Akron (/ˈækron/) is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and the main city in the county. It is located in Northeast Ohio along the Little Cuyahoga River, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Cleveland. In 2020, Akron had a population of 190,469, making it the fifth-largest city in Ohio. The Akron metropolitan area has about 702,000 people.
Akron was founded in 1825 by Simon Perkins and Paul Williams at the highest point of the Ohio and Erie Canal. The city’s name comes from the Greek word ákron, meaning "summit." The canal helped Akron grow by connecting it to other cities and markets. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Akron became a major center for making rubber and tires. Companies like B.F. Goodrich, Firestone, General Tire, and Goodyear (which still has its main offices there) were based in Akron. It was called the "Rubber Capital of the World." Akron also played a key role in developing airships.
Today, Akron’s economy includes manufacturing, education, healthcare, and biomedical research. The city is home to the University of Akron, which focuses on polymer science because of the area’s history with industry. Akron also provides important medical services through Akron Children’s Hospital and Summa Health. Cultural and community places include the Akron Art Museum, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, and parks that are part of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area.
Important events in Akron’s history include the Akron School Law of 1847, which created the K–12 school system. The city is also known for the Akron Plan, a style of church design; the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous; the 1983 Supreme Court case City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health; and parts of the 2014 Gay Games. Notable speeches about race and civil rights were given in Akron, including Sojourner Truth’s "Ain’t I A Woman?" speech in 1851, W.E.B. Du Bois’s speech in 1920, and President Bill Clinton’s speech in 1997. Times of unrest in Akron include the 1900 riot, the 1936 rubber strike, the Wooster Avenue riots of 1968, and the 2022 protests after the death of Jayland Walker.
History
The first person to settle in the Akron area was Major Miner Spicer, who moved from Groton, Connecticut. In 1810, he built a log cabin in the forest and became the region's first citizen. In June 1811, Spicer sent for his family, who arrived the same year by ox teams with the help of Capt. Amos Spicer and Paul Williams.
In 1811, Paul Williams settled near the corner of what is now Buchtel Avenue and Broadway. He suggested to General Simon Perkins, who was a surveyor for the Connecticut Land Company’s Connecticut Western Reserve, that a town be built at the highest point of the developing Ohio and Erie Canal. The town’s name comes from the Greek word ákron, meaning high point or summit. The town was laid out in December 1825, where the south part of today’s downtown Akron neighborhood is located. Irish workers building the Ohio Canal also created about 100 nearby cabins.
In 1833, Eliakim Crosby founded "North Akron," also known as Cascade, in the northern part of what is now downtown Akron. The name "South" was added to Akron until about three years later, when North and South Akron were combined and became an incorporated village in 1836. In 1840, Summit County was formed from parts of Portage, Medina, and Stark Counties. Akron became the county seat the next year and built a canal connecting to Beaver, Pennsylvania. This helped start industries like stoneware, sewer pipe, fishing tackle, and farming equipment. In 1844, abolitionist John Brown moved into the John Brown House across from his business partner, Colonel Simon Perkins, who lived in the Perkins Stone Mansion. The Akron School Law of 1847 created the city’s public school system, which is now used in every U.S. state. The city’s first school is now a museum on Broadway Street near the corner of Exchange.
In 1851, the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention was held in Akron, where Sojourner Truth gave a speech called "Ain’t I A Woman?" at the Universalist Old Stone Church. In 1870, a local businessman named John R. Buchtel, who was associated with the church, founded Buchtel College, which later became the University of Akron in 1913.
In 1856, Ferdinand Schumacher bought a mill and mass-produced oat bars for the Union Army during the Civil War. These continued to sell well after the war. Akron became a city in 1865. In 1872, philanthropist Lewis Miller, Walter Blythe, and architect Jacob Snyder designed the Akron Plan, which was first used at Akron’s First Methodist Episcopal Church. Many churches built between the 1870s and World War I used this design. In 1883, a local journalist started the modern toy industry by founding the Akron Toy Company. A year later, the first popular toy, clay marbles made by Samuel C. Dyke, was mass-produced. Other inventions from Akron include rubber balloons, ducks, dolls, balls, baby buggy bumpers, and little brown jugs. In 1895, the first long-distance electric railway, the Akron, Bedford and Cleveland Railroad, began service. On August 25, 1889, the Boston Daily Globe called Akron the "Summit City." Akron also deployed the first electric police car in the U.S.
