Editing Stow, Ohio

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Stow, Ohio
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| image_skyline            = Stow_City_Hall_01.jpg
| imagesize                = 250px
| image_caption            = Stow City Hall
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = 
| website                  = {{URL|stow.oh.us}}
| established_title        = Founded
| established_date         = 1804<ref>{{cite web |title= Timeline|url= http://www.stow.oh.us/community/history/historyTimeline.shtml|work= City of Stow website|publisher= City of Stow|year= 2009|access-date=October 13, 2009}}</ref>
| established_title2       = Incorporated
| established_date2        = 1957<ref>{{cite book |title= Stow Historic Preservation Plan|last= Williams|first= Judith B.|year= 1989|publisher= City of Stow |location= Stow, Ohio|page= 20}}</ref>
| established_title3       = 
| established_date3        = 
| founder                  = [[Joshua Stow]]
| image_flag               = Flag of Stow, Ohio.svg
| image_seal               = Stow official seal (low res).jpg
| image_blank_emblem       = Stow, Ohio logo.png
| blank_emblem_size        = 200px
| image_map                = Summit County Ohio incorporated and unincorporated areas Stow highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 260px
| map_caption              = Location in [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit County]] and the state of [[Ohio]].
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Ohio|County]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_name1        = [[Ohio]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit]]
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name              = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 44.84
| area_land_km2            = 44.25
| area_water_km2           = 0.59
| area_total_sq_mi         = 17.31
| area_land_sq_mi          = 17.09
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.23
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 34483
| population_density_km2   = 779.25
| population_density_sq_mi = 2018.20
| timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
| coordinates              = {{coord|41|10|35|N|81|26|04|W|region:US-OH|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 1142
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 44224
| area_code                = [[Area codes 234 and 330|330, 234]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 39-74944<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1087018<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1087018}}</ref>
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Stow''' is a city in [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit County]], [[Ohio]], United States. The population was 34,483 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. It is a [[suburban]] community within the [[Akron metropolitan area]].

==History==
[[File:Portage County 1826.jpg|thumb|left|1826 map of Portage County showing Stow Township (left of center) as it was originally laid out]]
Stow is named for [[Joshua Stow]], its original proprietor.  Joshua Stow was a member of the party led by [[Moses Cleaveland]] to survey the lands of the [[Connecticut Western Reserve]] around present-day [[Cleveland]] in 1796.  He was a native of [[Middletown, Connecticut]], however, and never lived in Stow, though he spent both time and money developing the township and is quoted as saying it was "one of the prettiest and most romantic spots in the Western Reserve."<ref name=joshua>{{cite web |title=Joshua Stow |url=http://www.smfpl.org/reference/lh/area_history/pioneers/joshua_stow |publisher=Stow–Munroe Falls Public Library |access-date=August 25, 2012}}</ref>   The land that would eventually be known as Stow Township was the [[survey township]] "Town 3, Range 10" of the Western Reserve and was initially {{convert|25|mi2|km2}}.  It was purchased by Joshua Stow for $14,154.  Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the area around what is now Stow was inhabited by a tribe of [[Seneca people|Seneca]] Native Americans at a small settlement in the area that is now part of the neighboring village of [[Silver Lake, Ohio|Silver Lake]].<ref name=early>{{cite web|author=Green, Frank A.|date=c. 1950|title=Early History of Stow (adapted) |url=http://www.smfpl.org/reference/lh/area_history/early_history_stow|work=SMFPL.org |publisher=Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library (SMFPL) |access-date=August 25, 2012}}</ref><ref name=timeline>{{cite web|year=2005|title=Local History - Stow Timeline|url=http://www.smfpl.org/node/18|work=SMFPL.org|publisher=Stow–Munroe Falls Public Library (SMFPL)|access-date=September 6, 2010}}</ref>

The first settler in Stow Township was William Walker, who arrived in 1802.  Walker built a cabin just south of the land of his father Robert in [[Hudson, Ohio|Hudson Township]] mistakenly believing he was building in Hudson.  In 1804, when Stow Township was separated from Hudson Township and surveyed into lots by Joseph Darrow, it was discovered his house was actually in Stow Township.  Walker purchased the lot his home was on and continued to live there.  Darrow had been hired by Joshua Stow's land agent William Wetmore, a settler also from Middletown, Connecticut, who moved to Stow in 1804 with his family and several other settlers.  The Wetmores built a cabin in July 1804 near the center of Stow Township and the present-day intersection of [[Ohio State Route 91|Darrow Road]] and [[Ohio State Route 59|Kent Road]].  In 1808, the Wetmores built a home near the Seneca settlement in what is now Silver Lake. The house overlooked a small lake, known as Silver Lake since 1874, that was known earlier as Wetmore Pond or Stow Lake.  Stow Township was formally organized in 1808 with the first election held in 1811.  1808 was also the year it was made part of the original [[Portage County, Ohio|Portage County]].  It remained as part of Portage County until it was included in the new [[Summit County, Ohio|Summit County]] in 1840.<ref name=early/><ref name=wetmore>{{cite web |title=William Wetmore |url=http://www.smfpl.org/node/207 |publisher=Stow–Munroe Falls Public Library |access-date=August 25, 2012}}</ref>

