Norwalk

City · Huron County · 17,545 residents · 1.5% municipal income tax

Huron County

Local events in Norwalk

4 events in the next 90 days from 2 public calendars. All local events in Norwalk

  1. November 2026 Quarterly Member Breakfast

    All day · Huron County Board of Developmental Disabilities · From Huron County Growth Partnership

  2. Huron County Safety Council

    All day · Norwalk High School Ernsthausen Performing Arts Center · From Huron County Growth Partnership

  3. JV/Varsity Girls' Basketball @ Norwalk

    5:30 to 8:30 p.m. · Norwalk High School · From Lexington Local School District

Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.

Deep dives about Norwalk

Long reads built from maps, newspapers and public records. All deep dives

Notable people from Norwalk

Ohioans tied to this place, each with a sourced profile. All notable Ohioans

History from Norwalk

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

How Norwalk began

Norwalk was scouted as a townsite in October 1815 by Elisha Whittlesey, Platt Benedict and others, platted by surveyor Almon Ruggles the following spring, and settled permanently by Benedict, a Danbury, Connecticut native, in 1817. Named for Norwalk, Connecticut, whose burned-out Revolutionary War residents held claims in the Firelands, the town won the Huron County seat away from Avery in May 1818 and grew slowly around its courthouse square until railroads reached it at mid-century. It did not incorporate as a city until 1881, by which point it was a market and small-manufacturing town; in 1972 a gastroenteritis outbreak at a Norwalk elementary school gave the town's name, almost by accident, to norovirus, still called the 'Norwalk agent' in its original scientific literature. Today Norwalk remains the Huron County seat, its courthouse square and West Main Street historic district anchoring a city of about 17,000.

Settled 1817 (Platt Benedict's permanent settlement), platted 1816 (surveyed by Almon Ruggles), incorporated 1881 (city); had been a village and county seat since 1818, by Platt Benedict and Elisha Whittlesey, who scouted the site in October 1815; platted by Almon Ruggles.

Where the name comes from

Norwalk takes its name from Norwalk, Connecticut, one of nine Connecticut towns British and Loyalist forces burned during the Revolutionary War; displaced residents of the Connecticut town received land claims in the Firelands, the portion of the Western Reserve set aside to compensate them, and the new Ohio town carried the old town's name west.

Before the town

No Native American village, trail, or site specific to the town site of Norwalk itself is documented in the sources consulted. Norwalk sits within the Firelands, land the Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, Munsee, Delaware, Shawnee, and Potawatomi ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Fort Industry (July 4, 1805); Huron County itself is named for the Huron (Wyandot) people. The county's broader Native history includes the Hopewell-era Esch Mounds reported along the Huron River.

Timeline

  1. — Elisha Whittlesey, Platt Benedict and companions scout a site on a low sand ridge for a new Firelands town in October.
  2. — Surveyor Almon Ruggles plats the town, with lots offered for sale at $60 to $100 apiece.
  3. — Platt Benedict, of Danbury, Connecticut, moves to the new town and builds its first permanent house, becoming Norwalk's first settler.
  4. — The Huron County seat is moved from Avery to Norwalk in May; a frame courthouse and jail are completed on the town square by 1819.
  5. — Norwalk's population reaches the state threshold to incorporate as a city; the City of Norwalk dates from April 12.
  6. — The present Huron County Courthouse, designed by architect Vernon Redding, is built on the square after fire destroyed the 1882 courthouse.
  7. — A gastroenteritis outbreak at a Norwalk, Ohio elementary school is later traced to a previously unidentified virus, informally named the 'Norwalk agent' after the town; it is now known as norovirus.
  8. — The Dr. David De Forest Benedict House, originally listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, is removed from the register on May 12.
  9. — The Norwalk Theatre, at 57 East Main Street, is added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 29.

Stories

The town that named a virus by accident

In the fall of 1968, children and teachers at Bronson Elementary School in Norwalk fell ill in an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis; stool samples from the outbreak were preserved and, four years later in 1972, electron microscopy at the National Institutes of Health identified a previously unknown virus in them. Because researchers had no better name at hand, they called it the 'Norwalk agent,' after the town where the outbreak occurred -- not Norwalk, Connecticut, the town Ohio's Norwalk itself was named for, but the Ohio town on the Huron County courthouse square. The name stuck through decades of further research, and in 2002 the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses formally renamed the whole family 'norovirus,' though 'Norwalk virus' remains the type species and turns up in medical journals to this day. It is a strange kind of fame for a small Firelands county seat: a virus responsible for a huge share of the world's foodborne and cruise-ship illness outbreaks carries, in its scientific name, the memory of one 1968 school lunchroom.

