Starting in 2025, Cleveland will have 15 city council wards, down from 17. That means voters across the city will be getting familiar with new political boundaries.
The map below shows the new ward boundaries that Cleveland City Council candidates will run to represent. Don’t know your Cleveland City Council ward? Check here.
What are ward boundaries?
Ward boundaries have official – and unofficial – importance for Cleveland residents. Council members elected to serve each ward answer resident complaints about city services and champion neighborhood projects. Council members can also pay for development projects and direct aid with discretionary dollars such as casino revene funds.
How are Cleveland wards boundaries drawn?
Redistricting, or redrawing ward boundaries, happens once a decade after the U.S. Census. Cleveland’s charter says each ward should be made up of roughly 25,000 people. If the city’s population drops, which is has for decades, the number of wards is also reduced. The maps are usually redrawn by a consultant hired by Cleveland City Council or picked by the current council president.
Once a consultant is selected, that firm reviews census data and surveys the community to suggest ward boundaries. The firm then presents that information to council, which approves it as legislation. The process can be contentious as resident often have concerns about neighborhoods being divided and current council members can end up running against each other if their wards are eliminated.
