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Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County Courthouse
Chester County Courthouse
Flag of Chester County, Pennsylvania
Flag
Seal of Chester County, Pennsylvania
Seal
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Map of the U.S
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S.
Founded August 24, 1682
Named for Chester, England
Seat West Chester
Largest city West Chester
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

759 sq mi (1,966 km²)
751 sq mi (1,945 km²)
8.7 sq mi (23 km²), 1.1%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

534,413
712.0/sq mi (275/km²)
Congressional districts 5th, 6th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.chesco.org
Footnotes:
Invalid designation
Designated: October 26, 1982[1]

Script error: No such module "Mapframe". Chester County (Pennsylvania German: Tscheschter Kaundi), colloquially known as Chesco, is a county in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 534,413,[2] increasing by 7.1% from 498,886 in 2010.[3] The county seat and most populated municipality is West Chester.[4] Chester County was one of the three original Pennsylvania counties created by William Penn in 1682. It was named for Chester, England.

Chester County is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area. Eastern Chester County is home to many communities that comprise part of the Main Line western suburbs outside of Philadelphia, while part of its southernmost portion is considered suburban Wilmington, along with southwest Delaware County.

History[]

Chester County sign

Chester County, Pennsylvania sign

Philadelphia, Bucks, and Chester were the three Pennsylvania counties initially created by William Penn on August 24, 1682.[5][6] At that time, Chester County's borders were Philadelphia County to the north, the ill-defined western edge of the colony (approximately the Susquehanna River) to the west, the Delaware River to the east, and Delaware and Maryland to the south. Chester County replaced the Pennsylvania portion of New Netherland/New York’s "Upland", which was officially eliminated when Pennsylvania was chartered on March 4, 1681, but did not cease to exist until June of that year.[7][8] Much of the Welsh Tract was in eastern Chester County, and Welsh place names, given by early settlers, continue to predominate there.

The fourth county in the state, Lancaster County, was formed from Chester County on May 10, 1729. On March 11, 1752, Berks County was formed from the northern section of Chester County, as well as parts of Lancaster and Philadelphia counties.

The original Chester County seat was the City of Chester, a center of naval shipbuilding, at the eastern edge of the county. In an effort to accommodate the increased population of the western part of the county, the county seat was moved to a more central location in 1788; in order to mollify the eastern portion of the county, the village, known as Turk's Head, was renamed West Chester. In response to the new location of the county seat, the eastern portion of the county separated and formed the new Delaware County in 1789 with the City of Chester as its county seat.[9]

Much of the history of Chester County arises from its location between Philadelphia and the Susquehanna River. The first road to "the West" (meaning Lancaster County) passed through the central part of Chester County, following the Great Valley westward; with some re-alignments, it became the Lincoln Highway and later U.S. Route 30. This road is still named Lancaster Avenue in most of the Chester County towns it runs through. The first railroad (which became the Pennsylvania Railroad) followed much the same route, and the Reading Railroad progressed up the Schuylkill River to Reading. Industry tended to concentrate along the rail lines. Easy transportation allowed workers to commute to urban jobs, and the rise of the suburbs followed. To this day, the developed areas form "fingers" extending along major lines of transportation.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Brandywine was fought at what is now the southeastern fringe of the county. The Valley Forge encampment was at the northeastern edge.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 759 square miles (1,970 km2), of which 751 square miles (1,950 km2) is land and 8.7 square miles (23 km2) (1.1%) is water.[10] The topography consists of rolling hills and valleys and it is part of the region known as the Piedmont.

Watersheds that serve Chester County include the Octoraro, the Brandywine, and Chester creeks, and the Schuylkill River. Many of the soils are fertile, rich loam as much as twenty-four inches thick; together with the temperate climate, this was long a major agricultural area. Because of its proximity to Philadelphia, Chester County has seen large waves of development over the past half-century due to suburbanization. Although development in Chester County has increased, agriculture is still a major part of the county's economy, and the number of horse farms is increasing in the county. Mushroom growing is a specialty in the southern portion of the county.

