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 five countries: Canada , China , Hungary , Romania , and the United States . An equivalent term, shire town , is used in the U.S. state of Vermont and in several other English-speaking jurisdictions, such as Venezuela .
42-620: Northwest Columbus is a region in Franklin County, Ohio . It has about 45,000 residents, according to the 2010 U.S. census. Northwest Columbus is bounded by the Scioto River on the west, the Olentangy River on the east, State Route 161 on the north, and Highland Drive and Henderson Road on the south. The region includes parts of Perry Township , Sharon Township , the City of Dublin , and
84-526: A Superior Court and Sheriff (as an officer of the court ), both located in a designated "shire town". Bennington County, Vermont has two shire towns; the court for "North Shire" is in the shire town Manchester , and the Sheriff for the county and court for "South Shire" are in the shire town Bennington. In 2024, Connecticut , which had not defined their counties for anything but statistical, historical and weather warning purposes since 1960, along with ending
126-410: A county seat may be an independent city surrounded by, but not part of, the county of which it is the administrative center; for example, Fairfax City is both the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia and completely surrounded by Fairfax County, but the city is politically independent of the county. When the county seat is in the independent city, government offices such as the courthouse may be in
168-646: A county was the magistrate , who oversaw both the day-to-day operations of the county as well as civil and criminal cases. The current number of counties mostly resembled that of the later years of the Qing dynasty . Changes of location and names of counties in Chinese history have been a major field of research in Chinese historical geography, especially from the 1960s to the 1980s. There are 1,355 counties in Mainland China out of
210-568: A total of 2,851 county-level divisions. In Taiwan , the first counties were first established in 1661 by the Kingdom of Tungning . The later ruler Qing empire inherited this type of administrative divisions. With the increase of Han Chinese population in Taiwan, the number of counties also grew by time. By the end of Qing era, there were 11 counties in Taiwan. Protestant missionaries in China first romanized
252-622: 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
294-593: Is a section of Middle Township , an incorporated municipality. In some states, often those that were among the original Thirteen Colonies , county seats include or formerly included "Court House" as part of their name, such as Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia . Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Iowa , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Mississippi , Missouri , New Hampshire , New York , and Vermont have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of
336-603: Is drained by the Olentangy River and the Scioto River. Major creeks in the county include Big Darby Creek , Big Walnut Creek, and Alum Creek . There are two large reservoirs in the county, Hoover Reservoir and Griggs Reservoir . As of the 2020 census , there were 1,280,122 people, 540,369 households, and 309,654 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,486.4 inhabitants per square mile (960.0/km ). There were 580,903 housing units. The racial makeup of
378-578: Is located at the intersection of State Route 161 and Linworth Road It is bordered on the west by Brookside Estates and the Ohio State University Airport , and on the east by State Route 315 . The area derived its name from Dublin and Worthington. Olentangy Commons is located in the Olentangy River Rd/W Henderson Rd area. It provides off-campus housing to many Ohio State University (OSU) students. Governor's Square
420-899: Is located in the Kenny Rd/W Henderson Rd area. Almost half of the units are occupied by single people/one person. The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has multiple lines in Northwest Columbus. Walking paths and bike lanes are newer additions to the region. It is close to the Olentangy Trail. The Ohio State University Airport is located in Northwest Columbus It contributes over $ 157 million in direct and indirect benefits to Central Ohio each year. Entertainment in Northwest Columbus includes Cinemark Dollar Theater, Buckeye Entertainment, and Sawmill Lanes Bowling Alley. Franklin County, Ohio Franklin County
462-511: The City of Worthington . Northwest Columbus was originally defined as the area bounded by Kenny Road on the east, Dierker Road on the west, Bethel Road on the north, and Old Henderson Road on the south. It was later expanded to the boundaries of the Olentangy River on the east, the Scioto River on the west, State Route 161 on the north, and the border of Upper Arlington/Highland Drive on the south. Northwest Columbus now includes parts of Perry and Sharon Townships, Dublin, and Worthington. In 2007,
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#1732852502571504-723: The People's Republic of China . Xian have existed since the Warring States period and were set up nationwide by the Qin dynasty . The number of counties in China proper gradually increased from dynasty to dynasty. As Qin Shi Huang reorganized the counties after his unification, there were about 1,000. Under the Eastern Han dynasty , the number of counties increased to above 1,000. About 1400 existed when
546-539: The Sui dynasty abolished the commandery level (郡 jùn), which was the level just above counties, and demoted some commanderies to counties. In Imperial China, the county was a significant administrative unit because it marked the lowest level of the imperial bureaucratic structure; in other words, it was the lowest level that the government reached. Government below the county level was often undertaken through informal non-bureaucratic means, varying between dynasties. The head of
588-515: The United States , a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The city, town, or populated place that houses county government is known as the seat of its county. Generally, the county legislature, county courthouse, sheriff's department headquarters, hall of records, jail and correctional facility are located in
