Akron, Ohio

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City of Akron
Skyline of downtown Akron
Skyline of downtown Akron
Official seal of City of Akron
Seal
Nickname: The Rubber Capital of the World
Location within the state of Ohio
Location within the state of Ohio
Location within Summit County, Ohio
Location within Summit County, Ohio
Coordinates: 41°4′23″N 81°31′4″W / 41.07306, -81.51778
Country United States
State Ohio
County Summit
Founded 1825
Incorporated 1835 (village)
- 1865 (city)
Government
 - Mayor Don Plusquellic (D)
Area
 - City 62.4 sq mi (161.6 km²)
 - Land 62.1 sq mi (160.8 km²)
 - Water 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
Elevation 955 ft (291 m)
Population (2000)[1]
 - City 217,074
 - Density 3,497.3/sq mi (1,350.3/km²)
 - Metro 694,960
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s) 330/234
FIPS code 39-01000[2]
GNIS feature ID 1064305[3]
Website: http://www.ci.akron.oh.us

Akron is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County.[4] In 2006, its population was estimated at 209,704. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland to the north and Canton to the south, approximately 60 miles (96 km) west of the Pennsylvania border.

Akron was founded in 1825 near the Ohio and Erie Canal, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location at a staircase of locks. The locks were needed due to the higher elevation of the area, which gave rise to the name Summit County as well as Akron, which is a rough translation of summit into Greek (Stewart, pg. 233). After the decline of heavy manufacturing in the 1970s and '80s, the city's industry has since diversified into research, financial, and high tech sectors.

Akron and nearby Canton are often referred to as a single region or considered twin cities. The Akron-Canton Regional Airport is one of many places near the city that is named for both places. While the U.S. Census Bureau still counts the two metropolitan areas separately, if combined, the total population of the Akron-Canton area would equal 1,101,894 people.

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron in 1935. The city is home to The University of Akron, the Akron Aeros Double A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, the Soap Box Derby World Championships and the Firestone Country Club, at which the PGA Tour's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is annually played.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Canal years

Much of Akron's early growth was because of its location at the "summit" of the Ohio and Erie Canal (thus the name Summit County) which at one time connected Lake Erie and the Ohio River.

Akron started as a small village on the divide between the St. Lawrence River and the Mississippi River. The village was a 43-block square with its main intersection at Exchange and Main Streets; its northern limit was one block beyond State Street. It was renamed South Akron when Cascade, an adjacent village north of State Street and centered at Market and Howard Streets, changed its name to North Akron.

South Akron was built to serve people using the Ohio Canal. North Akron developed around a construction project originally intended to provide increased water power for industries. In 1836 the villages joined. The completion of the Cross-cut Canal along Main Street in 1839 started Akron on its climb to industrial importance. Coal, a major railroad, and manufacturing growth from the Civil War contributed to a population increase from 3,500 to 10,000 inhabitants between 1860 and 1870.

Because of physical obstacles — the steep hill on West Market Street, the Little Cuyahoga Valley, and the swamp south of the City — Akron grew to the east. This encouraged the annexation of Spicertown, centered on Spicer and Exchange, and then Middlebury, which was centered where the Arlington and Market Street commercial area is now located.

[edit] The Rubber Capital of the World

Akron’s history and the history of the rubber industry are intertwined. The rubber industry transformed Akron from a small canal town into a fledgling city. The birth of the rubber industry started in the 1800s, long before America fell in love with the automobile. Akron was incorporated as a village in 1835 and as a city in 1865. In 1869, B.F. Goodrich started the first rubber company in Akron. In 1915, the area increased from 7,254 acres (29.38 km²) to 16,120 acres (65.29 km²). The population rose approximately 200% — from 69,067 in 1910 to 208,435 in 1920. General Tire was founded in 1915 by the O’Neil’s whose department store became an Akron landmark.

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company became America's top tire manufacturer and Akron was granted the moniker of “The Rubber Capital of the World”. Goodyear's president, F.A. Seiberling, had been building homes costing around $3,500 for employees in what would become known as Goodyear Heights. Likewise, Harvey Firestone began building employee homes in what would be called Firestone Park. These leaders were responding to the housing crunch caused by the boom in the rubber business.

