Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
 Armstrong County Courthouse | |
 Location in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania | |
 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. | |
| Founded | March 12, 1800 |
| Named for | John Armstrong |
| Seat | Kittanning |
| Largest borough | Kittanning |
| Area | |
| • Total | 664 sq mi (1,720 km2) |
| • Land | 653 sq mi (1,691 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (28 km2), 1.6% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2017) | 65,642 |
| • Density | 103/sq mi (40/km2) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC−5/−4 |
| Website | www.co.armstrong.pa.us |
Footnotes: | |
Pennsylvania Historical Marker | |
| Designated | October 15, 1982[1] |
The Crooked Creek Lake Recreation Area is a dam, reservoir, and park near Ford City in Armstrong County.
Armstrong County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,941.[2] The county seat is Kittanning.[3] The county was organized on March 12, 1800, from parts of Allegheny, Westmoreland and Lycoming Counties. It was named in honor of John Armstrong, who represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress and served as a major general during the Revolutionary War.
Armstrong County is included in the Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Streams
2.1.1 Scrubgrass Creek
2.1.2 Sugar Creek
2.2 Adjacent counties
2.3 Major highways
3 Demographics
4 Government and politics
4.1 Voter Registration
4.2 County government
4.3 State Senate
4.4 State House Of Representatives
4.5 United States House of Representatives
5 Education
5.1 Colleges and universities
5.2 Public school districts
5.3 Technology school
5.4 Private schools
5.5 Libraries
6 Communities
6.1 City
6.2 Boroughs
6.3 Townships
6.4 Census-designated places
6.5 Unincorporated community
6.6 Former community
6.7 Population ranking
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
History
Armstrong County is home to the City of Parker, an incorporated third-class city, which was an oil boom town with a population rumored to be approximately 20,000 in 1873, but now is the "Smallest City in America" with a population of just under 800. Parker is located in the extreme northwest portion of the county.
Iron was made in the Brady's Bend area of the county twenty years before there was a foundry in Pittsburgh doing so. Ford City is home to the plate-glass industry, as John Ford created the company which later became Pittsburgh Plate Glass.
Kittanning once boasted more millionnaires than anywhere else in Pennsylvania during the 1880s.
Leechburg was the first place in the United States to use natural gas for metallurgical purposes, in 1869. Natural gas was found while drilling for oil, and eventually introduced into the boilers and furnaces of Siberian Iron Works here.
Freeport, Leechburg and Apollo were communities built along the Pennsylvania Canal, which passed through on the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers, at the southern border of the county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 664 square miles (1,720 km2), of which 653 square miles (1,690 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.6%) is water.[4]
Streams
The Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers; Buffalo, Crooked, Cowanshannock, Redbank, and Mahoning creeks; and Carnahan Run, among others, have watersheds within the county. The Murphy, Nicholson, Ross, and Cogley islands are in the Allegheny in Armstrong County.
Scrubgrass Creek
Scrubgrass Creek arises in Wayne Township and flows through Boggs Township, passing Goheenville, to Pine Township where it empties into the Mahoning Creek at Mahoning Station.
Sugar Creek
Sugar Creek flows through Bradys Bend Township where it empties into the Allegheny River. Its tributaries include Cove Run, Hart Run, Holder Run, Long Run, Pine Run, and Whiskey Run.
Adjacent counties
Clarion County (north)
Jefferson County (northeast)
Indiana County (east)
Westmoreland County (south)
Allegheny County (southwest)
Butler County (west)
Venango County (northwest)
Major highways
US 422
PA 28
PA 56
PA 58
PA 66
PA 68
PA 85
PA 128
PA 156
PA 210
PA 268
PA 356
PA 368
PA 536
PA 839
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 2,399 | — | |
| 1810 | 6,143 | 156.1% | |
| 1820 | 10,324 | 68.1% | |
| 1830 | 17,701 | 71.5% | |
| 1840 | 28,365 | 60.2% | |
| 1850 | 29,560 | 4.2% | |
| 1860 | 35,797 | 21.1% | |
| 1870 | 43,382 | 21.2% | |
| 1880 | 47,641 | 9.8% | |
| 1890 | 46,747 | −1.9% | |
| 1900 | 52,551 | 12.4% | |
| 1910 | 67,880 | 29.2% | |
| 1920 | 75,568 | 11.3% | |
| 1930 | 79,298 | 4.9% | |
| 1940 | 81,087 | 2.3% | |
| 1950 | 80,842 | −0.3% | |
| 1960 | 79,524 | −1.6% | |
| 1970 | 75,590 | −4.9% | |
| 1980 | 77,768 | 2.9% | |
| 1990 | 73,478 | −5.5% | |
| 2000 | 72,392 | −1.5% | |
| 2010 | 68,941 | −4.8% | |
| Est. 2017 | 65,642 | [5] | −4.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2017[2] | |||
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 72,392 people, 29,005 households, and 20,535 families residing in the county. The population density was 111 people per square mile (43/km²). There were 32,387 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.32% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. 0.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.6% were of German, 10.8% Italian, 9.3% Irish, 8.7% American, 7.4% English and 5.7% Polish ancestry.
