Decorative drawing: a small American settlement seen from a low hill. Not a photograph of this place.

Amherst, Ohio

15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1901 and the latest in 1986. It stands in Amherst City. It lies in ZIP code area 44001. The Survey maps it on the Lorain quadrangle. 12,681 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 689 feet above sea level.

Amherst within Lorain County

Population over time

2 figures

Amherst grew from 12,021 to 12,681 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	12,021
2020	12,681	+660 (+5%)

Then and now

1901 to 1986

The same ground, surveyed 85 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Amherst, surveyed 1986

Topographic sheet of Amherst, surveyed 1901

Compare 1901 against another survey:

Topographic sheets covering this place

15 sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Specimens collected nearby

12 of 2,087 shown

Museums hold 2,087 specimens collected within 10 miles of Amherst between 1853 and 1975: 1,023 Animalia, 810 Fungi, 215 Plantae, 16 Protozoa, 13 Chromista, 10 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by ?, A. A. Wright, A. E. Recksecker and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Species	Year	Collected by	Where, as recorded
Cantharellus minor Peck	1896	F.D. Kelsey	Near Oberlin
Coniophora byssoides (Pers.) P.Karst.	1896	F. D. Kelsey	Oberlin.
Polyporus arcularius (Batsch) Fr.	1896	Kelsey, Francis Duncan	Kipton
Ammocrypta pellucida (Putnam, 1863)	1853	Baird, Spencer Fullerton	Black River, below falls at Elyria, Ohio
Etheostoma blennioides Rafinesque, 1819	1853	S. Baird	Black River Elgria Ohio (above falls)
Etheostoma caeruleum Storer, 1845	1853	S. Baird	Elyria, Ohio
Etheostoma maculatum Kirtland, 1840	1853	S. Baird	Elyria, Ohio
Accipiter cooperii (Bonaparte, 1828)	1894	Dawson, W. L. (William Leon)	Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, USA
Aecidium nesaeae W.R.Gerard	1894	Kelsey, F.D.	Lorain County, Ohio
Albugo candida (Pers. ex J.F.Gmel.) Roussel	1894	F.D. Kelsey	Oberlin
Ammodramus savannarum pratensis (Vieillot, 1818)	1894	Jones, L. (Lynds)	Oberlin Field W of Athletic Park, Lorain, Ohio, USA
Aulacomnium palustre (Hedw.) Schwägr.	1894	F. D. Kelsey

All 2,087 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries nearby

4 within 5 miles

The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Amherst: 2 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Stone, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
Finnegan Quarry	Stone	Producer
National Sand & Gravel Co Dredge	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Birmingham Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Cleveland Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer	Sedimentary

Every working recorded in Lorain County

Storms nearby

40 since 1996

The National Weather Service names Amherst in 40 storm reports between 1996 and 2026: 26 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
August 2023	Flash Flood	Amherst	$3,000,000	Widespread flash flooding across northern Lorain County due to heavy rainfall. Widespread basement and isolated first floor flooding reported in Lorain, Elyria, Amherst, Avon Lake, Avon, and North Ridgeville. Widespread flooded roadways reported. Post event damage assessments reported hundreds of homes and businesses flooded. Radar estimated rainfall of 3 to 4 inches falling in a three hour period, which matched several measured rain gauge reports from the area.
April 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$250,000	A thunderstorm downburst with winds of 80 to 90 mph moved across portions of Lorain County. The downburst began near the intersection of the Ohio Turnpike and State Route 58 and continued east northeast to near the Midway Mall in Elyria. Pockets of downed trees were observed in several locations just to the north of the Turnpike. The Ohio turnpike was closed near Exit 140 for several hours after a high tension power pole partially collapsed causing a power line to fall onto the road surface.
March 2026	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$50,000	Two trees downed along North Main Street in Amherst. One of these trees, which was very large, caused considerable damage to a home.
November 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	South Amherst	$40,000	Thunderstorm winds tore the roof off of a house on Tacoma Avenue. Several other trees were reported down in the City of Lorain. The Emergency Manager estimated wind gusts to 60 mph.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$40,000	Thunderstorm winds caused minor roof and siding damage to a few homes.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$30,000	Numerous trees were reported down. Some of the trees even fell onto homes. The extent of damage to the homes was not known.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$30,000	A tree was reported down on a house. Also, a large limb was reported down, along with power lines in the area.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$30,000	Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Amherst and Lorain. A home was damaged by a fallen tree in Lorain.
November 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$30,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several trees. At least one home was damaged by fallen trees.
August 2009	Hail	Amherst	$25,000	Golf ball size hail was observed.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$25,000	Numerous trees, large limbs, and power lines were reported down.
July 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$15,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several large trees.
November 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	South Amherst	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a tree on State Route 113. Several other trees were brought down by thunderstorm winds on State Route 57.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees in western Lorain County.
August 2003	Tornado (F0)	Amherst	$10,000	The parent thunderstorm that spawned the tornado in Henrietta Township produced a second tornado north of Amherst. This touchdown occurred near State Route 2 between State Route 58 and Terra Lane. The tornado was on the ground for around 300 yards and had a damage path up to 50 yards in width. No structural damage occurred, but several trees were toppled along the damage path.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several trees.
November 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$8,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees.
May 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds down a few large trees limbs southeast of Amherst.
June 2011	Hail	Amherst	$5,000	Ping pong sized hail was observed.
November 2002	Hail	Amherst	$5,000	Quarter size hail was observed.
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$4,000	Trees and large limbs were downed.
July 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$2,000	Several large limbs were reported down.
July 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$2,000	A few large limbs were reported down.
September 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	$2,000	Thunderstorm winds downed two large tree limbs.
June 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	South Amherst	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs.
May 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	-	Small tree branches downed about one-mile southwest of Amherst and large trees downed about one-mile SSE of Amherst.
July 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	South Amherst	-	Several tree limbs down in South Amherst. Multiple trees down in Amherst, including one tree blocking Leavitt Road near KFC. Time estimated via radar.
November 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	-	Large tree fell and caused significant structural damage to a house in Amherst. Another large tree was snapped near its base in Elyria.
May 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	South Amherst	-	Several trees were blown down.
May 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	-	Thunderstorms produced an estimated wind gust of 60mph.
May 2010	Hail	Amherst	-	Penny sized hail was reported.
May 2010	Hail	Amherst	-	Quarter size hail was observed.
August 2009	Hail	Amherst	-	Nickel size hail was observed.
August 2009	Hail	Amherst	-	Nickel size hail was observed.
July 2003	Funnel Cloud	Amherst	-	A funnel cloud was observed for several minutes over northern Lorain County. The funnel was first spotted along Cooper Foster Park Road in Amherst. The funnel then traveled northeast over the city of Lorain and finally dissipated near Avon Lake. The funnel never came in contact with the ground and caused no damage.
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Amherst	-	A wind gust was estimated at 60 miles per hour.
October 1999	Hail	Amherst	-	no account filed
May 1998	Hail	Amherst	-	no account filed
August 1997	Hail	Amherst	-	no account filed
April 1996	Hail	Amherst	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Lorain County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Kendeigh Corner	2.1 miles	14
Whiskyville	2.2 miles	14
Oakpoint (historical)	3.0 miles	15
Beaver Park	3.0 miles	15
Brownhelm	3.3 miles	14
South Amherst	3.3 miles	12
Penfield Junction	3.8 miles	15
Brownhelm Station	3.9 miles	14

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Amherst	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2232720	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1064320. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.