The city of Mentor-on-the-Lake is a fairly new city in terms of its history. About 90 years ago it was still a part of the City of Mentor. However, that changed on October 24, 1924 when 33 voters petitioned the township trustees to have the city emancipated. The United States Census of 1970 recorded the population as being over 5,000 residents. Finally on February 12, 1971 the city of Mentor-on-the-Lake was officially an incorporated city.
The city has a total area of 1.65 square miles, including mostly land and some water (about 0.04 square miles) with 99% of the land already developed. There are approximately 7 acres of land left for new business and office use. According to the United States Census of 2010, there were more than 7,000 people residing in the city. Today there are at present 2,600 single family homes and 700 apartments and condominiums.
Although Mentor-on-the-Lake has no industry, there is one large private utility, Aqua Ohio (formerly Consumers Ohio Water Company), operating within the city’s limits.
The city of Mentor-on-the-Lake is a small bedroom community with amenities often reserved for cities much larger. Located close to major highways and Interstate 90, it is an easy commute to downtown Cleveland. However,almost everything you need can be found right in town. There are four parks and approximately 100 businesses including; an 80,000 square foot grocery store.