Akron, OH Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 77.05
- First-offense fine cap
- $150
- Applies to
- Crossings outside a crosswalk
- Diagonal crossing
- Barred without a signal
- State authority
- R.C. § 4511.48
Summary
Akron pedestrians who cross outside a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection must yield to every vehicle on the road under City Code § 77.05. The same section bans diagonal crossings without a signal and forbids crossing anywhere but a marked crosswalk between two signal-controlled intersections.
A.Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.B.Any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided shall yield the right-of-way to all traffic upon the roadway.C.Between adjacent intersections at which traffic-control signals are in operation, pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk.D.No pedestrian shall cross a roadway intersection diagonally unless authorized by official traffic-control devices; and when authorized to cross diagonally, pedestrians shall cross only in accordance with the official traffic-control devices pertaining to such crossing movements.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
05, "Right-of-way yielded by pedestrian," covers what most people call jaywalking. Subsection A puts the burden on the walker: anyone who crosses a roadway at a point other than a marked crosswalk, or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, must yield the right-of-way to all vehicles on the roadway, not the other way around. Subsection B extends that same yielding duty to a pedestrian who crosses where the City has built a pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing instead of using it. Subsection C tightens the rule between two intersections that both have working traffic signals: in that stretch a pedestrian may not cross anywhere except in a marked crosswalk, so mid-block crossing on a signalized street is flatly barred.
Subsection D adds a ban on cutting diagonally across an intersection unless a traffic-control device specifically authorizes it, and even then the pedestrian must follow whatever crossing pattern that device sets. 04 makes clear the flip side: drivers must yield to pedestrians lawfully in a marked or intersection crosswalk, so the right-of-way in Akron runs to the pedestrian only inside a proper crosswalk. 05 shifts the legal duty onto the person on foot. 48, and the Akron Police Division's Traffic Bureau enforces it, typically through a citation tied to a crash or a stop for another violation.
Violations & Fines
A § 77.05 violation is a minor misdemeanor under § 70.99, punishable by a fine of up to $150 for a first offense within a year. A second offense in the same year becomes a fourth-degree misdemeanor (fine up to $350), and a third or later offense in that year becomes a third-degree misdemeanor (fine up to $750, plus up to sixty days in jail).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to cross the street outside a crosswalk in Akron?
What is the fine for jaywalking in Akron?
Can I cross diagonally at an Akron intersection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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