Licking County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 166,492. Its county seat is Newark. The county was formed on January 30, 1808 from portions of Fairfield County. It is named for the salt licks that were in the area.Licking County is part of the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.Demographics2000 censusAs of the census of 2000, there were 146,491 people, 55,609 households, and 40,149 families residing in the county. The population density was 212 people per square mile (82/km²). There were 58,760 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile (33/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.64% White, 2.06% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.