Cuyahoga River Webcam – Watch the Flats in Cleveland

The Cuyahoga River Webcam looks north up the river through the Flats in Cleveland, Ohio, from a riverside deck on the west bank at The Foundry, the youth rowing and sailing center on Columbus Road. Straight ahead, the dark truss of the Flats Industrial Railroad Bridge sits between its two lift towers, with a wooded bluff behind it. On the right, a row of new gabled buildings lines the Scranton Peninsula above a railed promenade, while the deck’s glass canopy and steel stairs fill the lower left. Most of the frame is open water. This reach is part of the ship channel that lake freighters use to reach the steel mill upriver, so a long hull can pass between the rowing shells, kayaks and small boats, and the river’s color shifts with the sky through the day.

About the Cuyahoga River in the Flats

The Flats is the low ground along the last miles of the Cuyahoga before it meets Lake Erie, a mix of industry, recreation, nightlife and housing that takes its name from the flat valley floor. The camera sits about 2 miles (3.2 km) upriver from the lake. The Columbus Road Bridge, a vertical lift span built in 1939 and 1940 and rebuilt in 2013 and 2014, crosses just behind it at river mile 1.93. The railroad bridge in the frame is a 1953 vertical lift at river mile 2.24, and between the two the river runs almost straight, which is why the view carries all the way to it.

The Foundry opened in September 2017 in a 65,000 square foot (about 6,000 square meter) former factory at 1831 Columbus Road, on the site of St. Mary’s on the Flats, the first Catholic church in Cleveland. Mike and Gina Trebilcock started it after their three children rowed on a Cleveland Rowing Foundation youth team. The docks and boathouse came first, opening for an August 2015 season, and the dock runs 584 feet (178 meters), the longest on the Cuyahoga. Inside are two rowing tanks with 36 seats in moving water.

The river’s bends are tight for shipping. A project begun in 1937 eased dangerous curves, widened the channel and replaced narrow swing bridges with jackknife and vertical lift spans, leaving navigation channels more than 200 feet (61 meters) wide. Freighters over 600 feet (183 meters) long still carry iron ore pellets up the 5.5 mile (8.9 km) channel to the steel mill, past this reach, sharing the water with recreational boaters, kayakers and paddleboarders. Across the river, the Scranton Peninsula is the site of a mixed-use development announced in June 2018.

Weather and Climate on the Cuyahoga River

Lake Erie keeps Cleveland milder than much of Ohio, with relatively cooler summers and warmer winters. January averages a high of 2 C (36 F) and a low of minus 5 C (22 F), and the city records about 162 cm (63.8 inches) of snow a year. Much of it is lake-effect snow, heaviest on the East Side, which runs from mid-November until the lake surface freezes, usually in late January or early February. On camera, winter can bring snow on the deck and the canopy, gray water and an early dusk.

Spring warms slowly, with April averaging 16 C (60 F) by day and 5 C (41 F) at night. July is the warm peak at 29 C (84 F) and 18 C (65 F), when small boats are more likely on the channel. October stays mild at 18 C (64 F) by day and 8 C (47 F) at night, and the trees on the bluff behind the bridge can turn color. By mid-October the patio chairs on the deck are already stacked away for the season.

Things to Do Near the Cuyahoga River in the Flats

The Foundry runs rowing and sailing programs through the year for students in grades 6 to 12 who can swim, using the long dock and the indoor tanks. Nearby Rivergate Park, where the Cleveland Rowing Foundation bought 6.5 acres (2.6 hectares) in 2010, is the other rowing base on this part of the river. Brick and Barrel brews beer on Columbus Road, a short walk from the camera, and BrewDog’s Cleveland Outpost is across the water at 1956 Carter Road on the Scranton Peninsula.

Downstream toward the lake, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium opened in the Flats in January 2012, Jacobs Pavilion stages concerts, and the Flats East Bank has a 1,200 foot (366 meter) boardwalk along the river. Restored stretches of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath carry walkers, runners and cyclists through the valley. At the river mouth, Whiskey Island was formed when the mouth was straightened and is now a county-owned lakefront park.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More cams on Cleveland, the Lake Erie shore and working rivers:

• Terminal Tower Webcam
• Lorain Webcam
• St. Clair Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Cuyahoga River Webcam located?

It is on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River at The Foundry, 1831 Columbus Road, in the Flats of Cleveland, Ohio. The spot is just north of the Columbus Road Bridge, about 2 miles (3.2 km) upriver from Lake Erie and close to downtown.

What can you see on the Cuyahoga River Webcam?

The camera looks north along a straight reach of the river to the Flats Industrial Railroad Bridge, a vertical lift span with two towers. New gabled buildings on the Scranton Peninsula line the right bank, and the deck, its glass canopy and the riverside walkway sit in the foreground. Boats, rowing shells and, at times, lake freighters pass through the frame.

What is the weather like on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland?

Cleveland has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, both softened by Lake Erie. January averages 2 C (36 F) by day and minus 5 C (22 F) at night, July 29 C (84 F) and 18 C (65 F), and about 162 cm (63.8 inches) of snow falls in a typical year.

What is the lift bridge north of Columbus Road in Cleveland?

It is the Flats Industrial Railroad Bridge, a vertical lift span from 1953 at river mile 2.24. The Columbus Road Bridge, another vertical lift, stands just behind the camera and out of frame.

Do freighters still sail up the Cuyahoga River?

Yes. Lake freighters more than 600 feet (183 meters) long carry iron ore pellets up the 5.5 mile (8.9 km) ship channel to the steel mill, passing this stretch of the Flats. The narrow, winding route is often called one of the most challenging waterways in the world for large ships.

Did the Cuyahoga River really catch fire?

Yes. Clogged with chemical pollution, the river caught fire several times, most recently in 1969. Today the same water carries rowing crews from The Foundry and Rivergate Park, along with kayakers and paddleboarders.

Can you go rowing on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland?

Yes. The Foundry offers rowing and sailing programs through the year for students in grades 6 to 12 who can swim, and the Cleveland Rowing Foundation is based at Rivergate Park nearby. Kayakers and paddleboarders use the channel too, sharing it with commercial ships.

Source: NWS Cleveland