Chardon

City · Geauga County · 5,242 residents · 2% municipal income tax

Geauga County

Local events in Chardon

45 events in the next 90 days from 6 public calendars. All local events in Chardon

  1. Toddler Storytime

    10 to 10:30 a.m. · Chardon Branch · From Geauga County Public Library

  2. Family Storytime

    11 to 11:30 a.m. · Chardon Branch · From Geauga County Public Library

  3. Quilling Quest: Flourishing Fall Cat

    6:30 to 8 p.m. · Chardon Branch · From Geauga County Public Library

Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.

History from Chardon

People and inventions tied to this place, each with its sources. All people · All inventions

How Chardon began

Chardon was settled in 1808 -- the 1879 county history names the settler only as 'Jordan' -- and was chosen as the seat of Geauga County after Boston land agent Simon Perkins contracted on November 23, 1809 to convey 200 acres on behalf of Peter Chardon Brooks, for whom the town is named, to the county commissioners. The town square, still Chardon's civic center, was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1868 before being rebuilt; the current courthouse dates to 1869. Chardon incorporated as a village in 1851 and became a city in 2001, growing from 381 residents in 1830 to 5,242 by 2020. It is the home of the Geauga County Maple Festival, held on the square every spring, and, on February 27, 2012, of a shooting at Chardon High School that killed three students.

Settled 1808, incorporated 1851 (village); 2001 (city), by Settled by 'Jordan' per the 1879 county history; the townsite conveyed to Geauga County by Boston land agent Simon Perkins, acting for landowner Peter Chardon Brooks, under a contract dated November 23, 1809.

Where the name comes from

Chardon is named for Peter Chardon Brooks, a Boston merchant who owned the land selected for the county seat and who, through his agent Simon Perkins, contracted in November 1809 to convey 200 acres to Geauga County's commissioners for the townsite.

Before the town

No Native American village, trail, or site specific to Chardon is documented in the sources consulted.

Timeline

  1. — Chardon's first settlement is recorded, with the settler named only as 'Jordan' in the 1879 county history's township list.
  2. — On November 23, Simon Perkins, acting as attorney for Boston landowner Peter Chardon Brooks, contracts to sell 200 acres for the permanent seat of justice of Geauga County.
  3. — Chardon's population is recorded at 381.
  4. — Chardon incorporates as a village.
  5. — On July 24-25, a fire starting in a grocery store destroys the courthouse, post office, and many stores around Chardon's town square, at a cost of about $120,000.
  6. — A new Geauga County courthouse is completed on the square; it remains standing today.
  7. — The Chardon Courthouse Square District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 18.
  8. — Chardon achieves city status.
  9. — On February 27, a student opens fire at Chardon High School, killing three students and injuring two others.

Stories

The fire that leveled the square

For nearly sixty years after Peter Chardon Brooks's land became Geauga County's seat of justice, the town square built up around its courthouse. Then, on the night of July 24-25, 1868, a fire that started in a grocery store tore through downtown Chardon, destroying the courthouse, the post office, and most of the stores ringing the square -- roughly $120,000 in damage, a heavy loss for a small county seat. A surviving photograph, taken afterward, shows Main Street strewn with rubble and the burned-out shell of the 1826 courthouse still standing at the far right of the frame. The county rebuilt quickly: a new courthouse went up in 1869 and still anchors the square today, the building whose Greek Revival form gives the Chardon Courthouse Square Historic District its National Register listing.

Photographs

Main Street, Chardon, Ohio, after the fire of 1868, showing the ruins of the 1826 Geauga County Courthouse at right
Main Street, Chardon, Ohio, after the fire of 1868, showing the ruins of the 1826 Geauga County Courthouse at right (1868)
Photo: Geauga County Archives & Records Center, Anderson Allyn Slides collection; photographer unknown, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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

Historic places

2 places in Chardon on the National Register of Historic Places. Press a pin or a name for its whole record.

  1. Chardon Courthouse Square DistrictHistoric district · Chardon · listed 1974
    Address
    Public Green, roughly bounded by Main and Center Sts.
    Where
    Chardon, Geauga County · ZIP 44024
    What it is
    Historic district
    Listed on the National Register
    1974
    NRIS reference number
    74001502
    Coordinates
    41.58227, -81.20376
  2. Chardon Post Office BuildingBuilding · Chardon · listed 2008
    Address
    121 South St.
    Where
    Chardon, Geauga County · ZIP 44024
    What it is
    Building
    Listed on the National Register
    2008
    NRIS reference number
    08000114
    Coordinates
    41.58077, -81.20312

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places point file. The listing year is shown where NPS's certification date agrees with the listing's reference number. Listing recognizes significance; it does not restrict a private owner.

