Goals from Josh Woods, Charlie Warren, Walton and Alex Henderson helped John Doolan's side claim an emphatic victory, ending their long wait for an away win.
Accrington arrived in Rochdale having drawn 1-1 against York City in their previous outing, with their last away victory coming against Tranmere Rovers in February 2026.
Rochdale, meanwhile, were hoping to return to winning ways following a 2-2 draw against Grimsby Town. Their last victory had come at home against Swindon Town on 3 October.
Despite a day of rain, the playing surface at The Crown Oil Arena was in reasonable condition, although the wet grass occasionally caused problems for players.
Both teams made a cautious start, with neither side creating a clear opportunity in the opening 10 minutes.
Accrington threatened in the 12th minute when Stefan Mols delivered a free kick into the penalty area, but Charlie Warren's header went over the crossbar.
Two minutes later, the visitors took the lead following a costly mistake from Rochdale goalkeeper Sam Waller.
Attempting to play out from the back, Waller misplaced a central pass straight into the path of an unmarked Josh Woods. The Accrington forward kept his composure and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner to put the visitors ahead.
Woods' afternoon was cut short in the 20th minute when he was forced off through injury, with Alex Henderson coming on as his replacement.
Accrington continued to threaten, although David Tutonda found himself in the referee's book in the 23rd minute after going down inside Rochdale's penalty area without contact. Referee Richie Watkins was unimpressed and showed him a yellow card for simulation.
Joe Anderson also tried his luck from outside the box in the 27th minute, but his deflected effort was safely dealt with by Dale.
Rochdale gradually began to find their rhythm and came close to equalising in the 35th minute.
Glenn Middleton delivered an inviting cross from the left, finding Aden Flint inside the penalty area. However, the midfielder's header sailed over the crossbar.
It was an opportunity Dale would come to regret.
Just three minutes later, Accrington doubled their advantage following a brilliant passing move.
The visitors worked the ball neatly through Rochdale's defence before finding Charlie Warren, who picked his spot and finished beautifully to make it 2-0.
Accrington nearly added a third in the 40th minute when Tyler Walton produced an impressive solo run into the left side of the penalty area. His powerful effort was brilliantly saved by Waller.
However, the Rochdale goalkeeper could do little to prevent Walton from scoring in first-half stoppage time.
In the 45th minute, Tutonda found Walton with a well-placed pass, and the Accrington midfielder produced a wonderful curling finish beyond Waller to give the visitors a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
Accrington Continue Their Dominance
The second half began much like the first had ended, with Accrington looking dangerous whenever they attacked.
In the 49th minute, substitute Alex Henderson made a fine solo run into the Rochdale penalty area before testing Waller, who produced another good save.
But the visitors were not to be denied for long.
Two minutes later, Anderson unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box. Waller managed to punch the ball away, but his clearance fell straight to Walton, who reacted quickly to tap home his second goal of the afternoon.
At 4-0, Rochdale were facing an increasingly difficult afternoon.
Dale head coach Ian Watson responded with a double substitution in the 57th minute, introducing Luke Hannant and Ian Henderson in place of Sam Sherring and Baba Adeeko.
However, the changes did little to slow Accrington's momentum.
The visitors produced arguably their finest move of the afternoon in the 66th minute.
A flowing attacking move involving six passes cut through Rochdale's defence before Alex Henderson applied the finishing touch to make it 5-0.
It was a beautiful team goal that summed up Accrington's impressive attacking display.
Rochdale made further changes, with Jamie Paterson and Sam Beckwith replacing Cian Hayes and Charlie Tasker in the 70th minute.
Two minutes later, Dajaune Brown came close to giving the home supporters something to cheer about, but his low drive went agonisingly wide.
Accrington continued to manage the game comfortably, while Rochdale struggled to find a way through the visitors' defence.
As the match entered its closing stages, some of the home supporters began leaving The Crown Oil Arena, having endured a frustrating afternoon.
Zain Silcott-Duberry replaced Middleton in the 83rd minute, but there was little the hosts could do to change the outcome.
After three minutes of added time, the final whistle confirmed a remarkable 5-0 victory for Accrington Stanley.
For the visitors, it was an afternoon to remember, with Walton's double and some excellent team football highlighting a dominant performance.
For Rochdale, however, it was a disappointing result in front of 4,029 spectators, with defensive mistakes and missed opportunities proving costly.
While Dale showed occasional attacking promise, the visitors were far more clinical in front of goal and fully deserved their convincing victory.
Full-time: Rochdale 0-5 Accrington Stanley
Goalscorers: Josh Woods (14'), Charlie Warren (38'), Tyler Walton (45+1', 51'), Alex Henderson (66').
Venue: The Crown Oil Arena
Attendance: 4,029
Referee: Richie Watkins
