Single in Akron, OH? 9 Places and Apps to Find a Date
“Akron” traces back to a Greek word for an elevation or high point. Settlers in the nineteenth century gave a new Ohio town this name because of its lofty, commanding position on the Little Cuyahoga River.
Simon Perkins and Paul Williams, Akron’s founders, meant for the town to be the height of civilization in Ohio. Today it has climbed to new heights, with an estimated 190,000 residents within city limits and more than 700,000 in the Greater Akron area.
Still, living in Akron doesn’t guarantee you’re always on a high. Singles with no date on a Saturday night can feel pretty down. We’d like to give them a lift by suggesting how best to meet new faces around Akron. Here we go!
Akron Dating Sites
Wherever you live, one approach to meeting singles always comes out on top: online dating. Millions of people have turned to dating sites to make friends, land dates, and build relationships grounded in mutual attraction. These days there’s a niche site for nearly everything, which makes it easier to connect with singles who are just your type.
Best Singles Site
Match has relied on a curated matching algorithm to bring singles together online since 1995. In our view, it’s the best dating site overall thanks to its intuitive tools, varied membership, and proven success. No dating site has lasted longer, and its personality-based matchmaking keeps long-term compatibility front and center.
- Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
- Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
- Our Experts Say: “Match pairs a large dating pool with search filters specific enough to make that size useful rather than overwhelming.” Our Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Singles | 49%51% | 14.6 Million | Try Match FREE |
Over 50 & Senior Sites
Dating can get tricky after a certain age, since finding someone compatible, single, and in your age range only seems to get tougher with time. A niche site called OurTime has set out to make life easier for senior daters, offering active singles over 50 real-time messaging and easy-to-use search tools.
- Relationships: Dates and Relationships
- Match System: Search by profiles by zip and more
- Our Experts Say: “OurTime makes dating after 50 feel simple, with senior-friendly search tools and an easy-to-use layout.” Our Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mature Singles (50+) | 48%52% | 8.9 Million | Over 50? Try It FREE |
For Black Men & Women Only
African-Americans make up Akron’s second-largest racial group, yet they account for only 31.5% of the total population. If you’d like some help dating within this minority community, you can use BlackPeopleMeet free of charge. The site claims the country’s biggest community of biracial and Black singles.
- Relationships: Deep Relationships or Just Casual Dates
- Match System: Search by location, age, more
- Our Experts Say: “BlackPeopleMeet.com is the one of the largest and most popular dating sites for black and biracial singles, and the site is used by more than 5 million people a month.” Our Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Singles | 47%53% | 5.7 Million | FREE Trial for New Users |
Hookup & Sex Site
Do you like life in the fast lane, both on the Akron Innerbelt and in the dating scene? Then cruise on over to Adult Friend Finder and shift your love life into gear. On this casual hookup site, 100 million members race from flirty messages to sexual encounters.
- Relationships: Hookups Only
- Match System: Search by location, interest, more
- Our Experts Say: “Make no mistake: this site isn't about making friends, it's about finding hookups and casual encounters. No adult site has a larger or more active user base of those seeking discreet fun.” Our Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) | Today’s Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Singles | 65%35% | 25.5 Million | 3 Months @ $19.95/Mo |
Popular Dating Apps
Stretching from Goodyear Heights to Maple Valley, Akron covers 62.37 square miles in total. That’s a big area to canvass when you’re single and searching for a date. Luckily, a dating app’s location-based matching tools spare you from combing through 21 neighborhoods by yourself. Try the mobile-friendly dating apps below to zero in on compatible singles nearby.
- Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships
- Match System: Browse by location, age, interest, and more
- About the App: Match is built for browsing rather than swiping. You can search by location, age, and interest, then take your time reading profiles before reaching out. The app is free to download, create a profile, search for date prospects, and receive compatible matches based on personalized preferences. Free members can also chat with select members and send unlimited likes.
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OurTime
- Relationships: Dating and Relationships
- Match System: Search by age as well as zip, gender, more
- About the App: Made just for single seniors, OurTime is one of the most well-known niche dating apps. It’s a fun and straightforward app with simple swiping features. Once two people swipe right on each other, they can communicate. For more match options, visit the ConnectMe and I’m Interested pages.
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eharmony
- Relationships: Long-Term Relationships, Marriages
- Match System: Get daily match suggestions
- About the App: Responsible for 4% of marriages in the U.S., eharmony is among our top picks for relationship-minded heterosexual singles. To become a member, add the app to your phone (iOS or Android) and then take its 29 Dimensions® of Compatibility Matching Quiz. It’s absolutely free to do both these things — as well as receive matches and communicate during other special events.
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Akron Singles Bars
Before smartphones, the internet, and online dating reshaped how we form relationships, outgoing singles often met at their neighborhood bar. To be fair, it’s still a pretty common way to meet people. There’s no form to complete and no need to win a mutual match before you strike up a conversation. Anyone can walk over, and you can make eye contact as the connection grows. Stop by the watering holes below to meet people and score dates.
Baxter's
Baxter's is a laid-back local bar made for sitting, sipping, and just being. It takes pride in offering "drinks for everyone," so you'll find almost anything you like on the menu. Wine Wednesday draws a crowd, with half-priced glasses and bottles of wine all day long. Baxter's also hosts karaoke, trivia, and game-day parties. On Fridays and Saturdays, the kitchen serves until midnight (10 p.m. on weeknights), so late-night snacks can keep you going while you drink.