Every historic place in Geauga County on the full map

Water

Mostly private wells The water here

Hospitals, fire stations and more

Inside Chardon's boundary: 2 nursing homes, 1 fire or EMS station, 1 high-hazard dam, 4 public schools, 1 private school, 2 libraries, 1 museum, 1 police station, 2 public charging sites, 8 Toxics Release Inventory facilities and 4 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.

Nursing homes (2)

  1. Chardon Center4 of 5 stars · Chardon
    Address
    620 Water Street, Chardon, OH 44024
    Certified beds
    99
    Residents on an average day
    80
    Medicare overall rating
    4 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    4 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    1 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    5 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    For profit - Limited Liability company
    Chain
    COMMUNICARE HEALTH
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (440) 285-9400
    Medicare ID
    365711
  2. Mapleview Country Villa4 of 5 stars · Chardon
    Address
    775 South Street, Chardon, OH 44024
    Certified beds
    100
    Residents on an average day
    84
    Medicare overall rating
    4 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    3 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    3 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    5 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    For profit - Corporation
    Chain
    LEGACY HEALTH SERVICES
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (440) 286-8176
    Medicare ID
    366433

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

Fire and EMS stations (1)

  1. Chardon Fire DepartmentChardon
    Address
    110 South Hambden Street, Chardon, OH 44024
    Coordinates
    41.58071, -81.20285

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 (1)

  1. Loecy Pond DamTributary To Big Creek · condition: satisfactory
    Hazard class
    High: a failure would probably cost a life
    Condition
    Satisfactory (assessed 10/21/2021)
    River or stream
    Tributary To Big Creek
    Purpose
    Recreation
    Type
    Earth
    Height
    23 ft
    Storage
    66 acre-feet
    Owner type
    Private
    County
    Geauga County
    Nearest town (NID)
    Painesville
    Last inspection
    10/21/2021
    Emergency action plan
    Yes
    NID ID
    OH01622

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. Chardon Early Learning CenterChardon
    Address
    308 Maple Ave, Chardon, OH 44024
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    221
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    8
    NCES school ID
    390471805974
  2. Chardon High School5 of 5 stars · Chardon
    Address
    151 Chardon Ave, Chardon, OH 44024
    School district
    Chardon Local School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    1,097
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    54.67
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    93%
    Four-year graduation rate
    96.9%
    Ohio building IRN
    005876
    NCES school ID
    390471802789
  3. Chardon Middle School5 of 5 stars · Chardon
    Address
    424 North St, Chardon, OH 44024
    School district
    Chardon Local School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    704
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    45
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    93.6%
    Ohio building IRN
    005884
    NCES school ID
    390471802790
  4. Park Elementary School5 of 5 stars · Chardon
    Address
    111 Goodrich Ct, Chardon, OH 44024
    School district
    Chardon Local School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    238
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    11
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    96.3%
    Ohio building IRN
    029090
    NCES school ID
    390471802794

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.

Private schools (1)

  1. St Mary Elementary SchoolPrivate, Catholic · Chardon
    Address
    401 N St, Chardon, OH 44024
    Kind
    Catholic
    Students, 2023-24
    164
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    14.1
    Students per teacher
    11.6312
    Phone
    (440) 286-3590
    NCES private school ID
    01058344

Source: NCES Private School Survey 2023-24.

Public libraries (2)

  1. Chardon BranchBranch · Chardon
    Address
    110 E Park St, Chardon, OH 44024
    What it is
    Branch
    Library system
    Geauga County Public Library
    Open
    3,536 hours a year, 52 weeks
    Building
    17,000 sq ft
    System's visits, FY2024
    620,568
    System's loans, FY2024
    3,017,332
    People the system serves
    85,791
    Phone
    (440) 285-7601
  2. Chardon Creativity CenterBranch · Chardon
    Address
    151 Chardon Ave, Chardon, OH 44024
    What it is
    Branch
    Library system
    Geauga County Public Library
    Open
    900 hours a year, 50 weeks
    Building
    1,730 sq ft
    System's visits, FY2024
    620,568
    System's loans, FY2024
    3,017,332
    People the system serves
    85,791
    Phone
    (440) 285-7601

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. Cleveland & Eastern Interurban Historical SocietyHistorical society · Chardon
    What it is
    Historical society
    City
    Chardon
    Coordinates
    41.57418, -81.20221

    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. Chardon Police DepartmentChardon
    Address
    111 Water Street, Chardon, OH 44024
    Coordinates
    41.58070, -81.20476

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 (2)

