Geauga county is located in northeastern Ohio and utilizes Chardon as its county seat. The county population on July 1, 1999, was 89,598, an increase of 8,511 over the 1990 census.
The county, whose named is derived for the Indian word for "Raccoon", covers just over 400 square miles and was established in 1806, three years after Ohio attained statehood. The courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed of brick in 1869 and is the sixth such official building in the county's history.
Natural resources include LaDue Reservoir in south central Geauga county and East Branch Reservoir to the east as well as the Chagrin River, which rises near Chardon and flows southwest and the Cuyahoga River, which flows generally south-southwest through the center of the county.
