Founded January 2, 1790, one of Ohio's original Northwest Territory counties — named for Alexander Hamilton · county seat Cincinnati. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Hamilton County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube230 E. Ninth St., 9th & 10th Floors, Cincinnati, OH 45202 · (513) 946-3600
Wills, estate administration, guardianships, adoptions, name changes, and marriage licenses/records — searchable via the court's records portal.
138 E. Court St., Suite 209, Cincinnati, OH 45202 · (513) 946-4600
recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org
Deeds, mortgages, and land records. Deed Books span 1823–present; call for earlier 1790–1823 records.
1000 Main Street, Room 375, Cincinnati, OH 45202 · (513) 946-5656
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
138 E. Court Street, #304A, Cincinnati, OH 45202 · (513) 946-4000
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
800 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 · (513) 369-6900
chpl.org/genealogy-history/genealogy
One of the nation's largest genealogy collections — complete U.S. federal census 1790–1930, passenger lists, city directories, church and cemetery records, and freedmen's records.
PO Box 15865, Cincinnati, OH 45215 · (513) 956-7078
No dedicated physical research room — co-sponsors monthly programs with the library above and publishes the journal "The Tracer."
1301 Western Ave., Suite 2133, Cincinnati, OH 45203 · 1-800-733-2077
A different organization from the Genealogical Society above — manuscripts, photographs, maps, and city directories. Confirm current hours before visiting.
Hamilton County Public Health (outside Cincinnati): 250 William Howard Taft Rd., 2nd Floor · (513) 946-7800
Cincinnati Health Dept. (within city limits): 1525 Elm St., 1st Floor · (513) 352-3120
Both issue certificates for events 1909–present. Check which office covers the specific municipality before requesting.
Find A Grave — Hamilton County and the Hamilton County Genealogical Society's cemetery master list.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Hamilton County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Hamilton County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Hamilton County was one of Ohio's original Northwest Territory counties, formed in 1790. There is no earlier county to search; for records before then, look at federal and territorial records and in the states the settlers came from.
Part of Hamilton County lies in the Virginia Military District, land Virginia set aside for its Revolutionary War veterans. It was surveyed in irregular metes and bounds, and the first owners' records follow a warrant, entry, survey, and patent trail.
Part of Hamilton County lies in the Symmes Purchase, land bought by John Cleves Symmes between the Great and Little Miami Rivers and resold to settlers. Early sales are traced through the Hamilton County deed books.
Other parts of the county were federal Congress Lands or smaller special tracts. Where land was sold by the federal government, the first purchase appears as a federal patent.
Titles that covered Hamilton County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.
| Title | Years | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Enquirer | 1841–current | Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank; historic run also on ProQuest via many library systems |
| Cincinnati Post | 1881–2007 | Chronicling America (1974–2007); earlier years microfilm only |
| Cincinnati Commercial Tribune | 1896–1930 | Chronicling America; GenealogyBank |
| Cincinnati Daily Gazette | 1855–1883 | Chronicling America |
| Der Wahrheits-Freund (German-language) | 1837–1907 | Chronicling America |
| The Chronicle (Central Labor Council) | 1892–1968 | Chronicling America |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Hamilton County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
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