The Willoughby-Eastlake City School District serves more than 9,000 young people coming from seven separate municipalities: Eastlake, Lakeline, Timberlake, Waite Hill, Willoughby, Willoughby Hills and Willowick. The Willoughby-Eastlake School District is composed of seven elementary schools, three middle schools, two comprehensive high schools and a vocational high school. Higher education is provided by surrounding colleges and universities including Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College, David N. Myers College, John Carroll University; Kent State University and Notre Dame University.
Willowick features two recreation parks each with tennis courts and swimming pools. A lakefront park sits behind the City Hall complex that overlooks the shores of Lake Erie. Residents gather at the LakeFront Lodge in the summer to enjoy the evening entertainment provided.
Willowick was first occupied by wandering Indians who used the city’s thick forests as a hunting ground and the wide beaches for launching fishing expeditions. Evidence of early settlement was discovered to the west of Willowick in Cuyahoga County and to the east of Willowick along the Chagrin River.
Although there is no evidence of early settlement in Willowick, many sub-tribes of the Erie Indians clearly traveled through the area when hunting and trading. Originally an Indian Trail, Lake Shore Boulevard was used by natives as a forum for trading with other tribes from about as far west as Flint, Michigan.
Willowick was originally included as part of Washington County, but when the city incorporated in 1797 it became part of Jefferson County. In 1800 the city became part of Cuyahoga County together with the rest of Willoughby Township. In 1804, the city was incorporated into Geauga County that included areas that would become Portage, Ashtabula and Lake counties. When Lake County was created in 1840, Willowick became part of the new county and has remained in Lake County ever since.