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Willoughby is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along the Chagrin River. The population was 23,959 at the time of the 2020 census. A suburb of Cleveland, it is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area.

Willoughby's first permanent settler was David Abbott in 1798, who operated a gristmill. Abbott and his family were said to have had close relations with a band of Indians along the banks of the local river, which the Indians called the "Sha ga rin" meaning "Clear Water." This river was later called the Chagrin River, though the origin of the name remains in dispute. In 1835, the village was permanently named "Willoughby" in honor of Westel Willoughby, Jr., a public health official that the founders of a short lived Medical College, which was based in the city, hoped to attract to the area. Many historical buildings from this period survive to this date, affording the downtown Willoughby area some outstanding specimens of 19th century architecture. In World War I, the U. S. Army chose Willoughby as the site for a chemical weapons plant producing lewisite. Over time, Willoughby sent citizens into every major U. S. military conflict. Several memorials and historical relics are displayed in Wes Point Park, the center of downtown Willoughby, to honor those that have served. Downtown Willoughby is home to a number of small businesses, coffee shops and pubs which makes for a nice nightlife "feel" and provides a sense of community. Willoughby is the only town in America that has belonged, at one time or other, to six counties (Washington, Jefferson, Trumbull, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Lake).

Willoughby is located at (41.645915, 81.408515). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.34 square miles (27 km2), of which 10.25 square miles (27 km2) is land and 0.09 square miles (0 km2) is water. Willoughby is in an interesting geographical area. To the west is Cleveland, allowing for access to big businesses and a high neighboring population density. It is also close to more rural parts of northeast Ohio such as Waite Hill and Kirtland, two villages in Lake County Ohio with some of the highest residential values. It also has access to Mentor Ave, a long stretch of mostly commercial buildings spanning alongside the coast of Lake Erie.

At the 2000 census there were 22,621 people in 10,265 households, including 5,892 families, in the city. The population density was There were 10,700 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the city was 96.47% White, 1.14% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71%. The median household income was $43,387 and the median family income was $53,677. Males had a median income of $38,711 versus $30,553 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,653. About 4.3% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Two public high schools are located in Willoughby: Willoughby South High School and Willoughby Eastlake Technical Center, both of which are a part of the Willoughby Eastlake School District. Students in the ninth through twelfth grades are enrolled at Willoughby South High School, which opened its doors at its present location in 2019. Previously, Willoughby South High School and current rival Eastlake North High were housed in the same building called Union High, but following the division, the then abandoned Union High became the location of Willoughby Junior High School until 1972. It then housed the Willoughby Eastlake Technical Center, located in downtown Willoughby. In 2011, the proposed Five Year Facilities Plan would add 2 new buildings to the district, a new Longfellow Elementary, a new Eastlake North High School, renovate Willoughby South High School, add a new school to the building as well as move Willoughby Middle School to the previous building. Construction for these buildings began in Fall 2016 and ended Fall 2019. The demolition of the old Willoughby Middle, Longfellow Elementary, and North High School began and ended Summer 2019. The Andrews Osborne Academy which is a private boarding school is also located in Willoughby. Willoughby is served by a branch of the Willoughby Eastlake Public Library.

The News Herald, a Lake County newspaper, has been headquartered in Willoughby since its inception. WINT 1330AM is licensed to Willoughby and serves the surrounding area.