The Riot of 1900 involved attacks on city officials, two deaths, and the burning of Columbia Hall and the Downtown Fire Station (now the City Building since 1925). Akron became known as the "Rubber Capital of the World" during the early 1900s, when major tire companies like B.F. Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone, and General Tire were based in the city. Jobs at rubber factories helped Akron earn the nickname "Crossroads of the Deaf" because many deaf workers were employed there. In 1913, heavy rain caused floods that killed five people and destroyed the Ohio and Erie Canal system. From 1916 to 1920, 10,000 schoolgirls participated in the Akron Experiment, testing iodized salt to prevent goiter in the "Goiter Belt."
In 1921, the Akron branch of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, founded by Marcus Garvey in Jamaica in 1914, opened. Rubber companies built affordable housing for workers, such as Goodyear Heights and Firestone Park. During the 1910–1920 decade, Akron grew rapidly, becoming America’s fastest-growing city with a 201.8% population increase. About one-third of its 208,000 residents were immigrants from Europe and West Virginia, including Clark Gable. In 1929 and 1931, Goodyear’s subsidiary built two airships for the U.S. Navy. During World War II, Goodyear made blimps for the Navy and later for advertising.
In 1928, Akron annexed Kenmore after voters approved the move. In 1930, notorious bank robber Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was arrested in Akron under the name "Frank Mitchell." Goodyear became America’s top tire maker after merging with Kelly-Springfield Tire Company in 1935. The 1936 Akron Rubber Strike used the "sit-down" tactic to gain recognition for the United Rubber Workers. During the 1950s–60s, Akron grew as car use increased. The Rubber Bowl was used by the National Guard during the 1968 Wooster Avenue Riots. Both the tire and rubber industries declined, and by the early 1990s, Goodyear was the last major tire company based in Akron.
Despite fewer rubber workers from 2000 to 2007, Akron’s research in polymers gained international attention. Today, the city focuses on the Polymer Valley, which includes 400 polymer-related companies. Research is centered at the University of Akron, which houses the Goodyear Polymer Center and the National Polymer Innovation Center. In 2001, Newsweek ranked Akron fifth among ten high-tech cities. In 2008, "City of Invention" was added to Akron’s seal after winning the All-America City Award for the third time. Akron won the award again in 2025.
In 2012, Bridgestone opened a new technical center in Akron. In 2013, Goodyear opened its global headquarters on Innovation Way. The 2014 Gay Games used Akron as a venue. In 201
Geography
Akron is located in the Great Lakes region, about 39 miles (63 km) south of Lake Erie, on the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau. The city is bordered by Cuyahoga Falls to the north and Barberton to the southwest. Akron is the center of the Akron metropolitan area, which includes Summit and Portage Counties. It is also a major city in the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area. Situated on the western end of the plateau, Akron has rolling hills and varied terrain. The Ohio and Erie Canal runs through the city, dividing it into east and west parts. Akron is home to the only biogas facility in the United States that generates electricity by breaking down sludge to produce methane. According to the 2010 census, Akron has a total area of 62.37 square miles (161.5 km²), with 62.03 square miles (160.7 km²) being land (99.45%) and 0.34 square miles (0.88 km²) being water (0.55%).
Akron has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), common in the Midwest, with four distinct seasons. It is in USDA hardiness zone 6b, with zone 6a in the outer areas. Winters are cold and dry, with a mix of rain, sleet, and snow. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 27.9°F (−2.3°C). Temperatures drop to or below 0°F (−18°C) on 3.3 days per year, and freezing temperatures occur on 40 days annually. Snowfall averages 47.2 inches (120 cm) per season, less than areas near Lake Erie. The snowiest month on record was January 1978, with 37.5 inches (95 cm) of snow. Winter snowfall has ranged from 82.0 inches (208 cm) in 1977–78 to 18.2 inches (46 cm) in 1949–50.
Spring brings fewer weather systems but more rainfall. Summers are warm and humid, with temperatures reaching or exceeding 90°F (32°C) on 10.7 days per year on average. The most recent year without reaching 36 such days was 2023. July is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 73.9°F (23°C). Autumn is dry, with many sunny days and cool nights.
The highest temperature recorded in Akron was 104°F (40°C) on August 6, 1918, and the lowest was −25°F (−32°C) on January 19, 1994. The most rain in a single day was 5.96 inches on July 7, 1943. On average, the first freeze occurs around October 21, and the last freeze happens around April 26, allowing a growing season of 174 days. The normal annual temperature is 51.7°F (10.9°C), with an average yearly precipitation of 41.57 inches (1,056 mm) over 160 days. Monthly precipitation has ranged from 12.55 inches (319 mm) in July 2003 to 0.19 inches (4.8 mm) in August 2025. Annual precipitation has ranged from 65.70 inches (1,669 mm) in 1990 to 23.79 inches (604 mm) in 1963.
