Cleveland Heights is a city in
Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban County (United States), county located in the Northeast Ohio, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the Canada–United States border, U.S.- ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, United States, and one of
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
's historical
streetcar suburb
A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Such suburbs developed in the United States in the years before the automobile, when ...
s. The city's population was 45,312 at the
2020 census. As of the 2010 census, Cleveland Heights was ranked the 8th largest city by population in the
Greater Cleveland area and ranked 20th in Ohio. It was founded as a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in 1903 and a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in 1921.
History
The area that is now Cleveland Heights was settled later than most of
Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban County (United States), county located in the Northeast Ohio, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the Canada–United States border, U.S.- ...
. The first road through what is today the city, Mayfield Road, was not built until 1828. Some of the land was divided into farms, but It also had quarries in the 19th century. One of the early quarries was established by Duncan McFarland who mined
bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:
* basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand
* dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge)
* felds ...
. This led to the settlement that grew up around the quarry for the workers to live in to be referred to as Bluestone. There is still a road of this name in that area.
In 1873
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...
acquired about in what is now the cities of East Cleveland and Cleveland, with his mansion itself in East Cleveland. Eventually some of the land, straddling both suburbs, was turned into residential developments and, in 1938, the family donated land which is now
Forest Hill Park. There had been quarries within what is today Forest Hill Park previous to Rockefeller donating it to the city.
Rockefeller was not the only affluent Clevelander to come to what is now Cleveland Heights. The Euclid Heights development was created by Patrick Calhoun starting in 1892. It was centered around the Euclid Golf Course and began at the Cleveland city line, covering the area between Mayfield and Cedar roads as far east as Coventry Road. There was a
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
line from this location running to the center of Cleveland's business district.
In 1898 Marcus M. Brown began the development of Mayfield Heights along the south side of Mayfield Road and east of the current Coventry Road - taking advantage of the Mayfield Road streetcar. Brown had purchased this land from Emil Preyer and his sister Mary Preyer Hellwig. Emil was operator of a cedar mill.
By the end of 1899 the streetcar reached out along Mayfield Road to the old village of Fairmount. In 1903 the village of Cleveland Heights was incorporated. In 1910 Cleveland Heights had a population about 5,000 people. It had a population of 15,396 in 1920 and was incorporated as a city on August 9, 1921. Between 1920 and 1930, Cleveland Heights' population more than tripled. By 1960 it had a population of 61,813.
In the 1950s, Cleveland Heights saw the influx of many Jewish people leaving Cleveland, particularly the
Hough Hough may refer to:
* Hamstringing, or severing the Achilles tendon of an animal
* the leg or Tibia, shin of an animal (in the Scots language), from which the dish potted hough is made
* Hough (surname)
Communities United Kingdom
* Hough, Alderle ...
and
Glenville neighborhoods. In 1961, 35% of the Jewish population of
Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban County (United States), county located in the Northeast Ohio, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the Canada–United States border, U.S.- ...
lived in Cleveland Heights. Although the Black population of Cleveland Heights was less than 1% in 1960, partially due to restrictive covenants, Black Clevelanders began to move into Cleveland Heights in the 1960s and 70s. This led to violence and pushback from some white citizens. However, organizations such as Heights Citizens For Human Rights and Heights Community Congress formed in the 1960s and 70s to protest violence against Black citizens, and promote integration in the city.
Geography
![Heights Rockefeller Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Heights_Rockefeller_Building.jpg)
Cleveland Heights is located at (41.509652, -81.563301).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Cleveland Heights is made up of three watersheds, the Doan Brook Watershed, the
Dugway Brook Watershed The Dugway Brook Watershed is a nine-square mile basin in Cleveland, Ohio and its east side suburbs, which drains storm runoff into Dugway Brook which is a direct tributary feeding into Lake Erie. Dugway Brook is one of the six greater "bluestone ...
, and the Nine Mile Creek Watershed. Approximately 50% of Cleveland Heights is part of the Dugway Brook Watershed.
Environment
In 1987, the city of Cleveland Heights was declared a
nuclear-free zone
A nuclear-free zone is an area in which nuclear weapons (see nuclear-weapon-free zone) and nuclear power plants are banned. The specific ramifications of these depend on the locale in question.
Nuclear-free zones usually neither address nor prohi ...
.
Parks
Cleveland Heights has seven city parks: Barbara H. Boyd Park, Cain Park, Cumberland Park, Denison Park,
Forest Hill Park, Kenilworth Park and Turtle Park.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 45,312 people and 18,976 households residing in the city. The population density was . The racial makeup of the city was 46.8%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 39.7%
Black or African American, 5.7%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 3.1% from two or more races, and 2.8%
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
. The gender makeup of the city was 44.4% male and 55.6% female. The median income for a household in the city was $59,086. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $38,311. About 18.0% of individuals were below the poverty line.
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 46,238 people, 19,957 households, and 10,834 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 22,465 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 49.8%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 42.5%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 4.1%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.6% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.8% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.0% of the population.
There were 19,957 households, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.7% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.05.
The median age in the city was 35.8 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,024. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $31,663. About 19.3% of individuals were below the poverty line.
Politics and government
Cleveland Heights is governed by a
city charter
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Traditionally the granting of a charter ...
adopted in 1921 and amended in 1972, 1982, 1986 and 2019.