A courthouse square laid out before the county had a courthouse

When Elisha Whittlesey and Platt Benedict rode out from the Firelands' scattered early settlements in October 1815 to look for a townsite, Huron County's government was still operating out of a former War of 1812 stockade, Fort Avery, near present Milan. They picked a low sand ridge to the south, reasoning it would drain better than the surrounding swampy land, and surveyor Almon Ruggles platted the town the following spring with lots priced at $60 to $100. Benedict moved his family there in 1817, becoming the settlement's first resident, and just a year later, in May 1818, county voters agreed to move the seat itself to the new town. A frame courthouse and jail went up by 1819; two more courthouses have stood on the same square since, the current one built in 1913 after fire destroyed its 1882 predecessor. The square Whittlesey and Benedict picked for drainage, not government, has held Huron County's courthouse for well over two hundred years.

Photographs

Main Street looking west, Norwalk, postcard postmarked 1907
Main Street looking west, Norwalk, postcard postmarked 1907 (1907)
Photo: Columbus Metropolitan Library, via Digital Public Library of America, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Norwalk town hall, postcard postmarked 1907
Norwalk town hall, postcard postmarked 1907 (1907)
Photo: Columbus Metropolitan Library, via Digital Public Library of America, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Local history sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · freepages.rootsweb.com · courthouses.co · en.wikipedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org

Historic places

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

  1. Benedict, Dr. David De Forest, HouseBuilding · Norwalk
    Address
    80 Seminary St.
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County · ZIP 44857
    What it is
    Building
    Latest NPS certification action
    2016
    NRIS reference number
    75001439
    Coordinates
    41.24284, -82.61179
  2. Dunton HouseBuilding · Norwalk · listed 1982
    Address
    130 Benedict Ave.
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County · ZIP 44857
    What it is
    Building
    Listed on the National Register
    1982
    NRIS reference number
    82001469
    Coordinates
    41.23681, -82.61176
  3. Huron County Children's HomeBuilding · Norwalk · listed 2004
    Address
    190 Benedict Ave.
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County · ZIP 44857
    What it is
    Building
    Listed on the National Register
    2004
    NRIS reference number
    04001200
    Coordinates
    41.23199, -82.60830
  4. Huron County Courthouse And JailHistoric district · Norwalk · listed 1974
    Address
    E. Main St. and Benedict Ave.
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County · ZIP 44857
    What it is
    Historic district
    Listed on the National Register
    1974
    NRIS reference number
    74001534
    Coordinates
    41.24208, -82.61511
  5. Norwalk Memorial HospitalBuilding · Norwalk · listed 2007
    Address
    269 W. Main St.
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County · ZIP 44857
    What it is
    Building
    Listed on the National Register
    2007
    NRIS reference number
    07000582
    Coordinates
    41.23361, -82.63782

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 Huron County on the full map

Water

Three city reservoirs (Upper, Memorial, Lower; 159 acres, about 700 million gallons) on Old State Road south of State Route 18, fed mainly by rainwater runoff from an 8-square-mile area east of the city, with a river pump station adding East Branch Huron River water to Memorial Reservoir in dry years. The water here

  • Norwalk City100% of residentsHuron River / East Branch Huron River (via Upper, Memorial, and Lower Reservoirs)
  • Milan Village0% of residentsLake Erie (Sandusky Bay backup intake)

Hospitals, fire stations and more

Inside Norwalk's boundary: 1 hospital, 3 health centers, 1 dialysis center, 3 nursing homes, 1 fire or EMS station, 1 college, 3 high-hazard dams, 6 public schools, 2 poor-rated bridges, 1 library, 3 museums, 2 police stations, 3 public charging sites, 11 Toxics Release Inventory facilities and 5 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.

