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Elyria is a city in northeastern Ohio and the county seat of Lorain County, located at the forks of the Black River about 23 miles southwest of Cleveland.

Elyria was founded in 1817 by Heman Ely, who built a log house, dam, gristmill and sawmill on the site, and the village was incorporated in 1833.

Elyria's name is a blend of its founder's surname, Ely, and Illyria, the ancient Greek name for the western Balkans.

Elyria grew out of a 12,500-acre tract Heman Ely's family held through the Connecticut Land Company, and Ely donated land and money toward the first courthouse after Lorain County was created with Elyria as its seat.

Elyria had grown to five churches, three grocery stores, three flour mills, a newspaper and more than 1,500 people by the time Heman Ely died in 1852.

Elyria had a population of 52,656 at the 2020 census, and Census Bureau figures for 2020-2024 put it at about 22,899 households, averaging 2.28 people each.

Elyria is home to Lorain County Community College, chartered on July 15, 1963, which in 1966 became the first community college in Ohio to have a permanent campus, on North Abbe Road.

Elyria High School was incorporated in 1830 as the first chartered high school west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Elyria's Cascade Park preserves the waterfalls of the Black River - the East and West Falls - on the same river power that ran the city's early mills, including the 1819 Old Red Mill whose image is still worn on Elyria police officers' patches.

Elyria is a headquarters city: the Ridge Tool Company, maker of RIDGID tools, Invacare, and Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems are all headquartered there.