Lake county is located in northeastern Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie with Painesville serving as the county seat. The county population on July 1, 1999, was 227,145, an increase of 11,645 over the 1990 census.
The topography of the county indicates that the lake has receeded from its original shoreline by about 5 miles making for fertile ground and was the basis of the booming agriculture and fruit-growing industries. Other natural resources in the county include commercially viable quantities of clay, sandstone, limestone and bog iron ore.
Noted county residents included future U.S. President James A. Garfield who lived in Mentor just northwest of Painesville.