There were 29,005 households out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 25.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95.
The distribution of the age of the population in the county was 22.90% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
- Birth rate
Armstrong County's live birth rate was 890 births in 1990. Armstrong County's live birth rate in 2000 was 740 births, while in 2011 it had declined further to 680 babies.[11] Over the past 50 years (1960 to 2010), rural Pennsylvania saw a steady decline in both the number and proportion of residents under 18 years old. In 1960, 1.06 million rural residents, or 35 percent of the rural population, were children.
- Teen Pregnancy rate
Armstrong County had 448 babies born to teens (age 15-19) in 2011. In 2015, the number of teen births in Armstrong County was 418.[12]
- County poverty demographics
According to research by The Center for Rural Pennsylvania[1], which is a legislative Agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the poverty rate for Armstrong County was 13.8% in 2014.[13] The statewide poverty rate was 13.6% in 2014. The 2012 childhood poverty rate by school district was: Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District - 37.2%, Apollo-Ridge School District - 46.6% living at 185% or below than the Federal Poverty Level, Armstrong School District - 48.9%, Freeport Area School District - 27.7%, and Leechburg Area School District - 39.6.[14]
Government and politics
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 73.7% 23,484 | 22.5% 7,178 | 3.8% 1,202 |
2012 | 67.8% 20,142 | 30.4% 9,045 | 1.8% 534 |
2008 | 61.3% 18,542 | 36.8% 11,138 | 1.9% 583 |
2004 | 60.9% 18,925 | 38.7% 12,025 | 0.5% 147 |
2000 | 56.6% 15,508 | 40.6% 11,127 | 2.9% 788 |
1996 | 42.9% 11,052 | 43.2% 11,130 | 14.0% 3,597 |
1992 | 32.2% 9,122 | 45.9% 12,995 | 21.9% 6,216 |
1988 | 44.8% 11,509 | 54.1% 13,892 | 1.1% 282 |
1984 | 48.4% 13,709 | 51.3% 14,525 | 0.4% 110 |
1980 | 47.8% 12,955 | 46.9% 12,718 | 5.3% 1,431 |
1976 | 46.1% 13,378 | 52.3% 15,179 | 1.7% 493 |
1972 | 61.6% 17,557 | 36.8% 10,490 | 1.6% 451 |
1968 | 46.6% 14,132 | 45.9% 13,921 | 7.6% 2,300 |
1964 | 33.4% 10,618 | 66.4% 21,098 | 0.2% 74 |
1960 | 57.2% 19,883 | 42.6% 14,799 | 0.2% 63 |
1956 | 61.2% 20,055 | 38.7% 12,671 | 0.1% 34 |
1952 | 55.9% 16,955 | 43.6% 13,221 | 0.5% 153 |
1948 | 53.5% 11,712 | 45.2% 9,900 | 1.4% 300 |
1944 | 56.9% 13,656 | 42.5% 10,202 | 0.5% 126 |
1940 | 54.3% 14,524 | 45.4% 12,144 | 0.3% 82 |
1936 | 46.7% 14,198 | 52.4% 15,955 | 0.9% 281 |
1932 | 52.1% 10,884 | 44.2% 9,230 | 3.7% 776 |
1928 | 77.9% 17,625 | 21.3% 4,824 | 0.8% 187 |
1924 | 64.2% 11,192 | 16.8% 2,931 | 19.0% 3,316 |
1920 | 69.2% 8,995 | 25.1% 3,262 | 5.7% 735 |
1916 | 58.5% 6,024 | 34.9% 3,590 | 6.6% 682 |
1912 | 18.9% 1,904 | 30.1% 3,027 | 51.0% 5,139 |
1908 | 59.7% 6,110 | 31.4% 3,212 | 9.0% 917 |
1904 | 67.9% 5,798 | 26.6% 2,270 | 5.5% 466 |
1900 | 63.6% 6,443 | 33.9% 3,438 | 2.5% 252 |
1896 | 61.1% 6,325 | 37.0% 3,825 | 1.9% 199 |
1892 | 55.6% 4,709 | 41.5% 3,512 | 2.9% 249 |
1888 | 55.9% 5,030 | 41.8% 3,763 | 2.3% 207 |
Voter Registration
