34,250 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,097. About 8.1% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39133
  |title=DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=December 27, 2015
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213020447/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39133
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Government==

As of January 2025, the following officials are in county-wide elected office:<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 List of Officials |url=https://www.portagecounty-oh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3706/f/uploads/2025_elected_officials.pdf |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=portagecounty-oh.gov}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Portage County Elected Officials
|-
! Position
! Name
! Party
|- {{party shading/Republican}}
| Commissioner
| Michael Tinlin
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- {{party shading/Republican}}
| Commissioner
| Jill Crawford
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- {{party shading/Republican}}
| Commissioner
| Sabrina Christian-Bennett
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- {{party shading/Republican}}
| Auditor
| Matt Kelly
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- {{party shading/Republican}}
| Prosecuting Attorney
| Connie Lewandowski
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- {{party shading/Democratic}}
| Clerk of Courts
| Jill Fankhauser
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]
|- {{party shading/Republican}}
| Sheriff
| Bruce Zuchowski Jr.
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- {{party shading/Republican}}
| Recorder
| Lori Calcei
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|- {{party shading/Democratic}}
| Treasurer
| John Kennedy
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]
|- {{party shading/Democratic}}
| Engineer
| Larry D. Jenkins Jr.
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]
|- {{party shading/Democratic}}
| Coroner
| Dean Deperro
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]
|}

==Politics==
From 1992 to 2012, Portage County had been reliably Democratic but following a trend seen throughout large parts of Ohio, in 2016 [[Donald Trump]] won Portage County by 9.87 points and then again in 2020 by 12.44 points, becoming the first Republican in almost three decades to win the county, the last time being [[George H. W. Bush]] in 1988.
{{PresHead|place=Portage County, Ohio|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 3, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|47,681|34,759|1,179|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|45,990|35,661|1,371|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|39,971|32,397|4,394|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|35,242|39,453|1,689|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|34,822|41,856|1,724|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|35,583|40,675|389|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|28,271|31,446|3,182|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|18,939|29,441|9,858|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|18,447|26,325|17,363|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|26,334|25,607|539|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|29,536|21,719|432|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|22,829|20,570|4,791|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|17,927|24,417|1,480|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|23,294|20,769|939|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|15,064|16,348|5,093|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|10,842|23,308|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|19,634|18,528|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|18,943|13,128|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|17,168|13,553|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|11,621|11,987|268|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|12,284|12,533|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|11,777|12,687|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|8,035|13,798|630|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|9,586|9,662|733|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|12,086|4,756|106|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|8,583|2,994|2,172|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|8,231|5,405|317|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|3,142|4,269|272|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,162|2,855|3,370|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|4,129|3,625|317|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|4,712|2,486|343|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|4,311|3,651|222|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|4,073|3,995|76|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|3,310|2,953|515|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|3,880|3,260|270|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|3,931|3,273|339|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1880|Republican|3,990|3,147|122|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1876|Republican|3,712|3,006|41|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1872|Republican|3,478|2,438|77|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1868|Republican|3,604|2,362|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1864|Republican|3,475|1,921|0|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1860|Republican|3,065|1,970|130|Ohio}}
{{PresRow|1856|Republican|2,983|2,072|6|Ohio}}
|}
{{U.S. SenHead|place=Portage County, Ohio|Seat=1|source=<ref>{{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/ohio-senate-results}}</ref>}}
<!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{U.S. SenRow|2024|Republican|42,163|37,082|3,000|Ohio}}
{{U.S. SenFoot}}

==Education==
The county is served by multiple public school districts, private schools, and public libraries, and is home to two institutions of higher education.

===Libraries===
[[File:Kent Free Library 1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Kent Free Library]] in Kent]]
The Portage County Library Consortium is a [[library consortium]] consisting of [[Kent Free Library]] in Kent, Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna, and the five branches of the Portage County Library District, which are located in Aurora, Garrettsville, Randolph, Streetsboro, and Windham. The consortium allows patrons of any member library to use their library card at another consortium location or request materials housed at another library. Through the SearchOhio database, the consortium is connected to [[OhioLINK]], which provides local access to the [[State Library of Ohio]] and dozens of university and college libraries across the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=SearchOhio and OhioLINK |url=https://kentfreelibrary.org/services/searchohio-and-ohiolink/ |access-date=April 29, 2022 |website=[[Kent Free Library]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About SearchOhio |url=https://searchohio.org/searchohio/index.php/about-search-ohio/ |access-date=April 29, 2022 |website=Search Ohio}}</ref>

