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Lorain County, Ohio

{{short description|County in Ohio, United States}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Lorain County

| state = Ohio

| flag = Lorain County, Ohio Flag.gif

| seal = Seal of Lorain County Ohio.svg

| founded date = April 1

| founded year = 1824

| seat wl = Elyria

| largest city wl = Lorain

| area_total_sq_mi = 923

| area_land_sq_mi = 491

| area_water_sq_mi = 432

| area percentage = 47%

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 312964

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 317910 {{increase}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| web = www.loraincounty.us

| named for = Lorraine in France{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n189 190]}}

| ex image = Elyria-ohio-old-county-building.jpg

| ex image cap = Old county building in Elyria

| district = 5th }}

Lorain County ({{IPAc-en|l|ɔː|ˈ|r|eɪ|n}}) is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio As of the 2020 census, the population was 312,964.{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/loraincountyohio/PST045221 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 7, 2022}} Its county seat is Elyria, and its largest city is Lorain.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} The county was physically established in 1822, becoming judicially independent in 1824.{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/OH_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=Ohio: Individual County Chronologies|work=Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=The Newberry Library|date=2007|access-date=February 14, 2015|archive-date=April 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406154847/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/OH_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|url-status=dead}} Lorain County is part of the Cleveland, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is home to Oberlin College.

History

Lorain County was established in 1822 from portions of several of its adjacent counties.{{cite web |title=Lorain County - Ohio History Central |url=https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Lorain_County |website=ohiohistorycentral.org |publisher=Ohio History Connection |access-date=October 26, 2022}} This county became judicially-independent in 1824. The original proposed name for the county was "Colerain".Sandusky Register (newspaper); Sandusky, Ohio, 1822 The final name "Lorain" was chosen by Heman Ely, who had founded and named the city of Elyria. The county's name is based on the former German and now French province of Lorraine.{{Cite book |last=Wright |first=George Frederick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fz8VAAAAYAAJ |title=A Standard History of Lorain County, Ohio: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Civic and Social Development. A Chronicle of the People, with Family Lineage and Memoirs |publisher=Lewis publishing Company |year=1916 |pages=625–627 |language=en}}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of {{convert|923|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|491|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|432|sqmi}} (47%) is water.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_39.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 8, 2015 |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504223453/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_39.txt |archive-date=May 4, 2014 }} It is Ohio's fourth-largest county by area.

=Adjacent counties=

=Major highways=

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

{{div col end}}

Demographics

{{US Census population

| 1830 = 5696

| 1840 = 18467

| 1850 = 26086

| 1860 = 29744

| 1870 = 30308

| 1880 = 35526

| 1890 = 40295

| 1900 = 54857

| 1910 = 76037

| 1920 = 90612

| 1930 = 109206

| 1940 = 112390

| 1950 = 148162

| 1960 = 217500

| 1970 = 256843

| 1980 = 274909

| 1990 = 271126

| 2000 = 284664

| 2010 = 301356

| 2020 = 312964

| estyear = 2023

| estimate = 317910

| estref = {{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021|access-date=July 7, 2022}}

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 8, 2015}}
1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=February 8, 2015}} 1900-1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/oh190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=February 8, 2015}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=February 8, 2015}} 2010-2020

}}

=2020 census=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Lorain County, Ohio – Racial and ethnic composition
{{nobold|Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.}}

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lorain County, Ohio |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US39093&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}

!Pop 2010{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lorain County, Ohio |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US39093&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}

!{{partial|Pop 2020}}{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lorain County, Ohio |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US39093&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}

!% 2000

!% 2010

!{{partial|% 2020}}

White alone (NH)

|234,597

|241,543

|style='background: #ffffe6; |237,520

|82.41%

|80.15%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |75.89%

Black or African American alone (NH)

|23,365

|24,289

|style='background: #ffffe6; |22,980

|8.21%

|8.06%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.34%

Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|699

|635

|style='background: #ffffe6; |502

|0.25%

|0.21%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.16%

Asian alone (NH)

|1,665

|2,758

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,569

|0.58%

|0.92%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.14%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|47

|35

|style='background: #ffffe6; |50

|0.02%

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%

Other race alone (NH)

|267

|302

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,020

|0.09%

|0.10%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.33%

Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|4,348

|6,504

|style='background: #ffffe6; |14,406

|1.53%

|2.16%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.60%

Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|19,676

|25,290

|style='background: #ffffe6; |32,917

|6.91%

|8.39%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |10.52%

Total

|284,664

|301,356

|style='background: #ffffe6; |312,964

|100.00%

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

=2010 census=

As of the 2010 census, there were 301,356 people, 116,274 households, and 80,077 families residing in the county.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39093

|title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data

|access-date=December 27, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213034837/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39093