Hospitals (1)

  1. Fisher - Titus Medical Center Trauma level IIIGeneral hospital · Norwalk
    What it is
    General hospital
    Address
    272 Benedict Avenue, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Beds
    114
    Trauma center
    Level IIi
    Helipad
    Yes
    Ownership
    Non-profit
    Medicare overall rating
    4 of 5 stars
    Emergency department (Medicare)
    Yes
    Medicare reports it as
    Fisher-Titus Hospital
    Phone
    (419) 668-8101
    Medicare ID
    360065

Source: HIFLD hospitals inventory via FEMA (closed hospitals it still lists left out, hospitals opened since added), with Medicare Care Compare ratings matched by name and address.

Community health centers (3)

  1. ECCHC Norwalk Health CenterHealth center · Norwalk
    Run by
    a federally qualified health center
    Setting
    Clinic
    City
    Norwalk
    Coordinates
    41.24778, -82.59688
  2. FHS Norwalk - 265 Benedict AveHealth center · Norwalk
    Run by
    a federally qualified health center
    Setting
    Clinic
    City
    Norwalk
    Coordinates
    41.22680, -82.60131
  3. Norwalk Health CenterHealth center · Norwalk
    Run by
    a federally qualified health center
    Setting
    Clinic
    City
    Norwalk
    Coordinates
    41.23022, -82.59907

Source: HRSA health center service delivery sites, active, September 2026 (school-based sites left out). Health centers see patients whether or not they have insurance, with fees on a sliding scale.

Dialysis centers (1)

  1. Fmc - NorwalkDialysis · Norwalk
    Address
    290 Benedict Avenue, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Dialysis stations
    13
    Medicare star rating
    3 of 5 stars
    Services
    in-center hemodialysis
    Ownership
    for profit
    Chain
    Fresenius Medical Care
    Medicare certified since
    1995-01-05
    Phone
    (419) 668-2121
    Medicare ID
    362539

Source: CMS dialysis facility list, September 2026, geocoded with the Census Bureau batch geocoder (an address it could not place sits at its ZIP center).

Nursing homes (3)

  1. Carecore at Gaymont3 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    66 Norwood Ave, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Certified beds
    88
    Residents on an average day
    77
    Medicare overall rating
    3 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    3 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    3 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    3 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    For profit - Limited Liability company
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (419) 668-8258
    Medicare ID
    365430
  2. Norwalk Memorial Home4 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    272 Benedict Ave, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Certified beds
    69
    Residents on an average day
    59
    Medicare overall rating
    4 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    4 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    4 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    3 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    Non profit - Corporation
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (419) 668-8101
    Medicare ID
    365668
  3. Twilight Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation4 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    196 W Main St, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Certified beds
    94
    Residents on an average day
    77
    Medicare overall rating
    4 of 5 stars
    Health inspections
    4 of 5 stars
    Staffing
    3 of 5 stars
    Quality measures
    4 of 5 stars
    Penalties since 2023
    none
    Ownership
    For profit - Corporation
    Chain
    CCH HEALTHCARE
    Takes
    Medicare and Medicaid
    Phone
    (419) 668-2086
    Medicare ID
    365517

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

Fire and EMS stations (1)

  1. Norwalk Fire DepartmentNorwalk
    Address
    108 Whittlesey Avenue, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Coordinates
    41.24644, -82.61822

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.

Colleges (1)

  1. Elite School of CosmetologyFor-profit two-year college · Norwalk
    What it is
    For-profit two-year college
    City
    Norwalk
    Students, 2023-24 (12-month count)
    332
    Graduation rate
    59% within three years (a class of 66)
    IPEDS unit ID
    461999

Source: NCES IPEDS 2024 directory, 2023-24 enrollment and tuition, graduation rates for the 2017 (four-year) and 2020 (two-year) entering classes.