Akron has 21 neighborhoods, with three additional areas that are not officially part of the city but still recognized. The city’s neighborhoods vary in design due to factors like town mergers, annexations, and housing built in different time periods, including the rubber industry era.
Maple Valley is located at the western end of Copley Road before reaching I-77. This area includes several businesses and the Maple Valley Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library. Spicertown is part of University Park, a term used to describe the student-focused retail and residential area near East Exchange and Spicer streets, close to the University of Akron. West Hill is bounded by West Market Street to the north, West Exchange Street to the south, Downtown to the east, and Rhodes Avenue to the west. This area has many older homes, especially in the recently recognized Oakdale Historic District.
Akron’s suburbs include Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Green, Hudson, Mogadore, Montrose-Ghent, Munroe Falls, Norton, Silver Lake, Stow, and Tallmadge. Akron has formed Joint Economic Development Districts with Springfield, Coventry, Copley, and Bath (along with Fairlawn) townships.
Demographics
The population of the Akron metropolitan area was 702,219 in 2020. Akron is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Canton combined statistical area, which was the 15th largest in the country with a population of over 3.5 million residents. Akron experienced a big decrease in population, losing more than one-third (34.6%) of its people between 1960 and 2020.
Although Akron is in northern Ohio, where the Inland North dialect is common, its history of settlement places it in the North Midland dialect area. Some local words that have developed include "devilstrip," which refers to the strip of grass between a sidewalk and a street.
As of the 2020 census, Akron had a population of 190,469. The average age was 37.3 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while less than 0.1% lived in rural areas.
There were 82,970 households in Akron, of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 28.2% were married-couple households, 24.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 38.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 92,517 housing units, of which 10.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 49.8% were owner-occupied and 50.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%, and the rental vacancy rate was 8.7%.
As of the census of 2010, there were 199,110 people, 83,712 households, and 47,084 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,209.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,239.3/km²). There were 96,288 housing units at an average density of 1,552.3 per square mile (599.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.2% White, 31.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 61.2% of the population, down from 81.0% in 1970.
There were 83,712 households, of which 28.8% had children under age 18 living with them, 31.3% were married couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.8% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31, and the average family size was 2.98.
The average age in the city was 35.7 years. 22.9% of residents were under age 18; 12.4% were between 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.
In 1999, Akron ranked as the 94th-most-dangerous city (and the 229th safest) on the 7th Morgan Quitno list. Preliminary Ohio crime statistics show aggravated assaults increased by 45% during 2007.
Historically, organized crime operated in the city with the presence of the Black Hand led by Rosario Borgio, once headquartered on the city's north side in the first decade of the 20th century and the Walker-Mitchell mob, of which Pretty Boy Floyd was a member. Akron has experienced several riots in its history, including the Riot of 1900 and the Wooster Avenue Riots of 1968.
The distribution of methamphetamine ("meth") in Akron greatly contributed to Summit County becoming known as the "Meth Capital of Ohio" in the early 2000s. The county ranked third in the nation in the number of registered meth sites. During the 1990s, motorcycle gang the Hells Angels sold the drug from bars frequented by members. Between January 2004 and August 2009, the city had significantly more registered sites than any other city in the state. Authorities believed a disruption of a major Mexican meth operation contributed to the increase of it being made locally. In 2007, the Akron Police Department (APD) received a grant to help continue its work with other agencies and jurisdictions to support them in ridding the city of meth labs. The APD coordinates with the Summit County Drug Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration, forming the Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratory Response Team.
Economy
Akron became known as the "Rubber Capital of the World" after starting the tire and rubber industry in the 20th century with the founding of companies like Goodrich Corporation, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, General Tire, and the merger of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company with Kelly-Springfield Tire Company. The city has received awards for economic achievements, such as City Livability and All-America City, and is recognized as a high-tech area that helped advance the Information Age. Current Fortune 500 companies based in Akron include Goodyear and FirstEnergy. Other companies headquartered in the city are GOJO, Advanced Elastomer Systems, Babcock & Wilcox, Myers Industries, Acme Fresh Market, and Sterling Jewelers. In 2013, Goodyear built a new global headquarters in Akron. Bridgestone opened a new technical center with research and development labs in early 2012 and moved its product development operations to this location. The Eastern Ohio division of KeyBank, which has six branches in Akron, built a regional headquarters downtown.
