Lake Erie Public Access Sites - Lake County
Lake County header from the Lake Erie Public Access Guidebook
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Established:
March 6, 1840

2010 Population:
230,041

Land Area and Ohio County Rank:
228.2 square miles
88 of 88


Acres of Designated Coastal Management Area (more info):
Total: 484,905 acres
Land: 9,083 acres
Island: 0 acres
Water: 475,822 acres


Miles of Coast:
31 miles

Miles of Publicly Accessible Coast:
6.5 miles

Number of Access Sites:

27

County Seat:
City of Painesville

Named for:
Lake Erie

A brief history:

Lake County was formed on March 6, 1840, out of 228 square miles formerly comprising the northern townships of Geauga County. Lake County has the smallest land area of Ohio’s 88 counties but has recently experienced significant population growth and ranks 11th among all Ohio counties. The city of Painesville is the county seat; Mentor is the largest city.

Lake County’s name is derived from its location on the shore of Lake Erie. Many of the county’s early residents were Mormon, who established Kirtland Temple in the 1830s. Although many Mormons eventually relocated from Ohio, the Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark and today has a visitors center museum. Lake County also has a rich history of having actively participated in the Underground Railroad, which facilitated the transport of slaves to freedom. Other monuments and landmarks in the county include Holden Arboretum, one of the largest arboretums and botanical gardens in the United States, and the President James A. Garfield National Historic Site.

Lake County is predominantly rural and maintains vibrant nursery and winery industries. Approximately one-third of Ohio’s nursery stock is grown here. The majority of county residents earn their living by working in manufacturing, sales or service positions. The Grand River and Chagrin River, both important Lake Erie tributaries and designated State Scenic Rivers, provide the county with many economic and recreational opportunities.

Learn more:

Lake County
www.lakecountyohio.org


Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc.
www.crwp.org

City of Eastlake
www.eastlakeohio.com


City of Mentor
cityofmentor.com


City of Mentor-on-the-Lake
www.citymol.org


City of Wickowick
www.cityofwillowick.com


City of Willoughby
www.willoughbyohio.com


Lake County Chamber of Commerce
www.lakecountychambers.com


Lake County Port Authority
www.lcedc.org


Lake County Visitors Bureau
www.lakevisit.com


Lake Metroparks
www.lakemetroparks.com


Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce
www.mentorchamber.org


Painesville Area Chamber of Commerce
www.painesvilleohchamber.org

Painesville Township
www.pvilletwp.com


Village of Fairport Harbor
www.fairportharbor.org


Western Lake County Chamber of Commerce
www.wlcacc.com


Willoughby Area Chamber
of Commerce
www.willoughbyareachamber.com


Print this PAGE:
Print the Lake County introduction page. (561 KB). Maps listed below are not included.
Print this CHAPTER:
Download and print the Lake County chapter of the Lake Erie Public Access Guidebook as a PDF (6,611KB).
More Lake Erie Maps:
More maps of Lake Erie and Ohio's coast are found in our online Coastal Map Library.

More Lake County Maps:

Lake County maps linked below have been developed by the Office of Coastal Management.
Lake County Public Access sites on Ohio's Portion of Lake Erie
LA_Access – Lake Erie Public Access Sites in Lake County
County map showing numbered list of sites in Lake County where the public can go to access Ohio’s portion of the Lake Erie shore.
 Lake County Profile Map adapted from Ohio Coastal Atlas Second Edition published 2007
LA1 – Lake County Profile Map
Base map showing political boundaries and transportation network with county and coastal facts.
LA2 - Lake County Watersheds -This map illustrates 14-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watershed boundaries, general hydrography and transportation in Lake County. Map size: ANSI C (17
LA2 - Lake County Watersheds
This map illustrates 14-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watershed boundaries, general hydrography and transportation in Lake County. Map size: ANSI C (17" x 22").
 Lake County boundary locator for Ohio's Designated Coastal Management Area
Lakelocator - Lake County Designated Coastal Management Area
Lake County map with location grids to show Ohio's designated Coastal Management Area overlayed on USGS 7-minute quadrangle maps



Logo: Ohio Coastal Management Program

Office of Coastal Management
105 West Shoreline Drive
Sandusky, OH 44870

419-626-7980
1-888-OhioCMP
Fax: 419-626-7983

coastal@dnr.state.oh.us

ohiodnr.com/coastal 
website inquiries