Bainbridge Township, Geauga County

Township · Geauga County · 12,893 residents

Geauga County

Local events in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County

59 events in the next 90 days from 5 public calendars. All local events in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County

  1. Sunrise Hike

    All day · Frohring Meadows, Chagrin Falls · From Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce

  2. Digital Legacy Lab Consultation Hours

    9 to 11 a.m. · Bainbridge Branch · From Geauga County Public Library

Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.

How Bainbridge Township, Geauga County began

Bainbridge Township, in the Connecticut Western Reserve, was known first as "Kentstown" while part of Burton township; in March 1817 it was severed and, joined with neighboring Troy (now Auburn Township), organized as Bainbridge, named for U.S. Navy Commodore William Bainbridge, making it the only Bainbridge Township in Ohio. The 1879 county history places the first settlers, David McConoughy and family, on the site on Thanksgiving Day 1811, having traveled from Blandford, Massachusetts; Wikipedia instead dates their arrival to around 1817, so the exact year is disputed. The township grew as a farm community through the nineteenth century and, with the growth of the Chagrin River valley and Geauga Lake, into a Cleveland-area bedroom township in the twentieth, reaching about 12,900 residents by 2020.

Settled Thanksgiving Day, 1811 (David McConoughy and family, from Blandford, Massachusetts, per the 1879 county history's detailed settlement memoir) or around 1817 (per Wikipedia) -- sources disagree, incorporated March 1817 (severed from Burton together with Troy, now Auburn Township, and organized as Bainbridge by the county commissioners), by David McConoughy and the McConoughy family, first settlers.

Where the name comes from

Named for U.S. Navy Commodore William Bainbridge; Geauga's is the only Bainbridge Township in Ohio. Before taking that name in March 1817, the township had been informally known as "Kentstown" while it remained part of the civil township of Burton.

Before the town

No Native American village, trail, or site specific to Bainbridge Township is documented in the sources consulted. The township lies within the Connecticut Western Reserve, whose Indian title east of the Cuyahoga River was addressed by the 1785 Treaty of Fort McIntosh and, per the 1879 county history, by a separate cession in which Seneca claims (represented by Mohawk leader Joseph Brant) east of the Cuyahoga were released to the Connecticut Land Company.

Timeline

  1. — David McConoughy and family, from Blandford, Massachusetts, reach Bainbridge's unbroken forest on Thanksgiving Day, becoming its first settlers.
  2. — In March, the county commissioners sever "Kentstown" and "Troy" from Burton and organize them jointly as Bainbridge Township, named for Commodore William Bainbridge; Wikipedia dates the McConoughey family's arrival to around this year instead.
  3. — Bainbridge's Congregational church is organized on June 9 with ten members, including George Smith, Justus Bissell, and Jonathan Ely.
  4. — The Methodist Episcopal class is formed by Billings O. Plympton under Harvey Baldwin's leadership; its church, unlike the Congregational body, remains active into the 1870s.
  5. — The Lake Lucerne subdivision opens and becomes one of the largest residential subdivisions in Bainbridge.
  6. — The Geauga County Public Library opens a Bainbridge branch, initially in a small storefront before later expanding.
  7. — The Bainbridge Men's Civic Club begins the annual 'Taste of Bainbridge' fundraiser.
  8. — U.S. Census records 12,893 residents in Bainbridge Township.

Stories

How the Chagrin River got its name

The main river draining Bainbridge, the 1879 county history explains, owes its unflattering name to a surveying blunder: a party of Western Reserve surveyors, mistaking it for its sluggish sister stream to the west (the Cuyahoga), reflected their embarrassment onto the river itself once they realized the error, calling it the Chagrin. What was meant as a reproach the river "has modestly worn and made beautiful," the chronicler writes, since it is in fact one of the most attractive streams of the Reserve, running rapid and clear between high banks with almost no marshland -- "really a Geauga river," despite lending its name more famously downstream at Chagrin Falls.

Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · archive.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org

Water

Mostly private wells The water here

Hospitals, fire stations and more

Inside Bainbridge Township, Geauga County's boundary: 1 nursing home, 1 fire or EMS station, 3 high-hazard dams, 4 public schools, 2 poor-rated bridges, 1 library, 1 museum, 1 police station, 1 public charging site, 9 Toxics Release Inventory facilities and 8 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.