Akron was, indeed, booming. For a time it was the fastest-growing city in the country, its population exploding from 69,000 in 1910 to 208,000 in 1920. People came for the jobs in the rubber factories from many places, including Europe. Of those 208,000, almost one-third were immigrants and their children. Among the factory workers in the early 1920s was a young Clark Gable.

In the 1950s and '60s Akron saw a surge in industry as use of the automobile took off. But while America was still using bias-ply tires, Europe had already seen the wave of the future in radial tires. Radials had almost three times the tread life of bias-ply tires, and Akron’s rubber mills were not equipped to handle the manufacturing requirements. As a result many companies tried to produce hybrid tires, which were troublesome at best. Firestone manufactured the ill-fated 500 series, which was recalled in the millions. B.F. Goodrich eventually replaced its old equipment with new machinery to enable the manufacturing of radial tires.

In the 1970s and '80s the rubber industry experienced a major decline as a number of strikes and factory shutdowns delivered the final blows to the industry. In ten years the number of people working within the rubber industry was slashed in half. By the early '90s Goodyear was the only remaining rubber manufacturer based in Akron.

Panorama of Akron, Ohio in 1911
Panorama of Akron, Ohio in 1911

[edit] Zeppelins and blimps

Aerial view of the Akron-Fulton airport (then NAS Akron) in the 1940s, with the Goodyear Airdock visible on the left.
Aerial view of the Akron-Fulton airport (then NAS Akron) in the 1940s, with the Goodyear Airdock visible on the left.

Beginning in the early 1910s, Goodyear began experimenting with airship development, and in 1917 created a subsidiary with the Zeppelin Company to build dirigibles in the United States. During the 1920s and 1930s, Akron and Lakehurst, New Jersey, were the American centers of dirigible research and manufacturing. The United States' largest airships, Akron, and Macon, were both built in Akron. After their tragic accidents in 1933 and 1935, and the Hindenburg Disaster in 1937, rigid airships were abandoned and Goodyear focused on the production of blimps. The US Navy used many blimps in World War II for aerial observation, and Goodyear famously began using them to advertise. Though very few new airships are built today, the Goodyear Blimps remain a popular corporate symbol. The former Goodyear Airdock, now owned by Lockheed Martin, is, along with several other airship hangars, one of the largest buildings in the world without interior supports.

[edit] Akron milestones

History made in Akron

  • One of the only Y-shaped bridges in the United States, the All-American Bridge, is located in Akron, Ohio.
  • Italian-American mobster Rosario Borgio arrived in Akron, Ohio in the early 1900's and established one of the first organized crime operations in the Midwest during the 20th century.
  • The height of Akron, Ohio's tallest building the FirstMerit Tower roof is 330 in feet which is the city's area code.
  • Thomas Edison married his 2nd wife Mina Miller Edison on February 24, 1886 in Akron, Ohio.

Akron's Awards, Rankings, and Notabilty

  • Winner of an All-American City award in 1981.
  • Winner of an All-American City award in 1995.
  • Winner of an All-American City award in 2008.
  • Ranked ninth in the nation by Site Selection Magazine for locating new manufacturing plants in 1994.
  • Ranked ninth in the nation by Site Selection Magazine for locating new manufacturing plants in 1994.
  • Ranked 16th by Farmers Insurance Group of Companies as the Most Secure Place to Live (Large Metro Area) in June of 2005.
  • Was awarded with the Business Incubator of the year award by the National Business Incubation Association May 06, 2008.
  • Summit Data Communications took 2nd place for Outstanding Incubator Client in the technology category.
  • Once known as the "Rubber Capital of the World," now a world-renowned center for polymer research and development. There are 400 polymer related companies located in the Akron area.
  • Birthplace of Aviation.
  • President Taft and Helen Keller stayed at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens-Former home to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Co-FOunder F.A. Seiberling-in Akron.

