On February 12, 1820, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Sandusky County. Residents named the county after an Indian term for "at the cold water." Sandusky County was originally part of territory set aside for Ohio's Indian people by the Treaty of Greenville. White settlement of the county occurred very slowly, due to the Great Black Swamp occupying most of the land.
Sandusky County is located in the northern part of Ohio. A small portion of the county's northern border lies along Lake Erie. The county seat is Fremont, which is the largest city in the county with a population of 17,375 people in 2000. Only three percent of the county's 409 square miles are deemed urban. The county averages 151 people living in each square mile. Between 1990 and 2000, the county experienced a slight decrease in population. This is typical of Ohio's more rural counties, as residents seek better opportunities in the state's larger cities. In 2000, the county's residents numbered 61,792 people.
Most of Sandusky County's residents find employment in agricultural positions, with seventy-percent of the county's acreage under cultivation. Sandusky County farmers are the fifth largest producers of tomatoes in Ohio. Manufacturing businesses, service industries, and retail positions finish second, third, and fourth respectively. In 1999, the county's per capita income was 23,315 dollars, with 9.5 percent of the county's residents living below the poverty level.
Most voters in Sandusky County claim to be independents, yet in recent years, they have supported Republican Party candidates at the national level.
President of the United States Rutherford Birchard Hayes ranks as Sandusky County's most prominent resident. His home, Spiegel Grove, is now an historical landmark operated by the Ohio History Connection. Union General James B. McPherson also lived in Sandusky County. He was killed during the American Civil War and was buried in Clyde, Ohio.