Norwalk is a small city in, and the county seat of, Huron County, Ohio, United States. The population was 17,012 at the 2010 census. The city is the center of the Norwalk Micropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Cleveland-Akron-Canton Combined Statistical Area. Norwalk is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Lake Erie, 51 miles (82 km) west/southwest of Cleveland, 59 miles (95 km) southeast of Toledo, and 58 miles (93 km) west/northwest of Akron.

Norwalk is at the center of the Firelands, a subregion of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The subregion's name recalls the founding of the area as one for settlers from cities in Connecticut that were largely destroyed by fire during the Revolutionary War. Several locations in the Firelands were named in honor of those cities, including Danbury, Greenwich, Groton, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, and Ridgefield. Other locations were named for the settlers, including Clarksfield, Perkins, and Sherman.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
Transportation
Education
Notable people
Images for kids
See also

History

On July 11, 1779, Norwalk, Connecticut, was burned by the British Tories under Governor Tryon. A committee of the General Assembly estimated the losses to the inhabitants at $116,238.66. Later, the federal government gave an area in the Western Reserve of Ohio as compensation for those established losses.

On May 30, 1800, the United States ceded the land titles to the "fire sufferers" and the representatives of the Reserve transferred the political jurisdiction to the general government. The Indian title was extinguished by treaty on July 4, 1805, on payment of $18,916.67; and in 1806, 13 men arrived to make the first survey of the Firelands.

On November 9, 1808, a group of prominent citizens from Ridgefield, Norwalk, New Haven, Greenwich, and Fairfield met at the courthouse in New Haven, Connecticut, as the Board of Directors of the Proprietors of the 500,000 acres (2,000 km²) of land lying south of Lake Erie, called the "Sufferers Land". They passed a resolution naming many of the townships in this area known as the "Firelands of Ohio".

Between 1806 and 1810, many families made the trip to look over land they had purchased in the "Firelands". During the War of 1812, because of the fear of British and Indian raids, settlement of the Huron County area came almost to a standstill. However, in 1815, Platt Benedict of Danbury, Connecticut, visited and examined the present site of Norwalk. He returned to Danbury and purchased 1,300 acres (5.3 km²) of land with an eye toward establishing a town.

In July 1817, Benedict returned to Norwalk with his family and immediately built a house. This was the first permanent residence established within the limits of Norwalk Village. In May 1818, the county seat was successfully removed from Avery, Ohio, to Norwalk, and by 1819 a census showed a population of 109 residents. Platt Benedict, the founder of Norwalk and its first mayor, died in 1866 at the age of 91. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Among the earliest settlers of Norwalk were other men of wealth and education. They brought with them not only the customs, but also the architecture of New England. Many of their homes are still standing today.

In 1881, Norwalk's population reached the required minimum entitling her to incorporate as a city and the City of Norwalk dates from April 12, 1881.

Geography

Norwalk is located at 41°14′35″N 82°36′41″W / 41.24306°N 82.61139°W / 41.24306; -82.61139 (41.243024, -82.611371).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.15 square miles (23.70 km²), of which 8.87 square miles (22.97 km²) is land and 0.28 square miles (0.73 km²) is water. The city of Norwalk is bound by Norwalk Township in each direction and a small portion of the west side is bound by Ridgefield Township. The city is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of Lake Erie.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	179	—
1830	310	73.2%
1840	1,113	259.0%
1850	1,437	29.1%
1860	2,839	97.6%
1870	4,498	58.4%
1880	5,704	26.8%
1890	7,195	26.1%
1900	7,074	−1.7%
1910	7,858	11.1%
1920	7,379	−6.1%
1930	7,776	5.4%
1940	8,211	5.6%
1950	9,775	19.0%
1960	12,900	32.0%
1970	13,386	3.8%
1980	14,348	7.2%
1990	14,731	2.7%
2000	16,238	10.2%
2010	17,012	4.8%
2020	17,068	0.3%
Sources:

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,012 people, 6,764 households, and 4,385 families living in the city. The population density was 1,917.9 inhabitants per square mile (740.5/km²). There were 7,446 housing units at an average density of 839.5 per square mile (324.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.2% White, 1.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 3.2% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2% of the population.

There were 6,764 households, of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02.

The median age in the city was 37 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

Transportation

Airports

Norwalk's general aviation needs are met by its airport, Huron County Airport. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is located 45 miles northeast of Norwalk.

Highways

Interstate 80 and Interstate 90, also known as the Ohio Turnpike, are approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of Norwalk's city limits with an interchange at U.S. Route 250.

The U.S. highways that run through Norwalk include U.S. Route 20 (part of the Norwalk bypass south of town), which connects Fremont to the west and Elyria to the east; and U.S. Route 250, which connects Sandusky from the northwest and Ashland from the southeast.

State highways that run through Norwalk include SR 13, which connects Mansfield from the south and Huron from the north; SR 18, which connects Tiffin from the west and Medina from the east; and SR 61, which connects Shelby from the south and Berlin Heights as well as Lake Erie from the northeast.

Furthermore, State Route 601 is an alternate two-lane highway that acts as a de facto eastern bypass of Norwalk and US 250, running from SR 113 at Milan to SR 18 southeast of Norwalk.

Railways

One active freight railroad line runs through Norwalk, the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad. Passenger rail service to New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago is available at the Amtrak station in nearby Sandusky.

Education

Due to city annexations and previously determined school district boundaries, Norwalk is served by four public school districts. The majority of the city is served by the Norwalk City School District. Outlying portions of the city are also served by the Berlin-Milan Local, Monroeville Local and Western Reserve Local School Districts.

Norwalk is also home to multiple religious schools, including Norwalk Catholic Schools / Saint Paul High School (Roman Catholic), and Trinity Christian Academy (Protestant, non-denominational).

Notable people

Fred Baker, founder of Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Alice Rufie Jordan Blake, first female law graduate at Yale
Paul Brown, Hall of Fame American football coach
Lefty Grove, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
Ron Hackenberger, car collector, with 700 vehicles in Norwalk
Frank Avery Hutchins, librarian
Ban Johnson, first president of baseball's American League
Vahdah Olcott-Bickford, classical guitarist
Dennis A. Reed, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Images for kids

Huron County Courthouse in downtown Norwalk
Norwalk Public Library in downtown Norwalk

Norwalk, Ohio facts for kids

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