[3] It is named for James Lawrence, the naval officer famous for the line "do not give up the ship".

The earliest European-American settlers, Luke Kelly and his family, and May Keyser, settled at Hanging Rock along the Ohio River in 1796, having migrated from the east.

Men from Lawrence County served in the Mexican–American War, with at least one having died during that conflict.

By 1862, about 3,200 of Lawrence County's men were soldiers in the Union Army in the American Civil War.

[7] During World War I, 2,200 of Lawrence County's men served in the armed forces, and 99 died.

24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 62,450 people, 24,974 households, and 17,405 families living in the county.

[17] In Lawrence County, less than 1% of people who self-identify as "Irish" are Catholic.

Scholars believe this is part of a trend in which people are vaguely aware that at least some of their ancestors come from Ireland, but that population is primarily of "Scots-Irish" or "Ulster Scots" ancestry, and those identifying as "Irish" are simply unaware of the distinction.

[24] Lawrence County tends to support the Republican Party in presidential elections.

Lawrence County Elected Officials:[26] Commissioner: Dr. Colton Copley (R-South Point) Commissioner: DeAnna Holliday (R-Ironton) Commissioner: Mike Finley (R-Ironton) Auditor - Paul David Knipp (R-Ironton) Treasurer - Tresa Baker (R-Proctorville) Clerk of Courts - Mike Patterson (D-Kitts Hill) Sheriff - Jeff Lawless (R-Ironton) Recorder - Sharon Gossett-Hager (R-Coal Grove) Coroner - Ben Mack (R-Crown City) Prosecutor - Brigham Anderson (R-Ironton) Engineer - Patrick Leighty (R-South Point) Primary Political Parties: