County outline
Where Fulton County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.6% of Fulton County’s measured area and water for 0.4%. Its combined area converts to 1,054.7 square kilometers or approximately 260,620 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 405.45 | 1,050.111 | 259,488 |
| Water | 1.768 | 4.579 | 1,131.5 |
| Total | 407.218 | 1,054.69 | 260,619.5 |
How Fulton County compares
By original Census land area, Fulton County ranks #74 of 88 in Ohio and #2498 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.93 times the Ohio county-equivalent median of 436 square miles. It accounts for 1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Ohio ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Fulton County
The Census Bureau estimates that 41,853 people lived in Fulton County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,178 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #60 of 88 in Ohio. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 42,713, the population has declined by 860 (−2%), compared with +0.9% for Ohio as a whole.
With 405.5 square miles of land, that is 103 people per square mile (40 per km²), placing Fulton County #963 nationally for density and #53 in Ohio. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Ohio median is 120. Put another way, there are about 6.2 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 42,647 | 42,505 | 42,041 | 41,970 | 42,075 | 41,853 |
| Change | — | −142 | −464 | −71 | +105 | −222 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Fulton County
7 incorporated places lie at least partly in Fulton County. Together they are home to 21,222 people (50.7%); the other 20,631 (49.3%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Wauseon city, with 7,430 residents in the county.
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wauseon cityCounty seat | 7,430 | −1.7% | 5.341 |
| Archbold village | 4,417 | −2.2% | 5.104 |
| Swanton villageAlso in 1 other county | 3,677 | −0.5% | 3.401 |
| Delta village | 3,291 | −1.1% | 4.195 |
| Fayette village | 1,278 | −2.2% | 0.974 |
| Lyons village | 581 | −3% | 0.708 |
| Metamora village | 548 | −3% | 0.854 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Fulton County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Fulton County is an outlying county of the Toledo, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 599,376 residents on 1,362.3 square miles of land; Fulton County accounts for 29.8% of the land and 7% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #235 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #99 by population.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Lucas County | 423,347 | 339.7 |
| Wood County | 134,176 | 617.2 |
| Fulton County | 41,853 | 405.5 |
ZIP codes
12 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Fulton County; 8 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
435024350443515435214353243533435404355343557435584356743570
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Fulton County
Fulton County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents, including 2 in Michigan. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Lenawee County (749.7 mi²) and the smallest is Lucas County (339.7 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Fulton County forms a block of 2,929.6 mi² of land, of which it holds 13.8%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Fulton | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenawee CountyMichigan | 749.7 | 1.8× larger | Compare |
| Hillsdale CountyMichigan | 598.2 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Williams County | 420.7 | about the same | Compare |
| Henry County | 416 | about the same | Compare |
| Lucas County | 339.7 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Fulton County compared with U.S. states?
Fulton County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.5 times as much. Ohio’s county land could hold about 101 areas the size of Fulton County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 20.1 miles (32.4 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Fulton County?
Fulton County has more land than 724 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Fulton County at #2,563 nationally by total area, 65 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.4%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.7 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Fulton County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2497 | Hamilton County, Ohio | 405.5 | Compare |
| #2498 | Fulton County, Ohio | 405.5 | This county |
| #2499 | Adair County, Kentucky | 405.3 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 41.597264, -84.124269. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,050,110,448 m²; AWATER: 4,579,038 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Fulton County?
Fulton County, Ohio has 405.5 square miles (1,050.1 km²) of land and 1.768 square miles of water, for a total area of 407.2 square miles. It ranks #2498 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Fulton County the largest county in Ohio?
No. Fulton County ranks #74 of 88 in Ohio by land area. The largest is Ashtabula County, with 702.4 square miles of land.
What counties border Fulton County?
Fulton County shares a land border with Lenawee County, Michigan, Henry County, Lucas County, Williams County, and Hillsdale County, Michigan.
What is the population of Fulton County?
The Census Bureau estimates Fulton County had 41,853 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,178 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 103 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Fulton County?
The county seat of Fulton County is Wauseon.
What cities and towns are in Fulton County?
Fulton County has 7 incorporated places. The most populous five are Wauseon city, Archbold village, Swanton village, Delta village, and Fayette village; 20,631 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Fulton County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is an outlying county of the Toledo, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 599,376 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Fulton County?
12 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Fulton County, and 8 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Fulton County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.5 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Fulton County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 259,488 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 260,620 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.