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Hamilton County is a county of the state of Ohio, located in the southwest corner of the state. The county seat is Cincinnati, and as of 2000, the population is 845,303 which made it the third largest county in Ohio. The county is named to honor Alexander Hamilton. 
HistoryMost of Hamilton County was originally owned and surveyed by John Cleves Symmes, and the region was a part of the Symmes Purchase. The first settlers came down the Ohio River in 1788, and established the towns of Losantiville (later Cincinnati) and Cleves. In 1790, Hamilton County was organized as the second county in the Northwest Territory. At that time its area included about an eighth of Ohio, and had 2,000 inhabitants (not counting Indians). Since then, other counties have been organized and its area reduced to its current size. Rapid growth occurred during the 1830s and 1840s as the area became a magnet for German and Irish immigrants. During the Civil War, Morgan's Raid (a Confederate cavalry assault) passed through the northern part of the county in 1863. Law and governmentSince 1963, the county has used the Board and Administrator form of government. The elected Board of County Commissioners appoints a County Administrator who supervises most of the functions of the county government. By law, some department heads, such as the Sheriff are directly elected. All elective offices have a four-year term, and the terms of commissioners must be staggered. As of 2003, the commissioners are John S. Dowlin (President), Phil Heimlich, and Todd Portune. Heimlich was just elected in 2002, and replaced Tom Neyer, Jr., who was president from 1999 through 2002. Other elected officers include Dusty Rhodes (auditor), Michael Allen (prosecutor) and Simon L. Leis, Jr. (sheriff). The direct county government had a budget (as of 2002) of $ 2.125 billion, debt of $ 1.388 trillion, and 6,249 employees. The county numbers do not include those for the 21 cities, 16 incorporated villages, and 12 townships within the county. GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,069 km² (413 mi²). 1,055 km² (407 mi²) of it is land and 14 km² (5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.31% water. Geographic FeaturesThe county lies in a region of gentle hills formed by the slopes of the Ohio River valley and its tributaries. Besides the Ohio, the Great Miami River, the Little Miami River and the Mill Creek contribute to this system of hillsides and valleys. Some steep hillsides reflect rapid changes in elevation but are usually confined to the nature of one sided hills. The county boundaries include the lowest point in Ohio, where the Ohio River passes the Indiana border. Major HighwaysInterstate 71, Interstate 74, Interstate 75, Interstate 471 and Interstate 275 serve the county. Adjacent Counties
DemographicsAs of 2000, there are 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density is 801/km² (2,075/mi²). There are 373,393 housing units at an average density of 354/km² (917/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 72.93% White, 23.43% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 1.61% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. 1.13% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 346,790 households out of which 30.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.40% are married couples living together, 14.30% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.70% are non-families. 32.90% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.60% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.38 and the average family size is 3.07. In the county the population is spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.80 males. The median income for a household in the county is $40,964, and the median income for a family is $53,449. Males have a median income of $39,842 versus $28,550 for females. The per capita income for the county is $24,053. 11.80% of the population and 8.80% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.20% of those under the age of 18 and 8.70% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. Municipalities and communities
EducationPublic elementary and secondary education is provided by a number of independent school districts, supplemented by a county vocational school district. The parochial schools of various denominations add to this base. Among these the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati maintains a system of 108 elementary and 22 secondary schools, the ninth largest private system in the United States. Colleges and universitiesRecreationThe county, in cooperation with the city of Cincinnati, operates a public library system with a main library and 41 branches. Major sports teams are listed under the communities in which they are located, primarily Cincinnati. The County Park District maintains a series of preserves and educational facilities. There are three major parks within the system: Miami Whitewater Forest, Winton Woods, and Sharon Woods. External links
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