Most of the original {{convert|25|sqmi|sqkm|adj=on}} township is part of the present city of Stow, but parts of the original township form all or part of three neighboring communities.  [[Munroe Falls, Ohio|Munroe Falls]] was settled in 1809 as "Kelsey Mills" in the southern part of Stow Township and incorporated as a village in 1838.  [[Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio|Cuyahoga Falls]] was developed on land owned by Wetmore and Joshua Stow beginning in 1825 in the southwestern part of the township and became a town in 1837.  In 1851, Cuyahoga Falls Township was created, taking the southwest corner of Stow Township along with parts of three neighboring townships.  Cuyahoga Falls incorporated as a village in 1868 and later annexed additional portions of Stow Township in the 19th and 20th centuries, as did Munroe Falls.  Silver Lake incorporated as a village in 1918 on land that had previously been part of Stow Township. The remainder of Stow Township incorporated in 1957 as a village and became a city following the 1960 United States Census.<ref name=early/><ref name=timeline/><ref name=summit>{{cite book |title=History of Summit County |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofsummitc00perr |year=1881 |publisher=Baskin and Battey |location=Chicago |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofsummitc00perr/page/470 470]–471 |edition=1972 reprint}}</ref>

==Geography and climate==
Stow is a suburb of Akron and is in east-central Summit County on the border with [[Portage County, Ohio|Portage County]]. It directly borders [[Kent, Ohio|Kent]] to the east, [[Tallmadge, Ohio|Tallmadge]] and [[Munroe Falls, Ohio|Munroe Falls]] to the south, [[Hudson, Ohio|Hudson]] to the north, and [[Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio|Cuyahoga Falls]] to the west and south. On the northwest corner, it touches [[Boston Township, Summit County, Ohio|Boston Township]], with [[Streetsboro, Ohio|Streetsboro]] on the northeast corner and [[Brimfield Township, Ohio|Brimfield Township]] on the southeast. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|17.32|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|17.09|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.23|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 6, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=January 25, 2012}}</ref>

Stow's climate is classified as a [[humid continental climate]] in the ''Dfa'' [[Köppen climate classification]] meaning it typically has very warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters, with moderate and variable spring and autumn seasons. The city is not considered part of the Lake Erie [[snowbelt]], though [[lake-effect snow]] does occur at times.  Stow is in the "secondary snowbelt," meaning it will receive heavier snowfalls from lake-effect snow when certain wind directions are more prevalent, but typically sees far less snow than areas to the north closer to [[Lake Erie]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/weather/weather_news/where-is-northern-ohio's-snow-belt |title=Where is northern Ohio's snow belt? |author=Johnson, Mark |date=November 12, 2010 |work=NewsNet5.com |publisher=[[WEWS-TV|NewsChannel 5]] |access-date=August 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119083803/http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/weather/weather_news/where-is-northern-ohio%27s-snow-belt |archive-date=November 19, 2010 }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=right
|1960= 12194
|1970= 19847
|1980= 25299
|1990= 27702
|2000= 32139
|2010= 34837
|2020= 34483
|estyear=2021
|estimate=34342
|estref=
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/stowcityohio,US/PST045221|title=Stow city, Ohio|website=census.gov|accessdate=July 6, 2022}}</ref>
}}

As of economic data accessed in 2013, those living under the poverty level in Stow has increased from 4.0% in 2007 to 7.5%. The employment status is 71% in the labor force, with an unemployment rate of 5.8%. There are 23.4% of the population receiving a mean Social Security income of $16,235 per year.<ref name="ACS City Economic Census Data">{{cite report|title=Stow, Ohio Economic Census Data |url=http://acs-economic-city.findthedata.org/l/20175/Stow-Ohio|work=Stow, Ohio|publisher=ACS City Economic Data|date=June 18, 2013|access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref>

Of the city's population over age 25, 40.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3974944.html |title=Stow (City) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau |access-date=November 27, 2013 |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203000926/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3974944.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 6, 2013}}</ref> of 2010, there were 34,837 people, 14,226 households, and 9,436 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2038.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 15,141 housing units at an average density of {{convert|886.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.7% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.4% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 14,226 households, of which 30.9% had children under age 18 living with them, 53.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.7% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42, and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 39.7 years. 22.7% of residents were under age 18; 8.1% were between 18 and 24; 26.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 32,139 people, 12,317 households, and 8,745 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,878.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 12,852 housing units at an average density of {{convert|751.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 95.20% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.54% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.11% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.91% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.30% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.93% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.91% of the population.

