Summit County was created in 1840 from parts of Portage, Medina, and Stark counties. It was named for the Portage Summit, the highest point along the Ohio and Erie Canal.
Akron grew rapidly after the canal opened in the 1820s, and by the early twentieth century it was known as the Rubber Capital of the World. Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone, and General Tire made the city a hub of innovation and drew workers from across the country.
In 1935 Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, beginning a movement that has helped millions of people. Today much of the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley, now a national park, lies within Summit County.
Places to Explore
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Towpath Trail, Hale Farm and Village, and the Akron Art Museum.
Did You Know?
Goodyear blimps have been a familiar sight in the skies above Akron for about a century.
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