Summit County in northeastern Ohio is built around Akron and a close network of neighboring cities that includes Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Barberton, Green, Hudson, Tallmadge, and Northfield-area communities. The northern half is cut by the deep Cuyahoga River valley, while the southern half contains Summit Lake, Long Lake, East Reservoir, Turkeyfoot Lake, and Nimisila Reservoir near the divide between north-flowing and south-flowing waters. This page separates roads and communities, water features, and elevation, and high-resolution JPG originals of all four supplied maps are available in the download ZIP.
Akron is the most useful starting point. Cuyahoga Falls lies immediately north, Stow is northeast, Barberton southwest, and Green farther south. I-77 crosses the Akron area from north to south, while I-271 serves the northern Richfield–Boston Heights side. The terrain map explains why this urban county still has dramatic physical geography: the Cuyahoga River sits in a deeply cut valley, with substantially higher land on both sides.
Table of Contents
Akron connects the central road network to Cuyahoga Falls and Barberton
The general county map places Akron slightly south of center, surrounded by the densest road and developed-land pattern. I-77 runs through the city and continues toward Green, while Route 21 provides a western connection toward Barberton and Norton. Routes 162 and 93 help organize the southwest, and Route 241 serves as a useful reference on the southeastern side. Even within this urban core, river corridors, parkland, and reservoirs break up the continuous street pattern.
Cuyahoga Falls lies immediately north of Akron along the Cuyahoga River valley, and Stow sits to the east. Tallmadge is east of Akron, Barberton is southwest, and Norton lies farther west. The northern half adds Hudson, Boston Heights, Richfield, Macedonia, and Twinsburg, creating a long north-south county whose communities are connected but separated by wooded valleys and protected land.
Route 82 crosses the northern portion from the Richfield side toward Macedonia and Twinsburg, while I-271 passes Richfield and Boston Heights. Hudson occupies a large northeastern developed area close to the Portage County side. The road network becomes less regular near the Cuyahoga Valley because steep slopes, river bends, and parkland interrupt the grid that is more common in flatter suburban areas.
Summit County’s executive office describes the county as home to 31 cities, villages, and townships and lists Akron, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Green, Hudson, and other communities. That matches the map’s strongly multi-city character. The static map is useful for understanding the county layout, but current construction, closures, and driving times require live transportation information.
Six highlighted cities show a county with several urban centers
The city-distribution view highlights Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Green, Barberton, and Hudson. Akron anchors the central-southern area, Cuyahoga Falls lies just north, and Stow is to the northeast. Barberton sits southwest, Green is farther south, and Hudson extends the highlighted pattern into the northern part of the county. The simplified view makes it clear that Summit County is not organized around one isolated city.
The CITY INDEX prints values beside the six names, but those numbers belong to the supplied map and are not reused here as current official population estimates. Census dates and municipal boundaries can change. The more durable information is geographic: Akron and Cuyahoga Falls form the central spine, Stow and Hudson extend to the northeast, Barberton anchors the southwest, and Green reaches the southern section.
Returning to the general map adds transportation and terrain context. Akron and Green are tied together by I-77, while Cuyahoga Falls and Stow occupy the northern urban belt near the river valley. Hudson sits between higher northeastern ground and the Cuyahoga Valley. Barberton is closer to the southern reservoir and Tuscarawas drainage area, giving the western-southern side a different water setting from the north.
The Cuyahoga River bends through the north while lakes gather south of Akron
The dominant water feature is the Cuyahoga River. It enters the county from the north, flows south through the valley, then turns sharply near the Akron–Cuyahoga Falls area and heads back toward the northwest. The National Park Service describes this unusual bend as part of the river’s V-shaped course, created where the river reaches an east-west continental divide near Akron.
The Little Cuyahoga River approaches from the east and joins the central drainage near Akron. In the northwest, the East Branch Rocky River occupies a separate valley. Barberton Reservoir appears on the southwestern side, and Springfield Lake provides a large eastern water reference. This northern and central pattern is dominated by river valleys rather than by one large reservoir.
South of Akron, the map changes. Long Lake, East Reservoir, and Turkeyfoot Lake cluster close together, while Nimisila Reservoir lies farther south. Summit Lake sits within urban Akron near a high point between watersheds. Summit Metro Parks describes it as a glacial kettle lake at the divide; because of the canal and reservoir system, most water now flows north toward the Cuyahoga rather than south toward the Tuscarawas.
Summit Metro Parks manages river access along both the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas systems, and Cascade Valley Metro Park shows how steep ravines and the Cuyahoga corridor remain embedded between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. The supplied water map is a geographic reference only. It is not a flood-hazard map, legal shoreline record, current depth or flow chart, or navigation product.
