Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse

801 W. Superior Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
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The Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse stands 430 feet high, overlooking the Cuyahoga River and Cleveland’s central business district. The first courthouse to be built in Cleveland in 100 years is named after Carl Burton Stokes, the first African-American Democrat to serve both in the Ohio House of Representatives and as mayor of Cleveland.

Property manager: Megan Gannon

Public hours: 7:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (except federal holidays)

For more building information or service calls, see contact box. For other federal government information, call toll-free 1-844-USA-GOV1.

Public parking and transportation

Several public parking facilities are available in the vicinity of the Stokes Courthouse, including two USA Parking lots adjacent to the courthouse plaza. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is easily accessible via the pedway connection to Tower City Center.

Building amenities

• ATM and snack vending machines – 7th Floor 
• Conference room and auditorium with stadium seating for 106 (contact Stokes Service Desk for reservations) – 7th Floor 
• Fitness Center – Lower Level 3
• High-tech security cameras and monitors
• Nurse Clinic (open 10:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) – Lower Level 1
• Overnight delivery drop boxes and outgoing mail drop box – 1st Floor 
• Pedway connection to Tower City Center (shopping, dining, hotel amenities, public transit)
• Separate corridors and elevators for prisoners and the public

Key tenants

The building houses the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court and Clerk of the Court, U.S. Attorneys, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Probation and Pre-trial Services, the office of Senator Sherrod Brown, the Executive Office of Immigration Review, and the Circuit Court Library.

History and architecture

Opened in 2002, the Stokes Courthouse features 16 courtrooms and judges’ chambers.  The architecture of the Stokes Courthouse is meant to project the prominence of justice in democracy, as well as the dignity, traditions, and civic pride associated with federal courthouses throughout the country. The limestone façade of the building relates to other neighboring structures, yet it stands out with its cornice and 37-foot-tall bronze sculpture towering over the building’s Huron Road entrance. Meanwhile, the inside of the Stokes Courthouse is fitted with stone to accent the marble and terrazzo floors throughout the building. Bronze door and window frames and African mahogany woodwork further accentuate the courthouse’s elegant interior.

Art in architecture

Sculptor Jim Dine was commissioned to create the courthouse’s artwork, Cleveland Venus [PDF - 2 MB], through GSA’s Art in Architecture Program in the spring of 2003. The 37-foot-tall armless, headless statue is Dine’s interpretation of the Venus de Milo. Visit America’s Fine Arts Collection for more photos and details about federal artworks.