High-hazard dams (3)

  1. Norwalk Lower ReservoirNorwalk Creek - Offstream · condition: satisfactory
    Hazard class
    High: a failure would probably cost a life
    Condition
    Satisfactory (assessed 05/03/2022)
    River or stream
    Norwalk Creek - Offstream
    Purpose
    Water Supply;Recreation
    Type
    Earth
    Height
    34 ft
    Storage
    439 acre-feet
    Completed
    1896
    Owner type
    Local Government
    County
    Huron County
    Nearest town (NID)
    Norwalk
    Last inspection
    05/18/2021
    Emergency action plan
    Yes
    NID ID
    OH00763
  2. Norwalk Memorial ReservoirNorwalk Creek · condition: fair
    Hazard class
    High: a failure would probably cost a life
    Condition
    Fair (assessed 05/18/2021)
    River or stream
    Norwalk Creek
    Purpose
    Water Supply;Recreation
    Type
    Earth
    Height
    54 ft
    Storage
    2,022 acre-feet
    Completed
    1954
    Owner type
    Local Government
    County
    Huron County
    Nearest town (NID)
    Norwalk
    Last inspection
    05/18/2021
    Emergency action plan
    Yes
    NID ID
    OH00761
  3. Norwalk Upper ReservoirNorwalk Creek · condition: satisfactory
    Hazard class
    High: a failure would probably cost a life
    Condition
    Satisfactory (assessed 05/03/2022)
    River or stream
    Norwalk Creek
    Purpose
    Water Supply;Recreation
    Type
    Earth
    Height
    39 ft
    Storage
    854 acre-feet
    Completed
    1896
    Owner type
    Local Government
    County
    Huron County
    Nearest town (NID)
    Norwalk
    Last inspection
    05/18/2021
    Emergency action plan
    Yes
    NID ID
    OH00762

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 (6)

  1. League Elementary School3 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    16 E League St, Norwalk, OH 44857
    School district
    Norwalk City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    198
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    11
    Report card, 2025-26
    3 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    69.4%
    Ohio building IRN
    019968
    NCES school ID
    390445601454
  2. Main Street School3 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    80 E Main St, Norwalk, OH 44857
    School district
    Norwalk City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    353
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    22
    Report card, 2025-26
    3 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    86%
    Ohio building IRN
    000270
    NCES school ID
    390445605290
  3. Maplehurst Elementary School1 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    195 Saint Marys St, Norwalk, OH 44857
    School district
    Norwalk City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    448
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    24
    Report card, 2025-26
    1 of 5 stars
    Ohio building IRN
    022632
    NCES school ID
    390445601455
  4. Norwalk High School3 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    350 Shady Lane Dr, Norwalk, OH 44857
    School district
    Norwalk City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    732
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    37.3
    Report card, 2025-26
    3 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    76.8%
    Four-year graduation rate
    93.4%
    Ohio building IRN
    028068
    NCES school ID
    390445601457
  5. Norwalk Middle School3.5 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    64 Christie Ave, Norwalk, OH 44857
    School district
    Norwalk City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    373
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    27
    Report card, 2025-26
    3.5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    74.9%
    Ohio building IRN
    028050
    NCES school ID
    390445601456
  6. Pleasant Elementary School5 of 5 stars · Norwalk
    Address
    16 S Pleasant St, Norwalk, OH 44857
    School district
    Norwalk City School District
    Kind (NCES)
    Regular School
    Students, 2023-24
    390
    Teachers (full-time equivalent)
    21
    Report card, 2025-26
    5 of 5 stars
    Performance index
    92.1%
    Ohio building IRN
    030221
    NCES school ID
    390445601458

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. County Road 228 over CO Rd 228/e Br Hrn RvrPoor · built 1925
    Condition
    Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
    What it is
    Bridge
    Built
    1925
    Length
    26 ft
    Owner
    County
    Vehicles a day
    1,158
    Coordinates
    41.22868, -82.64535
  2. SR 61 over Over W&l.e. RrPoor · built 1906
    Condition
    Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
    What it is
    Bridge
    Built
    1906
    Length
    9 ft
    Owner
    State
    Vehicles a day
    6,311
    Coordinates
    41.24054, -82.61944

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. Norwalk Public LibraryCentral library · Norwalk
    Address
    46 W. Main St., Norwalk, OH 44857
    What it is
    Central library
    Library system
    Norwalk Public Library
    Open
    2,574 hours a year, 52 weeks
    Building
    11,550 sq ft
    System's visits, FY2024
    43,108
    System's loans, FY2024
    167,089
    People the system serves
    18,856
    Phone
    (419) 668-6063

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 (3)

  1. Firelands Historical SocietyHistorical society · Norwalk
    What it is
    Historical society
    City
    Norwalk
    Coordinates
    41.23893, -82.60400

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

  2. Firelands MuseumHistorical society · Norwalk
    What it is
    Historical society
    City
    Norwalk
    Coordinates
    41.24152, -82.61739

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

  3. Wolf Creek Pine Run Grist MillHistorical society · Londonville
    What it is
    Historical society
    City
    Londonville
    Coordinates
    41.23893, -82.60400

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

Source: IMLS Museum Data Files, 2018.