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} The population density was {{convert|613.6|PD/sqmi}}. There were 127,036 housing units at an average density of {{convert|258.7|/sqmi}}.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39093

|access-date=December 27, 2015

|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213190116/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39093

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} The racial makeup of the county was 84.8% white, 8.6% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.5% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.5% were German, 16.7% were Irish, 10.9% were English, 8.4% were Polish, 8.2% were Italian, 6.2% were American, and 5.2% were Hungarian.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39093

|title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

|access-date=December 27, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213025809/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39093

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}}

Of the 116,274 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.1% were non-families, and 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 40.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $52,066 and the median income for a family was $62,082. Males had a median income of $49,146 versus $35,334 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,002. About 10.3% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39093

|title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

|access-date=December 27, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213031124/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39093

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}}

Education

=Higher education=

=Public school districts=

There are 20 public school districts in Lorain County. Those primarily in Lorain County are listed in bold. Each district's high school(s) and location is also listed.

  • Amherst Exempted Village School District
  • Amherst Marion L. Steele High School, Amherst
  • Avon Local School District
  • Avon High School, Avon
  • Avon Lake City School District
  • Avon Lake High School, Avon Lake
  • Black River Local School District (also in Medina Co and Ashland Co.)
  • Black River High School, Sullivan
  • Clearview Local School District
  • Clearview High School, Lorain
  • Columbia Local School District
  • Columbia High School, Columbia Station
  • Elyria City School District
  • Elyria High School, Elyria
  • Firelands Local School District (also in Erie Co.)
  • Firelands High School, Henrietta Twp (Oberlin)
  • Keystone Local School District
  • Keystone High School, LaGrange
  • Lorain City School District
  • Lorain High School, Lorain
  • Mapleton Local School District (Primarily in Ashland Co.)
  • Mapleton High School, Ashland
  • Midview Local School District
  • Midview High School, Eaton Twp (Grafton)
  • New London Local School District (primarily in Huron Co.)
  • New London High School, New London
  • North Ridgeville City School District
  • North Ridgeville High School, North Ridgeville
  • Oberlin City School District
  • Oberlin High School, Oberlin
  • Olmsted Falls City Schools (primarily in Cuyahoga Co.)
  • Olmsted Falls High School, Olmsted Falls
  • Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City School District
  • Brookside High School, Sheffield
  • Strongsville City School District (primarily in Cuyahoga Co.)
  • Strongsville High School, Strongsville
  • Vermilion Local Schools (primarily in Erie Co.)
  • Vermilion High School, Vermilion
  • Wellington Exempted Village School District (also in Huron Co.)
  • Wellington High School, Wellington

The county also includes the Lorain County Joint Vocational School District, which encompasses the entire county and serves students from the Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, Clearview, Columbia, Elyria, Firelands, Keystone, Midview, North Ridgeville, Oberlin, Sheffield-Sheffield Lake and Wellington school districts from a 10-acre campus on a 100-acre site near the intersection of State Route 58 and U.S. Route 20 in Oberlin.{{cite web |last=JVS |title=Lorain County JVS - About the Lorain County JVS |url=http://www.lcjvs.com/jvs/index.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222060103/http://www.lcjvs.com/jvs/index.shtml |archive-date=December 22, 2011 |access-date=April 7, 2018 |website=www.lcjvs.com}}

=Private high schools=

Government

As of 2025, the following county-wide elected officials are in office: {{Cite web |title=LORAIN COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS 2025 ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIALS |url=https://www.voteloraincountyohio.gov/_files/ugd/2568d0_c78cdd27f3054ce38e044ccecca78785.pdf |website=www.voteloraincountyohio.gov}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Lorain County Elected Officials