There were 12,317 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:Roses Run 01a.jpg|thumb|Roses Run Country Club]]
Stow has several community parks including Adell Durbin Park, Meadowbrook Lake Park, Silver Springs Park, and Oregon Trail Park. Stow also owns Fox Den Golf Course.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stow.oh.us/Departments/ParksRecreation/parks+recreation-main.shtml|title=City of Stow - Parks and Recreation Home<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=stow.oh.us|access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> Stow Parks and Recreation allows children and teenagers to participate in sports such as baseball and basketball. The tennis courts at Stow's parks are free to the public. The tennis courts at Adel Durbin Park are also lit for nighttime play.

Stow is also home to the Roses Run Country Club, which overlooks a section of the Cuyahoga River. In 2006 it was ranked the 18th most challenging 18-hole golf course in Northeast Ohio by the Northern Ohio Golf Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rosesrun.com/rosrgolf.htm|title=Roses Run Country Club|website=rosesrun.com|access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref> Fox Den Golf Course is another 18 hole 71 par golf course located in the eastern part of Stow and is owned and operated by the city of Stow. In 2009 it was named as one of the top-ten golf courses in Northeast Ohio by the ''[[Akron Beacon Journal]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stow.oh.us/Community/FoxDen/foxDen.shtml|title=Fox Den Golf Course|website=stow.oh.us|access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref>

The {{convert|33.5|mi|km|adj=on}} Summit County MetroParks Bike and Hike trail runs through Stow beginning near the Pambi Farm Estates and Roses Run Country Club. The paved Bike & Hike Trail parallels a scenic section of the Cuyahoga River where great blue herons, Canada geese, ducks, turtles and white-tailed deer can be seen. The trail continues west through the neighboring cities of Munroe Falls and Silver Lake then continues north to [[Brandywine Creek (Cuyahoga River)|Brandywine Falls]], one of the highest waterfalls in Ohio. All 33.5 miles of the trail are paved and can be used for hiking, biking and rollerblading as well as cross-country skiing. Picnic areas can be found at numerous places along the trail.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summitmetroparks.org/ParksAndTrails/BikeAndHikeTrail.aspx|title=Biking & Hiking Trails in Summit County - Summit Metro Parks|website=www.summitmetroparks.org|access-date=April 22, 2018}}</ref>

==Education==
{{main|Stow–Munroe Falls City School District}}
Stow is served by the [[Stow–Munroe Falls City School District]], along with most of neighboring Munroe Falls.<ref name="2009 NEO Tax">{{cite news|author=Exner, Rich|date=January 13, 2009|title=Northeast Ohio property tax rates, and where the money goes|url=http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2009/01/northeast_ohio_property_tax_ra.html|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer|Cleveland.com]]|publisher=Cleveland Live, Inc|access-date=August 6, 2010}}</ref> The district includes six elementary schools (Echo Hills, Fishcreek, Highland, Indian Trail, Riverview and Woodland), Lakeview Intermediate School, Kimpton Middle School and [[Stow-Munroe Falls High School]]. All of the district schools are in Stow except Riverview Elementary and Kimpton Middle School, which are in Munroe Falls.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stow-Munroe Falls City School District|url=http://www.smfschools.org/|year=2010|work=SMFSchools.org|publisher=Stow-Munroe Falls City School District|access-date=August 6, 2010}}</ref> Stow is served by Holy Family School for those wishing a Grade 1-8 Catholic education.