Akron in Pop Culture

  • In the television series Prison Break Micheal calls a hospital in Akron, Ohio.
  • In a Robot Chicken episode a retired fictional movie character was said to be livng in Akron.
  • One pilot for a television show called "The Virgin of Akron, Ohio" was shot in 2007.
  • The full movie "The Instructor"(1983) was shot in the city of Akron.
  • Chrissie Hynde made a song called "Downtown(Akron)" and "My city was gone" referring to the city.
  • V.E.C. smash hit "AK-Rowdy" was about north Summit county and Akron.
  • "Ak-Anthem" and "Akron Niggas Are The Hardest" made by Chino Nino talks about Akron, Ohio's ghettos life style.
  • In Ice Cube 's hit single "Today Was A Good Day" he is quoted rapping "The lights on the Goodyear blimp read Ice Cube's a pimp."
  • In Stephen King 's movie and novel "Needful Things", the supernatural mysterious Mr. Leland Gaunt claims to be from Akron, Ohio.
  • On the bottom of LeBron James Nike Zoom LeBron 5 the map of Akron is on it and in other areas depending on shoe type.
  • On LeBron's right forearm is a "330" tattoo with a fire burning in the background.
  • The Nike Dunk Low - Akron (Lebron James) was created for LeBron's family and friends, it feature a black an gold outline of Ohio and a star marking Akron's location.

Akron's sons and daughters

  • poet Rita Dove
  • rock musician Chrissie Hynde

[edit] Geography and climate

Akron's Tallest Building, the FirstMerit Tower
Akron's Tallest Building, the FirstMerit Tower

Akron is located at 41°4′23″N, 81°31′4″W (41.073155, -81.517900)[5].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.4 square miles (161.6 km²), of which, 62.1 square miles (160.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (0.54%) is water.

Akron has a humid continental climate, with cold but changeable winters, wet, cool springs, warm (sometimes hot) and humid summers, and cool, rather dry autumns. Precipitation is fairly well-distributed through the year, but summer tends to have the most rainfall (and also, somewhat paradoxically, the most sunshine), and autumn the least. The mid-autumn through early-spring months tend to be quite cloudy, with sometimes less than 30% possible sunshine. The cloudiest month is December, and the sunniest month is usually July, which is also, somewhat ironically, the wettest month.

Winters tend to be cold, with average January high temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C), and average January lows of 17 °F (-8 °C), with considerable variation in temperatures. During a typical January, high temperatures of over 50 °F (10 °C) are just as common as low temperatures of below 0 °F (-18 °C). Snowfall is lighter than the snowbelt areas to the north, but is still somewhat influenced by Lake Erie, generally averaging about 47.1 inches (118.7 cm) per winter. During a typical winter, temperatures drop below 0 °F (-18 °C) on about 6 occurrences, generally only during the nighttime hours.

Summers are warm, sometimes hot, with average July high temperatures of 83 °F (28 °C), and average July lows of 62 °F (17 °C). Summer weather is more stable, generally humid with thunderstorms fairly common. Temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) about 7 times each summer, on average. In hot summers, such as 1988, however, as many as 30 days over 90 °F (32 °C) have been observed, and in cooler summers, such as the summer of 2000, the temperature may never reach 90 °F (32 °C). Temperatures over 100 °F (38 °C) are rare (about once per decade on average), most recently occurring on several occasions in the hot summer of 1988.

The all-time record high in Akron of 104 °F (40 °C) was established on August 6, 1918, and the all-time record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was set on January 19, 1994.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High (°F) 70 72 81 88 93 100 101 98 99 86 80 76
Norm High (°F) 32.9 36.8 47.5 59 69.8 78.2 82.3 80.3 72.8 61.1 48.7 37.7
Norm Low (°F) 17.4 19.8 27.9 37.1 47.8 56.8 61.3 60.2 53.1 42.1 33.4 23.6
Rec Low (°F) -25 -13 -3 10 24 32 43 41 32 20 -1 -16
Precip (in) 2.49 2.28 3.15 3.39 3.96 3.55 4.02 3.65 3.43 2.53 3.04 2.98
Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]
See also: Akron Neighborhoods

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations[6]
Census
year		 Population Rank  %±
1850 3,266 - -
1860 3,477 - 6.5%
1870 10,006 - 187.8%
1880 16,512 - 65.0%
1890 27,601 - 67.2%
1900 42,728 87 54.8%
1910 69,067 81 61.6%
1920 208,435 32 201.8%
1930 255,040 35 22.4%
1940 244,791 38 -4.0%
1950 274,605 39 12.2%
1960 290,351 45 5.7%
1970 275,425 52 -5.1%
1980 237,177 59 -13.9%
1990 223,019 71 -6.0%
2000 217,074 82 -2.7%

| align="center"| 2007 | align="right"| 210,025 | align="right"| 80 | align="right"| -3.5% |-


As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 217,074 people, 90,116 households, and 53,709 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,497.3 people per square mile (1,350.3/km²). There were 97,315 housing units at an average density of 1,567.9/sq mi (605.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.22% White, 28.48% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population. The top 5 largest ancestries include German (18.1%), Irish (11.5%), English (7.2%), Italian (6.8%), and American (6.4%)[2].

