Chardon, Ohio, United States

🇺🇸 Chardon is a city in and the county seat of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. It is the only incorporated city in Geauga County, and includes land that was once part of Chardon, Hambden and Munson townships. It is located about 10 miles south of Lake Erie and within the "snow belt" of the Great Lakes and is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area.

History Chardon is named after Peter Chardon Brooks, who donated land to build the historic Chardon Square. Chardon Township celebrates its incorporation in 1812, and thus the City of Chardon does the same.

On July 24–25, 1868, a massive fire totally destroyed the centre of uptown, the area now known as Chardon Square. The fire originated in the Parlin Parkin's grocery store, and spread rapidly. By the time the fire was contained, the courthouse, post office, and many stores on the square were destroyed. Damage was estimated at around $120,000. Chardon Square was quickly rebuilt following the fire. A new county courthouse, which still stands today, was completed in 1869. Many other buildings that were constructed after the fire also survive and are used today.

*School shooting * On February 27, 2012, a student from Lake Academy in Willoughby, Ohio opened fire at the Chardon High School cafeteria, killing three and injuring two students. Daniel Parmertor, 16 years old, was killed at the time of the shooting. Two other victims, Demetrius Hewlin and Russell King, Jr., were pronounced dead on February 28. The shooter was taken into custody by police and was charged with three counts of aggravated murder. He was sentenced to three consecutive life terms in prison without parole.

Geography Chardon is located on U.S. Route 6 about 15 miles (24 km) east of Cleveland. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.62 square miles (11.97 km²), of which 4.58 square miles (11.86 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) or about 25 acres (10 ha) is water.

Culture Chardon is known for its maple syrup industry. Celebration of the syrup season begins at Tapping Sunday in March, when the sap is at prime thawing temperature. The annual Geauga County Maple Festival is a four-day celebration that takes place on the Chardon Square the last weekend in April. The festival has been rescheduled numerous times because of snowstorms in April due to Chardon's location in the “snow belt” of the Great Lakes; it receives a large amount of snowfall every year.

Chardon has an active performance art community. The Geauga Lyric Theater Guild is housed in the renovated Geauga Theater building, which was constructed in 1939 as an Art Deco movie house. The theater is also being used again to show first-run movies.

Greater Chardon features numerous parks and golf courses. Chardon Lakes Golf Course is located in the heart of Chardon, two minutes from the square. Sand Ridge Golf Club in nearby Munson Township is also an excellent course. Chardon has an abundance of park space. Due to the area's varying weather conditions, sports activities are available for every season.

The 1987 Film, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles had a scene filmed in Chardon. The scene where John Candy and Steve Martin are riding in the back of the pickup truck was filmed on Taylor Wells Rd in Chardon.

Education Chardon and the area surrounding the city are served by the Chardon Local School District. The district contains Chardon High School, as well as one middle school, and two elementary schools: Park and Munson. Hambden and Maple were no longer elementary schools starting in the 2018–2019 school year. Hambden and Munson elementary are not within the city limits. As of the 2011–2012 school year, the district had received an "Excellent" rating from the State of Ohio Board of Education for eleven consecutive years.

Chardon has a public library, a branch of the Geauga County Public Library.