NORTH ROYALTON was originally part of ROYALTON TWP., one of 18 Cleveland-area townships platted by the Connecticut Land Company following its 1796 acquisition of the Western Reserve from the state of Connecticut. The name pays homage to an early resident’s hometown of Royalton, VT. Initially under the jurisdiction of Brecksville Twp. to the east, Royalton Twp. was established in 1818, renamed North Royalton Twp. in the 1880s, incorporated as a village in 1927, and made a city in 1961. Situated on the southern edge of Cuyahoga County, it occupies 21 sq. mi. and is bounded by PARMA on the north, BROADVIEW HTS. on the east, STRONGSVILLE on the west, and Medina County on the south. North Royalton is one of only a few Cuyahoga County cities that retains the exact shape of the original township.
In the 19th century Royalton was a community consisting largely of dairy farmers (see AGRICULTURE). Several of their farmhouses still stand, including the John M. Annis House (1833) on State Rd., the Smith-Rutledge house on State Rd. (built in 1855 and now home to the James Buckingham Museum), and the city’s oldest remaining home—a stone structure on Wallings Rd. dating to 1831. In 1840 the community’s population was 1,051.
Following its incorporation as a village in 1927, North Royalton adopted a mayor-council form of government and Charles E. McCombs was appointed mayor. The population grew slowly, with 2,559 individuals in 1940. Following the post-WORLD WAR II migration of Cleveland residents to the SUBURBS and the construction of the Ohio Turnpike in 1955, the city developed more rapidly, reaching 9,290 in 1960, 17,705 in 1980, and 28,648 in 2000. As of 2020, North Royalton had 31,322 residents. The city is overwhelmingly white, with minorities representing just 4% of the population. The North Royalton School System (one elementary, one middle and one high school) serves 4,100 students from Broadview Hts. as well as North Royalton. The city has 30 acres of city parks, recreational facilities, and a branch of the CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM. A small piece of the Millstream Reservation of the CLEVELAND METROPARKS spills over from neighboring Strongsville into southwest North Royalton.
Chris Roy
Last updated: 2/11/2023
Finding aid for the North Royalton Century Home Research Collection, WRHS.
Marcus, T. Richard, ed. North Royalton, Ohio, 1818-1968 (1968).