Nursing homes (1)

  1. Eliza at Chagrin Falls3 of 5 stars · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    16695 Chillicothe Road, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    Certified beds
    29
    Residents on an average day
    27
    Medicare overall rating
    3 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    3 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    4 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    2 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    Non profit - Corporation
    Takes
    Medicare
    Phone
    (440) 543-4221
    Medicare ID
    366379

Source: CMS Care Compare nursing home provider and penalties files; Medicare star ratings run 1 to 5.

Fire and EMS stations (1)

  1. Bainbridge Township Fire DepartmentChagrin Falls
    Address
    17822 Chillicothe Road, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    Coordinates
    41.38436, -81.33991

Source: USGS National Map structures (most Ohio records last updated 2019 to 2022), checked against the Columbus and Cleveland station lists. The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction and mutual aid, not by distance.

High-hazard dams (3)

  1. Lake Lucerne Dam PoorMcFARLAND CREEK · condition: poor
    Hazard class
    High: a failure would probably cost a life
    Condition
    Poor (assessed 06/13/2024)
    River or stream
    McFARLAND CREEK
    Purpose
    Recreation
    Type
    Earth
    Height
    30 ft
    Storage
    160 acre-feet
    Completed
    1922
    Owner type
    Private
    County
    Geauga County
    Nearest town (NID)
    Lake Lucerne
    Last inspection
    06/14/2023
    Emergency action plan
    Yes
    NID ID
    OH00358
  2. Lake-In-The-Woods DamTributary To Silver Creek · condition: fair
    Hazard class
    High: a failure would probably cost a life
    Condition
    Fair (assessed 04/19/2024)
    River or stream
    Tributary To Silver Creek
    Purpose
    Recreation
    Type
    Earth
    Height
    26 ft
    Storage
    245 acre-feet
    Completed
    1985
    Owner type
    Private
    County
    Geauga County
    Nearest town (NID)
    Chagrin Falls
    Last inspection
    09/25/2023
    Emergency action plan
    No
    NID ID
    OH01621
  3. Tanglewood Lake DamMcFARLAND CREEK · condition: fair
    Hazard class
    High: a failure would probably cost a life
    Condition
    Fair (assessed 06/13/2024)
    River or stream
    McFARLAND CREEK
    Purpose
    Recreation
    Type
    Earth
    Height
    37 ft
    Storage
    228 acre-feet
    Completed
    1971
    Owner type
    Private
    County
    Geauga County
    Nearest town (NID)
    Lake Lucerne
    Last inspection
    06/14/2023
    Emergency action plan
    No
    NID ID
    OH00359

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Inventory of Dams, August 2026. "High hazard" rates what a failure would cost downstream, not how likely one is; the condition is the state's assessment.

Public schools (4)

  1. Kenston High School4.5 of 5 stars · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    9500 Bainbridge Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    School district
    Kenston Local School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    789
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    54
    Report card, 2025-26
    4.5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    93%
    Four-year graduation rate
    97.8%
    Ohio building IRN
    018770
    NCES school ID
    390471902796
  2. Kenston Intermediate SchoolChagrin Falls
    Address
    17419 Snyder Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    388
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    22
    NCES school ID
    390471902799
  3. Kenston Middle School5 of 5 stars · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    17425 Snyder Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    School district
    Kenston Local School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    596
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    44.75
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    93.9%
    Ohio building IRN
    018788
    NCES school ID
    390471902798
  4. Timmons Elementary School5 of 5 stars · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    9595 E Washington St, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    School district
    Kenston Local School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    778
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    40
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    98.5%
    Ohio building IRN
    001230
    NCES school ID
    390471904313

Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2024-25 and Common Core of Data 2023-24 (type, students, teachers); Ohio School Report Cards 2025-26 (Department of Education and Workforce), matched by name within the district.

