Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city of 8,329 people in Lorain County, Ohio, founded in 1833.
Why visit Oberlin
Townapedia lists 15 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 25 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Oberlin College, Apollo Theater, Allen Memorial Art Museum and John Mercer Langston House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 47 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Oberlin
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Oberlin
Oberlin () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located about 31 miles (50 km) southwest of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 8,555 at the 2020 census. Oberlin is the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students.
From the Wikipedia article Oberlin, Ohio (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Oberlin College
School · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, United States
Apollo Theater
Cinema and theater · 0.9 mi
19 East College Street
"open for shows"
Museums and landmarks15
Allen Memorial Art Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
Museum in Oberlin, Ohio
87 North Main Street, Oberlin
Tu-Sa 10:00-17:00; PH off; Dec 24-Jan 01 off
John Mercer Langston House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in Ohio, United States
Oberlin Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Railway station in Ohio, the United States of America
Wilson Bruce Evans House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Oberlin, Ohio, listed on the NRHP
Oberlin Heritage Center
Museum · 0.7 mi
Complex of historic sites in Oberlin, Ohio, U.S.
20 West Vine Street, Oberlin
Reamer Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Jewett House
Monument and historic site · 0.7 mi
73 South Professor Street, Oberlin
Underground Railroad Monument
Monument and historic site · 0.7 mi
Monument commemorating Oberlin College's ties to the Underground Railroad. The commemorative sculpture shows a railway track running...
3 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
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Restaurants and cafes25
Slow Train Cafe
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.9 mi
55 East College Street
Mo-Fr 07:30-17:00; Sa,Su 08:00-17:00
Black River Wine Shop and Bar
Restaurant · 0.8 mi
15 South Main Street
Th 12:00-20:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-21:00
Taco Flavored Kisses
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.8 mi
19 West College Street
Mo-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-18:00
Ying's Asian Cuisine
Restaurant · Asian · 0.6 mi
311 South Main Street, Oberlin
Tu-Sa 11:30-21:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Oberlin Kitchen
Diner · American · 0.8 mi
51 South Main Street
Mo 07:00-15:00; Tu-Th 07:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 08:00-20:00
The Local Coffee & Tea
Cafe · Bagel, Coffee Shop · 0.8 mi
23 South Main Street
Mo-Fr 07:00-14:00; Sa,Su 10:00-15:00
Haven Brewing
Bar and pub · 0.8 mi
29 South Main Street, Oberlin
We,Th 16:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 16:00-24:00; Su 16:00-21:00
Bistro Bella Luna
Restaurant · 0.9 mi
Mo 08:00-14:00; Tu-Fr 08:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-20:00; Su 10:00-14:00
13 more on the map.
History
Oberlin was founded in 1833 by two Presbyterian ministers, John Jay Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart. The pair had become friends while spending the summer of 1832 together in nearby Elyria and discovered a shared dissatisfaction with what they saw as the lack of strong Christian morals among the settlers of the American West. Their proposed solution was to create a religious community that would more closely adhere to Biblical commandments, along with a school for training Christian missionaries who would eventually spread throughout the American frontier. The two decided to name their community after J. F. Oberlin (1740–1826), an Alsatian minister whose pedagogical achievements in a poor and remote area had greatly impressed and inspired them.
Shipherd and Stewart rode south from Elyria into the forests that then covered the northern part of Ohio in search of a suitable location for their community. After a journey of approximately eight miles, they stopped to rest and pray in the shade of an elm tree along the forest, and agreed that this would be a good place to start their community.
Shipherd traveled back east and convinced the owner of the land to donate 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land for the school, and he purchased an additional 5,000 acres (20 km2) for the town, at the cost of $1.50 per acre ($371/km2).
From the History section of Oberlin, Ohio on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship19
Christ Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Congregational Church of Christ
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Chabad - Oberlin College
Place of worship · 1.1 mi
111 North Pleasant Street, Oberlin
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Healthcare3
Oberlin Hearing Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
244 West Lorain Street, Oberlin
Akron Children's Center Pediatrics - Oberlin
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
224 West Lorain Street, Oberlin
Map of Oberlin
99 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 18°F | 2.9 in | 14.4 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 20°F | 2.4 in | 12.4 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 28°F | 2.9 in | 8.4 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 38°F | 3.7 in | 1.9 in |
| May | 71°F | 49°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 62°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 60°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 52°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 42°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 33°F | 3.0 in | 1.4 in |
| Dec | 39°F | 24°F | 2.7 in | 8.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Oberlin Hcn (0 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, 21 miles away.
- South Amherst 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- LaGrange 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Amherst 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Elyria 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Wellington 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Wakeman 9 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Vermilion 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Grafton 10 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Lorain 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- North Ridgeville 13 mi northeast, about 21 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
- Oberlin Ohio, Weatherman1126, Public domain
- Lakeshore and MI Southern Train Station Oberlin OH, TnrSmith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christ Episcopal Church Oberlin OH, TnrSmith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oberlin Gasholder House Oberlin OH, TnrSmith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 6 (519875591), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 4 (519871873), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 8 (519882467), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 14 (519859499), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 11 (519854459), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 2 (519837774), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 10 (519853207), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 5 (519843194), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 16 (519832160), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 13 (519857417), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 1 (519851133), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 15 (519830544), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 7 (519847296), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 3 (519870149), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 12 (519855615), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 17 (519865067), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 9 (519884549), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Oberlin frank lloyd wright 18 (519866619), istolethetv, CC BY 2.0
- Wilson Bruce Evans House in Oberlin, Ohio, Matthew.kowal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oberlin College - Allen Memorial Art Museum, Daderot, Public domain
- First Church in Oberlin, Jack Boucher, Public domain
- John Mercer Langston House, Ray Malinowski, Public domain
- Union Church Kipton OH, TnrSmith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Reamer Barn, Nyttend, Public domain
- Oberlin College - Tappan Square, Daderot, Public domain
- Injera and doro wat, Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Injera and doro wat - 49337093131, Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bread for stuffing (50662020321), Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bread for stuffing (50662018416), Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Beurre d'Isigny (25360349311), Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Injera from ivory teff, Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wi-Fi Nomiku, Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jajka na miękko-03, Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- I'm probably not driving (50662022486), Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Spectrum of the Sun during eclipse, Jhmadden, CC BY 4.0
- Total solar eclipse, Jhmadden, CC BY 4.0
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