630-411: The provinces of Ontario , Quebec , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , and Nova Scotia have counties as an administrative division of government below the provincial level, and thus county seats. In the provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia the term "shire town" is used in place of county seat. County seats in China are the administrative centers of the counties in
672-402: The County's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the largest employers in the county are: For most of the 20th century, Franklin County shared the heavy Republican bent of the rest of central Ohio, and was one of the more conservative urban counties in the nation. From 1896 to 1992, it went Republican all but five times, the last three of which were national Democratic landslides that saw
714-682: The Democratic candidate win over 400 electoral votes. However, it has gone Democratic in every election since 1996, reflecting the Democratic trend in most other urban counties nationwide. Columbus and most of its northern and western suburbs lean Democratic, while the more blue-collar southern section of the county leans Republican. From 1996 to 2004, Democratic nominees carried the county by single digit margins, but it swung significantly in favor of Barack Obama in 2008 . The county swung towards Democrats in every subsequent Presidential election until 2024 . Most recently, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris won
756-662: The Scioto Company met again in Granby and decided not to purchase the lands along the Scioto River on the Pickaway Plains, but rather to buy land 30 miles (48 km) farther north from Jonas Stanbery and his partner, an American Revolutionary War general, Jonathan Dayton . Sixteen thousand acres (65 km ; 6,500 ha) were purchased along the Whetstone River (now known as the Olentangy River ) at $ 1.50 per acre. This land
798-637: The United States, Ohio State University , which has about 60,000 students on its main Columbus campus. It shares a name with Franklin County in Kentucky , where Frankfort is located. This makes it one of two pairs of capital cities in counties of the same name, along with Marion Counties in Indiana and Oregon . On March 30, 1803, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Franklin County. The county originally
840-474: The actual movement of the capital in 1816, Columbus and Franklin County grew significantly. By 1813, workers had built a penitentiary , and by the following year, residents had established the first church, school, and newspaper in Columbus. Workers completed the Ohio Statehouse in 1861. Columbus and Franklin County grew quickly in population, with the city having 700 people by 1815. Columbus officially became
882-476: The boundaries were changed to include only property within the City of Columbus. Northwest Columbus used to be mainly farm land. However, since the development of the automobile, they have evolved into suburbs . The area has now includes housing developments , commercial and entertainment sites, schools, and medical facilities. In 1796, the area now known as Sharon Township was part of the U.S. Military District. It
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#1732852502571924-621: The county seat in 1824. By 1834, the population of Columbus was 4,000 people, officially elevating it to "city" status. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 544 square miles (1,410 km ), of which 532 square miles (1,380 km ) is land and 11 square miles (28 km ) (2.1%) is water. The county is located in the Till Plains and the Appalachian Plateau land regions. The county
966-432: The county seat is the entire county. Ellicott City , the county seat of Howard County, Maryland , is the largest unincorporated county seat in the United States, followed by Towson , the county seat of Baltimore County, Maryland . Likewise, some county seats may not be incorporated in their own right, but are located within incorporated municipalities. For example, Cape May Court House, New Jersey , though unincorporated,
1008-491: The county seat, though some functions (such as highway maintenance, which usually requires a large garage for vehicles, along with asphalt and salt storage facilities) may also be located or conducted in other parts of the county, especially if it is geographically large. A county seat is usually an incorporated municipality . The exceptions include the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia , where
1050-454: The county was 60.6% White , 22.6% African American , 0.3% Native American , 5.6% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 3.7% from some other races and 7.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.9% of the population. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.5% were under 5 years of age, and 13.2% were 65 and older. As of the 2010 census , there were 1,163,414 people, 477,235 households, and 278,030 families living in
1092-546: The county with 63.0 percent of the vote and a 28.1 percent margin of victory. In Congress, it is split between two districts. Most of Columbus itself is in the 3rd district , represented by Democrat Joyce Beatty . The southwestern portion is in 15th district , represented by Republican Mike Carey . Franklin County is currently made up of 16 cities, 10 villages, and 18 townships. School districts include: City school districts: Local school districts: State-operated schools include: County seat In Canada ,
1134-420: The county. Examples include Harrison County, Mississippi , which has both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats, and Hinds County, Mississippi , which has both Raymond and the state capital of Jackson . The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of civic pride for
1176-426: The county. The population density was 2,186.1 inhabitants per square mile (844.1/km ). There were 527,186 housing units at an average density of 990.6 per square mile (382.5/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 69.2% white, 21.2% black or African American, 3.9% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.3% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.8% of
