About the Byway

Wherever possible, the Byway follows the path of the old Ohio & Erie Canal from Dover to Cleveland, which is why you’ll often find it traveling next to the Towpath Trail as well as a later form of transportation — the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

As it works its way south from Cleveland, the Byway passes through a number of towns with canal-era roots: Boston Mills (1811); Jaite (1905); Kendal (1812); Peninsula (1834); Akron (1825); Barberton (1891); Clinton (1816); Canal Fulton (1826); Massillon (1826); Navarre (1834); Bolivar; Zoar (1817); Dover; and New Philadelphia (1804).

Driving the length of the Byway shows the diversity of our region, from a northern frame where an industrial landscape dominates with a complex matrix of bridges, smokestacks and factories to a southern scene of greenery consisting of farm fields, nature preserves and river corridors.

• In Cleveland, the industrial heritage is apparent. You’ll uncover the story of Ohio’s industrial legacy as you pass factories, warehouses and travel past a working steel mill (ArcelorMittal, ranked in 2007 as the most productive steel mill in the world).
• Along the Byway’s midsection, you’ll see evidence of the golden days of the Canal era including Akron, whose roots can be directly traced to the Ohio & Erie Canalway.
• In Stark County, you’ll find preserved canal-era structures, including a working replica of a canal boat in picturesque Canal Fulton.
• To the south, you’ll find traces of the pre-canal era as you travel through the rural communities of Tuscarawas County.

The Ohio & Erie Canalway America’s Byway is officially designated as both an Ohio State Scenic Byway (1996) and an America's Byway (2000).