There were 90,116 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,835, and the median income for a family was $39,381. Males had a median income of $31,898 versus $24,121 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,596. About 14.0% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Akron has a metropolitan population of 694,960 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Akron is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area, which was the 14th largest in the country with a population of over 2.9 million according to the 2000 Census.

[edit] Law, government, and crime

The city adopted a new charter of the commissioner manager type in 1920, but reverted to its old form in 1924. The current mayor of Akron is Don Plusquellic. Mayor Plusquellic is currently serving his fifth term, and was the President of the United States Conference of Mayors during 2004. He is also a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition[7], a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Akron City Council has thirteen members. Ten are elected to represent wards and three are elected at large.

In 1915, a new municipal water system was established. It also included a reservoir on the Cuyahoga River with storage capacity of 2,385,200,000 gallons (9,027,982,000 liters), a complete purification system, and a pumping station.

See also: List of Mayors of Akron, Ohio

[edit] Economy

Akron is home to two Fortune 500 companies: the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and FirstEnergy. In addition, Akron is home to a number of smaller companies such as GOJO, makers of Purell, Advanced Elastomer Systems, FirstMerit Bank, Roadway Express (a subsidiary of Yellow Roadway), Myers Industries, an international manufacturer of polymer products, Acme Fresh Market and Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors division. The City of Akron created the first Joint Economic Development District to promote regional commerce with neighboring suburbs. As of 2008, Akron has also added thousands of jobs through mail processing centers to sort and organize magazine subscriptions and business reply mail from postal marketers and colleges.[citation needed]

[edit] Education

The Art Deco Mayflower Manor Apartment Apartments formerly the Mayflower Hotel. Rising 207 feet, it is an Akron Landmark. Also shown is the Polsky Building. It was once Akron's flagship department store. it is now owned by the University of Akron and houses various departments for the school.
The Art Deco Mayflower Manor Apartment Apartments formerly the Mayflower Hotel. Rising 207 feet, it is an Akron Landmark. [8] Also shown is the Polsky Building. It was once Akron's flagship department store. [9] it is now owned by the University of Akron and houses various departments for the school. [10]

[edit] Higher education

The University of Akron is home to over 23,000 students, making it the fourth largest public university in the state, and is a world leader in polymer research. While Akron continues to predominantly serve commuter students, the university has worked hard to shake off its image as a “commuter school." A $300 million dollar construction project saw the completion of nine new buildings, fourteen renovated facilities, and a freshly landscaped campus. The University also offers a combined B.S./M.D. program with the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. A new on-campus football stadium, built to replace the aging Rubber Bowl is slated to begin construction in the Spring of 2008.

Akron is also located in close proximity to several other colleges and universities including the main campus of Kent State University in nearby Kent; Hiram College in Hiram; and the College of Wooster in Wooster as well as several schools in the Cleveland area.

[edit] Secondary education

Elementary and secondary education is mainly provided by the Akron City Schools, which are currently going through a 15-year, $800 million rebuilding process, remodeling some schools and entirely replacing others. Some schools will be closing permanently due to a drop in enrollment. The school board could not get a levy passed to pay for its portion of the construction expense so it worked out an arrangement with the city of Akron where the city will use the money from a new income tax to pay for Community Learning Centers, which will serve as schools but be owned by the city.[11] Meanwhile the academic situation has improved recently as the city’s schools have been moved from “Academic Watch” to “Continuous Improvement” by the Ohio Department of Education.

Akron City Schools has two performing arts schools. Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts and Firestone High School. Miller South has grades 4-8. Most Miller-South students move on to Firestone to continue in the Visual and Performing Arts Program. They are the only two schools which specialize in visual and performing arts in Summit County, however nearby Copley High School has always been known to support an excellent arts program.

[edit] Private education

Akron also has many private, parochial and charter schools. Akron Public Schools made headlines in 2004 when a freshman student of Akron Digital Academy, the district’s own online charter school, was not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities, an event later covered and satirized by The Daily Show. St. Vincent - St. Mary High School, just west of Akron’s downtown, also made headlines when basketball star LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers first overall after his graduation in 2003. Akron-based Summit Academy Schools is the largest system of non-profit community schools in the country which are specifically designed for students with learning disorders such as ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, high-functioning autism and PDD-NOS.