  1. City of Chardon Park Ave Trailhead DC fast2 DC fast · Chardon
    Address
    326 Park Avenue, Chardon, OH 44024
    Ports
    2 DC fast
    Plugs
    CCS, CHAdeMO
    Network
    FLO
    Hours
    24 hours daily
    Phone
    888-356-8911
  2. CITY OF CHARDON WATER ST CT4K 24 Level 2 · Chardon
    Address
    106 Water St, Chardon, OH 44024
    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 (8)

  1. Chardon Custom PolymersToxics Release Inventory · Chardon
    Address
    373 Washington St, Chardon, OH 44024
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44024CHRDN373WA
    EPA registry ID
    110000617468
  2. Industrie De Nora S.P.A. - Chardon Manufacturing FacilityToxics Release Inventory · Chardon
    Address
    464 Center St, Chardon, OH 44024
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    44024LCTRD464CE
    EPA registry ID
    110000385315
  3. Nof Metal Coatings North America IncToxics Release Inventory · Chardon
    Address
    275 Industrial Pkwy, Chardon, OH 44024
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA program ID
    4402WNFMTL275IN
    EPA registry ID
    110004619645
  4. Pentair Filter SolutionsToxics Release Inventory · Chardon
    Address
    220 Park Dr, Chardon, OH 44024
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (***unchanged***)
    EPA program ID
    4402WPNTRX22PAR
    EPA registry ID
    110071043044
  5. Pentair Water PurificationToxics Release Inventory · Chardon
    Address
    200 Industrial Parkway, Chardon, OH 44024
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44024STRCTINDUS
    EPA registry ID
    110000385333
  6. Rhein Chemie CorpToxics Release Inventory · Chardon
    Address
    160 Parker Ct., Chardon, OH 44024
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44024LSTCH160PA
    EPA registry ID
    110000745766
  7. Rhein Chemie CorpToxics Release Inventory · Chardon
    Address
    145 Parker Ct., Chardon, OH 44024
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44024LSTCH145PA
    EPA registry ID
    110000385324
  8. Solon Manufacturing CompanyToxics Release Inventory · Chardon
    Address
    425 Center St, Chardon, OH 44024
    County
    Geauga County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (open)
    EPA program ID
    4402WSLNMN425CE
    EPA registry ID
    110004591442

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 (4)

  1. Material Undetermined / Other2024-03-05 · Chardon
    Reported
    2024-03-05
    What spilled
    Material Undetermined / Other
    Where
    Chardon, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2403EPA0000341
  2. Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2023-01-19 · Chardon
    Reported
    2023-01-19
    What spilled
    Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
    Largest amount reported
    15 gallons
    Where
    Chardon, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2301EPA0000096
  3. Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2021-11-05 · Chardon
    Reported
    2021-11-05
    What spilled
    Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
    Largest amount reported
    100 gallons
    Where
    Chardon, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2111EPA0001711
  4. Oil Hydraulic Fluid(S)2026-03-26 · Chardon
    Reported
    2026-03-26
    What spilled
    Oil Hydraulic Fluid(S)
    Largest amount reported
    50 gallons
    Where
    Chardon, Geauga County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NEDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2603EPA0000488

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 Chardon, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.

The ZIP codes serving Chardon
ZIPShareWaterRadon Home valueSchoolsFlood
44024 Munson Township and Chardon 22% Mostly private wells 2.7 pCi/L average radon Median year built 1978 Chardon Local · 5 stars overall 0.5% of residents in the 1% floodplain

Local government

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

Money issues on the ballot since 2024: 1 of 1 passed.

Ballot issues

DateIssueForAgainstResult
2024-11-05 Issue: Renwal and Increace Chardon City 8.5 mills - Fire (8.5 mills) 1,7171,148Passed (59.93% for), unofficial

Elections for office

DateOfficeCandidates and votes
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Christine Takacs (DEM) 52, 100.0%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Jefferey J. Campbell Jr. (DEM) 34, 62.96%; Brad Walsh (DEM) 20, 37.04%
2024-03-19 Member of County Central Committee (DEM primary) Dennis M. Pavella (DEM) 47, 100.0%

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

Auditor of State record

Rain and snow

How much has actually fallen on Chardon, day by day, from 1893 to now. Daily totals, not averages.

rain, last 30 days
1.18 in
2026-09-29 to 2026-10-28
rain so far in 2026
41.4 in
about normal for the date
snow so far in 2026
71.8 in
a normal year brings 110.5 in
a normal year
51.4 in
average of 30 years, 1991-2020
The last twelve months
MonthRain (in)Snow (in)Days counted
October 2026 1.19 — 28
September 2026 3.69 — 30
August 2026 8.42 — 31
July 2026 4.89 — 31
June 2026 3.79 — 30
May 2026 3.93 — 31
April 2026 6.23 — 30
March 2026 3.96 2.5 31
February 2026 1.23 12.4 28
January 2026 4.08 56.9 31
December 2025 4.62 30.2 31
November 2025 3.28 15.7 30
On the record, 1893–2026
Wettest year2011 — 74.3 in
Driest year1933 — 26.1 in
Snowiest year2005 — 185.2 in
Wettest day on record28 July 2006 — 5.50 in
Heaviest snowfall in a day7 March 1966 — 17.99 in
Deepest snow on the ground14 November 1996 — 47.01 in

61% of these days are measurements from a gauge inside Chardon; the rest are estimated from the nearest gauges around it.

