| Amherst, Ohio | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Motto: "Sandstone Center of the World" | |
| Location of Amherst, Ohio | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Lorain |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | David Taylor (V) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.2 sq mi (18.6 km2) |
| • Land | 7.2 sq mi (18.6 km2) |
| Elevation[1] | 689 ft (210 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 11,797 |
| • Density | 1,646.1/sq mi (635.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 44001 |
| Area code(s) | 440 |
| FIPS code | 39-01798[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1064320[1] |
| Website | http://www.amherstohio.org/ |
Amherst is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is located in Lorain County. The population was 11,797 at the 2000 census.
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The town of Amherst was established by German immigrants between 1811 and 1816. Jacob Shupe was the founder of Amherst. He had the first sawmill, distillery, and gristmill in the Amherst area. Mr. Shupe actually started early industry in the Amherst area. He settled on a high hill near the Beaver Creek, close to the intersection of Cooper Foster Park Road and North Main Street. His house still stands today and is a part of the New Indian Ridge Museum.
Soon after being settled, Amherst acquired the title Sandstone Center of the World. Many early buildings are constructed of native sandstone, and the quarries were also an important source of grindstones. There were nine sandstone quarries in the area operating at the peak of production. Cleveland Quarries Company, established in 1868, no longer quarries Birmingham Buff Sandstone and Berea Sandstone in Amherst.
Amherst, part of the Greater Cleveland area, is located at (41.399993, -82.226201)[3]. The elevation is 689 feet (210 m) above sea level. Amherst is located 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Lake Erie. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (19 km2), of which, 7.2 square miles (19 km2) of it is land and 0.14% is water.
Politics in Amherst have traditionally been balanced between the local Democratic and the Republican Parties.
The political makeup of the city is -
Since becoming a city in 1960, the political power was balanced until the late 1960s and early 1970s when the Republicans led by Mayor Anthony DePaola dominated until 1983 when Democrat John Jaworski was elected mayor.
The city's leadership currently includes:
| Office Title | Incumbent | Political Party | Term Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | David A. Taylor | Republican | 12/31/11 |
| President of Council | John S. Dietrich | Democrat | 12/31/11 |
| Auditor | David Kukucka | Democrat | 12/31/11 |
| Treasurer | Mark S. Hullman | Democrat | 12/31/11 |
| City Director of Law | Anthony Pecora | Democrat | 12/31/11 |
| Safety/Service Director - Appointed | Dennis Clotz | Republican | 12/31/11 |
| Council at Large | Terrance A. Traster | Democrat | 12/31/11 |
| Council at Large | Phil Van Treuren | Republican | 12/31/11 |
| Council at Large | Frank Janik | Democrat | 12/31/11 |
| 1st Ward Council | Steve Bukovac | Democrat | 12/31/11 |
| 2nd Ward Council | Glenn Loughrie | Democrat | 12/31/11 |
| 3rd Ward Council | Joseph R. Gambish | Republican | 12/31/11 |
| 4th Ward Council | Jennifer Wasilk | Republican | 12/31/11 |
Amherst possesses a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa) / Borderline humid subtropical climate zone (Cfa), typical of much of the Central United States, with very warm to hot, humid summers and cold winters with moderate snow.
Amherst is located in Hardiness Zone 6a/6b.[6] A recent trend since the Hardiness rezoning is the discovery that certain tropical plants like the Needle Palm, Chinese Windmill Palm and Fiber Banana trees can grow in Amherst with little to no protection.
Many days in Amherst require the use of both heat and air conditioning because of the frequent and sudden weather changes.
| Climate data for Amherst, Ohio | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 34 (1) |
36 (2) |
47 (8) |
58 (14) |
69 (21) |
80 (27) |
84 (29) |
81 (27) |
75 (24) |
65 (18) |
52 (11) |
39 (4) |
60 (16) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 19 (−7) |
21 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
39 (4) |
48 (9) |
58 (14) |
62 (17) |
61 (16) |
55 (13) |
45 (7) |
37 (3) |
25 (−4) |
41.5 (5.3) |
| Rainfall inches (mm) | 2.3 (58) |
2.1 (53) |
2.7 (69) |
3.3 (84) |
3.5 (89) |
3.9 (99) |
3.7 (94) |
3.6 (91) |
3.3 (84) |
2.5 (64) |
3.1 (79) |
2.7 (69) |
36.7 (932) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 13.2 (33.5) |
11.8 (30) |
9.0 (22.9) |
2.1 (5.3) |
0.1 (0.3) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.3 (0.8) |
3.5 (8.9) |
11.0 (27.9) |
51.0 (129.5) |
| Source: [7] | |||||||||||||
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 11,797 people, 4,459 households, and 3,388 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,646.1 people per square mile (635.3/km²). There were 4,603 housing units at an average density of 642.3 per square mile (247.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.84% White, 0.53% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.93% of the population.
There were 4,459 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. Twenty-one.six percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61, and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,516, and the median income for a family was $57,990. Males had a median income of $47,750 versus $27,880 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,565. About 1.2% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.3% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,542 |
|
|
| 1890 | 1,648 | 6.9% | |
| 1900 | 1,758 | 6.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,106 | 19.8% | |
| 1920 | 2,485 | 18.0% | |
| 1930 | 2,844 | 14.4% | |
| 1940 | 2,896 | 1.8% | |
| 1950 | 3,542 | 22.3% | |
| 1960 | 6,750 | 90.6% | |
| 1970 | 9,902 | 46.7% | |
| 1980 | 10,620 | 7.3% | |
| 1990 | 10,332 | −2.7% | |
| 2000 | 11,797 | 14.2% | |
| Est. 2008 | 11,724 | −0.6% | |
By far the most common mode of transportation to, from or within Amherst, Ohio is by car. However the downtown area is walkable. State Route 2 runs west to east through the northern portion of Amherst providing access to downtown Cleveland (25 minutes), its suburbs and Sandusky, Ohio. There are two exit/entrance ramps in the city (Oak Point Road and State Route 58). The Ohio Turnpike also runs west to east along the City's southern border and there is one (exit/entrance) ramp just south of the city in Amherst Township at State Route 58. Parts of the city are also served by the Lorain County Transit system. Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) is the nearest International airport; it is located approximately 35 minutes east of the city.
Amherst is home to a Nordson factory that manufactures various products, as well as KTM-Sportmotorcycle America's Corporate office. In the city's scenic downtown section, Ben Franklin's dime store sells many types of fish and aquarium accessories, model cars, puzzles, and the like.
Amherst has been growing steadily since the early 1980s. A recent housing boom has created demand for new retail areas in Amherst. Target has recently opened inside the city limits.
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