Cuyahoga Falls, originally named Manchester, was established in 1812 after Kelsey and Wilcox built a dam on the Cuyahoga River. A railroad bridge, flour mill, oil mill, and a saw mill would all later be built, leading to the construction of the village. Development would eventually move downstream upon the discovery of better power. The old village was eventually destroyed in 1826 when a dam flooded the old village. Cuyahoga Falls had been founded as an industrial city, taking advantage of the river power. By the 1970s, though, it had become a residential community. On January 1, 1986, Cuyahoga Falls and Northampton Township became the first two communities in the history of the state of Ohio to successfully merge by voter approval.

Cuyahoga Falls is considered a suburb of both Akron and Cleveland, but is actually older than Akron. While this area is known for its industry, it faces continuing challenges, in particular from concentrated poverty in some neighborhoods and difficulties in the funding and delivery of high-quality public education.

Fun Facts About Cuyahoga Falls
Population (as of 2005): 50,494

Cuyahoga Falls is the hometown of David “Coondog” O’Karma, a competitive eating champion, entertainer, and writer. He has held world records in doughnut, hard boiled egg, and corn on the cob consumption. In 1974, “Coondog” set his first world record by eating 45 hard-boiled eggs in 8 minutes and 10 seconds.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s namesake river flows north and south. The Cuyahoga River begins its 100 mile journey in Geauga County, flows south to Cuyahoga Falls where it turns sharply north and flows through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. American Indians referred to the U-shaped river as Cuyahoga or “crooked river.”

In the movie "Tommy Boy," starring Chris Farley, a plane ticket is bought by Farley’s love interest in the film from Sandusky, Ohio, to Cuyahoga Falls. There are presently no commercial airports in Cuyahoga Falls or Sandusky.