County Research Guide

Delaware County, Ohio

Organized February 10, 1808 from Franklin County · county seat Delaware. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.

Watch the Series

Delaware County, Ohio Genealogy & History

Short episodes that walk through Delaware County's records, one record type at a time.

Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look

Watch on YouTube

Where the records are

Delaware County Probate Court

145 N. Union St., 3rd Floor, Delaware, OH 43015 · (740) 833-2680

probate.co.delaware.oh.us

Adoptions, estates, guardianships, marriage licenses, name changes, trusts, and wills.

Delaware County Recorder

145 N. Union St., Delaware, OH 43015 · (740) 833-2460

recorder.co.delaware.oh.us

Deeds, mortgages, liens, land contracts, plats, and military discharge records.

Delaware County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas)

117 N. Union Street, Level 300, Delaware, OH 43015 · (740) 833-2500

clerkofcourts.co.delaware.oh.us

Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.

Delaware County Auditor

145 N. Union Street, Delaware, OH 43015 · (740) 833-2900

delawarecountyauditor.org

Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.

Delaware County District Library — Local History Room

84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015 · (740) 362-3861

delawarelibrary.org/local-history-genealogy

In-library-use Delaware newspapers on microfilm (1821–present), historical directories and atlases, census records, cemetery/tombstone indexes, the "Bouic Index," Ancestry Library Edition, and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.

Delaware County Genealogical Society

PO Box 1126, Delaware, OH 43015 · (740) 369-4375

delawareohiogenealogy.org

Housed inside the library's Local History Room above. Staffed research hours Thursday 10–11:30am & 1–4:30pm and Saturday 10am–1pm. Maintains obituary, Big Walnut history, and family history indexes; offers paid research and a $5 surname search of the Bouic Index.

Delaware County Historical Society

2690 Stratford Rd., Delaware, OH 43015 · (740) 369-3831

delawareohiohistory.org

A different organization from the Genealogical Society above. Operates the Cryder Historical Research Library (157 E. William St.), Nash House Museum, and Meeker Homestead Museum (open 1st Sunday monthly, April–November).

Delaware Public Health District

470 S. Sandusky St., Delaware, OH 43015 · (740) 368-1700 (option 2)

delawarehealth.org/birth-death-certificates-delaware

Certified birth and death certificates for any Ohio event (statewide issuance). Confirm exact historical cutoff years directly with the Registrar.

Cemetery records

Find A Grave — Delaware County, Interment.net — Delaware County, and the City of Delaware's Oak Grove Cemetery burial-record search.

Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.

Before Delaware County existed

Delaware County was formed in 1808 from Franklin County. For records made before then, search the parent county:

Land: Virginia Military District & U.S. Military District

Part of Delaware 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 Delaware County lies in the U.S. Military District, federal land set aside to pay Continental Army veterans of the Revolutionary War with bounty land warrants.

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.

More for Delaware County

Newspapers of Delaware County

Titles that covered Delaware County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.

TitleYearsWhere to Search
Delaware Gazette1818–currentChronicling America (1855–1886); current at delgazette.com; check GenealogyBank/Newspapers.com for gaps
Delaware Herald1869–1885Chronicling America
Delaware Democratic Herald1885–1902Chronicling America
Delaware Daily Herald1892–1902Chronicling America
The Sunbury NewsCurrent, weeklysunburynews.com — sister paper to the Delaware Gazette

Download the Newspaper Research Log (PDF)

Printable Record Checklist

Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.

Brick Walls & Buckeyes emblem Brick Walls & Buckeyes brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Delaware County, Ohio

Vital & Probate

Birth record (Health District)
Death record (Health District)
Marriage record (Probate Court)
Will / estate administration file
Guardianship record
Divorce or court case (Clerk of Courts)

Land & Property

Deed / land transfer (Recorder's Office)
Mortgage / land contract record
Sanborn map (library)
Military discharge record
Tax duplicate (Auditor, FamilySearch)
First land purchase or patent (BLM GLO or county deeds)

Community & Print

Newspaper mention (Delaware Gazette)
Bouic Index surname search (DCGS)
Cemetery record / headstone photo (Oak Grove)
Oral history / museum record (Historical Society)
Census record

Addresses and links last checked October 2026.

Never Miss an Episode

New Ohio genealogy videos every week

County guides, record walkthroughs, and brick wall breakthroughs. Subscribe on YouTube and tap the bell so new episodes find you.

Subscribe on YouTube