Formed June 7, 1807 from Trumbull County · county seat Ravenna. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Portage County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube203 W. Main St., Ravenna, OH 44266 · (330) 297-3870
portagecounty-oh.gov — Probate Court
Marriage licenses, estate administration, guardianships, adoptions, and name changes. Also holds births and deaths from 1867–1908, before county health department registration began.
449 S. Meridian St., 4th Floor, Ravenna, OH 44266 · (330) 297-3553
portagecounty-oh.gov — Recorder
Deeds, mortgages, liens, and other real-estate and land records.
203 W. Main Street, Ravenna, OH 44266 · (330) 298-3049
co.portage.oh.us/clerkofcourts.htm
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
449 S. Meridian Street, 5th Floor, Ravenna, OH 44266 · (330) 297-3565
Portagecounty-oh.gov/auditor-Matt-Kelly
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
167 E. Main St., Ravenna, OH 44266 · (330) 296-2827
2nd-floor local history room (in-library use) with genealogy materials focused on Ravenna and Portage County, area high school yearbooks, and online genealogy database access. Research help by appointment.
6551 N. Chestnut St., Ravenna, OH 44266 · meets at the Historical Society, 6549 N. Chestnut St.
Meets 3rd Saturday, 2pm. Publishes a bi-monthly newsletter and offers limited, pre-paid research assistance.
6549 N. Chestnut St., Ravenna, OH 44266 · (330) 296-3523
pchsohio.org · Thu 1–5pm, Sat 9:30am–12pm (closed 1st Saturday)
A separate organization from the OGS chapter above, though the chapter meets on-site. An 11-acre museum campus with an 1835 Greek Revival home, an 1869 Victorian home, a log cabin, and an extensive genealogy and history library.
201 E. Erie St., 2nd Floor, Kent, OH 44240 · (330) 678-8109
The Portage County Health District itself does not hold vital records — Kent City Health Department is the countywide registrar for births and deaths from 1908–present. Earlier records (1867–1908) are at Probate Court instead.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Portage County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Portage County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Portage County was formed in 1807 from Trumbull County. For records made before then, search the parent county:
All of Portage County lies in the Connecticut Western Reserve, land Connecticut kept when it gave up its western claims, sold privately through the Connecticut Land Company. There are no federal land patents here, so start with the earliest deeds at the county Recorder (or the parent county's Recorder).
Titles that covered Portage 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio Star | 1830-1854 | Chronicling America (digitized full run) |
| Portage Sentinel / Weekly Portage Sentinel | 1845-1862 | Chronicling America (digitized full run) |
| Portage County Democrat | 1854-1928 | Chronicling America (1854-1868, 1902-1928); GenealogyBank; OldNews.com |
| Ravenna Republican | 1883-1928 | Chronicling America (digitized full run) |
| Democratic Press | 1868-1901 | Chronicling America (digitized full run) |
| Evening Record / Record-Courier | 1928-present | GenealogyBank; NewspaperArchive; recent years via Portage County District Library |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Portage County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
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