48,722 days of records, 1893-01-01 to 2026-10-28. Source: NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily, 3,240 gauges in and around Ohio. A day is "gauged" when a gauge standing inside the boundary reported it, and the value is the mean of those gauges. Otherwise it is interpolated by inverse distance from every gauge reporting within 50 miles. Nothing is carried forward, back-filled or smoothed. Against NOAA nClimDiv county monthly precipitation over 136,848 complete county-months (checked 2026-10-31): correlation 0.9515, median absolute difference 0.217 in a month. Built 2026-10-31 from the Cracked Buckeye precipitation archive. Snow is the softer number — snowfall is measured by hand with a ruler, no agency publishes a gridded county snowfall series, and blowing snow defeats every observer.

Environmental permits and filings

What Ohio EPA has on file for Chardon: permits, inspections, violations, cleanups and the state loans behind sewer and water work. Every line links to the agency's own document.

facilities and sites on file
47
those placed on the map inside Chardon
What kind of permits
ProgramFacilities and sites
Wastewater and stormwater discharge14
Hazardous waste13
Air pollution7
Voluntary cleanup6
Public drinking water2
Sewer and water-line construction2
Brownfield1
Site assessment1
Source-water protection1
The latest filings
DateFacility or siteWhat
CHARDON WWTP Wastewater and stormwater discharge report
CHARDON WWTP Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
CHARDON EYE CLINIC Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
GEAUGA COUNTY-BAINBRIDGE PWS Public drinking water compliance letter
CHARDON WWTP Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
MEIJER CHD PHASE 1 Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
MEIJER STORE CHD - WETLANDS MITIGATION Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
CHARDON CITY PWS Source-water protection report
GEAUGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY Sewer and water-line construction permit
GEAUGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY Sewer and water-line construction permit
GEAUGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY Sewer and water-line construction letter
GEAUGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY Sewer and water-line construction letter
GEAUGA COUNTY-BAINBRIDGE PWS Public drinking water report
CONRAD'S Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
COLLISIONRIGHT DBA CHARDON SQUARE COLLISION Air pollution report
GEAUGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY CHARDON BRANCH & ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
CONRAD'S TIRE EXPRESS AND TOTAL CAR CARE Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
GEAUGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY Sewer and water-line construction permit
CHARDON WWTP Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
CHARDON CITY PWS Public drinking water report
GEAUGA COUNTY-BAINBRIDGE PWS Public drinking water inspection
CHARDON RUBBER CO Voluntary cleanup inspection
GEAUGA COUNTY-BAINBRIDGE PWS Public drinking water compliance letter
SHEETZ CONVENIENCE STORE Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
CHARDON WWTP Wastewater and stormwater discharge report

Source: Ohio EPA eDocument portal (edocpub.epa.ohio.gov), indexed 2026-10-14. Facilities are placed on the map from Ohio EPA's own map layers, EPA's Facility Registry, coordinates written in the filings, or a geocoded street address. A permit filed under a private person's name (most are household septic systems) is counted but never named, placed or linked; licenses for individual workers and open-burning notices are left out entirely.

Quick answers

What county is Chardon, Ohio in?

Chardon is a city in Geauga County, Ohio, with 5,242 residents.

When was Chardon, Ohio founded?

Chardon was settled 1808; incorporated 1851 (village); 2001 (city). Founders on record: Settled by 'Jordan' per the 1879 county history; the townsite conveyed to Geauga County by Boston land agent Simon Perkins, acting for landowner Peter Chardon Brooks, under a contract dated November 23, 1809. Source

How did Chardon, Ohio get its name?

Chardon is named for Peter Chardon Brooks, a Boston merchant who owned the land selected for the county seat and who, through his agent Simon Perkins, contracted in November 1809 to convey 200 acres to Geauga County's commissioners for the townsite. Source

What ZIP code is Chardon, Ohio?

Most of Chardon is in ZIP code 44024.

Where does Chardon, Ohio get its water?

The main water source for Chardon (Chardon City): Mostly private wells.

Cite this page

Cite this page as:

Cracked Buckeye, "Chardon, Geauga County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/chardon/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].

How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-10-31