Greater Cleveland



Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.

Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below. This article covers the area generally considered to be Greater Cleveland, but includes information on the entire region of Northeast Ohio which includes the cities of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Elyria, Lorain, Warren, and Youngstown.

According to the 2010 Census, the five-county Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) consists of Cuyahoga County, Geauga County, Lake County, Lorain County, and Medina County, and has a population of 2,077,240. Greater Cleveland is the largest metropolitan area in Ohio.

The larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area is the 14th-largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States, and includes the above counties plus Ashtabula County, Portage County and Summit County, with a population of 2,881,937.

The Cleveland-Akron-Canton television Designated Market Area covers this area, and all of Northeast Ohio except for the Youngstown/Warren region. It is the 16th largest in the United States, according to Nielsen Media Research.

However, the areas commonly understood as Greater Cleveland or Northeast Ohio are not precisely defined. Most often, Greater Cleveland is understood as referring to all of Cuyahoga County, and a number of surrounding communities. The Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor MSA covers most of this area and some smaller outlying communities.

One organization states that Northeast Ohio consists of 16 counties (Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties) and includes the cities of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Lorain, Elyria, Medina, Ashtabula, Youngstown, and Warren. Northeast Ohio is home to approximately 4.5 million people, has a labor force of almost 2 million, and a gross regional product of more than US$134 billion.

Additional counties are often (but not always) considered to be in Northeast Ohio. These locations include Erie, Holmes, Huron and Tuscarawas counties, thus making the total population of the entire northeastern section of Ohio well over 5 million people.

The areas commonly referred to as Greater Cleveland or Northeast Ohio are not precisely the same as either the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor MSA or the Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Some geographers describe the area stretching from Cleveland to Pittsburgh as the "Steel City Corridor", encompassing the cities of Akron, Canton, and Youngstown.

Counties

 * Ashtabula County
 * Cuyahoga County
 * Geauga County
 * Lake County
 * Lorain County
 * Medina County
 * Portage County
 * Summit County

Area codes
In the 1950s, AT&T assigned Northeast Ohio the 216 area code, and in 1996, Northeast Ohio was divided into two area codes. Area code 216 was reduced in size to cover the northern half of its prior area, centering on Cleveland and its lake shore suburbs. Area code 330 was introduced for remaining outlying areas formerly covered by area code 216, including Akron, Brunswick, Canton, Medina, Warren and Youngstown.

In 1997, area code 216 was further split as the need for additional phone numbers grew. Area code 216 was again reduced in geographical area to cover the city of Cleveland and its inner ring suburbs. Area code 440 was introduced to cover the remainder of was what previously area code 216, including the communities of Mentor, Elyria, Painesville, North Ridgeville, Strongsville, Brecksville, Lorain, and other Greater Cleveland communities. Some communities, such as Parma, and Parma Heights were divided into multiple area codes. In 1999, Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced federal legislation to protect small and medium-sized cities from being split into two or more area codes.

In 2000, it was anticipated that the available phone numbers in area code 330 would be exhausted, and an overlay area code was introduced. Area code 234 was assigned to overlap existing area code 330. With the creation of area code 234, any new phone number in the geographical area formerly covered by area code 330 could be assigned a phone number in either the 234 or 330 area codes, with no change in local or long distance toll status. This made necessary the use of ten-digit dialing within the 330/234 area code region. After the introduction of area code 234, assignments of new telephone numbers in the area did not continue at an accelerated pace, and new phone numbers for area code 234 were not assigned until 2003.