Until 2019, the Cleveland Heights city charter specified a
council–manager form of government, with seven members of council elected to four-year terms. Three councilmembers are elected one year before a presidential election, and four councilmembers were elected one year after a presidential election. All are elected using
plurality at-large
The multiple non-transferable vote (MNTV) is a group of voting system, in which voters elect several representatives at once, with each voter having more than one vote. MNTV uses multi-member electoral districts or only one district, which contai ...
non-partisan voting. Councilmembers elected a President and Vice President from among its members during January following each Council election. Both the President and Vice President have additional duties including parliamentary and ceremonial responsibilities, and under the Council-manager form of government, the President of City Council held the honorary title of Mayor. The city manager for Cleveland Heights was selected by City Council and served at their pleasure.
On November 5, 2019, Cleveland Heights voters approved an amendment to the city's charter to become a
strong Mayor-Council form of government with the Mayor serving as the city's chief executive. Under the amended Charter, in November 2021, Cleveland Heights voters cast ballots for Mayor for the first time. Kahlil Seren was elected to be Cleveland Heights' first directly elected mayor, and was sworn in on January 1, 2022.
The current city council is composed of Vice President Craig Cobb, President Melody Joy Hart, Davida Russell, Tony Cuda, Josie Moore, Anthony Mattox, Jr., and Gail Larson.
Cleveland Heights is reliably
Democratic. Six of the seven current members of Council are Democrats.
In the
2008 presidential election,
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
defeated
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
84.2%-15.0% while winning the state, while in the
2004 presidential election,
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...
defeated
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
80.8%-18.8% in the city but was unable to win the state. In 2012, every precinct in the city was carried by Barack Obama.
Cleveland Heights is in
Ohio's 11th congressional district
Ohio's 11th congressional district encompasses portions of Cuyahoga County in the Northeast part of the state—including most of the majority-black precincts in Cleveland. It has been represented by Shontel Brown since 2021.
Ohio has had ...
, which is represented by
Congresswoman Shontel Brown. Ohio's 11th congressional district was formerly represented by
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The United States secretary of housing and urban development (or HUD secretary) is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the president's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the presidential line of succ ...
Marcia Fudge
Marcia Louise Fudge (born October 29, 1952) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 18th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, United States secretary of housing and urban development since 2021. A member of the D ...
.
In 2003, Cleveland Heights voters approved a referendum to establish Ohio's first domestic partnership registry.
Education
Public education in the city of Cleveland Heights is provided by two school districts. Most of the city is served by the
Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, while a small portion located on the northwest side of the city lies within the
East Cleveland City School District
The East Cleveland City School District is a public school district headquartered in East Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It serves East Cleveland and a section of Cleveland Heights.
Finances
The district was known for mismanagement of finances; ...
.
Several private schools are located within the city, including
Beaumont School,
Lutheran High School East
Lutheran High School East, located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Its goal is to provide an "educationally rich experience in a Christ-centered environment".
History of the school incl ...
,
Horizon Montessori,
Ruffing Montessori,
Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
The Hebrew Academy of Cleveland is a private day school in Cleveland, Ohio with over 1,000 students. It provides Judaic and secular education from pre-school through high school. The Hebrew Academy was established in 1943 by the Telshe Yeshiva and ...
,
Saint Ann School,
Mosdos Ohr Hatorah, and
Yeshiva of Cleveland
Yeshiva of Cleveland is an Orthodox yeshiva in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. An affiliate of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim
Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim (also known as the Rabbinical Seminary of America) is an Orthodox Yeshiva in the United States, based in Kew G ...
.
Notable people
*
Hector Boiardi, businessman also known as Chef Boy-Ar-Dee.
*
Timothy Broglio
Timothy Paul Andrew Broglio (born December 22, 1951) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has served as Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, since 2008, and as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop ...
,
Archbishop for the Military Services, USA.
*
Martha Chase
Martha Cowles Chase (November 30, 1927 – August 8, 2003), also known as Martha C. Epstein, was an American geneticist who in 1952, with Alfred Hershey, experimentally helped to confirm that DNA rather than protein is the genetic material o ...
, geneticist who helped to confirm that DNA was the genetic material of life through the
Hershey-Chase Experiment.
*
Kevin Edwards
Kevin Durell Edwards (born October 30, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who currently serves as DePaul University men's basketball team's director of community, corporate, and professional relations. Edwards was selecte ...
, former
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
player.
*
Herman Goldner
Herman may refer to:
People
* Herman (name), list of people with this name
* Saint Herman (disambiguation)
* Peter Noone (born 1947), known by the mononym Herman
Places in the United States
* Herman, Arkansas
* Herman, Michigan
* Herman, Minn ...
, mayor of
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
from 1961–67 and 1971–73
*
Jason Kelce
Jason Daniel Kelce (; born November 5, 1987) is an American football center for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at ...
,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
*
Travis Kelce
Travis Michael Kelce (; born October 5, 1989) is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft and later won Super Bowl LIV ...
,
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
*
Sean Young
Mary Sean Young (born November 20, 1959) is an American actress. She is particularly known for working in sci-fi films, although she has performed roles in a variety of genres.
Young's early roles include the independent romance ''Jane Auste ...
, Actress
See also
*
Forest Hill, Ohio
Forest Hill is an historic neighborhood spanning parts of Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland, Ohio, and is bordered to the north by Glynn Road, the south by Mayfield Road, by Lee Boulevard to the west and North Taylor Road to the east. Forest ...
References
External links
*
Surrounding communities
{{Authority control
Cities in Ohio
Cities in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Cleveland metropolitan area
Jewish communities in the United States
Nuclear-free zones in the United States
Populated places established in 1828
Russian-American culture in Ohio