Northeast Ohio’s Polymer Valley is centered in Akron. This area includes 45% of the state’s polymer industries, some of which began in the 19th century. During the 1980s and 1990s, many new polymer companies moved to the region. In 2001, over 400 companies in the area produced materials based on polymers. Scientists from the University of Akron gained worldwide recognition for their research at the Goodyear Polymer Center. The first College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering was established by the university. In 2010, the National Polymer Innovation Center opened on the university’s campus.
Akron has created an area called the Biomedical Corridor to attract health-related businesses. This area covers 1,240 acres of land owned by private and public groups. It is located between Akron General on the west and Akron City on the east, with Akron Children’s Hospital near the center and the former Saint Thomas Hospital to the north. Since its creation in 2006, the corridor has added the headquarters of companies like Akron Polymer Systems.
Akron’s adult hospitals are managed by two health systems: Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. Summa Health System operates Summa Akron City Hospital and the former St. Thomas Hospital, which were named "America’s Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report for 11 years in a row through 2008. Summa is known for one of the top orthopedics programs in the United States, ranked 28th. Akron General Health System, which partners with the Cleveland Clinic, operates Akron General Medical Center, which was named "America’s Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report in 2009. Akron Children’s Hospital is an independent hospital that specializes in care for children and burn treatment. In 1974, Howard Igel and Aaron Freeman successfully grew human skin in a lab to help burn victims, making Akron Children’s Hospital the first hospital in the world to achieve this. Akron City and Akron General hospitals are designated as Level I Trauma Centers.
According to the city’s 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the main employers in Akron are:
Arts and culture
Akron is home to E. J. Thomas Hall, one of three performance halls in the city. Regular events include performances by the Akron Symphony Orchestra, Tuesday Musical Club, and Children's Concert Society. Large-scale events such as Broadway musicals, ballets, comedies, lectures, and entertainment attract about 400,000 visitors each year. The hall has 2,955 seats, divided into three sections. Downtown, the Akron Civic Theatre is a historic movie palace that opened in 1929. It features Moorish-style designs, such as arches and decorative tiles, and can seat 5,000 people. Lock 3, a historic Ohio and Erie Canal landmark, has been turned into an outdoor amphitheater that hosts festivals, concerts, and community events throughout the year. In Highland Square, Akron holds an annual event called Art in the Square, which brings together local artists, musicians, and the community.
The Akron Art Museum, located downtown, displays art created since 1850 and hosts national and international exhibitions. The museum began as the Akron Art Institute in 1922, in the basement of the Akron Public Library. It moved to its current location in a renovated 1899 post office building in 1981. In 2007, the museum expanded by more than three times with the addition of the John S. and James L. Knight Building, which won the 2005 American Architecture Award while still under construction.
The Akron Zoo is located just outside downtown and was originally donated by the city’s founding family. Between 1912 and 1915, it was built for Frank Seiberling, co-founder of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, a historic house and garden, is the seventh-largest historic house in the United States. It hosts events and attractions year-round. Akron is also home to the American Marble and Toy Museum.
Akron hosts a wide range of national events each year. The PGA World Golf Championships visit annually for the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. The All-American Soap Box Derby, a youth racing program, holds its World Championship finals at Derby Downs. In mid-July, the National Hamburger Festival features vendors selling original recipe hamburgers and includes a Miss Hamburger contest. Lock 3 Park hosts First Night Akron on New Year’s Eve and the Italian Festival and “Rib, White & Blue” food festival in July. Founders Day is celebrated annually to honor the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous in the city. The Dr. Robert Smith House is located in Akron.
Akron’s diverse architecture reflects its history as a town formed by merging smaller communities and its growth during the industrial era. The city was originally divided by the Ohio and Erie Canal, with downtown centered on it. A rubber-paved path runs along the locks. Neighborhoods like Goodyear Heights and Firestone Park were built during the rubber industry to house workers and their families. Both areas have homes designed using mail-order plans. In 2009, Akron was named a Tree City USA for the 14th time by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Many government and civic buildings in Akron, such as City Hall and the Summit County Courthouse, were built before World War II. However, newer buildings include the Akron-Summit County Public Library and the John S. Knight Center. The library opened in 1969 and was expanded in 2004. The Knight Center opened in 1994.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church used the Akron Plan in 1872. This design later became popular in many Congregationalist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches.