The county is also home to the [[Kent State University]] Libraries in Kent, an [[academic library]] system with a collection of over 2.5 million volumes. The KSU system, one of three members of the [[Association of Research Libraries]] in Ohio, includes the 12-story main library and individual libraries for architecture, fashion, performing arts, and maps, on the main campus in Kent. It also includes individual libraries at each of the university's seven regional campuses in [[Northeast Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web |title=About University Libraries |url=https://www.library.kent.edu/university-libraries/about-university-libraries |publisher=[[Kent State University]] |access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref>

===Public school districts===
Portage County is home to eleven public school districts.<ref name=tax>{{cite web |url=http://www.cleveland.com/pdgraphics/interactive/propertytax2007/ |title=Property Tax 2007 |access-date=October 11, 2008 |author=Exner, Rich |work=Cleveland.com Business |publisher=[[The Plain Dealer]] |year=2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004231422/http://www.cleveland.com/pdgraphics/interactive/propertytax2007/ |archive-date=October 4, 2008}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! District
! Location
! Communities served
|-
| Aurora City School District
| Aurora
| Aurora, small part of Reminderville
|-
| Crestwood Local School District
| Mantua
| Mantua, Mantua Township, Hiram, most of Hiram Township, most of Shalersville Township
|-
| James A. Garfield Local School District
| Garrettsville
| Garrettsville, Nelson Township, Freedom Township, part of Hiram Township, small part of Charlestown Township
|-
| Field Local School District
| Brimfield
| Most of Brimfield and Suffield Townships, parts of Tallmadge and Kent annexed from Brimfield
|-
| [[Kent City School District]]
| Kent
| Sugar Bush Knolls, most of Kent and Franklin Township, small portion of Streetsboro
|-
| [[Ravenna School District]]
| Ravenna
| Ravenna, Ravenna Township, small portion of Shalersville Township
|-
| [[Rootstown Local School District]]
| Rootstown
| Rootstown Township and small portion of Brimfield Township
|-
| Southeast Local School District
| Palmyra
| Edinburg Township, Palmyra Township, Paris Township, most of Charlestown Township, most of Deerfield Township
|-
| Streetsboro City School District
| Streetsboro
| most of Streetsboro
|-
| Waterloo Local School District
| Atwater
| Atwater Township, Randolph Township, small portion of Deerfield Township
|-
| [[Windham Exempted Village School District]]
| Windham
| Windham, Windham Township
|}

[[File:Portage County School Districts 2022.svg|thumb|right|200px|Map of school districts in Portage County with township and municipal boundaries superimposed as of 2022.]]

In addition, there are parts of five neighboring districts which serve portions of Portage County residents.<ref name=tax/>

{| class="wikitable"
! District
! Location
! Communities served in Portage County
|-
| Lake Local School District
| Uniontown
| small part of Suffield Township
|-
| Mogadore Local School District
| Mogadore
| Mogadore, small part of Suffield Township
|-
| Springfield Local School District
| [[Springfield Township, Summit County, Ohio|Springfield]]
| small part of Suffield Township
|-
| [[Stow-Munroe Falls City School District]]
| Stow
| small part of Franklin Township
|-
| Tallmadge City School District
| Tallmadge
| small part of Tallmadge in Portage County
|-
| West Branch Local School District
| Beloit
| small part of Deerfield Township
|}

