Solon

History

In 1820, the first settlers arrived from Connecticut to live in part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The township was named after Lorenzo Solon Bull, who was the son of Isaac Bull, one of the first settlers. Purportedly, the selection of young Lorenzo's middle name was due to its derivation from the "father of democracy", Solon, the lawmaker of Ancient Greece. The early settlers faced challenges common to pioneers, but in Solon, drainage and wetlands issues complicated settlement and agriculture. Overcoming these obstacles, Solon Township became an arable farming area, producing corn and wheat crops and supporting dairy farm] (including five cheese factories). By 1850, the population of Solon Township reached 1,034. Because of nearby Cleveland's position as a national hub of the railroad industry, rail also contributed greatly to Solon's growth. In 1857, the Cleveland-Youngstown section of the Cleveland and Mahoning Railroad established a line running through Solon. Laid out in a traditional New England plan, Solon, like many of the neighboring townships, established a public square in its town center. In conjunction with townships to the north, a north–south corridor was established through the town centers of Solon, Orange, and Mayfield townships (from south to north, respectively) and, accordingly, was named SOM Center Road (now Ohio 91). Solon Township included the current municipalities of the City of Solon and the villages of Bentleyville and Glenwillow. In 1927, Solon was incorporated as a village and later became a city in 1961, operated under the mayor-council form of government. Solon was one of the first cities to use a comprehensive zoning plan and has been able to achieve a strong industrial base, while insulating its bedroom communities from…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Solon lies in a humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfa) and has four distinct seasons, from hot summers to cold and snowy winters. The highest recorded temperature in the city was in 1918, and the lowest was in 1994. Solon experiences relatively high precipitation (an average of annually) due to lake effect and its presence on the western end of the North American snowbelt.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  36,360
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  34,269
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  31,974
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  28,361
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  27,166
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  25,650
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  25,012
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  24,967

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-03-05
  3 km SW of Madison, Ohio
• M 2.7 — 2026-01-06
  4 km ENE of North Madison, Ohio
• M 2.5 — 2025-05-12
  4 km ESE of Madison, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2024-06-01
  1 km E of Madison, Ohio
• M 3 — 2024-03-30
  2 km SSW of Maple Ridge, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2024-01-05
  3 km SE of Madison, Ohio