Akron is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. In 2006, 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.
It was founded in 1825 near the Ohio & 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, 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.