==Media==
Stow is served by a local newspaper — the ''Stow Sentry'' — published weekly by Record Publishing Co.<ref name="Stow Sentry">{{cite web|year=2010|title=The Stow Sentry Contacts List|url=http://www.stowsentry.com/news/page/contacts|work=StowSentry.com|publisher=Record Publishing Co, LLC|access-date=September 6, 2010}}</ref> Maintained by the area division of [[Time Warner Cable]], Stow also sponsors a [[Government-access television]] (GATV) station on [[cable TV]] — Stow Community Channel 15. The station broadcasts live audio from city council meetings, and regular announcements relating to: city and school functions; maintenance work; area businesses; and any upcoming local events.<ref name="Stow Community Channel 15">{{cite web|year=2009|title=City of Stow Leaf Pick‐up Program (Curbside Vacuum Collection)|url=http://www.stow.oh.us/Departments/Service/Documents/LeafPick-upProgram09.pdf|work=City of Stow official website|publisher=City of Stow|access-date=September 6, 2010|quote=For updates on the City of Stow Leaf Pick‐up Program... view Stow Community Channel 15 on Time Warner Cable.}}</ref>

==Transportation==
Three Ohio state routes run through Stow: [[Ohio State Route 8]], a limited-access highway; [[Ohio State Route 59]] (Kent Road); and [[Ohio State Route 91]] (Darrow Road). Both the [[METRO RTA|Akron Metropolitan Regional Transit Authority]] (METRO RTA) and [[Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority]] (PARTA) have bus lines that stop in Stow,<ref name="METRO RTA, PARTA">{{cite web|year=2010|title=Fall 2010 Maps & Schedules|url=http://www.akronmetro.org/MapsSchedulesFall2010.html|work=AkronMetro.org|publisher=METRA RTA|access-date=September 6, 2010}}
*{{cite web|year=2010|title=County Service: InterUrban|url=http://www.partaonline.org/pdfs/InterUrban.pdf|work=PARTAonline.org|publisher=PARTA|access-date=September 6, 2010}}</ref> and the city is also home to [[Kent State University Airport]].<ref name="KSU Airport">{{cite web|author1=McFarland, Maureen |author2=Vincent, Emily |year=2010|title=Aviation Heritage Fair Takes to the Skies for Its 15th Year|url=http://www.kent.edu/news/newsdetail.cfm?newsitem=8BF68D22-CCBC-1A70-6BB73EB950F564A6|work=Kent.edu|publisher=Kent State University|access-date=September 6, 2010|quote=... the Kent State University Airport, located at 4020 Kent Road in Stow, and the recently constructed Keegan Fetter Railroad}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Haley Bennett]] - singer, songwriter and actress
* [[Richard Cooey]] - convicted murderer and rapist; executed in 2008<ref name=cooey>{{cite news|author1=Miller-Roane, Marilyn |author2=Chancellor, Carl |author3=Geiger, Peter |date=September 3, 1986|title=3 Teens Held in Norton Rape-Murders: Jewelry, Weapon Recovered|newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal|publisher=Beacon Journal Publishing Co.|page=A1 - Metro|quote=A 1985 graduate of Stow High School, Cooey is a stepson of...}}</ref>
* [[Larry Csonka]] - former professional football player in the [[National Football League]] (NFL)
* [[Ben Curtis (golfer)|Ben Curtis]] - professional golfer and winner of the 2003 [[The Open Championship|British Open]]; lived in Stow for several years
* [[Ed Donatell]] - professional football player in the NFL 
* [[Joe Ebanks]] - champion poker player
* [[Leona Farris]] - educator and volunteer
* [[Mark Gangloff]] - [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympian]] and [[Lists of Olympic medalists|gold medal winner]]
* [[Jim Graner]] - former weeknight [[Sports commentator|sports anchor]] for [[WKYC]]; [[color commentator]] for [[Cleveland Browns]] radio network
* [[Erin Rachel Hudak]] - multi-media artist
* [[Dave Jamerson]] - professional basketball player in the [[National Basketball Association]]
* [[Neel Kashkari]] - Interim Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability
* [[Shawn Porter]] - [[professional boxer]]
* [[Lux Interior|Erick Purkhiser]] - better known as Lux Interior, lead singer of [[The Cramps]]
* [[Jennifer Rohn]] - scientist and novelist
* [[Rob Senderoff]] - college basketball coach
* [[Mike Vrabel]] - professional football player and head coach in the NFL 
* [[David Walker (basketball)|David Walker]] - professional basketball player in [[Liga ACB]]
* [[George Younce]] - Gospel Music Hall of Fame member and founding member of [[The Cathedrals]]<ref>{{cite news |title=George C. Younce |url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ohio/obituary.aspx?pid=3408778 |newspaper=[[Akron Beacon Journal]] |date=April 13, 2005 |access-date=February 5, 2018}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Stow}}
*[http://www.stow.oh.us City of Stow]
*[http://www.smfcc.com/ Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce]
*[https://stowhistory.org/ Stow Historical Society]

{{Summit County, Ohio}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Summit County, Ohio]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1804]]
[[Category:English-American culture in Ohio]]
[[Category:1804 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:Cities in Ohio]]