Portage County also has two public schools that serve students from multiple districts:
* Maplewood Career Center in Ravenna, a joint vocational school for students in grades 11 and 12 from nine of the county's school districts (all but Kent and Aurora) and Mogadore.
* [[Bio-Med Science Academy]], a year-round public [[STEM fields|science, technology, engineering, mathematics]], and medicine (STEM+M) high school located on the campus of [[Northeast Ohio Medical University]] in Rootstown with campuses in Ravenna and Shalersville. The academy has students enrolled from Portage County and adjacent counties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bio-Med Science Academy |url=http://biomedscienceacademy.org |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Bio-Med Science Academy |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Private schools===
*Crossroads Christian Academy, a Christian school for grades K4–12 operated by and housed at First Baptist Church in Streetsboro<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://ccastreetsboro.com/about/ |access-date=April 29, 2022 |publisher=Crossroads Christian Academy}}</ref>
*St. Joseph School, a Roman Catholic school for grades PK–8 in [[St. Joseph, Portage County, Ohio|St. Joseph]], affiliated with the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown|Diocese of Youngstown]]<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Joseph School |url=https://stjosephschoolrandolph.org/ |publisher=St. Joseph School |access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref>
*St. Patrick School, a Roman Catholic school for grades K–8 in Kent, affiliated with the Diocese of Youngstown<ref>{{cite web |title=Classrooms |url=https://stpatskent.org/classrooms/ |publisher=St. Patrick School |access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref>
*Valley Christian Academy, a Christian school for grades PK–8 in Aurora<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.valleychristian.com/about-us |publisher=Valley Christian Academy |access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref>

===Higher education===
Portage County is home to three institutions of higher learning:
* [[Kent State University]], located in [[Kent, Ohio|Kent]]; a large regional public research university with around 40,000 students. It serves as the county's largest employer.
* [[Hiram College]], located in [[Hiram, Ohio|Hiram]] in northeastern Portage County; a small liberal arts college of around 1,200 students.
* [[Northeast Ohio Medical University]] (NEOMED), located in [[Rootstown Township, Portage County, Ohio|Rootstown]], in the south-central part of the county. It is a public medical school and a consortium of Kent State University, the [[University of Akron]], [[Youngstown State University]], and [[Cleveland State University]], with colleges of medicine, pharmacy, and graduate studies.<ref>{{cite web |title=About NEOMED |url=http://www.neomed.edu/about |access-date=August 31, 2012 |publisher=[[Northeast Ohio Medical University]]}}</ref>

==Culture==
===Theater===
* [[Kent Stage]]

===Museums===
* Kelso House Museum, [[Brimfield Township, Ohio|Brimfield]]
* Kent Historical Society Museum, Kent
* Kent State University Museum, Kent
* Kent State School of Art Galleries, Kent
* Cowrie-Lowrie-Beatty Portage County Historical Society Museum, Ravenna

===Media===
* ''[[Record-Courier (Ohio)|Record-Courier]]'', a newspaper based in Ravenna that covers news for the entire county online and in print
* The Portager, an online news source based in [[Randolph Township, Portage County, Ohio|Randolph]] that covers the entire county<ref>{{cite web |title=About The Portager |url=https://theportager.com/about/ |access-date=April 29, 2022 |website=The Portager}}</ref>
* KentStater, an online news source from Kent State University independent student media outlets ''The Kent Stater'' and TV2<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://kentwired.com/about-us/ |access-date=April 29, 2022 |website=KentStater}}</ref>
* Weekly Villager, online news source based in [[Garrettsville, Ohio|Garrettsville]] with news from Portage, Geauga, and Trumbull counties<ref>{{cite web |title=Weekly Villager |url=https://weeklyvillager.com/ |access-date=April 29, 2022 |website=Weekly Villager}}</ref>

==Communities==
[[File:Portage County borders 2023.svg|thumb|250px|right|Map of Portage County municipal, township, and census-designated place labels]]

Portage County is arranged as a 4&nbsp;x 5 grid of 20 rectangles and contains all or part of 18 unincorporated [[township (United States)|townships]], five [[City|cities]], and six villages. Under Ohio law, there are two types of incorporated municipal jurisdictions: [[List of cities in Ohio|cities]] and [[List of villages in Ohio|villages]]; and any territory within a county that is not part of an incorporated municipality is part of a [[List of Ohio townships|township]]. Townships have limited local government and services.

In addition to the cities, village, and townships, the [[United States Census Bureau]] has four [[census-designated place]]s (CDP) in Portage County. These CDPs are for statistical purposes only and have no government or official boundaries separate from the township they are located in. There are also 17 additional named places in the county. All 17 places are considered part of whatever jurisdiction they are located in (township or municipality) and have no formal boundaries or additional government of their own.

[[Camp James A. Garfield]], formerly known as the Ravenna Training and Logistics Site and commonly known as the Ravenna Arsenal, occupies much of the land in Charlestown, Paris, and Windham townships, as well as a small part of Freedom Township. While the portions of Camp Garfield are still considered part of the various townships they cover, the land is under the jurisdiction of the US federal government.