[edit] Culture and entertainment

S. Main and Bowery St.
S. Main and Bowery St.

Akron has a diverse and colorful heritage of old restaurants and shopping centers. Quaker Square, located in the heart of Akron’s downtown, was redeveloped in the early 1970's as a downtown mall, created from the old Quaker Oats factory, which originally operated at that location. The oat silos had been transformed into unique hotel rooms. Recently, the University of Akron purchased this complex for its own use—primarily as residence-hall space for its growing student body.

During the summer, Akron hosts the National Hamburger Festival, a tribute to the city's role in the invention of the hamburger.[3]

Highland Square, located in near West Akron and anchored by the historic Highland Theatre, is a well-known entertainment district, featuring popular local antique stores and retail shops, such as Square Records. It is also home to several unique restaurants and taverns. Other unique and historically significant Akron neighborhoods include Goodyear Heights and Firestone Park, originally developed and designed during the First World War for employees of the large Akron rubber companies. Likewise, Northwest Akron is home to a number of large mansions, many of which, like the famous Stan Hywet, were built early in the 20th century for the upper management of these companies, as well as the city's many other successful industries.

Akron also supports independent retailers, such as Acme.

Each summer Akron hosts the All American Soap Box Derby. Children from across the country race their homemade, gravity-powered race cars down the steep hill at Derby Downs in the shadow of the Lockheed Martin Airdock.

Adjacent to the Derby Downs race hill is a 19,000-square foot outdoor skatepark. The park features concrete ramps, including two bowls going as deep as 7 feet, a snake run, two hips, a stair set with handrail, many smaller quarter pipes and a variety of grind boxes. Positioned just a few feet from the Akron Skatepark is a BMX course where organized races are often held in the warmer months.

The city is also home to several museums, including:

Akron is the hometown of Janelle Couts who was crowned Miss Ohio for 2003 and represented Ohio in the Miss America contest. She previously held the title of Miss Medina.

Akron was designated a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Local start-up league the NEO Rock 'n' Roller Girls is part of the national resurgence and rebirth of roller derby.


[edit] Sports

Akron is the home to two professional sports teams:

Club Sport Year Founded League Venue Championships
Akron Aeros Baseball 1997 Eastern League Canal Park 2 (2003,2005)
Akron Racers Softball 2004 National Pro Fastpitch Firestone Stadium 1 (2005)

[edit] Media

Office Complex in Downtown Akron
Office Complex in Downtown Akron

[edit] Print media

[edit] Radio

[edit] Television

Akron is unique in that despite its size, it does not form its own television market, primarily due to being less than 40 miles (64km) from Cleveland. It is part of the Cleveland-Akron (Canton) Media market. However, four stations in the market are licensed to Akron.

WAOH and WEAO serve the city of Akron specifically, while WBNX and WVPX identify themselves as "Akron-Cleveland", serving on the entire Northeast Ohio market.

One common thought about television in Akron is that if another station had set up shop as a network affiliate after WVPX (Was known as WAKR/WAKC-ABC until 1996) Akron and Canton could have made their own television market. This new media market would have been in the top 100 largest markets, as well.

[edit] Infrastructure

Art Deco Apartment Building in Downtown Akron
Art Deco Apartment Building in Downtown Akron

[edit] Health

Akron has an extensive and distinguished health sector, with a large number of hospitals for a city of its size. Akron's adult hospitals are owned by two health systems, Summa Health System and Akron General Health System. Summa Health System operates Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, an orthopedic hospital located in the North Hill neighborhood. Akron General Health System operates Akron General Medical Center. Akron Children's Hospital is an independent entity that specializes in pediatric and burn care. Both Akron City Hospital and Akron General have been on the U.S. News and World Report Magazine's list of "Best Hospitals" many times. It is worth noting that both AGMC and Summa are designated Level I Trauma Centers. By comparison, Akron's much larger urban neighbor to the north, Cleveland, has only one.

