Shaker Heights is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland, abutting the eastern edge of the city's limits.

Shaker Heights is home to the oldest house in Cuyahoga County, built in 1817 by Moses Warren.

"Heights" refers to the plateau east of Cleveland that rises sharply in elevation from 582 feet above sea level at the base of the Cedar Glen Parkway rising to 950 feet above sea level in nearby Cleveland Heights; Shaker Heights' elevation is 1050 feet above sea level.

Between 1826 and 1854, the group dammed Doan Brook, which made Upper and Lower Lake, and established three grist and a sawmills.

[6] The brothers constructed homes, set aside land for churches and schools, and planted trees.

Originally referred to as Shaker Village, the community was incorporated in 1912 and reached city status in 1931.

[7] Shaker Heights is known for its stringent building codes and zoning laws, which have helped to maintain the community's housing stock and identity throughout the years.

[10] As a result, Shaker Heights avoided many of the problems created from practices such as blockbusting and white flight.

[14] Shaker Heights is roughly 1,050 feet (320 m) above sea level,[2] and is located about 6 miles (10 km) inland from Lake Erie.

This charter provides for a mayor and seven members of a city council, elected on an at-large, non-partisan basis.

He was elected in 2018 after serving briefly as interim mayor to fulfill the term of the previous three-term mayor Earl Leiken, who resigned to take the position of chief of staff with Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish.

[32] Over the years it has hosted 12 Keys to the city ceremonies starting in 1935 to Oris Paxton Van Sweringen and ending in 1993 to Dean Yoder.

Shaker Heights is a stronghold of the Democratic Party, with Joe Biden winning nearly 90% of vote in the most recent Presidential election.

The district estimates that roughly 90% of Shaker graduates attend college,[38] and has been recognized for its efforts to increase neighborhood integration.

[46] Shaker Heights is the city of license for CBS affiliate WOIO, channel 19, which has its studios and offices in Cleveland.

[49] Shaker Heights is the hometown of How I Met Your Mother protagonist Ted Mosby (despite being attributed to Cleveland on occasion),[50] Ward Cleaver from the TV series Leave it to Beaver,[51] and the World Wrestling Federation's Beverly Brothers.

[52] The city is the principal setting for Celeste Ng’s book Little Fires Everywhere, as well as its TV adaptation.