Chardon is a city in and the county seat of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,242 at the 2020 census. It is the only incorporated city in Geauga County, and includes land that was once part of Chardon, Hambden and Munson townships. It is located about 10 miles south of Lake Erie and within the "snow belt" of the Great Lakes and is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area.
History
Chardon is named after Peter Chardon Brooks, who donated land to build the historic Chardon Square. Chardon Township celebrates its incorporation in 1812, and thus the City of Chardon does the same.
On July 24–25, 1868, a massive fire totally destroyed the center of uptown, the area now known as Chardon Square. The fire originated in the Parlin Parkin's grocery store, and spread rapidly. By the time the fire was contained, the courthouse, post office, and many stores on the square were destroyed. Damage was estimated at around $120,000. Chardon Square was quickly rebuilt following the fire. A new county courthouse, which still stands today, was completed in 1869. Many other buildings that were constructed after the fire also survive and are used today.
School shooting
On February 27, 2012, a student from Lake Academy in Willoughby, Ohio opened fire at the Chardon High School cafeteria, killing three and injuring two students. Daniel Parmertor, 16 years old, was killed at the time of the shooting. Two other victims, Demetrius Hewlin and Russell King, Jr., were pronounced dead on February 28. The shooter was taken into custody by police and was charged with three counts of aggravated murder. He was sentenced to three consecutive life terms in prison without parole.
Geography
Chardon is located on U.S. Route 6 about east of Cleveland. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and or about is water.
Climate
With an average annual snowfall of , Chardon is notable for being the snowiest city in Ohio. This is mainly due to its location on a ridge approximately inland from Lake Erie, creating the perfect conditions for orographic lift and its associated heavy snowfall when winter winds blow across the lake.
In 1996, from November 9 through November 13, a storm dropped over of lake-effect snow in the city over a period of six days. Governor George Voinovich declared a state of emergency as a result, and the Ohio National Guard was brought in to assist with the cleanup.
Chardon has a humid continental climate (Dfb). Summer days are warm to hot while nights remain cool. Summer is also the rainiest time of the year. Winters are moderately long, cold, and very snowy. Precipitation peaks during the month of August.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,156 people, 2,147 households, and 1,344 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,271 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.77% White, 0.43% African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 2,147 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,063, and the median income for a family was $57,845. Males had a median income of $44,071 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,845. About 1.3% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.