Police stations (2)

  1. Huron County Sheriff's OfficeNorwalk
    Address
    255 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Coordinates
    41.22265, -82.60952
  2. Norwalk Police DepartmentNorwalk
    Address
    37 North Linwood Avenue, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Coordinates
    41.24424, -82.61611

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 (3)

  1. EV CITY CHARGER STATION 22 Level 2 · Norwalk
    Address
    38 Whittlesey Ave, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Ports
    2 Level 2
    Plugs
    J1772
    Network
    ChargePoint Network
    Hours
    24 hours daily
    Phone
    888-758-4389
  2. EV CITY CHARGER STATION12 Level 2 · Norwalk
    Address
    30 W Seminary St, Norwalk, OH 44857
    Ports
    2 Level 2
    Plugs
    J1772
    Network
    ChargePoint Network
    Hours
    24 hours daily
    Phone
    888-758-4389
  3. EVANS CARES EVANS CARES2 Level 2 · Norwalk
    Address
    314 E Main St (Route 61 East), Norwalk, OH 44857
    Ports
    2 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 (11)

  1. Clevite Ind IncToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    202 Republic Street, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857CLVTN202RE
    EPA registry ID
    110009425005
  2. Duramax Marine IndustriesToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    55 St Mary's St, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (***unchanged***)
    EPA program ID
    4485WDRMXM55STM
    EPA registry ID
    110071732319
  3. Duramax Marine IndustriesToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    55 St. Marys Street, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (***unchanged***)
    EPA program ID
    4485WDRMXM55STB
    EPA registry ID
    110071732361
  4. Epic TechToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    200 East Bluegrass Drive, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857PCTCH20EBL
    EPA registry ID
    110001129804
  5. Faulhaber CoToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    117 Jefferson St, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857FLHBR117JE
    EPA registry ID
    110004731078
  6. Industrial Powder Coatings IncToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    204 Republic St., Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857NDSTR204RE
    EPA registry ID
    110002112455
  7. Industrial Power Coating Inc Plant 2Toxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    203 Republic Street, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857NDSTR203RE
    EPA registry ID
    110000391709
  8. Johns ManvilleToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    202 Republic Street, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857NDSTR202RE
    EPA registry ID
    110012520762
  9. Mayflower Vehicle Systems Inc *Toxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    55 North Garfield Street, Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857MYFLW55NOR
    EPA registry ID
    110009606952
  10. Norwalk Furniture CorporationToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    100 Furniture Pky., Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857NRWLKRTS18
    EPA registry ID
    110000391718
  11. Polyone CorpToxics Release Inventory · Norwalk
    Address
    80 N. W. St., Norwalk, OH 44857
    County
    Huron County
    Status
    Reports to the Toxics Release Inventory (active)
    EPA program ID
    44857PMSCN80NOR
    EPA registry ID
    110004624292

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 (5)

  1. Waste Chemical(S) Nos2025-07-21 · Norwalk
    Reported
    2025-07-21
    What spilled
    Waste Chemical(S) Nos
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NWDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2507EPA0001211
  2. Latex2025-02-20 · Norwalk
    Reported
    2025-02-20
    What spilled
    Latex
    Largest amount reported
    6,000 gallons
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NWDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2502EPA0000235
  3. Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle2024-04-26 · Norwalk
    Reported
    2024-04-26
    What spilled
    Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle
    Largest amount reported
    120 gallons
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NWDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2404EPA0000691
  4. Latex2023-06-19 · Norwalk
    Reported
    2023-06-19
    What spilled
    Latex
    Largest amount reported
    6,000 gallons
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NWDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2306EPA0001008
  5. Oil Transformer Non Pcb2021-07-08 · Norwalk
    Reported
    2021-07-08
    What spilled
    Oil Transformer Non Pcb
    Largest amount reported
    25 gallons
    Where
    Norwalk, Huron County
    Ohio EPA district office
    NWDO
    Ohio EPA case number
    2107EPA0001016

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

Local government

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

Money issues on the ballot since 2017: 4 of 5 passed; of those asking for new or higher taxes, 1 of 1.

