Kent | |||||||||
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City | |||||||||
City of Kent, Ohio | |||||||||
Top from left: old Erie Depot and Star of the West mill, Franklin Hotel, Dix Stadium, Theodore Roosevelt High School, Kent Hall, Main Street Bridge and arch dam, Cuyahoga River
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Nickname(s): The Tree City | |||||||||
Location in Portage County |
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Location in the United States and Ohio | |||||||||
Coordinates: 41°09′N 81°22′W / 41.15°N 81.36°WCoordinates: 41°09′N 81°22′W / 41.15°N 81.36°W | |||||||||
Country | United States | ||||||||
State | Ohio | ||||||||
County | Portage | ||||||||
Founded | November 1805 | ||||||||
Incorporated | 1867 | ||||||||
Founded by | John Haymaker | ||||||||
Named for | Marvin Kent | ||||||||
Government | |||||||||
• Type | Council-Manager | ||||||||
• City Manager | Dave Ruller | ||||||||
• Mayor | Jerry Fiala | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• Total | 9.28 sq mi (24.0 km2) | ||||||||
• Land | 9.17 sq mi (23.8 km2) | ||||||||
• Water | 0.11 sq mi (0.3 km2) | ||||||||
Elevation | 1,056 ft (322 m) | ||||||||
Population (2010) | |||||||||
• Total | 28,904 | ||||||||
• Estimate (2015) | 29,810 | ||||||||
• Density | 3,152.0/sq mi (1,217.0/km2) | ||||||||
Demonym(s) | Kentite | ||||||||
Time zone | EST (UTC−5) | ||||||||
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) | ||||||||
ZIP codes | 44240, 44242, 44243 | ||||||||
Area code(s) | 330, 234 | ||||||||
FIPS code | 39-39872 | ||||||||
GNIS feature ID | 2395512 | ||||||||
Website | kentohio |
Kent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 28,904 in the 2010 Census and 29,810 in the 2015 estimate. The city is counted as part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area and the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area.
Part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, Kent was settled in 1805 and was known for many years as Franklin Mills. Settlers were attracted to the area due to its location along the Cuyahoga River as a place for water-powered mills. Later development came in the 1830s and 1840s as a result of the settlement's position along the route of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal. Leading up to the American Civil War, Franklin Mills was noted for its activity in the Underground Railroad. With the decline of the canal and the emergence of the railroad, the town became the home of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad maintenance shops through the influence of Marvin Kent. In 1864 the town was renamed Kent in honor of and in gratitude for Marvin Kent's efforts. It was incorporated as a village in 1867 and became a city after the 1920 Census. Today Kent is a college town best known as the home of the main campus of Kent State University, founded in 1910, and as the site of the 1970 Kent State shootings.