Bridges rated poor (2)

  1. Pettibone Rd over Aurora Br Chagrin RiverPoor · built 1930
    Condition
    Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
    What it is
    Bridge
    Built
    1930
    Length
    17 ft
    Owner
    County
    Vehicles a day
    4,504
    Coordinates
    41.36197, -81.36787
  2. Riverview Dr over Spring CreekPoor · built 1957
    Condition
    Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
    What it is
    Bridge
    Built
    1957
    Length
    8 ft
    Owner
    County
    Vehicles a day
    178
    Coordinates
    41.35567, -81.32572

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025. "Poor" means one major part rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale; it calls for repair, not closing, unless the state posts or closes the bridge.

Public libraries (1)

  1. Bainbridge BranchBranch · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    17222 Snyder Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    What it is
    Branch
    Library system
    Geauga County Public Library
    Open
    3,536 hours a year, 52 weeks
    Building
    30,060 sq ft
    System's visits, FY2024
    620,568
    System's loans, FY2024
    3,017,332
    People the system serves
    85,791
    Phone
    (440) 543-5611

Source: IMLS Public Libraries Survey FY2024 (outlets and their systems). Any Ohio resident can get a free card at any Ohio public library.

Museums, historical societies, gardens and zoos (1)

  1. Bainbridge Township Historical SocietyHistorical society · Chagrin Falls
    What it is
    Historical society
    City
    Chagrin Falls
    Coordinates
    41.38411, -81.33953

    The museum list is IMLS's 2018 file; a museum may have closed or moved since.

Source: IMLS Museum Data Files, 2018.

Police stations (1)

  1. Bainbridge Township Police DepartmentChagrin Falls
    Address
    8353 Bainbridge Road, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    Coordinates
    41.38496, -81.34316

Source: USGS National Map structures, police stations, corrected and completed by hand (September 2026). The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction, not by distance.

Public EV charging (1)

  1. VCPARK VC PARK 24 Level 2 · Aurora
    Address
    7340 Ferris St, Aurora, OH 44202
    Ports
    4 Level 2
    Plugs
    J1772
    Network
    ChargePoint Network
    Hours
    24 hours daily
    Phone
    888-758-4389

Source: NREL Alternative Fuels Data Center station list (May 2026), public and open stations, the posts at one address counted as one site.

Facilities reporting toxic releases (9)

  1. C4 Polymers, IncToxics Release Inventory · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    16625 Wren Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    TRI_OFFSITE_339
    EPA registry ID
    110070692266
  2. Dominion Nickel AlloysToxics Release Inventory · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    17083 Woodmere Dr, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    TRI_OFFSITE_627
    EPA registry ID
    110070691255
  3. Etna Products IncToxics Release Inventory · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    16824 Park Circle Dr, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44022TNPRD16824
    EPA registry ID
    110000385299
  4. Millennium Adhesive ProductsToxics Release Inventory · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    16855 Park Circle, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44023MLLNM16855
    EPA registry ID
    110004628662
  5. Nalco Diversified Technologies IncToxics Release Inventory · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    7145 Pine Street, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (closed)
    EPA program ID
    44022THDXT7145P
    EPA registry ID
    110000385280
  6. Noveon IncToxics Release Inventory · Bainbridge Township
    Address
    16925 Park Circle Drive, Bainbridge Township, OH 44023
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44022LGNNC16925
    EPA registry ID
    110021098890
  7. Scot LabsToxics Release Inventory · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    16841 Park Circle Dr, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44023SCTLB16841
    EPA registry ID
    110004662972
  8. Stock Equipment CoToxics Release Inventory · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    16490 Chillicothe Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44022STCKQ16490
    EPA registry ID
    110000385271
  9. The Masters GroupToxics Release Inventory · Chagrin Falls
    Address
    7160 Chagrin Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    TRI_OFFSITE_2061
    EPA registry ID
    110070690307

Source: EPA Facility Registry Service, Toxics Release Inventory reporters. Reporting a release is required of large users of listed chemicals; it is not by itself a violation.

