AKRON, OH

Akron (/ˈækrən/) is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in Northeast Ohio along the Little Cuyahoga River, approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of Cleveland. Akron had a population of 190,469 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-most populous city in Ohio. The Akron metropolitan area has an estimated 702,000 residents.

Akron was founded in 1825 by Simon Perkins and Paul Williams at the summit of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Its name is derived from the Greek word ἄκρον (ákron), meaning summit. The canal facilitated early growth by connecting the city to regional and national markets. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Akron became a center of rubber and tire manufacturing; it was the headquarters of B.F. Goodrich, Firestone, General Tire, and Goodyear (which is still based in the city) and was nicknamed the “Rubber Capital of the World”. It was also known as a center of airship development.^[4][5]

Today, Akron’s economy includes manufacturing, education, healthcare, and biomedical research. The city is home to the University of Akron, which has a focus on polymer science based in the region’s industrial legacy. Akron also serves as a regional center for medical services, anchored by Akron Children’s Hospital and Summa Health. Cultural and civic institutions include the Akron Art Museum, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, and a network of parks integrated into the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area.

Notable historic events in Akron include the passage of the Akron School Law of 1847, which created the K–12 system; the popularization of the church architectural Akron Plan, the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous, the 1983 Supreme Court case City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, and portions of the 2014 Gay Games. The city was the site of notable speeches on race and civil rights, including the Ain’t I A Woman? speech by Sojourner Truth in 1851, W. E. B. Du Bois in 1920, and President Bill Clinton in 1997.^[6] Periods of civil unrest have included the riot of 1900, the rubber strike of 1936, the Wooster Avenue riots of 1968, and the 2022 protests surrounding the killing of Jayland Walker.