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Amherst, Ohio

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Amherst, Ohio
City
Motto: 
"Sandstone Center of the World"
Location of Amherst, Ohio
Location of Amherst, Ohio
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
CountyLorain
Government
 • MayorDavid A. Taylor (R)
Area
 • Total
7.2 sq mi (18.6 km2)
 • Land7.2 sq mi (18.6 km2)
Elevation
Template:GR
689 ft (210 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
11,797
 • Density1,646.1/sq mi (635.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
44001
Area code440
FIPS code39-01798Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1064320Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.amherstohio.org/

Amherst is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is located in Lorain County. The population was 11,797 at the 2000 census.

History

The town of Amherst was established by German immigrants between 1811 and 1816. Jacob Shupe was the founder of Amherst. He had the first sawmill, distillery, and gristmill in the Amherst area. Mr. Shupe actually started early industry in the Amherst area. He settled on a high hill near the Beaver Creek, close to the intersection of Cooper Foster Park Road and North Main Street. His house still stands today and is a part of the New Indian Ridge Museum.

Soon after being settled, Amherst acquired the title Sandstone Center of the World. Many early buildings are constructed of native sandstone, and the quarries were also an important source of grindstones. There were nine sandstone quarries in the area operating at the peak of production. Cleveland Quarries Company, established in 1868, no longer quarries Birmingham Buff Sandstone and Berea Sandstone in Amherst.

Geography

Amherst, part of the Greater Cleveland area, is located at 41°24′0″N 82°13′34″W / 41.40000°N 82.22611°W / 41.40000; -82.22611 (41.399993, -82.226201)Template:GR. The elevation is 689 feet (210 m) above sea level. Amherst is located 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Lake Erie. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²), of which, 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of it is land and 0.14% is water.

Politics

Politics in Amherst have traditionally been balanced beteween the local Democratic and the Republican Parties.

The political makeup of the city is -

  • Democrat: 56.1%
  • Republican: 43.4%[1]

Since becoming a city in 1960, the political power was balanced until the late 1960s and early 1970s when the Republicans led by Mayor Anthony DePaola dominated until 1983 when Democrat John Jaworski was elected mayor.

The city's leadership currently includes:

Office Title Incumbent Political Party Term Expires
Mayor David A. Taylor Republican 12/31/11
President of Council John S. Dietrich Democrat 12/31/09
Auditor David Kukucka Democrat 12/31/09
Treasurer Kathleen M. Litkovitz Democrat 12/31/09
City Director of Law Anthony Pecora Democrat 12/31/11
Safety/Service Director - Appointed Dennis Clotz Republican 12/31/11
Council at Large Terrance A. Traster Democrat 12/31/09
Council at Large Dennis Walters 12/31/09
Council at Large P. William Vanderwyden III Democrat 12/31/09
1st Ward Council Jason Sobiski Independent 12/31/09
2nd Ward Council Glenn Loughrie Democrat 12/31/09
3rd Ward Council Joseph R. Gambish Republican 12/31/09
4th Ward Council Jennifer Wasilk Republican 12/31/09

[2]

Climate

Amherst possesses a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa), typical of much of the Central United States, with very warm to hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.

Amherst is located in Hardiness Zone 6.[3] A recent trend since the Hardiness rezoning is the discovery that certain species of Banana & Palm trees can live comfortably in Amherst with little to no protection.

Climate data for Amherst, Ohio
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: [4]

Demographics

Main Street in Amherst

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 11,797 people, 4,459 households, and 3,388 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,646.1 people per square mile (635.3/km²). There were 4,603 housing units at an average density of 642.3/sq mi (247.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.84% White, 0.53% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.93% of the population.

There were 4,459 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. Twenty-one.six percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61, and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,516, and the median income for a family was $57,990. Males had a median income of $47,750 versus $27,880 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,565. About 1.2% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.3% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

By far the most common mode of transportation to, from or within Amherst, Ohio is by car. However the downtown area is walkable. State Route 2 runs west to east through the northern portion of Amherst providing access to downtown Cleveland (25 minutes), its suburbs and Sandusky, Ohio. There are two exit/entrance ramps in the city (Oak Point Road and State Route 58). The Ohio Turnpike also runs west to east along the City's southern border and there is one (exit/entrance) ramp in the Amherst Township at State Route 58. Parts of the city are also served by the Lorain County Transit system. Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) is the nearest International airport; it is located approximately 35 minutes east of the city.

Business

Amherst is home to a Nordson factory that manufactures many products, as well as KTM-Sportmotorcycle America's Corporate office.

Growth

Amherst and the surrounding area has been growing steadily since the early 1980s. The recent housing boom has created a demand for several new retail areas in Amherst. Mnay new businesses have opened recently, including Key Bank, Enger Auto Service & Tire, Subway, Sally Beauty Supply, Great Clips, The Mattress Factory and others will join Target and Starbucks in The Shops at Deerfield (Ohio Route 2 at Oak Point Rd.). A new Lowe's, Kohl's, Wal*Mart SuperCenter (2010), Home Depot and the Cleveland Clinic also recently opened nearby in the city of Lorain. Even quaint downtown Amherst has had many businesses expand or renovate their facilities.

Notable Natives & Residents

References

  1. ^ Amherst Profile
  2. ^ Amherst, Ohio Government & Elected Officials – LorainCounty.com
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ "City-Data, Average Climate for Amherst, Ohio". {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Text "http://www.city-data.com/city/Amherst-Ohio.html" ignored (help)
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