Ballot issues

DateIssueForAgainstResult
2023-07-20 Issue: Norwalk Charter - Independent Appointments 3,3961,228Passed (73.44% for)
2023-07-20 Issue: Norwalk Charter - Ordinance Delivery 3,871758Passed (83.62% for)
2023-07-20 Issue: Norwalk Charter - Resolutions 3,674917Passed (80.03% for)
2022-11-08 Issue: City of Norwalk Charter Amendment 3,1901,532Passed (67.56% for)
2022-05-03 Issue: City of Norwalk Fire Renewal Levy 1,306580Passed (69.25% for)
2020-03-17 Issue: City of Norwalk 1.75 mill 5 yr. park & rec (1.75 mills) 1,3601,188Passed (53.38% for)
2019-11-05 Issue: Norwalk City Park 1.75 mill (1.75 mills) 1,7131,930Failed (47.02% for)
2018-11-06 Issue: Norwalk City Tax Levy 3,1752,085Passed (60.36% for)
2018-05-08 Issue: Norwalk City Recreational 1,053539Passed (66.14% for)
2017-11-07 Issue: NORWALK CITY-RENEWAL 1,889733Passed (72.04% for)
2017-11-07 Issue: NORWALK 1C CASA BRAVOS LO 12667Passed (65.28% for)
2016-11-08 Issue: Norwalk City 5 year Renewal 3,8682,886Passed (57.27% for)
2016-03-15 Issue: Norwalk City Capitol Investment expenditure BL 3,017988Passed (75.33% for)

Elections for office

DateOfficeCandidates and votes
2023-07-20 Member of Council, Ward 3 Jordan Duncan 908, 100.0%
2023-07-20 Mayor David W. Light 2,924, 56.96%; Jeffery Bertram 2,209, 43.04%
2021-11-02 Member of Council, At Large Samantha Wilhelm 1,327, 23.08%; Stephen E. Euton 1,258, 21.88%; Bryan P. Lamb 1,163, 20.23%; Stephen F. Schumm 1,145, 19.91%; Jordy Horowitz 857, 14.9%
2019-11-05 MAYOR Rob Duncan (REP) 1,514, 41.17%; David W. Light (DEM) 2,163, 58.83%
2019-11-05 4TH WARD COUNCIL Matt Doughty (DEM) 509, 100.0%
2019-11-05 3RD WARD COUNCIL Samantha Wilhelm (REP) 537, 100.0%
2019-11-05 2ND WARD COUNCIL Matt Fair 351, 34.21%; Sharon Harwood (REP) 675, 65.79%
2019-11-05 1ST WARD COUNCIL Deborah J. Lucal (DEM) 797, 100.0%
2019-05-07 Mayor Rob Duncan (REP) 504, 62.92%; David Wallace (REP) 297, 37.08%
2017-11-07 Member of Council at Large Stephen F. Schumm (REP) 1,648, 23.4%; Stephen E. Euton (REP) 1,599, 22.7%; Bryan Lamb (REP) 1,374, 19.51%; Jordy Horowitz 1,358, 19.28%; Vince P. Thompson (DEM) 1,065, 15.12%
2015-11-03 MAYOR Robert L. Duncan (REP) 2,514, 57.5%; Ryan McDonnell 1,858, 42.5%

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

Auditor of State record

  • No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
  • Financial Health Indicators (the Auditor of State's 17 measures; critical / cautionary / positive): 2020 1 / 4 / 12; 2021 0 / 2 / 15; 2022 0 / 1 / 16; 2023 0 / 1 / 16; 2024 0 / 3 / 14; 2025 0 / 2 / 14.
  • Financial Audit, 2024, released 2025-10-09