Elevations (in feet): High point—1020 Welsh Mt., Honeybrook Twp. Other high points—960 Thomas Hill, Warwick Twp; 960 Barren Hill, West Caln Twp. Low point—66 Schuylkill River, Chester-Montgomery county line. Cities and boroughs: Coatesville 314; Downingtown 255; Kennett Square 300; Oxford 535; Parkesburg 542; Phoenixville 127; Spring City 114; West Chester 459.[11]

Adjacent counties[]

National protected area[]

  • Valley Forge National Historical Park (part)

State protected areas[]

  • French Creek State Park
  • Marsh Creek State Park
  • White Clay Creek Preserve

Major roads and highways[]

  • Template:Jct/2
  • US 1 US 1
  • US 30 US 30
  • Business plate
    US 30 US 30 Bus.
  • US 202 US 202
  • US 322 US 322
  • No imageBusiness plateNo image
    US 322 US 322 Bus.
  • US 422 US 422
  • PA-3 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 3]]
  • PA-10 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 10]]
  • PA-23 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 23]]
  • PA-29 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 29]]
  • PA-41 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 41]]
  • PA-52 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 52]]
  • PA-82 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 82]]
  • PA-100 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 100]]
  • PA-113 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 113]]
  • PA-162 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 162]]
  • PA-252 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 252]]
  • PA-272 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 272]]
  • PA-282 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 282]]
  • PA-340 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 340]]
  • PA-345 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 345]]
  • PA-352 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 352]]
  • PA-372 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 372]]
  • PA-401 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 401]]
  • PA-472 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 472]]
  • PA-724 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 724]]
  • PA-796 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 796]]
  • PA-841 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 841]]
  • PA-842 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 842]]
  • PA-896 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 896]]
  • PA-926 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 926]]

Economy and environment[]

Lanchester Landfill, located on the border of Chester and Lancaster Counties, captures methane which is sold for renewable natural gas credits, and piped to seven local businesses. This reduces the county's methane emissions, and provides an alternative to fracking for shale gas.[12] In addition, several companies have their headquarters or a major presence in the county including Bentley Systems, EBS Healthcare, Main Line Health, Lavazza North America (formerly Mars Drinks), Depuy Synthes (part of Johnson & Johnson), Metabo, QVC, Hankin Group, Axalta Coating Systems, CTDI, Pactiv, Ricoh Americas, Blinding Edge Pictures and Victory Brewing Company among others.

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 27,829
1800 32,093 15.3%
1810 39,596 23.4%
1820 44,451 12.3%
1830 50,910 14.5%
1840 57,515 13.0%
1850 66,438 15.5%
1860 74,578 12.3%
1870 77,805 4.3%
1880 83,481 7.3%
1890 89,377 7.1%
1900 95,695 7.1%
1910 109,213 14.1%
1920 115,120 5.4%
1930 126,629 10.0%
1940 135,626 7.1%
1950 159,141 17.3%
1960 210,608 32.3%
1970 278,311 32.1%
1980 316,660 13.8%
1990 376,396 18.9%
2000 433,501 15.2%
2010 498,886 15.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15]
1990-2000[16] 2010-2019[3]

As of the 2010 census, the county was 82.1% White Non-Hispanic, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were some other race. 6.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 433,501 people, 157,905 households, and 113,375 families residing in the county. The population density was 573 people per square mile (221/km2). There were 163,773 housing units at an average density of 217 per square mile (84/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.21% White, 6.24% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.95% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.35% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 3.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.0% were of Irish, 17.3% German, 13.1% Italian, 10.1% English and 5.6% American ancestry. 91.4% spoke English and 3.7% Spanish as their first language.

There were 157,905 households, out of which 35.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $65,295, and the median income for a family was $76,916 (these figures had risen to $80,818 and $97,894 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $51,223 versus $34,854 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,627. About 3.10% of families and 5.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.10% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.

The region was originally occupied by the Lenni Lenape people, who greeted European settlers in the seventeenth century with amity and kindness. British settlers were mostly English, Scotch-Irish and Welsh in ethnicity. From the late 19th to early 20th century, the industrial areas of the region, such as Coatesville, attracted immigrants and job seekers from Germany and Ireland, Eastern Europe, Italy, and the American rural South, with both black and white migrants coming north. Later Hispanic immigrants have included Puerto Ricans and, most recently, Mexicans.

Long a primarily rural area, Chester County is now the fastest-growing county in the Delaware Valley; it is one of the fastest growing in the entire Northeastern section of the United States.

