In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Stow
Stow, Ohio
Skip Stow as a base: a car suburb between Akron and Cleveland with one historic park and a dog beach. Sleep here only for a cheap bed near Kent.
Stow is a suburban city of about 35,000 in Summit County, Ohio, sitting on the OH-8 corridor between Akron and Cleveland. Almost everything here is spread along highways and needs a car. Travellers use it for one night of cheaper lodging near Kent State or the Cuyahoga Valley, not as a sightseeing destination.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Stow, Ohio
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (snow and ice), late Nov–Dec holiday traffic
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–170 excl. bed · High $170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–16 |
| Burrito or pizza slice | $8–14 |
| Draught beer in a bar | $6–9 |
| Rideshare, Stow to Kent | $12–20 |
| Gasoline, per gallon | $3–4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CAK · Akron-Canton Airport
- About 30–40 min by car via I-77 and OH-8
- CLE · Cleveland Hopkins International
- About 40–50 min by car north on I-77 and OH-8
- 1G3 · Kent State University Airport
- General aviation only, on Kent Rd at the east edge of Stow
Typical fares
- Rideshare Stow → Akron
- $20–30
- Rideshare Stow → Cleveland
- $45–70
- Metro RTA local fare
- about $1.75–2.50
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. OH-8 runs north to Cleveland and south to Akron; OH-59 and OH-91 cross the city. Sidewalks are patchy and walking along the main roads is not recommended. Metro RTA buses link Stow with Akron and Kent, but service is thin — check schedules before relying on it.
See and do
Known for
- Heritage Reserve Park and the Stow Historical Society
- Bow Wow Beach dog park
- Cheap chain hotels on the Akron–Cleveland corridor
- Bike and Hike Trail toward Cleveland
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga Valley National Park | Car north on OH-8 then west on I-271/I-80 to the Boston or Brandywine trailheads | About 30–45 min |
| Kent, Ohio | Car east on OH-59, about 10 min | About 15 min |
| Akron | Car south on OH-8, or Metro RTA bus | About 20–30 min |
| Cleveland | Car north on OH-8 and I-77, or I-80 to the turnpike | About 40–50 min |
| Hudson, Ohio | Car north on OH-91 | About 15 min |
Sleep
- Lakepointe Corporate Drive and Steels Pointe
- Cluster of chain hotels off OH-8 at the north end; free parking, nothing walkable.
- Kent Rd (OH-59) corridor
- Motels and diners toward Kent; closest beds to Kent State University.
- Silver Springs Campground
- City-run tent and RV sites on Young Rd; cheap, seasonal — check dates.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the highway entrance? | Where is the highway entrance? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is there parking here? | Is there parking here? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No walkable centre: plan every errand by car.
- Winter ice and lake-effect snow make OH-8 slow; allow extra time.
- Hotel rates spike on Kent State event weekends and around graduation.
- Campground is seasonal and closes in cold months — check before booking.
A low-crime American suburb; the real risks are driving (ice, deer, highway merges) and having no pavement to walk on. Keep to lit lots after dark and lock the car.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Stow yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Heritage Reserve Park and the Stow Historical Society
- Bow Wow Beach dog park
- Cheap chain hotels on the Akron–Cleveland corridor
- Bike and Hike Trail toward Cleveland
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Stow — Bow Wow Beach dog park: stowohio.org/bow-wow-beach-dog-park/
- City of Stow — Silver Springs Campground: stowohio.org/silver-springs-campground/
- Kent State University Airport: www.kent.edu/airport
- Wikivoyage: Stow, revision 5306207 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5306207
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
StowStow, Ohio
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Poison Control1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Stow; consulates sit in Cleveland and Chicago, embassies in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/stow). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.