Position

! Name

! Party

{{party shading/Republican}}

| Commissioner

| David J. Moore

| Republican

{{party shading/Republican}}

| Commissioner

| Marty Gallagher

| Republican

{{party shading/Republican}}

| Commissioner

| Jeff Riddell

| Republican

{{party shading/Republican}}

| Prosecuting Attorney

| Anthony Cillo

| Republican

{{party shading/Republican}}

| Sheriff

| Jack M. Hall

| Republican

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Clerk of Courts

| Tom Orlando

| Democrat

{{party shading/Republican}}

| Coroner

| Dr. Frank P. Miller III

| Republican

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Auditor

| J. Craig Snodgrass

| Democrat

{{party shading/Republican}}

| Recorder

| Mike Doran

| Republican

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Treasurer

| Daniel J. Talarek

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Engineer

| Kenneth Carney

| Democrat

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Lorain County Judges

Position

! Name

! Party

{{party shading/Republican}}

| Common Pleas - General

| Giovanna V. Bremke

| Republican

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Common Pleas - General

| Christopher R. Rothgery

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Common Pleas - General

| D. Christopher Cook

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Common Pleas - General

| Raymond J. Ewers

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Common Pleas - General

| Melissa C. Kobasher

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Common Pleas - General

| Donna C. Freeman

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Domestic Relations Division

| Frank J. Janik

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Domestic Relations Division

| Sherry Glass Strohsack

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Domestic Relations Division

| Lisa I. Swenski

| Democrat

{{party shading/Democratic}}

| Probate Division

| James T. Walther

| Democrat

Politics

Lorain County used to lean Democratic in more recent presidential elections, voting for the Democratic candidate for president from 1988 to 2012. In 2016, however, the county was almost swept up as part of the unexpected Republican surge in the Rust Belt; Donald Trump came within 131 votes of winning the county. In 2020, Trump flipped the county Republican by a narrow majority, becoming the first Republican to capture the county since Ronald Reagan in 1984. In 2024, Trump won the county with 52.12% of the vote, the highest percentage for a Republican since 1972. Despite this, the county also voted for Democrat Sherrod Brown in the 2024 Senate election, making it the only county in the state to vote for both Trump and Brown in 2024.

{{PresHead|place=Lorain County, Ohio|source={{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=April 7, 2018}}}}

{{PresRow|2024|Republican|83,297|74,207|2,303|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|2020|Republican|79,520|75,667|2,581|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|66,818|66,949|6,795|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|59,405|81,464|2,384|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|59,068|85,276|2,515|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|61,203|78,970|569|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|47,957|59,809|4,414|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|34,937|55,744|15,764|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|36,803|50,962|30,840|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|50,410|55,600|916|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1984|Republican|57,379|52,970|2,672|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1980|Republican|51,034|40,919|11,131|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|39,459|52,387|2,865|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1972|Republican|51,102|36,634|3,280|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|34,252|42,642|8,833|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|26,683|55,755|0|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|39,361|43,487|0|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1956|Republican|40,340|26,774|0|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1952|Republican|33,825|26,194|0|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1948|Republican|21,616|21,397|625|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|23,866|25,254|0|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|23,422|25,831|0|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|15,906|24,393|2,357|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1932|Republican|20,897|18,753|1,321|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1928|Republican|24,386|13,607|212|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1924|Republican|17,062|3,965|6,747|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1920|Republican|18,125|8,640|764|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|6,868|7,658|516|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|2,226|4,591|6,804|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1908|Republican|8,699|5,460|1,076|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1904|Republican|9,001|2,700|1,129|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1900|Republican|8,497|4,989|235|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1896|Republican|7,801|4,367|159|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1892|Republican|5,434|3,674|492|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1888|Republican|5,235|3,311|587|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1884|Republican|5,478|3,199|408|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1880|Republican|5,609|2,752|105|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1876|Republican|5,187|2,720|39|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1872|Republican|4,432|2,097|17|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1868|Republican|4,443|1,930|0|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1864|Republican|4,600|1,646|0|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1860|Republican|4,045|1,766|236|Ohio}}

{{PresRow|1856|Republican|3,604|1,420|54|Ohio}}

|}

{{U.S. SenHead|place=Lorain County, Ohio|Seat=1|source={{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/ohio-senate-results}}}}

{{U.S. SenRow|2024|Democratic|71,759|79,307|5,115|Ohio}}

{{U.S. SenFoot}}

Communities

Image:Map of Lorain County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG

=Cities=

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

{{div col end}}

=Villages=

{{div col}}

{{div col end}}

=Townships=

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

{{div col end}}

=Census-designated places=

=Unincorporated communities=

See also

References

{{reflist|30em}}

External links

{{wikivoyage|Lorain County}}

  • [http://www.LorainCounty.us/ Lorain County Government's website]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Lorain County, Ohio

|North = Lake Erie
Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario {{flagicon|Canada}}

|Northeast = Cuyahoga County

|East =

|Southeast = Medina County

|South = Ashland County

|Southwest = Huron County

|West =

|Northwest = Erie County

}}

{{Lorain County, Ohio}}

{{Ohio}}

{{coord|41.47|-82.15|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1824 establishments in Ohio

Category:Populated places established in 1824