Akron, Ohio
The city of Akron is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio. It is located in northeastern Ohio on the Cuyahoga River, approximately 60 miles (100 km) west of the Pennsylvania border, between Cleveland to the north and Canton to the south. The 2004 Census Bureau estimate for Akron placed the population at 212,179 residents whereas the total estimated population of the Akron-Canton area is over 1,101,894 people. Census figures indicate that he median household income in the city is $31,835, and the median family income is $39,381.
Akron is home to two famous Fortune 500 companies - the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and FirstEnergy. Akron is also home to Gojo (makers of Purell), Advanced Elastomer Systems, FirstMerit Bank, Myers Industries (an international manufacturer of polymer products), Roadway Express (a subsidiary of Yellow Roadway), Acme Fresh Market and Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors division. The city is also home to The University of Akron (with over 23,000 students), the Akron Aeros Double A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, and the Firestone Country Club, at which the PGA TOUR's Bridgestone Invitational is annually played. Akron has two large hospitals, Akron General Medical Center and Akron City Hospital (run by the larger Summa Health System), which have both been on the U.S. News and World Report Magazine's list of "Best Hospitals" several times.
The city has a diverse and colorful heritage of old restaurants and shopping centers. Quaker Square, in the center of Akron's downtown, is a mall made out of an old Quaker Oats factory. West Point Market, a nationally-known specialty food and wine store, offers Akron residents exceptional imported and gourmet food items in addition to locally grown produce. Highland Square, located in West Akron and anchored by the historic Highland Theatre, is one of Akron's fastest-growing entertainment districts. The oat silos have been transformed into hotel rooms providing a unique experience to the patron. The Trackside Grille, themed with railroads which run parallel to the building, provides a narrative of Akron's history.
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.
