[3] The county was named for Captain Eleazer D. Wood, the engineer for General William Henry Harrison's army, who built Fort Meigs during the War of 1812.

Wood County was established on February 12, 1820, following a treaty and land purchase from local Indian tribes.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 125,488 people, 49,043 households, and 30,923 families living in the county.

[19] Wood County has voted for the losing candidate twice since then, Gerald Ford in 1976 and Donald Trump in 2020.

[23] Additional libraries include: A small portion of the county located in the Fostoria city limits is served by the Kaubisch Memorial Public Library, located in the Seneca County portion of the city.

All Wood County and Fostoria library locations participate in Woodlink, a joint catalog system.

[27] Organizing for the shelter began in 2000 with Bowling Green State University's Women's Center and Transformation Project in response to a rise in domestic violence homicides in Wood County.

The Cocoon began operation in June 2005, and by 2012 all of its services were being conducted from its undisclosed location.

By October 2015, The Cocoon had integrated sexual violence recovery and support as part of its programs.

Although this did not halt operations, it significantly impacted The Cocoon’s ability to provide comprehensive support for survivors.

[30] In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act granted Woods County $25 million in pandemic relief funds, of which Director Mulls requested $800,000.