Business and industry
More than 37% of Fortune 500 companies are present in Northeast Ohio, through corporate headquarters, major divisions, subsidiaries, and sales offices. In addition, more than 150 international companies have a presence there. , Northeast Ohio serves as the corporate headquarters of 25 Fortune 1000 firms (shown with 2006 rankings below):
 * (#112) Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (Akron, rubber)
 * (#153) Progressive Insurance (Mayfield Village, insurance)
 * (#184) FirstEnergy (Akron, utilities)
 * (#210) Eaton Corporation (Cleveland, motor vehicle parts)
 * (#279) Parker-Hannifin (Mayfield Heights, aerospace)
 * (#311) Sherwin-Williams (Cleveland, paint)
 * (#325) KeyCorp (Cleveland, banking)
 * (#417) The Timken Company (Canton, specialty steel)
 * (#486) Lubrizol Corporation (Wickliffe, lubricants and chemicals)
 * (#589) Nacco Industries (Cleveland, industrial equipment)
 * (#671) Diebold (Green, electronics)
 * (#674) PolyOne Corporation (Avon Lake, chemicals)
 * (#678) RPM International (Medina, chemicals)
 * (#704) Aleris International, Inc. (Beachwood, metals)
 * (#765) The J.M. Smucker Co. (Orrville, food consumer products)
 * (#825) American Greetings (Brooklyn, greeting cards)
 * (#839) Jo Ann Stores (Hudson, specialty retailer)
 * (#846) Medical Mutual of Ohio (Cleveland, health insurance)
 * (#878) Cliffs Natural Resources (Cleveland, iron ore mining)
 * (#888) Applied Industrial Technologies (Cleveland, bearings)
 * (#922) Agilysis (Mayfield Heights, electronics)
 * (#928) Lincoln Electric (Cleveland, arc welding equipment)
 * (#955) Invacare (Elyria, medical products and equipment)
 * (#995) A. Schulman (Fairlawn, chemicals)

Other large employers include:
 * Babcock & Wilcox (Barberton, engineering)
 * Cafaro Corp (Youngstown, mall management and properties)
 * Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, health care)
 * Developers Diversified Realty Corporation (Beachwood, real estate development)
 * DeBartolo-York Corp (Boardman Township, Youngstown, mall management and properties)
 * Exal Corp Aluminum Production (Youngstown, metals)
 * FirstMerit (Akron, banking)
 * Forest City Enterprises (Cleveland, real estate development)
 * Gojo (Akron, chemicals)
 * Home Savings and Loan (Youngstown, banking)
 * IMG (Cleveland, sports marketing and management)
 * Jones Day (Cleveland, legal services)
 * Nestlé USA (Solon, food processing)
 * Roadway Express (Akron, logistics)
 * Summa Health System (Akron, heath care)
 * (#429 in 2009) Rockwell Automation (Mayfield Heights, industrial controls)
 * University Hospitals of Cleveland (Cleveland, health care)

Small businesses and startups
The Council of Smaller Enterprises coordinates and advocates for small businesses in the region. Many of the area's sustainability-oriented companies are tied into the network Entrepreneurs for Sustainability.

Colleges and universities
Greater Cleveland is home to a number of higher education institutions, including:
 * Baldwin-Wallace College (Berea)
 * Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland)
 * Cleveland College of Jewish Studies (Beachwood)
 * Cleveland Institute of Art (Cleveland)
 * Cleveland Institute of Music (Cleveland)
 * Cleveland State University (Cleveland)
 * Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, Highland Hills, and Parma)
 * Fortis College (Ravenna)
 * Hiram College (Hiram)
 * John Carroll University (University Heights)
 * Kent State University (Kent)
 * Lake Erie College (Painesville)
 * Lakeland Community College (Kirtland)
 * Lorain County Community College (Elyria)
 * Myers University (formerly Dyke College) (Cleveland)
 * Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (Rootstown)
 * Notre Dame College (South Euclid)
 * Oberlin College (Oberlin)
 * Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine (Cleveland)
 * Stautzenberger College, Brecksville (Brecksville)
 * University of Akron (Akron)
 * Ursuline College (Pepper Pike)
 * Youngstown State University (Youngstown)

Airports
Greater Cleveland is served by international, regional and county airports, including:
 * Akron-Canton Regional Airport (Green)
 * Akron Fulton International Airport (Akron)
 * Burke Lakefront Airport (Cleveland)
 * Concord Airpark Airport (Concord Township)
 * Cuyahoga County Airport
 * Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (Cleveland)
 * Kent State University Airport (Stow)
 * Lansdowne Airport (Youngstown)
 * Lorain County Regional Airport (Russia Township)
 * Portage County Regional Airport (Shalersville Township)
 * Willoughby Lost Nation Municipal Airport (Willoughby)
 * Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport (Vienna)