Completed in 1931, Akron’s tallest building is the Huntington Tower. It has an art deco style and is covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta. The tower stands 330 feet (100 meters) tall and is built on top of the Hamilton Building, completed in 1900 in the neo-Gothic style. In the early 2000s, the tower received a $2.5 million renovation, including a $1.8 million restoration of its terra-cotta, brick, and limestone. The top of the building once held a television broadcast tower used by WAKR-TV (now WVPX-TV) and WAKR-AM. On the University of Akron campus, the Goodyear Polymer Center includes two glass towers connected by walkways. The university previously used the old Quaker Oats factory as a dormitory and quarantine center during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The site was also a shopping center called Quaker Square and once housed a hotel.
The Akron Art Museum commissioned Coop Himmelblau to design an expansion in 2007. The new building connects to the original structure and is divided into three sections: the "Crystal," the "Gallery Box," and the "Roof Cloud."
Akron is home to Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, a 70-acre National Historic Landmark. This historic steel-frame house and gardens, which includes the seventh-largest house in the United States, was the home of Frank Seiberling, co-founder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. It is now a museum.
Several Akron residents have influenced American cuisine. Ferdinand Schumacher created the first American oatmeal and was a pioneer in breakfast cereal. He also founded the Empire Barley Mill and German Mills American Oatmeal Company, which later merged to form the Quaker Oats Company. The Menches Brothers are credited with inventing the waffle ice cream cone, caramel corn, and hamburger. Strickland's Frozen Custard is located in Akron.
Sports
The Akron RubberDucks baseball team moved to Akron from Canton in 1997 and have won the Eastern League Championship six times, most recently in 2021. The Akron Marathon is an annual event in the city that includes a team relay and shorter races during the summer and fall. The All-American Soap Box Derby happens each year at Derby Downs since 1936. LeBron James’ King for Kids bike-a-thon includes James riding with children through the city each June. In November, the city hosts the annual Home Run for the Homeless 4-mile run. Akron hosted some events of the 2014 Gay Games, including the marathon, men’s and women’s golf tournaments at Firestone Country Club, and softball at Firestone Stadium.
The University of Akron’s Akron Zips compete in the NCAA and the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in various sports at the Division I level. The men’s basketball team appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1986, 2009, 2011, and 2013. In 2009, the Zips men’s soccer team went undefeated during the regular season and won the NCAA Men’s Division I Soccer Championship in 2010. Zippy, one of the eight female NCAA mascots, won the National Mascot of the Year contest in 2007.
Former teams in Akron include the Akron Professionals of the National Football League, who played at the historic Rubber Bowl and won the 1920 championship; the Goodyear Silents, a football team for deaf players; the Akron Black Tyrites of the Negro National League; the Akron Americans of the International Hockey League; the Akron Lightning of the International Basketball League; the Akron Summit Assault of the USL Premier Development League, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid; the Akron Wingfoots of the National Basketball League, who won the first NBL Championship and the International Cup three times; the Akron Firestone Non-Skids of the National Basketball League, who won the title in 1939 and 1940 in a row; and the Akron Vulcans, a professional football team that played in the Continental Football League during part of the 1967 season. Akron had two teams that won the National Basketball League in the 1930s and 1940s, before the NBA was founded.
Firestone Country Club, which hosts the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational each year, has also hosted the PGA Championship, American Golf Classic, and Rubber City Open Invitational. On January 7, 1938, Akron became the birthplace of women’s professional Mud Wrestling, in a match that included wrestlers from Professional Wrestling, WWE, and the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, such as Mildred Burke. The Professional Bowlers Association began in Akron in 1958.
Parks and recreation
Summit Metro Parks is the system of parks that serves the city of Akron. Major parks in Akron include Lock 3, Firestone, Goodyear Heights, the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, and a section of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, located within Sand Run Metro Park, covers 104 acres (0.42 km²). It includes a visitor center, hiking trails, three ponds, gardens, and special programs throughout the year. The Akron Police Museum displays items, such as those from Pretty Boy Floyd, whose gang visited the city.
Several parks in Akron are near the locks of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Lock 3 Park, located in downtown Akron, has an outdoor amphitheater that hosts live music, festivals, and events year-round. The park was created in the early 2000s to provide green space in the city. During winter, the park is temporarily turned into an outdoor ice-skating rink. Next to the Derby Downs race hill is a 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m²) outdoor skatepark. Nearby is a BMX racing course where scheduled races are held during warmer months. Akron residents can enjoy ice skating activities year-round at the historic Akron Ice House.