1218-668: The early 1800s, was named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry . Perry is surrounded by Columbus , Upper Arlington , Dublin and Worthington . Northcrest is bounded by Bethel Road on the north, Reed Road on the east, Woodrun Boulevard on the west, and West Henderson Road on the south. Northcrest is served by the Columbus City School District , the Dublin City School District, and the Upper Arlington City School District . Linworth
1260-611: The independent city under an agreement, such as in Albemarle , or may in be enclaves of the county surrounded by the independent city, such as in Fairfax . Others, such as Prince William , have the courthouse in an enclave surrounded by the independent city and have the county government, the Board of Supervisors, in a different part of the county, far from the county seat. The following counties have their county seat in an independent city: Bedford
1302-441: The population. In terms of ancestry, 24.2% were German , 14.4% were Irish , 9.1% were English , 5.5% were Italian , and 5.0% were American . Of the 477,235 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.7% were non-families, and 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size
Northwest Columbus (Ohio) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1344-657: The purpose of forming a settlement between the Muskingum River and Great Miami River in the Ohio Country . James Kilbourne was elected president and Josiah Topping secretary. On August 30, 1802, James Kilbourne and Nathaniel Little arrived at Colonel Thomas Worthington 's home in Chillicothe. They tentatively reserved land along the Scioto River on the Pickaway Plains for their new settlement. On October 5, 1802,
1386-764: The state's area, has no borough government or borough seat. One borough, the Lake and Peninsula Borough , has its borough seat located in another borough, namely King Salmon in Bristol Bay Borough . In Louisiana , which is divided into parishes rather than counties, county seats are referred to as "parish seats". In New England , counties have served mainly as dividing lines for the states' judicial systems. Rhode Island has no county level of government and thus no county seats, and Massachusetts has dissolved many but not all of its county governments. In Vermont , Massachusetts , and Maine county government consists only of
1428-570: The term as hien . When Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, the hierarchy of divisions also incorporated into the Japanese system in the period when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. By September 1945, Taiwan was divided into 8 prefectures ( 州 and 廳 ), which remained after the Republic of China took over. There are 13 county seats in Taiwan, which function as county-administered cities , urban townships , or rural townships . In most of
1470-416: The towns involved, along with providing employment opportunities. There are 33 counties with multiple county seats in 11 states: Alaska is divided into boroughs rather than counties; the county seat in these case is referred to as the "borough seat"; this includes six consolidated city-borough governments (one of which is styled as a "municipality"). The Unorganized Borough, Alaska , which covers 49% of
1512-538: The use of county seats in particular, will fully transition with the permission of the United States Census Bureau to a system of councils of government for the purposes of boundary definition and as county equivalents. Two counties in South Dakota , Oglala Lakota and Todd , have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county. Their county-level services are provided by Fall River County and Tripp County , respectively. In Virginia ,
1554-470: Was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 33.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 49,087 and the median income for a family was $ 62,372. Males had a median income of $ 45,920 versus $ 37,685 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 26,909. About 12.1% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over. According to
1596-507: Was chosen as the site for the new capital because of its central location within the state and access by way of major transportation routes (primarily rivers) at that time. The legislature chose it as Ohio's capital over a number of other competitors, including Franklinton , Dublin , Worthington , and Delaware . On May 5, 1802, a group of prospective settlers founded the Scioto Company at the home of Rev. Eber B. Clark in Granby, Connecticut , for
1638-414: Was originally called Liberty Township and extended into Delaware County . On March 4, 1806, its name was changed to Sharon Township. The Township was officially established with its current boundaries on March 4, 1816. Today, Sharon is bounded on the north by Delaware County, on the east by Blendon Township , on the south by Clinton Township and on the west by Perry Township. Perry Township , formed in
1680-422: Was part of Ross County . Residents named the county in honor of Benjamin Franklin . In 1816, Franklin County's Columbus became Ohio's state capital . Surveyors laid out the city in 1812, and officials incorporated it in 1816. Columbus was not Ohio's original capital, but the state legislature chose to move the state government there after its location for a short time at Chillicothe and at Zanesville . Columbus
1722-483: Was part of the United States Military District surveyed by Israel Ludlow in 1797 and divided into townships 5 miles (8.0 km) square. Before the state legislature's decision in 1812, Columbus did not exist. The city was originally designed as the state's new capital, preparing itself for its role in Ohio's political, economic, and social life. In the years between the first ground-breaking and
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1764-469: Was subdivided into smaller counties. Franklin County is the central county of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area . Franklin County, particularly Columbus, has been a centerpiece for presidential and congressional politics, most notably the 2000 presidential election , the 2004 presidential election , and the 2006 midterm elections . Franklin County is home to one of the largest universities in
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