| Cuyahoga County, Ohio | ||
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Location in the state of Ohio |
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Ohio's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | June 7, 1807[1] | |
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| Named for | "crooked river" possibly in Algonquian | |
| Seat | Cleveland | |
| Largest city | Cleveland | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,246 sq mi (3,226 km²) 458 sq mi (1,187 km²) 787 sq mi (2,038 km²), 63.19% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
1,280,122 2,795/sq mi (1,078/km²) |
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| Website | www.cuyahogacounty.us | |
Cuyahoga County ( /ˌkaɪ.əˈhɒɡə/ or /ˌkaɪ.əˈhoʊɡə/)[2][3][4][5] is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. It is the most populous county in Ohio; as of the 2010 census, the population was 1,280,122.[6] Its county seat is Cleveland.[7] Cuyahoga County is part of Greater Cleveland, a metropolitan area, and Northeast Ohio, a thirteen-county region, joined together in economic development initiatives. The county is named after the Native American word (possibly Algonquian) Cuyahoga, which means "crooked river".[8] The name is also assigned to the Cuyahoga River, which bisects the county. Former U.S. President James A. Garfield was born in what was Cuyahoga County's Orange Township.
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Cuyahoga County was organized on June 7, 1807.[9] It was later reduced by the creation of Huron, Lake, and Lorain Counties.[10] It was named after the Cuyahoga River.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,246 square miles (3,227.1 km2).458 square miles (1,186.2 km2) is land and 787 square miles (2,038.3 km2) (63.19%) is water. A portion of Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located in the southeastern portion of the county.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 1,459 |
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| 1820 | 6,328 | 333.7% | |
| 1830 | 10,373 | 63.9% | |
| 1840 | 26,506 | 155.5% | |
| 1850 | 48,099 | 81.5% | |
| 1860 | 78,033 | 62.2% | |
| 1870 | 132,010 | 69.2% | |
| 1880 | 196,943 | 49.2% | |
| 1890 | 309,970 | 57.4% | |
| 1900 | 439,120 | 41.7% | |
| 1910 | 637,425 | 45.2% | |
| 1920 | 943,495 | 48.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,201,455 | 27.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,217,250 | 1.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,389,532 | 14.2% | |
| 1960 | 1,647,895 | 18.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,721,300 | 4.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,498,400 | −12.9% | |
| 1990 | 1,412,140 | −5.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,393,978 | −1.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,280,122 | −8.2% | |
| Population 1810-2007.[1] | |||
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 1,393,978 people, 571,457 households, and 354,874 families residing in the county. The population density was 3,040 people per square mile (1,174/km²). There were 616,903 housing units at an average density of 1,346 per square mile (520/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 67.35% White, 27.45% African American, 0.18% Native American, 1.81% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.50% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. 3.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 12.3% were of German, 9.1% Irish, 8.7% Italian and 7.3% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 89.0% spoke English and 3.2% Spanish as their first language.
There were 571,457 households out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.40% were married couples living together, 15.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.90% were non-families. 32.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,168, and the median income for a family was $49,559. Males had a median income of $39,603 versus $28,395 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,272. About 10.30% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.40% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.
Cuyahoga County had long been led by a three-member Board of County Commissioners. However, on November 3, 2009, county voters overwhelmingly approved the adoption of a county charter form of government, which replaced the three-commissioner form of county government with an elected county executive and an 11-member county council. Each council member represents a single district; there are no at-large districts. Summit County is the only other Ohio county with this form of government.
In the November 2, 2010 election, Lakewood mayor Ed FitzGerald defeated Matt Dolan to become the first Cuyahoga County executive.[12] The first Cuyahoga County Council was also elected, with Democrats winning the majority (8-3) over the Republicans.[13]
Cuyahoga County is heavily Democratic in voter registration.
| Year | Democrat | Republican |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 68.50% 441,836 | 30.44% 196,369 |
| 2004 | 66.57% 448,503 | 32.89% 221,600 |
| 2000 | 62.62% 359,913 | 33.42% 192,099 |
| 1996 | 60.75% 341,357 | 29.15% 163,770 |
| 1992 | 52.72% 337,548 | 29.24% 187,186 |
| 1988 | 58.79% 353,401 | 40.33% 242,439 |
| 1984 | 55.65% 362,626 | 43.60% 284,094 |
| 1980 | 50.02% 307,448 | 41.47% 254,883 |
| 1976 | 56.03% 349,186 | 41.01% 255,594 |
| 1972 | 48.15% 317,670 | 49.94% 329,493 |
| 1968 | 53.95% 363,540 | 35.44% 238,791 |
| 1964 | 71.50% 492,911 | 28.50% 196,436 |
| 1960 | 59.83% 429,030 | 40.17% 288,056 |
Cuyahoga County is served by the Cleveland Metroparks system. Its 16 reservations provide more than 21,000 acres (8,500 ha) of green space and recreational amenities.[14] The county is home to part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which extends southward into Summit County.
| Lake Erie | Lake County | |||
| Lorain County | Geauga County | |||
| Cuyahoga County, Ohio | ||||
| Medina County | Summit County and Portage County |
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