Religion[]

Uwchlan Meeting

Uwchlan Meetinghouse

In keeping with its colonial history, Chester County is home to a number of historic Quaker buildings, including Birmingham, Birmingham Orthodox, Bradford, Caln, Old Kennett, Parkersville, Westtown, and Uwchlan meeting houses. Other historic religious buildings include St. Malachi Church, southeastern Pennsylvania's oldest active Catholic mission church, and the Episcopal St. Mary's, St. Paul's, and St. Peter's churches, and Washington Memorial Chapel. Also located in the county are the First Presbyterian Church of West Chester, Coventryville United Methodist Church, which is part of the Coventryville Historic District, and Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County, a Conservative synagogue in Coatesville, a site of Eastern European immigration in the 20th century.

Politics[]

Voter registration[]

According to the Secretary of State's office, Democrats comprise a plurality of registered voters in Chester County.

Chester County Voter Registration Statistics as of March 15, 2021[18]
Political Party Total Voters Percentage
Democratic 153,104 41.57%
Republican 149,148 40.50%
No Party Affiliation 42,916 11.65%
Third Parties 23,111 6.28%
Total 368,279 100.00%

Election results[]

2012 United States presidential election in Chester County

2012 US presidential election in Chester County

  Obama—80-90%
  Obama—70-80%
  Obama—60-70%
  Obama—50-60%
  Obama—<50%
  Romney—<50%
  Romney—50-60%
  Romney—60-70%

Chester County has historically been reliably Republican at the county level; traditionally, it was the most conservative county in the Philadelphia area. In recent elections, however, it has been trending Democratic, though not as overwhelmingly as the rest of the Philadelphia suburbs. In 2000 Al Gore lost it by almost 10 percent but in 2004 George W. Bush defeated John Kerry by a much smaller margin of only 4.5 percent. Bob Casey, Jr. carried it by 10% when he unseated incumbent Republican US Senator Rick Santorum in 2006. In 2008, Chester County sided with the rest of Pennsylvania and voted for Barack Obama by a much larger margin of 9%, making him the first Democrat to carry it in a Presidential election since 1964. But, in 2009, with a smaller turnout, Republican candidates swept all county-row offices, winning with an average margin of 20%. In 2012 the county voted for Republican candidate Mitt Romney, by a very small margin of about 500 votes.[19]

In 2016, despite Pennsylvania voting for a Republican presidential candidate for the first time since 1988, Chester County voted more Democratic than in 2012, with Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump by over 25,000 votes or 9.4 percentage points; a 4.8 percentage point swing from 2012. The only two statewide winners in 2016 to carry Chester County were U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R) and Pennsylvania State Treasurer Joe Torsella (D). Republican candidates John Brown and John Rafferty carried Chester County, though both lost their races for Auditor General and Attorney General, respectively (Rafferty, a State Senator whose district includes northern Chester County, carried the county by a slim margin of 50 votes[20]) Emphasizing its Democratic shift even further, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by a whopping 17.1 points in Chester County in the 2020 election; Trump's percentage of votes was the lowest for any Republican since 1912. Such a major shift was a major factor in Biden's success of flipping the Pennsylvania back to the Democratic column.

Democrats have made gains in Chester County state legislative seats in recent elections. Democrat Andy Dinniman picked up the 19th Senate District in May 2006 in the special election to replace the late Robert Thompson. Democrat Barbara McIlvaine Smith picked up the open 156th House district in November 2006, winning by 28 votes and tipping the State-House majority to the Democrats. This was the first time that a Democrat had served part of Chester County as State Representative since Jim Gerlach (who represented much of Chester County for 12 years in Congress) unseated Sam Morris in 1990. In 2008, two more open House seats in the county went Democratic—to Tom Houghton in the 13th and Paul Drucker in the 157th. In 2010, however, Chester County swung back to the GOP, with Republicans Dan Truitt (who defeated McIlvaine Smith), Warren Kampf (who defeated Drucker), and John Lawrence (who defeated Houghton) all elected to the State House.

