Lorain

History

According to local government records, the city began as an unincorporated village established before 1834 as “Black River Village”, and was renamed in 1837 as "Charleston." According to 19th-century historians, the new name was rejected by its own citizens, who continued to use Black River Village. The village was incorporated as Lorain in 1874 and became a city in 1896. The first mayor was Conrad Reid, who took office on April 6, 1874. The municipal boundaries incorporated most of the former Black River Township judicial boundaries, and portions of the Sheffield Township, Amherst Township, and Brownhelm Township judicial borders. The 1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado hit the city on Saturday, June 28, 1924. The tornado formed over the Sandusky Bay during the late afternoon hours and hit Sandusky, where it killed eight people and destroyed 100 homes and 25 businesses. After moving east over Lake Erie for several miles, the tornado then struck Lorain, killing 72. Among the dead were 15 people inside a collapsed theater, which makes it the worst tornado-related death toll from a single building in Ohio. Eight people were also killed inside the Bath House near the location where the tornado came onshore.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,143
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  17,779
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  17,274
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,207
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  15,836
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,691
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  15,325
• Ring-billed Gull

  Larus delawarensis Ord, 1815 · Aves
  15,090

Most recent

• M 3 — 2026-04-26
  7 km SSE of Amherstburg, Canada
• M 2.9 — 2026-03-05
  3 km SW of Madison, Ohio
• M 2.5 — 2022-01-27
  2 km NW of Lakeline, Ohio
• M 2.8 — 2022-01-04
  3 km NW of Timberlake, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2019-12-07
  1 km N of Willowick, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2019-10-15
  4 km S of Madison, Ohio