[edit] Transportation

Akron's road network does not run on any grid system, and it can be confusing for out-of-town motorists. Roads frequently change name or direction without warning, or stop and continue elsewhere. In addition there are two sets of numbered roads, one in Kenmore (1st -31st Streets), and one along Arlington (1st - 9th Avenues), the rest of the city has no numbering at all. This disparity between areas is due to Akron's many annexations over the years. Akron’s transportation needs are fulfilled by two major interstates, Interstate 76 and Interstate 77. I-76, I-77, and Route 8 meet at one central interchange, which is commonly known by the same name. The central interchange divides the city into four quadrants. The Interstate 76 Eastern Expressway weaves through much of Akron’s warehouse sector and the Goodyear world headquarters is easily visible. I-76 is paired with I-77 for about two miles (3 km) west of the central interchange, and then splits off again, with I-76 later being paired with US-224 and I-77 heading north towards Cleveland. This portion of highway is currently under review by ODOT for reconstruction. The Western highway is a major route to Cleveland and Columbus, and is a near term destination to Fairlawn, a major commercial area. Route 8 has been overhauled numerous times and serves as a major entryway for the north-eastern suburbs, namely Cuyahoga Falls, Munroe Falls, Stow and Hudson. There is also one highway to the south, U.S. Highway 224, part of which is also notated as Interstate 277 (I-277 connects I-77 with I-76). The Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway, commonly known as the Innerbelt, includes part of the longer Route 59. It serves the very center of the city, and was supposed to run from the I-76 / I-77 to Route 8. However, due to poor planning, the Innerbelt was never completed and only runs to Main St./Howard St. Route 59 also lacks direct I-76W / I-77N inbound and offbound ramps, furthering its problems. Mayor Don Plusquellic has brought up the idea of tearing up the northern end of the Innerbelt in order to free land for development, although some residents have stated that they would like to see it completely connected as originally planned.

Public transportation is available through the METRO RTA system, which has a fleet of over two hundred buses and trolleys, and operates local routes as well as running commuter buses into downtown Cleveland. SARTA also has a bus line running between Canton and Akron. Amtrak closed its station near Quaker Square in 2005. Airline passengers travelling to or from Akron use either the Akron-Canton Regional Airport in Green or Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Two low-fare airlines, Frontier Airlines and AirTran Airways, have begun serving Akron-Canton in recent years, making that airport a fairly popular alternative for travellers to or from the Cleveland area. Akron Fulton Airport serves private planes and is the home of the Lockheed Martin Airdock, where the Goodyear blimps were formerly stored and maintained. The Goodyear blimps are now housed outside of Akron in a facility on the shores of Wingfoot Lake in Suffield.

The Towpath is a regional bike and hike trail that follows the Ohio and Erie Canal. It is not completed in downtown Akron, but stops just north of Innerbelt and just south of I-76/I-77.

[edit] Notable natives

Main category: People from Akron, Ohio
See also List of people from Akron, Ohio

[edit] Sister cities

Akron has two sister cities, as designated by the Sister Cities International:

[edit] Publications

  • Akron Chamber of Commerce Year Book, (1913-14)
  • The University of Akron Press
  • Dyer, Joyce, Gum-Dipped: A Daughter Remembers Rubber Town, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2003)
  • Endres, Kathleen, Akron's Better Half: Women's Clubs and the Humanization of a City, 1825-1925, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2006)
  • Jones, Alfred Winslow, Life, Liberty, & Property: A Story of Conflict and a Measurement of Conflicting Rights, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1999)
  • Russ Musarra and Chuck Ayers, Walks around Akron, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2007)
  • S. A. Lane, Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County, (Akron, 1892)
  • S. Love and David Giffels, Wheels of Fortune: The Story of Rubber in Akron, Ohio, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1998)
  • S. Love, Ian Adams, and Barney Taxel, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2000)
  • F. McGovern, Written on the Hills: The Making of the Akron Landscape, The University of Akron Press: Akron (1996)
  • F. McGovern, Fun, Cheap, and Easy: My Life in Ohio Politics, 1949-1964, The University of Akron Press: Akron (2002).

[edit] References

  1. ^ US Census 2000 est
  2. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ Gibson, Campbell. Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990. US Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
  7. ^ Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
  8. ^ Mayflower Manor Apartments, Akron
  9. ^ Polsky
  10. ^ The University of Akron Campus Map
  11. ^ Imagine Akron Community Learning Centers (2005). What is Akron CLCs?. Retrieved October 21, 2005.

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Coordinates: 41°04′23″N 81°31′04″W / 41.073155, -81.5179

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