The City of Port Clinton is comfortably nestled along the shores of Lake Erie and is located at the mouth of the Portage River. This beautiful area has long been a great place to live, work, and play. Port Clinton is proud to say that we are the “Walleye Capital of the World”, but we are so much more!
Our City is blessed with quaint neighborhoods, a historic downtown, and a variety of architectural styles and housing opportunities for year-round and part-time residents. Currently, Port Clinton is home for 6,053 residents that range in age and cultural backgrounds. Port Clinton can be your perfect place to raise a family, retire, or begin a new journey.
Port Clinton is located nearly halfway between Cleveland and Toledo. Interstate 80 is just a few miles south of Port Clinton, however the primary road serving the City is State Route 2 – a limited access highway which crosses Sandusky Bay on the Bay Bridge and continues west to Toledo.
The City has fine and casual dining experiences, offers many unique retail stores where you can find the perfect gift or convenience item, and is home to many service businesses and professional offices. Port Clinton also offers conference and banquet accommodations for weddings and other special events, many with breathtaking views of our greatest natural resource, Lake Erie.
Port Clinton High School is rated “Excellent” on the Ohio Graduation Test. PCHS has achieved this rating for the past five years and continues to exceed the required state indicators. Bataan Elementary School Campus underwent renovations and additions in 2011 and a brand new state-of-the-art Port Clinton Middle School is currently under construction.
Port Clinton has over fifty buildings with historic or architectural significance in its historic downtown, including four that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Whether it is a beautiful mansion overlooking the waterfront or the Ottawa County Courthouse, these buildings contribute to the overall sense of historic charm within our small fishing community.
Downtown Port Clinton is blessed with an extensive, charming and very active harbor area that is occupied by ferry boats providing passenger service to the Lake Erie Islands, commercial fishing vessels, and a large number of private watercrafts. The area welcomes millions of in-state and out-of-state visitors each summer providing world-class open water fishing and a wide range of recreational opportunities which make the Port Clinton area one of Ohio’s premier vacation and tourist destinations.
Join us for our world famous Walleye Festival over Memorial Day weekend, the perfect kick-off to summer. Residents and visitors can enjoy the free Kids Fishing Derby at Derby Pond, the Walliee Walleye Art Contest, live entertainment, carnival rides, and shopping at vendors from around the nation.
Main Street Port Clinton and the Chamber host a number of special events and activities in Port Clinton including Riverfront Live!, the free outdoor music program on Friday evenings between June and August. Residents and visitors can enjoy over 160 classic cars that are on display in the Car Show each August and enjoy a beautiful sunset on the Sunset Cruise in July. Our Community Christmas celebration is the first Saturday of December which begins the holiday season in Port Clinton. Local businesses and organizes decorate pine trees at Erie Dearie Park and compete for the Gift of Lights.
Lake Erie and the Portage River are the City of Port Clinton’s most critical natural resources. These natural amenities are, in fact, the very reason that Port Clinton was established and has grown to what it is today. The importance of the lake and the river to the economic, social, and cultural history of this City cannot be understated.
Meet new friends, share time with family, relax away the stresses from work all while enjoying one of the world’s greatest locations. Whether you are looking for a new place to grow roots or just need a weekend getaway, Port Clinton will not let you down. We know you will love Port Clinton as much as we do!
Main Street Port Clinton
Main Street Port Clinton is striving to promote, preserve, and improve downtown Port Clinton as a vibrant center for businesses, entertainment, and cultural activities for residents of the community and visitors to the area.
In addition, Port Clinton’s downtown is a Nationally Accredited Main Street Community and an official Ohio Main Street Community, the only one in Ottawa County and one of thirty-seven across the State of Ohio.
Main Street Port Clinton is actively involved with the community striving to enhance the quality of life in Port Clinton and improve the economic and business climate of the region. We flourish when community members participate and volunteer. Volunteering also gives residents the opportunity to give back, meet new people, expand their social circles, and network.
Address
110 Madison Street
Port Clinton, OH 43452
419.734.5503
Website
www.historicportclinton.com
Executive Director
Laura Schlachter
historicpc@portclinton.org