Highways

 * [[Image:I-71.svg|25px]]Interstate 71
 * [[Image:I-76.svg|25px]]Interstate 76
 * [[Image:I-77.svg|25px]]Interstate 77
 * [[Image:I-80.svg|25px]][[Image:OhioTurnpike.svg|25px]] Interstate 80 (Ohio Turnpike)
 * [[Image:I-90.svg|25px]]Interstate 90
 * [[Image:I-271.svg|25px]]Interstate 271
 * [[Image:I-277.svg|25px]]Interstate 277
 * [[Image:I-480.svg|25px]]Interstate 480
 * [[Image:I-490.svg|25px]]Interstate 490
 * [[Image:I-680.svg|25px]]Interstate 680
 * [[Image:US 6.svg|25px]]U.S. Route 6
 * [[Image:US 20.svg|25px]]U.S. Route 20
 * [[Image:US 42.svg|25px]]U.S. Route 42
 * [[Image:US 224.svg|25px]]U.S. Route 224
 * [[Image:US 250.svg|25px]]U.S. Route 250
 * [[Image:US 322.svg|25px]]U.S. Route 322
 * [[Image:US 422.svg|25px]]U.S. Route 422
 * [[Image:OH-2.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 2
 * [[Image:OH-3.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 3
 * [[Image:OH-5.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 5
 * [[Image:OH-8.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 8
 * [[Image:OH-10.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 10
 * [[Image:OH-11.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 11
 * [[Image:OH-14.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 14
 * [[Image:OH-17.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 17
 * [[Image:OH-18.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 18
 * [[Image:OH-21.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 21
 * [[Image:OH-43.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 43
 * [[Image:OH-44.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 44
 * [[Image:OH-59.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 59
 * [[Image:OH-83.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 83
 * [[Image:OH-88.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 88
 * [[Image:OH-91.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 91
 * [[Image:OH-113.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 113
 * [[Image:OH-175.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 175
 * [[Image:OH-176.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 176
 * [[Image:OH-225.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 225
 * [[Image:OH-254.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 254
 * [[Image:OH-261.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 261
 * [[Image:OH-700.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 700
 * [[Image:OH-711.svg|25px]]Ohio State Route 711

Highway notes

 * I-271 and I-480 are the only two three-digit interstates in the nation to be concurrent, near Bedford Heights in Cuyahoga County.

Public transit
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority operates a bus system and heavy and light rail in Cuyahoga County. Other transit agencies serve the surrounding counties and provide connections with RTA, including Laketran in Lake County, Metro in Summit County, PARTA in Portage County, SARTA in Stark County, and Lorain County Transit in Lorain County.

Theater
In addition to Playhouse Square Center, the second largest theater district in the United States, Greater Cleveland has a vibrant theater community throughout the region.

Theaters

 * Actors' Summit (Hudson)
 * Aurora Community Theatre (Aurora, Ohio)
 * Akron Civic Theater (Akron)
 * Highland Theater (Akron)
 * Beck Center (Lakewood)
 * Blossom Music Center (Cuyahoga Falls)
 * Cabaret Dada (Cleveland)
 * Cassidy Theater (Parma Heights)
 * Cleveland Play House (Cleveland)
 * Cleveland Public Theater (Cleveland)
 * Dobama Theater (Cleveland Heights)
 * Euclid Avenue Opera House (destroyed)
 * Lorain Palace Theatre (Lorain)
 * Geauga Lyric Theater (Chardon)
 * Huntington Playhouse (Bay Village)
 * Karamu House (Cleveland)
 * Near West Theatre (Cleveland)
 * Olde Towne Hall Theatre (North Ridgeville)
 * Canton Palace Theater (Canton)
 * Playhouse Square Center (Cleveland)
 * Powers Auditorium (Youngstown) National Register of Historic Places: The Original Warner Theater

