From Mayor Regovich
The Willowick community has had a long, proud tradition of being a wonderful place to spend a lifetime. Our 15,000 residents will be the first to tell of their faith, their families, and their friends in Willowick. With our slogan of “Great Living on a Great Lake,” we have redefined our city as a waterfront community. The new Larimar development on the shoreline is certainly one of the most exciting additions to the south shore of Lake Erie.
The Shoregate Town Center is a shopping and commercial hub for the city. Two upscale housing developments have provided our residents the opportunity to move up without moving out.
Our churches and the religious communities have long provided a spiritual environment for residents of all ages and faiths. Royalview Elementary and Willowick Middle School have served as excellent learning environments for our children. Their reputations are well-known and well-deserved.
Perhaps the greatest attribute of the Willowick community is its people. Having a reputation as welcoming and friendly, Willowick residents of all ages take pride in their community and care deeply about their city and their neighbors. The Recreation Department in Willowick is nothing less than amazing, with its leisure opportunities enhancing the quality of life for all of our generations.
Please accept this welcome as an invitation to browse our web site to learn more about our city. Willowick is fast becoming a focal point of western Lake County, and we invite you to visit us at our location on the shores of Lake Erie just east of Cleveland. You will see why our residents say, “There is no place like home.”
The City of Willowick: A Brief History
In 1796, a treaty was established with the Iroquois substantiating the Connecticut Land Company’s title to the Western Reserve east of the Cuyahoga River. In 1804, the area now know today as Willowick was incorporated into a new county (Geauga), which included all of Portage, Ashtabula and Lake Counties. In 1810, the Willowick area and all of Lake County west of Mentor became part of Cuyahoga County. It wasn’t until 1840 that Lake County was created out of portions of Geauga and Cuyahoga Counties, at which time Willowick transferred from Cuyahoga County to the new Lake County.
In 1921, the first area of mass home construction in the City was started and was advertised as Vinewood Beach. This area included Glen Arden Drive, Parkland Drive, West Lake Drive, Glenwood Drive and Lakeland Drive. The City’s greatest period of growth occurred from 1946 to 1959.
In 1950, Willowick celebrated its 25th anniversary as a village (population 3,677). At that time, the City purchased the old Nike site which then became Manry Park. In 1954, Shoregate Shopping Center opened on the site of a former golf course. And in 1957, the Ohio Secretary of State officially declared Willowick a city.
By 1962, Willowick’s population had grown to 21,237 people. At the time the current Community Center was built in 1970, Willowick’s population was 17,834. In 1976, the Willowick City Hall complex at 30435 Lakeshore Boulevard was built at a cost of $2 million. In 1997, Willowick celebrated its 40th anniversary as a chartered city, and in 2002, the City had a population of 14,361.
Demographics
The city is a residential community situated on the shores of Lake Erie in Lake County 15 miles east of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The city’s land use area is approximately 1.75 square miles. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the City has a population of 14,171 residents.
The community has an intrastate freeway system (S.R. 2) near its southern boundary and connects to Interstate 90 to the west. The City has approximately 77 miles of local roads, 83 miles of storm sewers and 64 miles of sanitary sewers traversing the city.
The majority of the 6,272+ housing units are 1- and 2-story single-family residential units. However, there are two high-rise apartment buildings and several low-rise apartment complexes located on the northern and southern edges of the City. A new 50-unit senior apartment complex opened in 2016.
The City is a part of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public School District and has two public school buildings inside its boundaries: Royalview Elementary School and Willowick Middle School.
The City has two recreational park facilities (Dudley and Manry) with a variety of amenities including athletic fields and two swimming pools. A wide variety of programs are provided for City residents. Lakefront Park which is leased to and managed by the Lake Metroparks system overlooks Lake Erie and is situated next to City Hall.