On November 8, 2017, Democrats made historic inroads in Chester County by winning their first County Row Office seats in history, picking up 4 row office seats.[21] On November 5, 2019, Democrats swept countywide row office seat elections and took a majority on the Board of Commissioners, for a first time in county history.[22]

United States presidential election results for Chester County, Pennsylvania[23]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 128,565 40.72% 182,372 57.76% 4,816 1.53%
2016 116,114 42.53% 141,682 51.90% 15,202 5.57%
2012 124,840 49.43% 124,311 49.22% 3,425 1.36%
2008 114,421 44.83% 137,833 54.00% 2,998 1.17%
2004 120,036 52.00% 109,708 47.53% 1,079 0.47%
2000 100,080 53.33% 82,047 43.72% 5,549 2.96%
1996 77,029 48.64% 64,783 40.91% 16,554 10.45%
1992 74,002 43.73% 59,643 35.25% 35,563 21.02%
1988 93,522 67.00% 44,853 32.13% 1,210 0.87%
1984 92,221 70.11% 38,870 29.55% 440 0.33%
1980 73,046 60.92% 34,307 28.61% 12,543 10.46%
1976 67,686 60.42% 42,712 38.13% 1,628 1.45%
1972 72,726 68.44% 31,118 29.29% 2,415 2.27%
1968 56,073 57.19% 32,606 33.25% 9,372 9.56%
1964 40,280 45.46% 47,940 54.10% 390 0.44%
1960 53,059 63.64% 30,167 36.18% 147 0.18%
1956 47,225 70.24% 19,957 29.68% 50 0.07%
1952 39,961 64.86% 21,490 34.88% 164 0.27%
1948 29,258 65.78% 14,670 32.98% 550 1.24%
1944 26,655 58.70% 18,548 40.84% 208 0.46%
1940 28,222 55.47% 22,473 44.17% 183 0.36%
1936 29,340 51.81% 26,676 47.11% 613 1.08%
1932 29,425 69.21% 12,040 28.32% 1,052 2.47%
1928 36,659 82.27% 7,689 17.26% 210 0.47%
1924 22,333 75.76% 5,946 20.17% 1,201 4.07%
1920 18,129 69.57% 7,004 26.88% 927 3.56%
1916 11,845 56.77% 8,514 40.81% 505 2.42%
1912 5,708 28.85% 6,901 34.88% 7,177 36.27%
1908 13,118 64.07% 6,555 32.01% 803 3.92%
1904 14,200 73.90% 4,342 22.60% 673 3.50%
1900 13,809 66.20% 6,214 29.79% 835 4.00%
1896 14,232 67.80% 6,058 28.86% 700 3.33%
1892 10,982 55.57% 7,850 39.72% 932 4.72%
1888 11,578 58.51% 7,541 38.11% 669 3.38%
1884 10,885 58.59% 7,102 38.23% 592 3.19%
1880 11,298 59.25% 7,524 39.46% 246 1.29%



Government[]

Commissioners[]

Chester County is administered by a three-person Board of Commissioners, who serve four-year terms. Elections occur in the odd-numbered years that precede U.S. Presidential elections, with the next election falling in 2023. The Commissioners have selective policy-making authority to provide certain local services and facilities on a county-wide basis. Accordingly, the commissioners are responsible for the management of the fiscal and administrative functions of the county.

As of January 2020:[22]

Official Party Term ends
Kichline, MichelleMichelle Kichline Republican 2023
Maxwell, JoshJosh Maxwell Democratic 2023
Moskowitz, MarianMarian Moskowitz Democratic 2023

County Row Officers[]

As of January 2020:[21][24]

Office Official Party Term ends
Clerk of Courts Van de Krol, YolandaYolanda Van de Krol Democratic 2021
Controller Reif, MargaretMargaret Reif Democratic 2021
Coroner VandePol, ChristinaChristina VandePol M.D. Democratic 2021
Treasurer Maisano, PatriciaPatricia Maisano Democratic 2021
District Attorney Ryan, DeborahDeborah Ryan Democratic 2023
Prothonotary Bookman, DebbieDebbie Bookman Democratic 2023
Recorder of Deeds Pielli, ChrisChris Pielli Democratic 2023
Register of Wills Vaughn, MicheleMichele Vaughn Democratic 2023
Sheriff Maddox, FreddaFredda Maddox Democratic 2023

United States House of Representatives[]

Pennsylvania Congressional District 6

The 2018 congressional map ordered by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania places Chester County mostly within the 6th congressional district, with an exclave of Birmingham Township in the 5th congressional district

As of January 3, 2021 (2021-01-03):

District Representative Party
5 Scanlon, Mary GayMary Gay Scanlon Democratic
6 Houlahan, ChrissyChrissy Houlahan Democratic