Spills reported since 2021 (8)

  1. Oil Crude2025-05-29 · Bainbridge Twp
    Reported
    2025-05-29
    What spilled
    Oil Crude
    Largest amount reported
    1,000 gallons
    Where
    Bainbridge Twp, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2505EPA0000867
  2. Asphalt / Bitumen2025-05-21 · Bainbridge Twp
    Reported
    2025-05-21
    What spilled
    Asphalt / Bitumen
    Where
    Bainbridge Twp, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2505EPA0000814
  3. Material Green2023-02-09 · Bainbridge Twp
    Reported
    2023-02-09
    What spilled
    Material Green
    Where
    Bainbridge Twp, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2302EPA0000203
  4. Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road) Reached water2022-12-07 · Bainbridge Twp
    Reported
    2022-12-07
    What spilled
    Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
    Reached a waterway
    Unnamed
    Where
    Bainbridge Twp, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2212EPA0001823
  5. Sludge (Non-Sewage) Reached water2022-07-16 · Bainbridge Twp
    Reported
    2022-07-16
    What spilled
    Sludge (Non-Sewage)
    Reached a waterway
    99 - Unnamed
    Where
    Bainbridge Twp, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2207EPA0001080
  6. Sheen Organic2026-07-21 · Bainbridge Twp
    Reported
    2026-07-21
    What spilled
    Sheen Organic
    Where
    Bainbridge Twp, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2607EPA0001326
  7. Sewage Human2026-03-16 · Bainbridge Twp
    Reported
    2026-03-16
    What spilled
    Sewage Human
    Largest amount reported
    500 gallons
    Where
    Bainbridge Twp, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2603EPA0000396
  8. Fuel Oil/ Home Heating / Heating Oil2026-03-11 · Bainbridge Twp
    Reported
    2026-03-11
    What spilled
    Fuel Oil/ Home Heating / Heating Oil
    Where
    Bainbridge Twp, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2603EPA0000353

Source: Ohio EPA emergency response spill reports, 2021 to September 2026, one point per case where Ohio EPA placed it. A report is what the caller or responder recorded; amounts are often blank or estimated.

Its ZIP codes

Each ZIP code that touches Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.

Local government

Who holds office in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.

Money issues on the ballot since 2023: 2 of 3 passed; of those asking for new or higher taxes, 1 of 2.

Ballot issues

DateIssueForAgainstResult
2024-11-05 Issue: Renewal Bainbridge Township 2.0 mills - Streets, Roads, and Bridges (2.0 mills, renewal) 5,2442,520Passed (67.54% for), unofficial
2024-11-05 Issue: Additional Bainbridge Township 2.75 mills - Fire and EMS (2.75 mills, additional) 4,8622,855Passed (63.0% for), unofficial
2024-03-19 Issue: Local Option (liquor sales) - Meijer Store 20150Passed (80.08% for)
2023-05-02 Issue: Additional 4.75 mills - CPT- EMS (4.75 mills, additional) 3381,763Failed (16.09% for)

Elections for office

DateOfficeCandidates and votes
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Gabrielle Alvarez (DEM) 88, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Mary Louise Mele (DEM) 53, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Elizabeth AP Spencer (DEM) 59, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Barbara Miller (DEM) 41, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Lori O'Neill (DEM) 64, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Bran Furman (DEM) 54, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Mabel E. Kopp (DEM) 43, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Janet M. Carson (DEM) 66, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) AJ Khoury (DEM) 29, 100.0%

Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.

Auditor of State record

Quick answers

What county is Bainbridge Township, Ohio in?

Bainbridge Township, Geauga County is a township in Geauga County, Ohio, with 12,893 residents.

When was Bainbridge Township, Ohio founded?

Bainbridge Township, Geauga County was settled Thanksgiving Day, 1811 (David McConoughy and family, from Blandford, Massachusetts, per the 1879 county history's detailed settlement memoir) or around 1817 (per Wikipedia) -- sources disagree; incorporated March 1817 (severed from Burton together with Troy, now Auburn Township, and organized as Bainbridge by the county commissioners). Founders on record: David McConoughy and the McConoughy family, first settlers. Source

How did Bainbridge Township, Ohio get its name?

Named for U.S. Source

What ZIP code is Bainbridge Township, Ohio?

Most of Bainbridge Township, Geauga County is in ZIP code 44023.

Where does Bainbridge Township, Ohio get its water?

The main water source for Bainbridge Township, Geauga County (Lake Lucerne Club Co.): Mostly private wells.

Cite this page

Cite this page as:

Cracked Buckeye, "Bainbridge Township, Geauga County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/bainbridge-township-geauga-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].

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