BLU Jazz+
At BLU Jazz+, a mellow jazz club, singles sway to seductive tunes. The hip joint's fame rests on its live shows, though its signature cocktails are just as likely to knock your socks off. Watch a gifted pianist tickle the ivories while you enjoy a handcrafted cocktail or some Southern comfort food. Executive Chef Nathan Kelly and his crew have turned BLU Jazz+ from a speakeasy into a culinary destination, so arrive hungry and get a BLU Plate. After all, it's hard to feel blue when there's a bowl of gumbo on the table.
Northside Speakeasy
Northside Speakeasy has built its reputation on cocktails, all handcrafted and inspired by the Roaring Twenties. The polished bar and lounge occupies the street level of a downtown Akron hotel, yet its decor gives it the feel of a hidden, under-the-radar hole-in-the-wall speakeasy. With 4.8 stars on Facebook and 4.7 on Google, it's clearly getting something right. Plenty of guests rave about the inventive cocktails, deep liquor selection, cool vibe, and well-informed bartenders.
South Point Tavern
There's no food menu at South Point Tavern, but the drinks list offers plenty of flavor combos to keep guests happy. Whether you want a smooth glass of bourbon, a cocktail, wine, or beer, the selection is big. On Friday and Saturday nights the bar is open until 1 a.m., and it tends to draw a big crowd of locals. This charming spot in the Green mixes a mean martini with fresh fruit and top-shelf liquor, and martinis cost $6 until 9 p.m. every Monday.
The Lockview
The Lockview is more than a bar; it's a bar and gourmet grilled cheese restaurant. Wondering what makes a grilled cheese gourmet? Picture two slices of ciabatta stuffed with melty cheese plus other savory fillings, from grilled pineapple, roasted peppers, and caramelized onions to apples, arugula, pepperoni, ham, and even homemade mac and cheese. The Lockview has been delighting taste buds with these signature sandwiches, each topped with a little umbrella, since 2008. On warm evenings, relax on the rooftop patio with an imported or American craft beer.
Akron Speed Dating
Eager to meet someone and fast-forward to happily ever after? Then your best bet is a speed dating event. Over one evening, you’ll meet dozens of date prospects and can follow up with the ones who catch your attention. Most organizers set up their events so participants make mutual matches with people of similar ages or backgrounds. Browse Eventbrite’s calendar for speed dating events in and around Akron and get your love life moving.
Akron Singles Events
I’m a huge fan of singles events and meetups. They’re casual and fun, and they’re usually a low-stress way to meet people with the same interests. Gamer, dog lover, yoga enthusiast, or movie buff, you can form strong, lasting bonds within a group of like-minded people. Some groups throw big holiday parties, while others meet weekly or monthly in coffee shops or bookstores. Search Meetup for a group that suits you.
Akron Singles Clubs
By day, Akron can look like the picture of sleepy suburbia, but night changes everything. The city has plenty of wild nightclubs packed with young, energetic crowds. Clubs let singles shed their daily worries and spend a night celebrating on the dance floor. That carefree vibe makes it easy to slide up next to a new crush and forge a close connection without saying a word.
Akron Chat Rooms
Not everybody feels at ease striking up a chat in a bar, a club, or some other public spot. Trying to seem witty, clever, and impressive face-to-face can leave daters tongue-tied, and awkward pauses can knock them off balance. To sidestep all that, try singles chat rooms, where you can get your bearings and let a relationship grow in a setting that feels safe. Instead of feeling cornered, you get to mull over the wording of each message. That helps singles stay cool while wooing hot dates and sharpen their conversation skills along the way.
Akron Personals
Online dating personals are essentially dating sites with no muss and no fuss, made for singles who’d like to chart their own course to romance. There are no hoops to jump through to set up a profile, known here as a personal ad. Enter your name and age, where you are, and what you’re after, and that’s it. A photo is optional, though profiles that include one always get more attention than those that don’t. Signing up for a dating personals site is fast, simple, and free, so follow the links below to begin.
Attend a Sporting Event
At a sporting event, every goal, basket, home run, and touchdown can unite the crowd. Akron has several pro sports teams worth rooting for. By far the city’s favorite is its football squad, the Akron Zips, whose games at InfoCision Stadium draw an average of 18,000+ fans.
The Akron RubberDucks draw an enthusiastic, rowdy fan base.
Local fans also hold the Akron RubberDucks close to their hearts. The team name nods to Akron’s nickname, the Rubber Capital of the World, and gives fans an excuse to don orange and trade quacks. More than 64,000 people follow the RubberDucks on Facebook, and joining this fun-loving crowd is as easy as going to a game.
Baseball and football aren’t the only ways to join the action. Each July since 1934, the All-American Soap Box Derby has taken place at Derby Downs in Akron. At this world championship, more than 500 racers put their nerve to the test. Each race takes under a minute, and crowds line the streets to watch the thrilling heats.
Whether you’re cheering in the stands or buying a round at a sports bar, supporting your favorite Akron team is a great way to make friends. And who knows? Someone special in the crowd may just earn you as a fan.
Reach Your Dating Peak in Summit City
Akron’s founders picked a promising summit on which to shelter and grow a Northern Ohio community. They had the future in mind, and the site’s ideal location has brought great prosperity, wealth, and innovation.
Whether you’re founding a city or looking for a date, success starts with picking the right place to begin, and setting yourself up well. That’s the point of our roundup of ways to meet new people: every resource here can carry singles beyond their dating expectations and up into the relationship they want.
Take full advantage of all Akron has going for it, and your dating game can reach its peak. With so many options, you just need to pick the ones that suit how you date and what you want in a relationship. Good luck!
About the Author
By: Emma Wilson
Editor-in-Chief
Emma Wilson is the Editor-in-Chief at thecandiddate.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being 'boy crazy,' but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. Emma brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to thecandiddate.com.
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