About Seneca County...
Seneca County, Ohio, is located in the north central portion of the state, approximately 100 miles southwest of Cleveland, 55 miles southeast of Toledo, and 85 miles northwest of Columbus. Seneca County has a total of 552.32 square miles or 353,472 acres. There are fifteen (15) townships, two cities, and six villages within the county.
Agriculture has provided a major source of income to people of Seneca County since 1824, when the county received its charter. Previous to 1888, when oil was first discovered in the area, agriculture was practically the only means of support for the residents of Seneca County. Although Tiffin and Fostoria have become, and continue to be industrial centers for progress, agriculture continues to be an important segment of the county’s economy. It is this diversity, in resources and centers of commerce that affords Seneca County the opportunity to thrive as a community.
The topography is level to undulating with an elevation of 655 to 970 feet above sea level. Seneca County is in the glaciated area of the State, and with the exception of small parts of Reed and Venice Townships, is underlain with limestone. In some parts of the county there are out-croppings of limestone which pose certain limitations on development. The southern and eastern parts of the county are rolling which pose limitations on uses due to excessive runoff and erosion control. The remainder of the county is gently rolling with the northwestern part being nearly flat lake plain which poses limitations on drainage due to the lack of adequate relief. Erosion control is a development concern throughout Seneca County. There is rill erosion on the rolling areas, and sheet erosion is significant on the flatter part of the county. This is because of the high clay content of the soil. The natural drainage is afforded by the Sandusky River and its tributaries which flow to Lake Erie. Small portions of the county are served by the Maumee River, Portage River, Huron River and Sandusky Bay tributaries through a series of geological phenonomon called sink holes, “sinks”. These sinks provide direct discharge of pollutants into our ground water posing a great environmental and health risk to users and local residents.
The normal mean temperature for the county is 51 degrees and the average rainfall is approximately 33 to 36 inches.