Sandusky Live Cam

Sandusky County, Ohio is located within 500 miles of 2/3 of the population of the United States. At the crossroads of America, the county is diagonally crossed by the Ohio Turnpike, Interstate 80/90. What's in a Name? Sandusky County is not the home of Sandusky, the city! This neighboring city to the north of Sandusky County is actually in Erie County. And if that's not confusing enough, then we'll add the fact that Upper Sandusky is a city that is actually south of both Sandusky (the city) and Sandusky County!

Located in the heart of Northwest Ohio's industrial renaissance, Sandusky County is a very accommodating place to do business! In 1997 Site Selection tallied over 2 billion dollars in new investment in Northwest Ohio. Sandusky County ranked third among the nine counties in Northwest Ohio with over $65 million in announced projects, 281 new jobs and 1,575 retained jobs!

We're home to some of the most notable brand name companies in the world like the Whirlpool Corporation in Clyde, Ohio, which manufactures some 17,000 washing machines daily! Heinz USA produces 70% of its ketchup in Fremont, Ohio, Sandusky's county seat.

Of course, we're home to a host of other quality companies like Clauss Cutlery, maker of the world's finest hot forged shears and scissors. You'll also find Crown Battery and American National Can, which has two plants in Sandusky County; Kelsey-Hayes, and Style Crest, maker of finishing accessories for the mobile home industry.

Sandusky County is very proud to host Ohio's first construction company to win the "Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award", recently bestowed in Washington D.C. upon Mosser Construction Company. We could go on!

Why did these and a wealth of other companies locate here? Because Sandusky county's attributes lend themselves well in support of business and industry. Did you know that 43% of the U.S. industrial market and 47% of the Canadian market are within 500 miles of Sandusky County? And you can be sure that our road, rail, air and waterways make these markets very accessible. In fact, Sandusky County will soon break ground on its second airport, the first public airport to be built in Ohio in 30 years!

But, it's not all business. You can find plenty of history within our county, like the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, the third most visited historical presidential site in the nation.

If water sports are your game, we're just 20 minutes from Lake Erie and some of the best fishing and pleasure boating around! In fact, we're 20 to 35 minutes from just about everything you'd want.

Erie County, Ohio Facts & Figures

Approximately 6,000,000 people visit the Lake Erie Islands Region between Port Clinton and Vermilion each year, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in America.

According to a 1999 tourist survey, the top five reasons for visiting the Erie County area were: 1) Cedar Point, 2) Put-in-Bay, 3) Kelleys Island, 4) The beach and lighthouses, and 5) Shopping.

According to the same survey, 80% visit between June and September; 50% visit in July and August alone. The majority (79%) overnight for one or more nights. Sixty-one percent were return visits.

Each year, approximately 3,500,000 people visit Cedar Point amusement park which has been awarded the Golden Ticket - Award: "The Best Amusement Theme Park" by Amusement Today, an international industry newspaper, for the seventh year in a row.

American Demographics (May 1990) named Sandusky one of the "Top Ten Best Small Cities in America;" and The New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities (1998) rates it sixth in the nation.

Known as the Walleye Capital of the World, nearly 2/3 of all fish caught in Ohio's Lake Erie waters are caught between Toledo and Huron.

Kelleys Island was named among the "Top 10 Undiscovered Places to Vacation" by Vacations Magazine in its 1994 Special Report.

Erie County has catapulted to national prominence as a vacation destination. Its market boundaries continue to stretch farther than five hundred miles, meaning additional extended stays. The area is no longer perceived as just a summer (June through August) destination. Each year growth is experienced further into the shoulder seasons.

According to the Visitors Bureau's 1999 tourist survey, 68% of respondents came from Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.

The Bureau's 1999 survey reveals this visitor profile: 69% of respondents were couples with children; 34% with young children; 35% with grown children. Median group size 3.41. Average income was $60,861; 50% came for a family vacation. Average expenditure for the group was $653.44.

In 1999, approximately 150,000 people sought assistance from the Visitors Bureau.

Erie County offers a variety of lodging options to fit every budget: romantic bed and breakfasts, rustic campgrounds for tents and RV's, quaint lakeside cottages, modern hotels, motels and luxury resorts.

Located at the junction of two migratory flyways, the area offers some of the best birdwatching in America, making it possible for birdwatchers to spot nearly 350 different species.

More bald eagle nests populate the Lake Erie Islands region than anywhere else in Ohio.

The Monarch Butterfly makes a stop on Kelleys Island during its annual migration in September.

The western basin of Lake Erie, known as the "Walleye Capital of the World," produces nearly two-thirds of the fish harvested from Ohio's Lake Erie waters each year. Average catches peak at ten pounds.

Although walleye and yellow perch are the most popular catches for Lake Erie anglers, other species include white bass, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum, channel catfish and white perch.

The total tourism industry (leisure, business and convention travel) contributes $380 million to Erie County's economy. Contributing to this figure are direct revenues received from attractions, hotels and restaurants; indirect funds received when tourism businesses obtain local supplies; and induced income generated from local tourism earnings. Erie County tourism contributes 12,038 jobs to the local workforce (including both full- and part-time employment) with an annual total payroll of $147 million. Total state and federal taxes generated by tourism in Erie County equates to $19.71 million.