Cleveland, located in the in the Midwestern state of Ohio, is on the southern shore of Lake Erie and part of the Great Lakes region, the country's largest fresh water resource.

The city was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, and became a manufacturing center due to its location at the head of numerous canals and railroad lines. With the decline of heavy manufacturing, Cleveland's economy has diversified into the service industry, including the financial services, insurance, legal, and healthcare sectors, though the city's population has continued to decline.

Cleveland obtained its name on July 22, 1796 when surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company laid out Connecticut's Western Reserve into townships and named the capital city "Cleaveland" after their leader, General Moses Cleaveland. Cleaveland supervised the plan for the modern downtown area, centered on the Public Square, before returning home, never again to visit Ohio. On December 23, 1814, the Village of Cleaveland was incorporated.

Cleveland's downtown architecture is eclectic. Many of the city's government and civic buildings, including City Hall, the Cuyahoga County Courthouse, the Cleveland Public Library, and Public Auditorium, are gathered around an open mall and share a common neoclassical architectural style. Built in the early 20th century, they are the result of the 1903 Group Plan, and constitute one of the most complete examples of City Beautiful design in the United States. The City Beautiful Movement was a Progressive reform movement during the 1890s and 1900s in North American architecture and urban planning that flourished with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The Terminal Tower, dedicated in 1930, was the tallest building in North America outside New York City until 1967 and the tallest in the city until 1991.