Why visit Amherst
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 60 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Amherst Cinema, Lakeview Park, Amherst Town Hall and Amherst Historical Society.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Amherst
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Amherst
Amherst is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located 28 miles (45 km) west of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 12,681 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Amherst, Ohio (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Amherst Cinema
Cinema and theater · 0.6 mi
260 Church Street, Amherst
"open for 1 and 7 PM showings most days"
Lakeview Park
Beach · 4.3 mi
Beach park in Lorain, Ohio, United States
Museums and landmarks3
Amherst Town Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Town hall in Amherst, Ohio
New Indian Ridge Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
Museum and nature reserve in Ohio, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes60
The Brew Kettle (Amherst)
Diner · American · 0.6 mi
300 Church Street, Amherst
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-01:00; Su 11:00-23:00
Arabica
Cafe · 0.6 mi
254 Park Avenue, Amherst
Mo-Th 06:30-18:00; Fr 06:30-20:00; Sa 08:00-20:00; Su 08:00-14:30
Barra Modern Mexican
Restaurant · Mexican, Tacos · 0.5 mi
105 Park Avenue, Amherst
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00, Su 11:00-21:00
Little Devil Cupcakery
Bakery · 0.5 mi
103 Milan Avenue, Amherst
We,Th 11:00-17:00; Fr 11:00-18:00; Sa 11:00-15:00
Sugar Buzz
Ice cream · 0.6 mi
201 Park Ave
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Ziggy's
Diner · American · 0.6 mi
193 Park Avenue, Amherst
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00, Fr 23:00-01:00, Sa 08:00-01:00, Su 08:00-22:00
48 more on the map.
History
The original village, which eventually became known as Amherst, was established/founded by pioneer settler Jacob Shupe (who came to this area in 1811; however, what would become the specific “downtown” area was settled by Josiah Harris in 1818), although the original tiny village was first known only as "Amherst Corners" in the early-1830s. When the village-plat was officially recorded in 1836, it was simply named the "town plat of Amherst", but became "Amherstville" circa-1839, and was later changed to "North Amherst", until finally again simply 'Amherst' in 1909. (The original 1820s postal-name of the village's first post-office was "Plato"; and the village's post-office retained that postal-name into the 1840s, even after the local-government name of the village officially became 'Amherstville' by 1840.)
Land which was settled in 1811 by Jacob Shupe, in the "Beaver Creek Settlement" (about a mile north of the later village site), was eventually included into the Amherst city-limits. Shupe's built his own grist-mill/saw-mill and distillery.
By the latter 1800s, Amherst acquired the title Sandstone Center of the World.
From the History section of Amherst, Ohio on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Motel 6 Amherst, OH - Cleveland West - Lorain
Motel and hotel · 1.3 mi
704 North Leavitt Road, Amherst
Churches and places of worship16
Saint Peter United Church of Christ
Church · United Church Of Christ · 0.8 mi
582 Church Street, Amherst
Shopping12
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries38
Constellation Schools: Lorain Community Elementary
School · 4.9 mi
1110 W 4Th St, Lorain
Constellation Schools: Lorain Community Middle
School · 4.9 mi
1110 W 4Th St, Lorain
Healthcare8
Akron Children's Hospital - Amherst Health Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
47185 Cooper Foster Park Road, Amherst
Akron Children's Hospital NICU at Mercy Lorain
Hospital · 2.2 mi
3700 Kolbe Road, Lorain
Cleveland Clinic - Family Health Center
Hospital · 1.6 mi
5172 North Leavitt Road, Lorain
New Vision Collections
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.7 mi
2001 Cooper Foster Park Road, Amherst
Map of Amherst
161 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 20°F | 2.1 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 21°F | 1.7 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 29°F | 2.5 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 38°F | 3.3 in |
| May | 70°F | 49°F | 3.6 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 59°F | 3.9 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 62°F | 3.6 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 60°F | 3.6 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 53°F | 3.7 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 43°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 34°F | 3.0 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 26°F | 2.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Elyria Lorain Co Ap (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lorain County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-03-31: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-06-30: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2005-02-15: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2004-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Lorain 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Vermilion 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Elyria 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- North Ridgeville 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Avon 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Avon Lake 13 mi northeast, about 21 min by car
- Westlake 16 mi east, about 26 min by car
- North Olmsted 16 mi east, about 26 min by car
- Bay Village 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Berea 19 mi east, about 31 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305288549, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305313150, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304789526, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Spring Entrance Road, Amherst, OH - 52305254053, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305253873, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305253823, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Spring Entrance Road, Amherst, OH, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52304797151, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52305307984, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52304796981, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304797091, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305300639, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304789321, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52305307869, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52304076182, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52305307644, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304789266, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305307589, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305260753, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304068812, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305300424, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305300329, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305288694, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bandstand, Town Square, Amherst, OH, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305241468, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bandstand, Town Square, Amherst, OH - 52304068572, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304790866, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305302099, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304069417, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304789921, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52305301949, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52304070262, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bandstand, Town Square, Amherst, OH - 52304070547, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52304790516, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52305313735, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52304070187, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Park Avenue, Amherst, OH - 52304790586, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304070662, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bandstand, Town Square, Amherst, OH - 52305255323, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- City Hall, Amherst, OH - 52304791281, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
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