As of November 7, 2017 there were 41,070 registered voters in the county. Republicans hold a tiny majority of the voters. There were 21,772 registered Republicans, 14,742 registered Democrats, 4,259 voters registered to other parties, 259 to the Libertarian Party and 38 voters registered to the Green Party.[16]
Chart of Voter Registration
Republican (53.01%)
Democratic (35.89%)
NPA/Other Parties (10.37%)
Libertarian (0.63%)
Green (0.09%)
| Voter registration and party enrollment | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of voters | Percentage | |||
Republican | 21,772 | 53.01 | |||
Democratic | 14,742 | 35.89 | |||
| Others | 4,259 | 10.37 | |||
Libertarian | 259 | 0.63 | |||
Green | 38 | 0.09 | |||
| Total | 41,070 | 100% | |||
County government
County Commissioners:
- Pat Fabian (Democrat), Chairman
- Jason Renshaw (Republican), Vice-Chairman
- George J. Skamai (Democrat), Secretary
District Attorney:
- Katie Charlton (Republican)
Sheriff:
- Bill Rupert (Democrat)
Coroner:
- Brian Myers (Republican)
Controller:
- Myra "Tammy" Miller (Republican)
Treasurer:
- Amanda Hiles (Republican)
Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds:
- Marianne Hileman (Republican)
Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts:
- Brenda C. George (Republican)
Judges:
- Kenneth G. Valasek, Senior Judge (Democrat)
- James Panchik, President Judge (Democrat)
- Joseph A. Nickleach, Sr. Senior Judge (Democrat)
- Chase McClister, Judge (Democrat)
State Senate
Donald C. White, Republican, Pennsylvania's 41st Senatorial District
State House Of Representatives
Joseph A. Petrarca, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 55th Representative District
Jeff Pyle, Republican, Pennsylvania's 60th Representative District
Donna Oberlander, Republican, Pennsylvania's 63rd Representative District
United States House of Representatives
Mike Kelly, Republican, Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district
Education
Map of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts
Colleges and universities
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Northpointe - South Buffalo Township
Public school districts
Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District (part) - ranked 415th (2012), 448th in 2010
Apollo-Ridge School District (part) - ranked 406 (2012), 437th (2010)
Armstrong School District (part, 2 high schools) - ranked 342nd (2012), 328th in 2010
Freeport Area School District (part) - ranked 148th (2012), 124th in 2010
Karns City Area School District (part) - ranked 193rd (2012), 177th in 2010
Kiski Area School District (part) - ranked 96th (2012), 101st in 2010
Leechburg Area School District (part) - ranked 416th (2012), 400th in 2010
Redbank Valley School District (part) - ranked 298th (2012), 279th in 2010
The 498 school districts of Pennsylvania, that have high schools, were ranked for student academic achievement as demonstrated by four years of writing, science math and reading PSSA results by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2010.
Technology school
- Lenape Technical School - Ford City
Private schools
As reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Education - EdNA. April 2012.
