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 ...
, on
Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
. The population was 10,659 at the 2020 census. Located about 35 miles west 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. ...
Cleveland metropolitan area
The Cleveland metropolitan area, or Greater Cleveland as it is more commonly known, is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census results, the five-county ...
Vermilion was initially settled in the early 19th century and incorporated as a village in 1837. The city took its name from the nearby Vermilion River. It developed as a fishing and small-boat harbor. In 1847, the Congress of the United States built the
Vermilion Lighthouse
The Vermilion Lighthouse is a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Erie in Vermilion, Ohio, USA. It is situated near the mouth of the Vermilion River. Erected on 23 October 1991 and dedicated on 6 June 1992, the lighthouse is illuminated by a 200 ...
to aid navigation on Lake Erie.
As commerce grew in larger nearby cities, the Vermilion River proved inadequate to large commercial traffic. Later, recreational boating became very popular. During the early 20th century, the area became known as a resort community, featuring many beaches and cottages. Most structures were eventually converted to year-round use; many still are used as summer homes or vacation houses.
Linwood Park
Linwood Park is a private, family park in the city of Vermilion in the north central part of the U.S. state of Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. It is located in the northeastern corner of Erie County.
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
, or 1.53%, is covered by water.
Demographics
2010 census
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, 10,594 people, 4,183 households, and 3,033 families were 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 . The 4,919 housing units averaged . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 96.8% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.8% of the population.
Of the 4,183 households, 30.8% had children under 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.5% were not families; 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50, and the average family size was 2.91.
The median age in the city was 43.5 years; 22.6% of residents were under 18, 7.1% were between 18 and 24, 22.6% were 25 to 44, 31% were 45 to 64, and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.
2000 census
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 2000, 10,927 people, 4,254 households, and 3,113 families were residing in the city. The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 94.8% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.8% of the population.
Of the 4,254 households, 32.4% had children under 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were not families. About 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.54, and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city, the age distribution was 25.3% under 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,926, and for a family was $57,311. Males had a median income of $41,269 versus $25,195 for females. 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 $23,635. About 4.1% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Vermilion was previously described as the "Village of Lake Captains", with many captains' homes in the Harbour Town Historic District. Housing styles in the district include
Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literature ...
Arts and Crafts
A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...
, and Queen Anne. Community-wide revitalization efforts have been promoted since the 1970s, encouraging property owners and citizens to retain historic qualities. The Vermilion Lagoons neighborhood is one of the first planned residential communities on the water in the United States, with construction starting in 1928.
Cultural attractions
Over 150,000 people visit Vermilion for the
Woollybear Festival
The Woollybear Festival is held every Fall in downtown Vermilion, Ohio, on Lake Erie. The one-day, family event, which began in 1973, features a woolly bear costume contest in which children, even pets, are dressed up as various renditions of the ...
; it includes the longest parade in Ohio.
The
Festival of the Fish
The Festival of the Fish, held each June, is a three-day fish frying event, held in Vermilion, Ohio, and was founded in 1967.Gay, Kathly, and Martin Gay. ''Encyclopedia of North American Eating & Drinking Traditions, Customs & Rituals''. Santa Barb ...
is a three-day event each June.
Parks and recreation
Vermilion harbor features sandy beaches, recreational boating, jet skis, canoeing, and sailboats. Shipbuilding was once the major industry there.
Vermilion is home to over 12 parks and facilities, including the Vermilion River Reservation, featuring the Bacon Woods and Mill Hollow areas on each side of the Vermilion River, which runs through the reservation and directly out to Lake Erie. Picnic shelters and trails are located in Vermilion.
Education
The Vermilion School System provides public school education for area children from kindergarten through 12th grade, with vocational and professional education opportunities at the EHOVE Career Center. The Vermilion Institute of Technology (VIT) is a private, independent scholars institute involved in teaching and research. VIT delivers certification programs for electrical technicians, appliance repair, and structured innovation and inventive problem solving ( TRIZ) for science, engineering, business, healthcare, and government.
Lake Ridge Academy
Lake Ridge Academy (LRA) is an independent, nonsectarian day school in North Ridgeville, Ohio, United States.
The school was founded in 1963 and offers co-educational classes from kindergarten through grade 12. Lake Ridge Academy is the only in ...
, a private grade school and high school in nearby North Ridgeville, offers daily school bus service for Vermilion students.
St. Mary's parochial school has been serving preschool and grades K-6 since 1956
The Lucy Idol Center, located on the edge of town, offers nonresidential care for disabled children and adults. Bowling Green State University (Firelands campus) and Lorain County Community College, both accredited schools offering four-year and advanced degrees, are located within a 20-minute drive of Vermilion.
Vermilion High School
Vermilion High School is a public high school in Vermilion, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Vermilion Local School District.
The school colors are purple and gold. The sports teams are nicknamed the Sailors. The rivalry game between the S ...
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
*
Phoebe Judson
Phoebe Goodell Judson (October 25, 1831 – January 16, 1926; sometimes called Phoebe Newton Judson) was a Canadian and American pioneer and author. Along with her husband, Holden Judson, she founded the city of Lynden, Washington. In 1886, she ...
Miss Ohio Teen USA
The Miss Ohio Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Ohio in the Miss Teen USA pageant and the name of the title held by that winner.
Most recently the pageant has been held in Springfield, Ohi ...
2005,
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant formerly run, since 1983, by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on Fox and Miss USA, this pageant is webcast on the Mis ...
2005
*
Andy Oliver
Andrew Allen Oliver (born December 3, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers.
College
Oliver was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 17th round of the ...
, former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher
*
Lester Allan Pelton
Lester Allan Pelton (September 5, 1829 – March 14, 1908) was an American inventor who contributed significantly to the development of hydroelectricity and hydropower in the American Old West as well as world-wide. In the late 1870s, he invented ...
, inventor of the Pelton wheel impulse water turbine
Sister city
Vermilion's sister city is
Paimpol
Paimpol (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwest France.
It is a tourist destination, especially during the summer months when people are attracted by its port and beaches.
Geography
The town is located in the ...