The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail is a regional trail for biking and hiking. It follows the canal north to Cleveland and south to New Philadelphia, Ohio. The trail includes a floating observation deck over Summit Lake. It is a popular place for tourists, receiving over 2 million visitors each year. The Portage Hike and Bike Trail connects to other trails in the county.
Government
The mayor of Akron is chosen by all city residents in a vote. The current mayor is Shammas Malik, who took over from Dan Horrigan after the 2023 election. The city is divided into 10 areas called wards, and each ward elects one person to the Akron City Council. In addition, three more people are elected citywide to the council. The mayor's team includes leaders for administration, communications, community relations, economic development, intergovernmental relations, labor relations, law, planning and urban development, public safety, and public service. In 1920, the city adopted a new charter that used a commissioner manager system, but in 1924, it returned to its previous system. The Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals is located in Akron, as is one of four courthouses for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
Education
The Akron City School District provides preschool, elementary, and secondary education. The district's planning started in 1840 when Ansel Miller proposed building free public schools for all children, funded by property taxes. After facing opposition, Miller worked with Isaac Jennings, who became the chair of a committee to improve the school system. On November 21, 1846, their plan was approved by all citizens, and the Ohio Legislature passed it as "An Act for the Support and Better Regulation of the Common Schools of the Town of Akron" on February 8, 1847.
Akron's first public schools opened in the fall of 1847, led by Mortimer Leggett. The first annual report showed that it cost less than $2 per year to educate a child. By 1857, the annual operating cost had increased to $4,200 (about $111,185 in 2024). Primary schools were taught by young women, who were paid less and led by a male superintendent. From 1877 to 1952, Akron graduated students twice a year instead of once a year. In the 1920s, an Americanization program was created to help Akron students who were first-generation Americans. All Akron public schools are undergoing a 15-year, $800 million rebuilding process. The Ohio Department of Education has moved the city's schools from "Academic Watch" to "Continuous Improvement."
Akron also has many private, parochial, and charter schools. As part of his charitable foundation's efforts, LeBron James founded the I Promise School, which serves underprivileged children. Akron was served by the Akron Digital Academy from 2002 to 2018, when it closed.
The city is home to the University of Akron. Originally called Buchtel College, the university is now part of the University System of Ohio. It houses the Goodyear Polymer Center and the National Polymer Innovation Center. The university has about 15,000 students.
Media
Akron has had several newspapers and magazines that provided news and information. These included the daily Akron Beacon Journal, which was once the main newspaper of the Knight Newspapers chain; the weekly "The Akron Reporter"; the weekly West Side Leader; and the monthly magazine Akron Life. The Buchtelite newspaper is published by the University of Akron.
Akron is part of the Cleveland-Akron-Canton television market, which is the 18th largest in the United States. Within this market, three television stations are licensed to Akron: WEAO (PBS), WVPX (ION), and WBNX-TV (The CW). WEAO serves only Akron, while WBNX and WVPX serve the entire Cleveland-Akron-Canton area. Akron does not have its own local news broadcast. Its only news station, WAKC, changed its call sign to WVPX in 1996. WVPX and Cleveland’s WKYC later shared a news program, which ended in 2005.
Although Akron is part of the same television market as Cleveland, it has its own radio market with 12 stations that directly serve the city. These include music stations such as WQMX 94.9 (Country), WONE 97.5 (Classic rock), WKDD 98.1 (Contemporary Hits), and WAKR 1590/93.5 (Soft AC/Full service). Other stations, such as WHLO 640 and WNIR-FM 100.1, broadcast news and talk programs, while WCUE 1150 and WKJA 91.9 air religious programming.
As the regional NPR affiliate, WKSU 89.7 provides radio service to all of Northeast Ohio, including both the Cleveland and Akron markets. Other stations include WZIP 88.1 (Top 40 – University of Akron), WSTB 88.9 (Alternative – Streetsboro City Schools), and WAPS 91.3 (AAA – Akron Public Schools).
Akron has been the setting for several films and television shows. The film Dance, Girl, Dance (1940), listed in the National Film Registry, features two dancers from Akron who travel to New York City. The film My Name is Bill W. (1989) tells the true story of Bill Wilson, who co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous. The first meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous took place at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, which is now connected to Saint Thomas Hospital. This connection is mentioned in an episode of the television series Prison Break (2005). The Akron Armory appears in the film All the Marbles (1981) as a venue for a female wrestling team. The documentary More than a Game (2009) follows LeBron James and his high school basketball team. In Drake’s music video Forever (2009), the Goodyear logo is shown on a theater building.