===Cities===
* [[Aurora, Ohio|Aurora]]
* [[Kent, Ohio|Kent]]
* [[Ravenna, Ohio|Ravenna]] (county seat)
* [[Streetsboro, Ohio|Streetsboro]]
* [[Tallmadge, Ohio|Tallmadge]]

===Villages===
* [[Garrettsville, Ohio|Garrettsville]]
* [[Hiram, Ohio|Hiram]]
* [[Mantua, Ohio|Mantua]]
* [[Mogadore, Ohio|Mogadore]]
* [[Sugar Bush Knolls, Ohio|Sugar Bush Knolls]]
* [[Windham, Ohio|Windham]]

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Atwater Township, Portage County, Ohio|Atwater]]
* [[Brimfield Township, Ohio|Brimfield]]
* [[Charlestown Township, Portage County, Ohio|Charlestown]]
* [[Deerfield Township, Portage County, Ohio|Deerfield]]
* [[Edinburg Township, Portage County, Ohio|Edinburg]]
* [[Franklin Township, Portage County, Ohio|Franklin]]
* [[Freedom Township, Portage County, Ohio|Freedom]]
* [[Hiram Township, Portage County, Ohio|Hiram]]
* [[Mantua Township, Portage County, Ohio|Mantua]]
* [[Nelson Township, Portage County, Ohio|Nelson]]
* [[Palmyra Township, Portage County, Ohio|Palmyra]]
* [[Paris Township, Portage County, Ohio|Paris]]
* [[Randolph Township, Portage County, Ohio|Randolph]]
* [[Ravenna Township, Portage County, Ohio|Ravenna]]
* [[Rootstown Township, Portage County, Ohio|Rootstown]]
* [[Shalersville Township, Portage County, Ohio|Shalersville]]
* [[Suffield Township, Portage County, Ohio|Suffield]]
* [[Windham Township, Portage County, Ohio|Windham]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated places===
* [[Atwater (CDP), Ohio|Atwater]] in Atwater Township
* [[Brady Lake, Ohio|Brady Lake]] in Franklin Township
* [[Brimfield (CDP), Ohio|Brimfield]] in Brimfield Township
* [[Suffield (CDP), Ohio|Suffield]] in Suffield Township

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Black Horse, Ohio|Black Horse]]
* [[Campbellsport, Ohio|Campbellsport]]
* [[Cobbs Corners, Ohio|Cobbs Corners]]
* [[Diamond, Ohio|Diamond]]
* [[Drakesburg, Ohio|Drakesburg]]
* [[Earlville, Ohio|Earlville]]
* [[Freedom Station, Ohio|Freedom Station]]
* [[Hiram Rapids, Ohio|Hiram Rapids]]
* [[Lloyd, Ohio|Lloyd]]
* [[Mahoning, Ohio|Mahoning]]
* [[Mishler, Ohio|Mishler]]
* [[Moran, Ohio|Moran]]
* [[New Milford, Ohio|New Milford]]
* [[Saint Joseph, Portage County, Ohio|St. Joseph]]
* [[Twin Lakes, Ohio|Twin Lakes]]
* [[Wayland, Ohio|Wayland]]
* [[Yale, Ohio|Yale]]
{{div col end}}

==Notable people==
* [[Nettie Sanford Chapin]] (1830–1901), teacher, historian, author, newspaper publisher, suffragist
* [[Peter J. Barber]] (1830-1905), architect, known for his work in Santa Barbara, California

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Portage County, Ohio]]
* [[Ohio county government]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.co.portage.oh.us Portage County Government website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721033812/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/39133.html US Census Bureau Quickfacts for Portage County, Ohio]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Portage County, Ohio
|North     = [[Geauga County, Ohio|Geauga County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Trumbull County, Ohio|Trumbull County]]
|Southeast = [[Mahoning County, Ohio|Mahoning County]]
|South     = [[Stark County, Ohio|Stark County]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit County]]
|Northwest = [[Cuyahoga County, Ohio|Cuyahoga County]]
}}
{{Portage County, Ohio}}
{{Ohio}}

{{coord|41.17|-81.20|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Portage County, Ohio| ]]
[[Category:1808 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1808]]
[[Category:Ohio counties in the Western Reserve]]