Olmsted Falls, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Olmsted Falls, Ohio
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Location in Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Cuyahoga |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.08 sq mi (10.57 km2) |
| • Land | 4.08 sq mi (10.57 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 774 ft (236 m) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 8,628 |
| • Density | 2,114.7/sq mi (816.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
44138
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| Area code(s) | 440 |
| FIPS code | 39-58422 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1072238 |
Olmsted Falls is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It's a suburb located southwest of Cleveland. In 2020, about 8,582 people lived there. The city is part of the larger Cleveland metropolitan area.
The main part of Olmsted Falls where businesses are found is at the corners of Bagley and Columbia Roads. This area includes the Grand Pacific Junction, which is a special historic district.
Contents
History of Olmsted Falls
After the American Revolutionary War, the land that is now Olmsted Falls was part of the Western Reserve. This was a strip of land in northeastern Ohio that belonged to Connecticut. In 1795, Connecticut sold most of this land to a group called the Connecticut Land Company. They divided the land into smaller areas called townships and sold them.
One of these townships, called Township 6, Range 15, was bought by several people. The largest part went to Aaron Olmsted, who was a sea captain from Connecticut. He died in 1806, so his land was sold to his family in 1807. They then sold parts of it to people who wanted to settle there.
First Settlers and the Oxcart Library
The first settlers arrived in 1815. James Geer and his family moved into a small log house in the area that would become Olmsted Falls. At first, the township had different informal names. In 1823, it was officially named Lenox. However, there was another Lenox Township in Ohio, which caused confusion.
A resident suggested renaming it Olmsted Township to honor Aaron Olmsted. Aaron's son, Charles Hyde Olmsted, was very happy about this. He offered to send about 500 books from Connecticut to the community. These books were brought by oxcart and became known as the Oxcart Library.
Becoming a City
On April 7, 1856, Olmsted Falls became an official village. It was formed from a part of Olmsted Township. The village grew in 1857 when it added Plum Creek, a small nearby settlement. Over the years, Olmsted Falls continued to add more parts of Olmsted Township.
In 1970, the villages of Olmsted Falls and Westview decided to join together. They were about the same size. This merger became official in 1971, and the combined area kept the name Olmsted Falls. In 1972, Olmsted Falls became Ohio's 231st city because its population grew to more than 5,000 people. The city is now run by a mayor and a council, who are elected by the people.
Railroads and Local Businesses
Two railroad lines pass through Olmsted Falls. The CSX tracks were built in 1849 and cross the southeastern part of the city. The Norfolk Southern tracks were built in 1853 and run east-west through the city.
Olmsted Falls is part of the Olmsted Falls City School District. This district also serves Olmsted Township and parts of other nearby towns. The world headquarters for Vitamix, a company known for blenders, is located right on the border of Olmsted Falls and Olmsted Township.
Geography
Olmsted Falls is located at 41°22′3″N 81°54′17″W / 41.36750°N 81.90472°W. The city covers a total area of about 4.12 square miles (10.67 square kilometers), and all of it is land.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 383 | — | |
| 1880 | 404 | 5.5% | |
| 1890 | 342 | −15.3% | |
| 1900 | 330 | −3.5% | |
| 1910 | 394 | 19.4% | |
| 1920 | 374 | −5.1% | |
| 1930 | 673 | 79.9% | |
| 1940 | 754 | 12.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,137 | 50.8% | |
| 1960 | 2,144 | 88.6% | |
| 1970 | 2,504 | 16.8% | |
| 1980 | 5,868 | 134.3% | |
| 1990 | 6,741 | 14.9% | |
| 2000 | 7,962 | 18.1% | |
| 2010 | 9,024 | 13.3% | |
| 2020 | 8,582 | −4.9% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 8,628 | −4.4% | |
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In 2010, there were 9,024 people living in Olmsted Falls. These people lived in 3,684 households, and 2,431 of these were families. The city had about 2,190 people per square mile.
Most of the people living in Olmsted Falls were White (94.9%). There were also African American (2.0%), Asian (1.2%), and Native American (0.1%) residents. About 2.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age of people in the city was 41.6 years old. About 24.5% of residents were under 18 years old.
Education
Students in Olmsted Falls attend schools in the public Olmsted Falls City School District. The district has five schools:
- Early Childhood Center
- Falls-Lenox Primary School
- Olmsted Falls Intermediate School
- Olmsted Falls Middle School
- Olmsted Falls High School
Notable People
Many interesting people have connections to Olmsted Falls, including:
- Stetson Allie, a professional baseball player.
- Mamie Colvin, an activist who worked for temperance (avoiding alcohol).
- Mike Gansey, a professional basketball executive and former player for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Steve Gansey, a former basketball player and coach.
- Norb Hecker, an American football player and coach who won many championships.
- Lora Hirschberg, a sound engineer.
- Mickey Mental, a head football coach at Weber State University.
- Dan Monahan, an actor.
- Katie Moon, an Olympic gold and silver medalist in pole vaulting.
- Philip Yenyo, a Native American civil rights activist.
- Sean Zawadzki, a professional soccer player for the Columbus Crew.
See also
In Spanish: Olmsted Falls (Ohio) para niños
