Sister cities of Akron, Ohio

Akron /ˈækrən/ is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately 39 miles (63 km) south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area covers Summit and Portage counties, and in 2010 had a population of 703,200. Akron is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area, which in 2010 had a population of 2,780,440.

Akron was co-founded in 1825 when suggested by Paul Williams to Simon Perkins. In 1833, "South" was temporarily added to the name when Eliakim Crosby settled a bordering North Akron. After Summit County formed from portions of Portage, Medina, and Stark counties in 1840, Akron succeeded Cuyahoga Falls as county seat a year later. The Akron School Law of 1847 created the K-12 system. In 1851, Sojourner Truth attended a convention and extemporaneously delivered the original "Ain't I a Woman?" speech. During the Civil War, Ferdinand Schumacher supplied the Union Army with oats produced by his mill along the Ohio Canal. Between the 1870s and World War I, numerous churches across the nation were built using the Akron Plan.

With a population increase of 201.8% during the 1910s, it became the nation's fastest growing city due to industries such as the stoneware, sanitary sewer, fishing tackle, farming equipment, match, toy, and rubber. The companies General Tire, Goodrich, Firestone, and Goodyear built headquarters, but only the latter remains. Airships, blimps, dirigibles, and zeppelins have been manufactured at the Goodyear Airdock since World War II. The Goodyear Polymer and National Polymer Innovation Centers are on the University of Akron campus which anchors the Polymer Valley and is home to the Archives of the History of American Psychology. Akron also headquartered the National Marble Tournament, Professional Bowlers Association, and Women's Professional Mud Wrestling. Home to employers such as Summa, GOJO Industries, FirstMerit Bank, and FirstEnergy, it is listed by Newsweek as one of ten Information Age high tech havens. Awarded by the National Civic League and National Arbor Day Foundation, it was named one of the world's most livable cities. The All-American Soapbox Derby, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, National Hamburger Festival, Founders Day (Alcoholics Anonymous), and Road Runner Akron Marathon are annually hosted by the city which is a venue for some events of the 2014 Gay Games. Tourist attractions include Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Lock 3 Park where the American Marble & Toy Manufacturing Company once stood.

Residents of Akron are referred to as "Akronites". Nicknames include "Rubber City", "City of Invention", and the more historical "Rubber Capital of the World".