Independence, Ohio Facts for Kids

Independence is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 7,584. A suburb of Cleveland, it is a part of the Cleveland metropolitan area.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
Education
Sports
Notable people
Surrounding communities
See also

History

Independence was originally called Center and was renamed in 1830.

Geography

Independence is located at 41°22′55″N 81°38′27″W / 41.38194°N 81.64083°W / 41.38194; -81.64083.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.64 square miles (24.97 km²), of which 9.54 square miles (24.71 km²) is land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km²) is water.

Much of the land area in Independence is used by the intersection of I-480 and I-77. The I-77/I-480 interchange is a four-level stack interchange, but locals often refer to as the cloverleaf, as it largely replaced a nearby interchange of that type. The larger interchange opened in 1940, but construction of the Willow Freeway, which became I-77, was stalled by World War II and was not completed until the 1950s. In the late 1970s, I-480 connected into I-77. The original 1939 cloverleaf is still in existence on Granger and Brecksville Roads. It is still in use today, generally for local traffic.

In the 1970s, many Cleveland businesses needed backup and extra office space from their downtown Cleveland offices. In the 1970s, the Rockside corridor was developed into offices and numerous hotels to help downtown Cleveland. In 1991, the Crown Center on Rockside Road was built, making it the tallest building between Downtown Cleveland and Akron. This area is referred as Cleveland's Silicon Valley.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	262	—
1920	1,074	—
1930	1,525	42.0%
1940	1,815	19.0%
1950	3,105	71.1%
1960	6,568	111.5%
1970	7,034	7.1%
1980	6,607	−6.1%
1990	6,500	−1.6%
2000	7,109	9.4%
2010	7,133	0.3%
2020	7,584	6.3%
2021 (est.)	7,523	5.5%
Sources:

2010 census

Largest ancestries (2010)	Percent
Polish	36.6%
Irish	19.7%
German	18.0%
Italian	17.1%
Czech	7.3%
Slovak	6.0%

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,133 people, 2,770 households, and 2,054 families living in the city. The population density was 747.7 inhabitants per square mile (288.7/km²). There were 2,868 housing units at an average density of 300.6 per square mile (116.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.6% White, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 2,770 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.8% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.

The median age in the city was 47 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.9% were from 25 to 44; 33.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

Of the city's population over the age of 25, 36.0% held a bachelor's degree or higher.

Education

The Independence Local School District operates Independence Primary School, Independence Middle School and Independence High School. There is also St. Michael's Catholic School, under the Diocese of Cleveland. Independence is also home to the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine.