Springfield Township is situated between the little Cuyahoga River and the Tuscarawas River in Summit County, Ohio. It is located immediately to the southeast of the City of Akron in the gently rolling hills of the Appalachian Plateau. Springfield Lake, located in the center of the township, is one of the few natural lakes found in Ohio. The lake, fed by an underground spring, is known as a "Kettle" lake, the melted remnants of a glacier left over from the last ice age. Boating and fishing activities abound there.
Highways
The township is traversed by five highways:
Interstate 76
State Route 241
State Route 532
State Route 91
U.S. 224
Other Thoroughfares
The other major thoroughfares include:
Albrecht Avenue
Canton Road
East Waterloo Road
Killian Road
Krumroy Road
Mogadore Road
Myersville Road
Sanitarium Road
South Arlington Road
Ports of Entry
Akron-Canton Regional Airport, located five miles to the south, provides short haul commuter service to many of the major airline hubs. Akron-Fulton Airport, immediately adjacent to the west of the township, provides service for small private planes. Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport, located about 35 miles to the northwest, provides direct service to many national and international cities.
Surrounding Area
Lying within and completely surrounded by the township is the Village of Lakemore, which has a population of almost 3,000 and is 1.5 square miles in size. The township, incorporated in 1808, was originally laid out at 25 square miles in size. However, because of numerous annexations and the incorporations of Lakemore and Mogadore, it is now approximately 14.7 square miles in size.
Joint Economic Development District (JEDD)
Township voters voted to enter into a JEDD agreement with the City of Akron in 1994. The JEDD agreement levies a 2.25% income tax on businesses located within the JEDD areas as well as their employees. In exchange for the tax revenues, Akron agreed to install new water and sewer lines to the designated areas to help economic development in the township and increase the township's property tax base. The city has also agreed to refrain from any further annexation into the township. The current population of Springfield Township is approximately 17,000 inhabitants.
Infrastructure
Emergency Services
The township is served by full-time professional police and fire departments with paramedic service.
Education
All township residents are served by the Springfield Local School District. The district consists of three elementary schools, and one junior/senior high school building.
Churches
The township is also home to more than a dozen churches of various religious denominations.
Utilities
Utility providers that service the area are:
Ameritech for telephone services
East Ohio Gas for natural gas
Ohio Edison for electric
The limited area of the township with centralized sewer and water are served by the County of Summit Environmental Services Department.