This county was named after a province in ancient Greece known as Ionia. Ionia County is located in the central region of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. One highlight of the County is its turn-of-the-century style architecture. Located in northwestern Ionia County is the City of Belding which was named after Hiram Belding who in 1871 purchased land & founded the Belding Brothers Silk making business.

The largest city in the county is Ionia is and also the county seat. Ionia hosts the Greater Ionia Free Fair which was not always free, Most people know of the Ionia Free Fair. In 1915 Michigan Governor Fred Green presented his plans for a "free" fair that would provide free entry to the grounds, this idea was radically different to how fairs were operating at the time. The Ionia Free Fair Became known as the Largest Free Fair in the world and set records even during tough economic times, in 2001 the Ionia Fair Association Board made the decision to charge gate admission and name the new fair the "Greater" Ionia Fair. This decision lasted for only a couple of years and it is now back to the Ionia Free Fair which today, still is one of the oldest, and largest Fairs in the United States.