Cleveland is the
county seat of
Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the
U.S. state of
Ohio. It was founded in 1796 near the mouth of the
Cuyahoga River, and became a
manufacturing center owing to its location at the head of numerous
canals and
railroad lines. With the decline of heavy manufacturing, Cleveland's businesses have diversified into the
service economy, including the financial services, insurance, and healthcare sectors. As of the
2000 Census, the city proper had a total population of 478,403, making it the 33rd largest city in the nation. Recent investments have provided the city with tourist attractions in the downtown area, such as
Jacobs Field, the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and
Playhouse Square Center. In studies conducted by
The Economist in 2005, Cleveland and
Pittsburgh were ranked as the most
livable cities in the United States, and the city was ranked as the best city for business meetings in the continental U.S. Nevertheless, the city faces continuing challenges, in particular from concentrated poverty in some neighborhoods and difficulties in the funding and delivering of high-quality
public education.