Cleveland

Cleveland
Nicknames: 
The Forest City
(for more, see full list)
Motto: 
Progress & Prosperity
Interactive map of Cleveland
Cleveland
Cleveland
Coordinates: 41°29′57″N 81°41′41″W / 41.49917°N 81.69472°W / 41.49917; -81.69472
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
CountyCuyahoga
FoundedJuly 22, 1796 (1796-07-22)
Incorporated (village)December 23, 1814 (1814-12-23)
Incorporated (city)March 5, 1836 (1836-03-05)
Named afterMoses Cleaveland
Government
  TypeStrong mayor / Council
  BodyCleveland City Council
  MayorJustin Bibb (D)
Area
  City
82.48 sq mi (213.62 km2)
  Land77.73 sq mi (201.33 km2)
  Water4.75 sq mi (12.29 km2)
Elevation
653 ft (199 m)
Population
 (2020)
  City
372,624
  Estimate 
(2024)
365,379
  Rank53rd in the United States
2nd in Ohio
  Density4,793.52/sq mi (1,850.78/km2)
  Urban
1,712,178 (US: 31st)
  Urban density2,398.7/sq mi (926.1/km2)
  Metro
2,185,825 (US: 33rd)
DemonymClevelander
GDP
  Metro$139.935 billion (2023)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
ZIP Codes
Area code216
Websiteclevelandohio.gov

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately 60 mi (97 km) west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania state border. Cleveland is the most populous city on Lake Erie, the second-most populous city in Ohio, and the 53rd-most populous city in the U.S. with a population of 372,624 in 2020. The city anchors the Cleveland metropolitan area, the 33rd-largest in the U.S. at 2.18 million residents, as well as the larger Cleveland–AkronCanton combined statistical area with 3.63 million residents.

Cleveland was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve in modern-day Northeast Ohio by General Moses Cleaveland, after whom the city was named. The city's location on the river and the lake shore allowed it to grow into a major commercial and industrial metropolis by the late 19th century, attracting large numbers of immigrants and migrants. It was among the top 10 largest U.S. cities by population for much of the 20th century, a period that saw the development of the city's cultural institutions. By the 1960s, Cleveland's economy began to slow down as manufacturing declined and suburbanization occurred.

Cleveland is a port city, connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Its economy relies on diverse sectors that include higher education, manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and biomedicals. The city serves as the headquarters of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, as well as several major companies. The GDP for the Greater Cleveland MSA was US$138.3 billion in 2022. Combined with the Akron MSA, the eight-county Cleveland–Akron metropolitan economy was $176 billion in 2022, the largest in Ohio.

Designated as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, Cleveland is home to several major cultural institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Public Library, Playhouse Square, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as Case Western Reserve University. Known as "The Forest City" among many other nicknames, Cleveland serves as the center of the Cleveland Metroparks nature reserve system. The city's major league professional sports teams include the Cleveland Browns (football; NFL), the Cleveland Cavaliers (basketball; NBA), and the Cleveland Guardians (baseball; MLB).