Parma Heights, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parma Heights, Ohio
City
Robert W. Henry House on Pearl Road
Location in Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio.
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Cuyahoga
Area
• Total	4.20 sq mi (10.87 km2)
• Land	4.20 sq mi (10.87 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	856 ft (261 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	20,863
• Density	4,970.93/sq mi (1,919.47/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	44130
Area codes	440, 216, 436
FIPS code	39-61028
GNIS feature ID	1056914

Parma Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It's a suburb of Cleveland and part of the larger Cleveland metropolitan area. In 2020, about 20,863 people lived there. The city of Parma surrounds Parma Heights on its north, east, and south sides. The cities of Brook Park and Middleburg Heights are mostly on its western border.

History of Parma Heights

This section explores how Parma Heights grew from a wild area to the city it is today.

Early Days: "Greenbriar" (1806–1826)

In 1806, an area that would later become Parma and Parma Heights was mapped out. A surveyor named Abraham Tappan worked for the Connecticut Land Company. This land was known as Township 6 - Range 13. People also called it "Greenbriar" because of the many rambling green bushes growing there.

The first settlers arrived in 1816. They were Benajah Fay, his wife Ruth Wilcox Fay, and their ten children, who came from New York. The part of Greenbriar that became Parma Heights was first settled in 1817. Around this time, Greenbriar began to manage its own local government.

Becoming Parma Township (1826–1911)

More people moved to Greenbriar, and self-government became popular. Before a new township was officially formed, the name Greenbriar was changed to Parma. This change happened because of Dr. David Long. He had visited Italy and was so impressed by the city of Parma that he suggested the area should have a better name than Greenbriar.

So, on March 7, 1826, a decision was made to create the new township. It was officially named Parma. On the same day, a public notice invited people to elect their first local leaders. On April 3, 1826, eleven officers were chosen to lead the new government.

During this time, Parma Township was mostly farmland. The first school was a log building. It stood on a hill where the Parma Heights Cemetery is now. A special marker on a stone shows this spot. In 1827, the township divided its roads into districts. Today's Broadview Road was once called Town Line Road or Independence Road. Ridge Road was known as Center Road because it went through the middle of town. York Road was called York Street, named by settlers from New York. Pearl Road had many names, including Wooster Pike and Cleveland Columbus Road.

A stone house, called the Henninger House, was built in 1849. It's still standing today. Over 160 years ago, this house was on one of the highest spots in Cuyahoga County. From here, people could see a large part of Parma Township. Long ago, Erie Indians also used this high spot to send fire signals and pray.

By 1850, Parma Township had 1,329 people. The population grew slowly over the years. The American Civil War affected Parma, just like other towns. Many families sent fathers or sons to fight. By 1910, the township's population had grown to 1,631.

Parma Heights Becomes a Village (1911–1956)

In 1911, Parma Heights decided to become its own separate village. This happened partly because people wanted to control alcohol sales. They voted 42 to 32 to separate from Parma Township. The new village covered about 4.13 square miles.

One main reason for becoming a village was to have a town marshal, like a police officer. There was one saloon that caused problems on Sundays. People wanted it closed on Sundays. To do this, they needed a marshal, and to have a marshal, they had to become a village.

By 1920, Parma Heights had 310 residents.

Parma Heights Becomes a City (1956-Present)

In December 1956, Parma Heights officially became a city. Roy F. Cappallo was the mayor at that time.

On November 26, 2014, a fire caused a lot of damage to the city hall building. The mayor's office was destroyed.

Geography

Parma Heights is located at 41°23′10″N 81°45′48″W / 41.38611°N 81.76333°W / 41.38611; -81.76333.

The United States Census Bureau states that the city covers about 4.19 square miles (10.87 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population Information

Languages Spoken

In Parma Heights, most people speak English (88.5%). Other languages spoken include Ukrainian (1.4%), Spanish (1.3%), Polish (1.3%), Romanian (1.2%), Italian (1.2%), and German and Hungarian (0.9% each).

2010 Census Details

In 2010, there were 20,718 people living in Parma Heights. There were 9,534 households and 5,298 families. The city had about 4,944.6 people per square mile. There were 10,295 housing units.

Most residents (91.1%) were White. Other groups included African American (2.8%), Asian (3.0%), and Native American (0.2%). About 3.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 23.4% of households had children under 18. Nearly 40% were married couples. The average household had 2.15 people. The average family had 2.89 people.

The median age in the city was 43.2 years. About 18.9% of residents were under 18. About 20.5% were 65 or older. The population was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

Education

Valley Forge High School

Parma Heights is part of the Parma City School District. Two schools are located within the city: Parma Park Elementary School (for grades K–4) and Valley Forge High School (for grades 9–12).

There are also several private schools in Parma Heights. These include Holy Name High School, Holy Family School, Incarnate Word Academy, and Parma Heights Christian Academy.

Parma Heights is also home to the Western Campus of Cuyahoga Community College. This college offers higher education courses.

See also

In Spanish: Parma Heights (Ohio) para niños