Rain and snow

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

rain, last 30 days
2.48 in
2026-09-29 to 2026-10-28
rain so far in 2026
35.7 in
about normal for the date
snow so far in 2026
18.5 in
a normal year brings 32.2 in
a normal year
40.2 in
average of 30 years, 1991-2020
The last twelve months
MonthRain (in)Snow (in)Days counted
October 2026 2.48 — 28
September 2026 3.29 — 30
August 2026 6.18 — 31
July 2026 3.65 — 31
June 2026 4.48 — 30
May 2026 5.03 — 31
April 2026 5.83 — 30
March 2026 3.44 — 31
February 2026 0.04 1.0 28
January 2026 1.26 17.6 31
December 2025 1.65 4.2 31
November 2025 1.23 — 30
On the record, 1893–2026
Wettest year2011 — 54.8 in
Driest year1963 — 20.9 in
Snowiest year1910 — 81.2 in
Wettest day on record5 July 1969 — 9.02 in
Heaviest snowfall in a day26 December 1926 — 14.02 in
Deepest snow on the ground5 February 1978 — 22.01 in

Almost every day here is a measurement: 98% of them come from a rain gauge standing inside Norwalk itself.

48,198 days of records, 1893-04-01 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 Norwalk: 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
66
those placed on the map inside Norwalk
What kind of permits
ProgramFacilities and sites
Hazardous waste22
Wastewater and stormwater discharge13
Voluntary cleanup10
Air pollution7
Public drinking water5
State sewer loans3
Site assessment2
Composting1
Contaminated-site cleanup1
Landfills1
Underground injection wells1
The latest filings
DateFacility or siteWhat
PERSYS ENGINEERING INC Hazardous waste notice of violation
NORWALK CITY LANDFILL Landfills inspection
NEW HORIZONS BAKING COMPANY Air pollution permit
NORWALK CITY PWS Public drinking water compliance letter
NEW HORIZONS BAKING COMPANY Air pollution permit
NORWALK CITY LANDFILL Landfills report
NEW HORIZONS BAKING COMPANY Air pollution permit
NEW HORIZONS BAKING CO INC Air pollution permit
SEALCORE LLC Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
NORWALK CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PK-8 BUILDING Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
NEW HORIZONS BAKING CO INC Air pollution permit
STORAGE MASTERS Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
NEW HORIZONS BAKING COMPANY Air pollution permit
NORWALK CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PK-8 BUILDING Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
STORAGE MASTERS Wastewater and stormwater discharge inspection
MAYFLOWER VEHICLE SYSTEMS INC Hazardous waste inspection
DAN MAR CORP Air pollution report
EXTOL OF OHIO INC Air pollution report
AVIENT CORPORATION-NORWALK FACILITY Air pollution report
NEW HORIZONS BAKING CO INC Air pollution permit
NORWALK CITY PWS Public drinking water violation resolved
HUR-NORWALK RESERVOIR TRAIL Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
HUR-61-1763 (WEST MAIN STREET) PHASE 2 Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit
NORWALK CITY PWS Public drinking water report
HUR- LINWOOD AVE Wastewater and stormwater discharge permit

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 Norwalk, Ohio in?

Norwalk is a city in Huron County, Ohio, with 17,545 residents.

When was Norwalk, Ohio founded?

Norwalk was settled 1817 (Platt Benedict's permanent settlement); laid out 1816 (surveyed by Almon Ruggles); incorporated 1881 (city); had been a village and county seat since 1818. Founders on record: Platt Benedict and Elisha Whittlesey, who scouted the site in October 1815; platted by Almon Ruggles. Source

How did Norwalk, Ohio get its name?

Norwalk takes its name from Norwalk, Connecticut, one of nine Connecticut towns British and Loyalist forces burned during the Revolutionary War; displaced residents of the Connecticut town received land claims in the Firelands, the portion of the Western Reserve set aside to compensate them, and the new Ohio town carried the old town's name west. Source

What ZIP code is Norwalk, Ohio?

Most of Norwalk is in ZIP code 44857.

Where does Norwalk, Ohio get its water?

The main water source for Norwalk (Norwalk City): Three city reservoirs (Upper, Memorial, Lower; 159 acres, about 700 million gallons) on Old State Road south of State Route 18, fed mainly by rainwater runoff from an 8-square-mile area east of the city, with a river pump station adding East Branch Huron River water to Memorial Reservoir in dry years.

Cite this page

Cite this page as:

Cracked Buckeye, "Norwalk, Huron County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/norwalk/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].

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