Akron has also appeared in many other media. The television series I’m In Hell (2007) features a segment called "Hell on Earth" set in Akron. The film The Virgin of Akron, Ohio (2007) includes a reference to a holy woman’s location. The character Henry Spivey from My Own Worst Enemy (2008) visits Akron multiple times. In an episode of Seinfeld (1989), George Costanza travels to Akron and meets someone at Firestone. The film M.Y.O.B. (2008) is about an Akron runaway girl named Riley Veatch. Characters from other shows, such as Jake Foley from Jake 2.0 (2003), the Pickles family from Rugrats (1991), J.Reid from In Too Deep (1999), and Avery Barkley from Nashville (2016), are also from Akron. The city is featured in the television show Criminal Minds in the episode "Compromising Positions" (2010). The 2015 film Room is set in Akron, though it was filmed in Toronto with details that resemble Akron.
Transportation
The main airport used by travelers going to or from Akron is the Akron–Canton Airport. It serves about 2 million passengers each year. This airport is a commercial Class C airport located in the suburb of Green, Ohio, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Akron. It is operated jointly by Stark and Summit counties and serves as an alternative for travelers going to or from the Cleveland area. Akron Fulton International Airport is a general aviation airport located in and owned by the city. It opened in 1929 and has been used for different purposes over time. The airport had commercial airline service until the 1950s and is now used for both cargo and private planes. It is home to the Lockheed Martin Airdock, where Goodyear airships, dirigibles, and blimps were stored and maintained. Today, the Goodyear blimps are kept in a facility on the shores of Wingfoot Lake in nearby Suffield Township.
Akron Northside Station is a train station located at 27 Ridge Street along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
Because of Akron’s large rubber industry, the city once had many railroads competing for freight and passenger services. The largest railroads were the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Erie Railroad, and Pennsylvania Railroad. Smaller railroads included the Akron, Canton, and Youngstown Railroad, Northern Ohio Railway, and the Akron Barberton Belt Railroad. Today, the city is served by CSX Corporation, the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, and their subsidiary Akron-Barberton-Cluster, which operate from the W&LE’s Akron Yard near Brittain Road on the city’s eastern edge.
From 1891 to 1971, passenger trains traveled to various places in the Midwest, Washington, and New York City from Akron Union Station. The last passenger trains were the Erie Lackawanna’s Lake Cities (ended in 1970) and the B&O’s Shenandoah (ended in 1971). There is no passenger rail service in Akron today, as Amtrak’s Three Rivers service ended in 2005. The nearest Amtrak stations are in Alliance, Ohio, or Cleveland.
Public transportation is available through the METRO Regional Transit Authority, which operates over 200 buses and trolleys for local routes and commuter services to downtown Cleveland. Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) also has a bus route connecting Canton and Akron. The Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA) runs an express route between the University of Akron and Kent State University. Metro RTA operates from the Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center on South Broadway Street. This facility, which opened in 2009, also houses intercity bus services provided by Greyhound Lines.
Akron is served by two major interstate highways that cut through the city. Unlike other cities, these highways do not pass through the downtown area. Instead, the Akron Innerbelt and Ohio State Route 8 handle traffic to and from downtown.
- Interstate 77 connects Marietta and Cleveland, Ohio. In Akron, it has 15 interchanges, four of which allow traffic to move between highways. It runs north–south in the city’s southern part until it intersects with I-76, where it turns west and travels alongside I-76.
- Interstate 76 connects Interstate 71 to Youngstown, Ohio, and beyond. It runs east–west in Akron with 18 interchanges, four of which allow highway-to-highway movement. The East Leg was rebuilt in the 1990s to have six lanes and longer merge lanes. The section where I-76 and I-77 overlap has eight lanes. The Kenmore Leg is a four-lane road about two miles (3 kilometers) long that connects to Interstate 277.
- Interstate 277 is an east–west road that runs with U.S. 224 after I-76 splits to form the Kenmore Leg. It has six lanes and shares the road with U.S. 224.
- The Akron Innerbelt is a six-lane, 1.78-mile (2.86 km) road that connects to the I-76/I-77 intersection and serves the city’s central area. Its ramps are one-way, so it only serves drivers from the west. Officials are considering changes to the design to attract more traffic. The highway ends near downtown and becomes Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The highway is officially named "The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Freeway." Originally, it was planned to connect to State Route 8, but plans were canceled in the 1970s due to financial issues.
- Ohio State Route 8 is a state highway that connects Akron’s northern suburbs to Interstates 76 and 77. It meets I-76 and I-77 at its southern end. It was the second highway completed in Akron and underwent major improvements in 2003. In 2007, officials began upgrading the road to meet interstate standards north of Akron, from State Route 303 to I-271, to provide a faster route to Cleveland.