- Adelphoi Village Miller Home - Apollo
- Divine Redeemer School - Ford City
- Dry Knob Amish School - Smicksburg
- Evangelical Lutheran School - Worthington
- Grace Christian School - Kittanning
- Meadow View School - Dayton
- Model Education Program - Kittanning
- New Bethlehem Wesleyan Methodist School - New Bethlehem
- Orchard Hills Christian Academy - Apollo
- Owl Hollow Amish School - Smicksburg
- Shady Lane Amish School - Smicksburg
- Shady Run Amish School - Smicksburg
- Stony Acres Amish School - Smicksburg
- Stony Flat Amish School - Smicksburg
- United Cerebral Palsy Of Western Pennsylvania - Spring Church
- Whippoorwill School - Smicksburg
- Worthington Baptist Christian School - Worthington
Libraries
There are six public libraries in Armstrong County:[17][18]
- Apollo Memorial Library - Apollo, PA
- Ford City Public Library - Ford City, PA
- Freeport Area Library - Freeport, PA
- Kittanning Public Library - Kittanning, PA
- Leechburg Public Library - Leechburg, PA
- Worthington West Franklin Community Library - Worthington, PA
Communities
Map of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Armstrong County:
City
- Parker
Boroughs
- Apollo
- Applewold
- Atwood
- Dayton
- Elderton
- Ford City
- Ford Cliff
- Freeport
Kittanning (county seat)- Leechburg
- Manorville
- North Apollo
- Rural Valley
- South Bethlehem
- West Kittanning
- Worthington
Townships
- Bethel
- Boggs
- Bradys Bend
- Burrell
- Cadogan
- Cowanshannock
- East Franklin
- Gilpin
- Hovey
- Kiskiminetas
- Kittanning
- Madison
- Mahoning
- Manor
- North Buffalo
- Parks
- Perry
- Pine
- Plumcreek
- Rayburn
- Redbank
- South Bend
- South Buffalo
- Sugarcreek
- Valley
- Washington
- Wayne
- West Franklin
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
- Kiskimere
- Lenape Heights
- North Vandergrift
- Orchard Hills
- Pleasant View
- Templeton
- West Hills
Unincorporated community
- Adrian
- Belknap
- Chickasaw
- Climax
- Clinton
- Cowansville
- Craigsville
- Deanville
- Dee
- Distant
- Echo
- Eddyville
- Frogtown
- Goheenville
- Gosford
- Greendale
- Hooks
- Idaho
- Kellersburg
- Mahoning Furnace
- Maysville
- McCrea Furnace
- McGrann
- McGregor
- McVille
- McWilliams
- Milton
- Mosgrove
- Mount Tabor
- Muff
- New Salem
- Nu Mine
- Oak Ridge
- Oscar
- Pine Furnace
- Putneyville
- Rimer
- Sagamore
- Schenley
- Seminole
- Shady Plain
- Slabtown
- Spring Church
- Tidal
- West Valley
- Widnoon
- Yatesboro
Former community
- Barnard
- Johnetta
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Armstrong County.[19]
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Population (2010 Census) | Municipal type | Incorporated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | † Kittanning | 4,044 | Borough | 1803 |
| 2 | Ford City | 2,991 | Borough | 1889 |
| 3 | Leechburg | 2,156 | Borough | 1850 |
| 4 | Orchard Hills | 1,952 | CDP | |
| 5 | Freeport | 1,813 | Borough | 1833 |
| 6 | Apollo | 1,647 | Borough | 1848 |
| 7 | North Apollo | 1,297 | Borough | |
| 8 | West Hills | 1,263 | CDP | |
| 9 | West Kittanning | 1,175 | Borough | 1900 |
| 10 | Lenape Heights | 1,167 | CDP | |
| 11 | Rural Valley | 876 | Borough | |
| 12 | Parker | 840 | City | 1873 |
| 13 | Pleasant View | 780 | CDP | |
| 14 | Worthington | 639 | Borough | 1855 |
| 15 | Dayton | 553 | Borough | 1873 |
| 16 | South Bethlehem | 481 | Borough | |
| 17 | North Vandergrift | 447 | CDP | |
| 18 | Manorville | 410 | Borough | |
| 19 | Ford Cliff | 371 | Borough | 1922 |
| 20 | Elderton | 356 | Borough | 1859 |
| 21 | Templeton | 325 | CDP | |
| 22 | Applewold | 310 | Borough | 1899 |
| 23 | Kiskimere | 136 | CDP | |
| 24 | Atwood | 107 | Borough | 1884 |
See also
- List of counties in Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
References
^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search" (Searchable database). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 25, 2014..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ ab "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved October 12, 2018.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
^ Pennsylvania Department of Health, Birth Age County Reports 1990 and 2011, 2011
^ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, (2016). "Pennsylvania Teen Births 2015,".
^ US Census Bureau (2015). "Poverty Rates by County Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates".
^ Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (2012). "Student Poverty Concentration 2012".
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
^ http://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/CandidatesCommittees/RunningforOffice/Documents/2017%20Election%20VR%20Stats.pdf
^ Armstrong Libraries. Armstrong Libraries. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.
^ Freeport Area Library Association - Home. Freeportlibrary.org (July 12, 2013). Retrieved on July 23, 2013.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 21, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2015.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
External links
- Armstrong County Chamber of Commerce
- Armstrong County Public Libraries
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. |
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Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
Municipalities and communities of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
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County seat: Kittanning | ||
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Coordinates: 40°49′N 79°28′W / 40.81°N 79.46°W / 40.81; -79.46