Elevation from about 185 to 402 meters exposes the depth of the Cuyahoga Valley
The elevation legend reports an actual county range of about 185 to 402 meters, with a mean near 316 meters. The lowest dark-green terrain follows the Cuyahoga River through the north-central county, especially around the Cuyahoga Valley National Park corridor. High orange and brown ground rises quickly to the east and west, producing much sharper local relief than a road map alone suggests.
The north is not a simple slope in one direction. The Cuyahoga valley forms a deep green trench, while high ground stands on both sides. Richfield and the western edge contain broad uplands, and the Hudson–Twinsburg side includes additional high ridges. Tributaries cut narrow green branches into those higher surfaces, giving the northern half a strongly dissected appearance.
Around Akron, relief is somewhat gentler but still shaped by the Little Cuyahoga River and smaller stream valleys. Farther south, Green and New Franklin sit across rolling uplands interrupted by Long Lake, Nimisila Reservoir, and the Tuscarawas drainage. The southeastern boundary contains some of the county’s higher warm-colored terrain, continuing toward the Portage and Stark county uplands.
Brown indicates the high end of Summit County’s locally scaled legend, not mountain terrain comparable with major ranges. The elevation image is useful for county-scale comparison but not site engineering. Exact parcel elevations, road grades, drainage design, and construction measurements should come from original USGS elevation data or a professional survey.
Use Akron to compare the northern valley with the southern lake district
Keeping Akron fixed while switching views is the fastest way to connect the county’s geography. The road map shows I-77 and the central street network, the city view places Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Barberton, and Green around Akron, the water map separates the north-flowing Cuyahoga system from the southern lakes, and the elevation layer shows the north-central river valley as the deepest low corridor.
Cuyahoga Falls is the best reference for the northern valley. Its developed area sits beside the Cuyahoga River, and nearby Gorge Metro Park occupies a bedrock canyon with steep valley walls. The elevation map mirrors that geography with a narrow green lowland bordered by high slopes, a contrast that is far stronger than in many of the flatter suburban sections.
Green and Barberton provide the southern comparison. Barberton Reservoir lies to the southwest, while Green is close to Long Lake, East Reservoir, Turkeyfoot Lake, and Nimisila Reservoir. This southern half is less dominated by one deep river gorge and more by a network of lakes, reservoirs, small valleys, and rolling uplands.
Choose the Summit County map that fits the task
Use the general county map when you need Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Barberton, Hudson, I-77, I-271, and major state routes together. The city-distribution map is cleaner when the goal is comparing the six highlighted cities. Choose the water map for the Cuyahoga River bend, Little Cuyahoga River, Summit-area lakes, Barberton Reservoir, and Nimisila Reservoir.
The elevation map is the clearest choice for comparing the deep Cuyahoga valley with the surrounding uplands and the rolling southern landscape. The WebP previews on the page are convenient for quick viewing, while the high-resolution JPG originals in the ZIP below are better for printing and zooming into small labels. These maps are regional reference products and should not replace legal parcel records, live navigation, flood determinations, or survey-grade elevation data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Akron and Cuyahoga Falls positioned on the map?
Cuyahoga Falls lies immediately north of Akron, and the Cuyahoga River valley runs through the area between and beside the two cities. The general map is best for the road relationship, while the water and elevation views show the valley much more clearly.
Is Summit Lake part of the Cuyahoga River system?
Summit Lake sits near a high watershed divide in Akron. Summit Metro Parks explains that the canal and reservoir system changed its drainage, and most water now flows north toward the Cuyahoga River rather than south toward the Tuscarawas system.
Can the 185–402 meter elevation range be used for surveying?
No. The elevation map is intended for county-scale comparison of the Cuyahoga valley and surrounding uplands. Exact parcel heights, road grades, drainage design, and construction measurements should come from original USGS data or a professional survey.
Map File Information
The download ZIP contains high-resolution JPG originals of the Summit County general map, city distribution map, water map, and elevation map.
- File Type: JPG
Related Maps
Sources and references
- Summit County Executive – official county community information for Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Green, Hudson, and other municipalities
- Summit Metro Parks · Water Trails – Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas river access and water-trail context
- Summit Metro Parks · Summit Lake Nature Center – local information about Summit Lake
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park · Watersheds – Cuyahoga River course and watershed context
- USGS National Hydrography – rivers, streams, lakes, and hydrography reference data
- USGS 3D Elevation Program – elevation and terrain reference data
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