Notable people
Akron has been the home of many well-known people in different areas. People from Akron are called "Akronites." General Simon Perkins (1771–1844), who was the first postmaster of the Connecticut Western Reserve and president of its bank, co-founded Akron in 1825. His son, Colonel Simon Perkins (1805–1877), lived in Akron during the same time as abolitionist John Brown (1800–1859) and partnered with Brown in business. Wendell Willkie, the Republican candidate for president in 1940, worked as a lawyer for Firestone in Akron. Pioneering televangelist Rex Humbard became famous in Akron. John S. Knight, publisher of the Beacon Journal, managed the national Knight Newspapers chain from Akron. Broadcaster Hugh Downs was born in Akron. In the mid- to late 1940s, Alan Freed, a pioneering rock 'n' roll DJ, was the musical director at Akron's WAKR. Watergate figure John Dean was born in Akron.
Notable athletes from Akron include LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who have won many National Basketball Association championships and MVP awards; Gus "Honeycomb" Johnson and Nate "The Great" Thurmond, who are in the Basketball Hall of Fame; Thurman Munson, a Major League Baseball player; Gorilla Jones, a boxing Hall of Famer; Michael Dokes, a WBA Heavyweight Champion; Whitney Mercilus, a Houston Texans linebacker; Ara Parseghian, a former college football coach; and Butch Reynolds, a former world record holder in the 400-meter dash. James Harrison, a former NFL linebacker, and Mike Vrabel, a former Tennessee Titans head coach and current New England Patriots head coach, were both born in Akron. Clayton Murphy, a professional runner who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, competed for the Akron Zips in cross country and track & field.
Performing artists from Akron include bands such as Ruby and the Romantics, Devo, The Black Keys, The Cramps (whose lead singer, Lux Interior, was born in Akron), rapper Ampichino, The Waitresses, and 1964 the Tribute. Singers from Akron include Vaughn Monroe, Chrissie Hynde (lead singer and main composer of The Pretenders), James Ingram, Joseph Arthur, Jani Lane, Maynard James Keenan (lead singer of Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer), Rachel Sweet, and outlaw country singer David Allan Coe. Actors from Akron include Frank Dicopoulos, David McLean, Gates McFadden, Melina Kanakaredes, Elizabeth Franz, William Boyett, Lola Albright, Ray Wise, and Jesse White. Clark Gable and John Lithgow also lived in Akron.
Poet Rita Dove was born and raised in Akron. She became the first African-American United States Poet Laureate. Many of her poems are about Akron, including Thomas and Beulah, which earned her the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
Stanford R. Ovshinsky, a native of Akron, holds over 400 patents and invented the widely used nickel-metal hydride battery. Richard Smalley, who won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering buckminsterfullerene (buckyballs), was born in Akron in 1943. Judith Resnik, the second U.S. female astronaut in space, died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. A crater on the Moon is named after her in honor of her work.
The Silver Screen, a symbol of Hollywood's movie industry, was invented by Harry Coulter Williams, a resident of Kenmore. The screen was first used in Akron's Majestic Theater and Norka Theater. The "Williams Perlite" screen, which is tear-proof and made of vinyl plastic, was later used in major movie theaters, including those built by Warner Bros. in Youngstown, Ohio. Williams' screens were adapted for CinemaScope, VistaVision, and later 3-D movies. They provided a brighter image at all angles with high reflectivity for direct viewing and extra diffusion for side seats and balconies.
Carol Folt, the 11th chancellor and 29th chief executive of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was born in Akron in 1951. She previously served as provost and interim president of Dartmouth College. She began her role at UNC on July 1, 2013, and is the first woman to lead the university.
Philosopher and logician Willard van Orman Quine was born and raised in Akron.
In popular culture
The book Thomas and Beulah, published in 1986, is a collection of poems written by Rita Dove, a former Poet Laureate. The poems tell the story of her grandmother and grandfather, who moved from the South to a city. They lived through the Great Depression and the rest of their lives in that city. The city is also the setting for the 2005 novel The Coast of Akron, written by Adrienne Miller, a former editor of Esquire. In 1982, Chrissie Hynde, an Akron native, wrote the Pretenders song "My City Was Gone" to show how Akron changed during the 1980s. The Black Keys' 2004 album Rubber Factory is named after the former General Tire & Rubber Company factory where it was recorded. Akron is also the location for the 2002 video game No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way.