Willoughby, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Willoughby, Ohio
City
Downtown Willoughby
Motto(s):  "The Courtesy City"
Location in Greater Cleveland
Willoughby, Ohio Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Willoughby, Ohio Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Lake
Area
• Total	10.33 sq mi (26.75 km2)
• Land	10.24 sq mi (26.51 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)
Elevation	637 ft (194 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,959
• Density	2,340.43/sq mi (903.61/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	44094-44097
Area code(s)	440
FIPS code	39-85484
GNIS feature ID	1086435

Willoughby is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Chagrin River. In 2020, about 23,959 people lived there. Willoughby is a suburb of Cleveland and is part of the larger Cleveland metropolitan area.

History of Willoughby

Town square of Willoughby, Ohio in 1908. It shows the Civil War memorial, a Dahlgren cannon, and a bandstand.

Willoughby's first permanent settler was David Abbott in 1798. He built and ran a gristmill, which is a mill for grinding grain. Abbott and his family were friendly with a group of Native Americans who lived near the local river. These Native Americans called the river "Sha-ga-rin," meaning "Clear Water." This river is now known as the Chagrin River.

In 1835, the village was officially named "Willoughby." It was named after Westel Willoughby, Jr., who was a public health official. The founders of a medical college in the city hoped to attract him to the area. Many old buildings from this time still stand today. They give downtown Willoughby some beautiful examples of 19th-century architecture.

Willoughby has a unique history with counties. It is the only town in America that has been part of six different counties over time. These counties include Washington, Jefferson, Trumbull, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Lake.

Willoughby has also played a role in U.S. military history. During World War I, the U.S. Army built a chemical plant in Willoughby to produce lewisite. Over the years, people from Willoughby have served in every major U.S. military conflict. There are several memorials and historical items in Wes Point Park, in downtown Willoughby, to honor their service.

Geography and Location

View north down Erie Street in downtown Willoughby.

Willoughby is located at coordinates 41.645915 degrees North and -81.409681 degrees West.

The United States Census Bureau states that the city covers a total area of about 10.34 square miles (26.75 square kilometers). Of this, 10.25 square miles (26.51 square kilometers) is land, and 0.09 square miles (0.23 square kilometers) is water.

Willoughby has an interesting location. To its west is Cleveland, which offers access to large businesses and a high population. It is also close to more rural areas in northeast Ohio, like Waite Hill and Kirtland. These two villages in Lake County, Ohio, have some of the most expensive homes. Willoughby also has access to Mentor Avenue, a long road with many commercial buildings along the coast of Lake Erie.

Population and People

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 22,268 people living in Willoughby. These people lived in 10,413 households, and 5,716 of these were families. The city had about 2,172.5 people per square mile. There were 11,387 housing units, with an average of 1,110.9 units per square mile.

Most of the people in Willoughby were White (93.6%). Other groups included African American (3.1%), Asian (1.5%), Native American (0.1%), and people of two or more races (1.5%). About 1.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 23.7% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 39.1% were married couples. The average household had 2.12 people, and the average family had 2.83 people.

The average age of people in Willoughby was 43.6 years. About 19.1% of residents were under 18, and 19.1% were 65 or older. The city's population was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

Economy and Jobs

Willoughby has several important employers. Here are some of the top ones based on a 2009 report:

Education in Willoughby

South High School

Willoughby is part of the Willoughby-Eastlake School District. The city has two public high schools: Willoughby South High School and Willoughby-Eastlake Technical Center.

South High School moved to its current building in 2019. Before that, Willoughby South High School and Eastlake North High used to be in the same building called Union High. After they split, the old Union High building became Willoughby Junior High School until 1972. It then became the Willoughby-Eastlake Technical Center, located in downtown Willoughby.

In 2011, a plan was proposed to add new school buildings. Construction for these new buildings began in Fall 2016 and finished in Fall 2019. Old school buildings like Willoughby Middle, Longfellow Elementary, and North High School were torn down in Summer 2019.

Willoughby is also home to the Andrews Osborne Academy, which is a private boarding school. The city also has a branch of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library.

Media and News

• The News-Herald, a newspaper for Lake County, has its main office in Willoughby.
• WINT is a radio station on AM 1330. It is licensed to Willoughby and broadcasts to the surrounding area.

Famous People from Willoughby

Many notable people have come from Willoughby, including:

• Tim Conway, an actor
• Ethan Carter III, a professional wrestler
• James Emery, a jazz musician
• Greg Harbaugh, a NASA astronaut
• Kareem Hunt, a professional football player
• Katie McGregor, an athlete
• Ricky Stanzi, a professional football player
• Lyn St. James, an auto racer
• Betty Thomas, an actress, director, and writer
• Elizabeth Augustus Whitehead, an archaeologist and philanthropist
• Evan Wright, a writer

Images for kids

• 

  Downtown Willoughby

• 

  Location in Greater Cleveland

See also

In Spanish: Willoughby (Ohio) para niños