Theatrical companies

 * Bad Epitaph Theater Company (defunct)
 * The Bang and Clatter Theatre Company
 * Beck Center for the Arts
 * Bodwin Theater Company
 * Carousel Dinner Theater (defunct)
 * Charenton Theatre Company
 * Cleveland Shakespeare Festival
 * Cleveland Signstage Theatre
 * Cleveland Theatre Company (defunct)
 * Convergence-Continuum
 * Dobama's Night Kitchen (defunct)
 * Fairmount Center for the Arts (Mayfield Village Performing Arts Center)
 * Fourth Wall Productions
 * Knot Theater (defunct)
 * Giant Portions (defunct)
 * Great Lakes Theater Festival
 * Ground Floor Theater & Improv (defunct)
 * The Group
 * Pieces of People (POP) Theatre (defunct)
 * Portage Lakes Players
 * The Public Squares
 * Red Hen Productions
 * SPOT Improv Comedy Troupe (defunct)
 * the Working Theatre (defunct)

Sports and recreation
Cleveland's professional sports teams include the Cleveland Indians (Major League Baseball), Cleveland Browns (National Football League), and Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association). The Indians have two minor league affiliates in the area, the AA Akron Aeros and the Single-A Lake County Captains, who play in Eastlake. Additionally, there is an independent baseball team, the Lake Erie Crushers, in Avon.

Minor league hockey is represented in the area by the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena. The team is the minor league affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL.

Motorsports venues in the region include Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington and Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, a major NHRA venue.

The Cleveland Metroparks are a system of nature preserves that encircle the city, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park encompasses the Cuyahoga River valley between Cleveland and Akron. The region is home to Mentor Headlands Beach, the longest natural beach on the Great Lakes.

Famous natives

 * Avant
 * Albert Ayler
 * Jim Backus
 * Kaye Ballard
 * LeCharles Bentley
 * Halle Berry
 * Chris Butler
 * Eric Carmen
 * Drew Carey
 * Mary Carey
 * Ray Cash
 * Drew Carter
 * Gerald Casale
 * Chris Chambers
 * Tracy Chapman
 * Tim Conway
 * Wes Craven
 * Kid Cudi
 * Dorothy Dandridge
 * Cheri Dennis
 * Ruby Dee
 * Donald DeFreeze
 * Phil Donahue
 * Stephen R. Donaldson
 * Harlan Ellison
 * Lee Evans
 * James A. Garfield
 * Sonny Geraci
 * Donald A. Glaser
 * Ted Ginn Jr.
 * Bob Golic
 * Mike Golic
 * Anthony Gonzalez
 * Jim Graner
 * Joel Grey
 * Arsenio Hall
 * Roy Hall
 * Margaret Hamilton
 * Steve Harvey
 * Patricia Heaton
 * Anne Heche
 * John W. Heisman
 * Kim Herring
 * Hal Holbrook
 * Bob Hope
 * Langston Hughes
 * Chrissie Hynde
 * LeBron James
 * Philip Johnson
 * Joe Jurevicius
 * Sammy Kaye
 * Don King
 * Bobby Knight
 * Heather Kozar
 * Dennis Kucinich
 * Dante Lavelli
 * Mike Lebowitz
 * Gerald Levert
 * D. A. Levy
 * Bob Lewis
 * Peter B. Lewis
 * Jim Lovell
 * Henry Mancini
 * Scott Mescudi
 * O.J. McDuffie
 * Burgess Meredith
 * Toni Morrison
 * Bob Mothersbaugh
 * Mark Mothersbaugh
 * Paul Newman
 * Urban Meyer
 * Chuck Noll
 * Andre Norton
 * Charles Oakley
 * Jesse Owens
 * Harvey Pekar
 * Dave Ragone
 * Trent Reznor
 * John Rockefeller
 * Michael Ruhlman
 * Screamin' Jay Hawkins
 * Molly Shannon
 * Sam Sheppard
 * Don Shula
 * Jerry Siegel
 * Robert Smith
 * Troy Smith
 * Ruth Simpson
 * Steve Stone
 * George Steinbrenner
 * Carl B. Stokes
 * Michael Symon
 * Jim Tressel
 * George Voinovich
 * Carl E. Walz
 * Lew Wasserman
 * Debra Winger
 * Archibald Willard
 * Fred Willard
 * Frank Yankovic
 * Roger Zelazny