Ashland County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,447. Its county seat is Ashland. The county is named for "Ashland", the home of Senator Henry Clay near Lexington, Kentucky. It was formed in 1846 from parts of Huron, Lorain, Richland and Wayne Counties. Ashland County comprises the Ashland, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Mansfield-Ashland-Bucyrus, OH Combined Statistical Area.