United States Senate[]

As of January 3, 2021 (2021-01-03):

Senator Party
Casey Jr., BobBob Casey Jr. Democratic
Toomey, PatPat Toomey Republican

State House of Representatives[]

File:State house 2014 201404081024056983.pdf As of January 5, 2021 (2021-01-05):

District Representative Party
13 Lawrence, JohnJohn Lawrence Republican
26 Hennessey, TimTim Hennessey Republican
74 Williams, DanDan Williams Democratic
155 Otten, DanielleDanielle Otten Democratic
156 Herrin, DianneDianne Herrin Democratic
157 Shusterman, MelissaMelissa Shusterman Democratic
158 Sappey, ChristinaChristina Sappey Democratic
160 Williams, CraigCraig Williams Republican
167 Howard, KristineKristine Howard Democratic

State Senate[]

File:PA State Senate districts within Chester County.pdf As of January 5, 2021 (2021-01-05):

District Senator Party
9 Kane, JohnJohn Kane Democratic
19 Comitta, CarolynCarolyn Comitta Democratic
26 Kearney, TimTim Kearney Democratic
44 Muth, KatieKatie Muth Democratic

Education[]

Colleges and universities[]

PhilipsBlgWCU

Philips Hall at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

  • Cheyney University of Pennsylvania (partially in Delaware County)
  • Delaware County Community College (locations in Exton, Downingtown, Phoenixville and West Grove)
  • Immaculata University
  • Lincoln University
  • Penn State Great Valley
  • University of Valley Forge
  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Public school districts[]

Map of Chester County Pennsylvania School Districts

Map of Chester County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

  • Avon Grove School District
  • Coatesville Area School District
  • Downingtown Area School District
  • Great Valley School District
  • Kennett Consolidated School District
  • Octorara Area School District
  • Owen J. Roberts School District
  • Oxford Area School District
  • Phoenixville Area School District
  • Spring-Ford Area School District
  • Tredyffrin-Easttown School District
  • Twin Valley School District
  • Unionville-Chadds Ford School District
  • West Chester Area School District

Charter schools[]

  • Achievement House Charter School grades 9-12, Exton
  • Avon Grove Charter School grades K-12, West Grove
  • Chester County Family Academy Charter School grades K-2, West Chester
  • Collegium Charter School grades K-12, Exton
  • Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School K-12, West Chester
  • Renaissance Academy Charter School grades K-12, Phoenixville
  • Sankofa Academy Charter School grades 5–8, West Chester
  • 21st Century Cyber Charter School grades 6-12. Downingtown.

There are 11 public cyber charter schools and 144 bricks and mortar charter schools in Pennsylvania that are available for free statewide, to children K-12. See: Education in Pennsylvania.[25]

Independent schools[]

  • Bishop Shanahan High School (Archdiocese of Philadelphia)
  • Center for Arts and Technology (Administered by Chester County Intermediate Unit)[26]
  • Church Farm School (now called CFS the School at Church Farm)
  • Delaware Valley Friends School[27]
  • Devon Preparatory School
  • Fairville Friends School[28] (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania)
  • Goshen Friends School[29] (West Chester, Pennsylvania)
  • Kimberton Waldorf School[30] (Kimberton, Pennsylvania)
  • London Grove Friends Kindergarten (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania)
  • Malvern Preparatory School
  • The Concept School - 6th through 12th Grade[31]
  • Upattinas School and Resource Center (Glenmoore, Pennsylvania)
  • Upland Country Day School (UCDS) - Pre-K through 9th Grade[32]
  • Villa Maria Academy (Malvern, Pennsylvania)
  • Villa Maria Academy Lower School (Immaculata, Pennsylvania)
  • West-Mont Christian Academy[33]
  • West Chester Friends School[34]
  • West Fallowfield Christian School
  • Westtown School
  • Windsor Christian Academy - K through 6th Grade[35]
  • Windsor Christian Preschool[36]
  • Regina Luminis Academy[37]

Libraries[]

The Chester County Library System in southeastern Pennsylvania was organized in 1965. It is a federated system composed of a District Center Library in Exton and sixteen member libraries. The system provides materials and information for life, work and pleasure.

Communities[]

Map of Chester County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels

Map of Chester 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 post office uses community names and boundaries that usually do not correspond to the townships, and usually only have the same names as the municipalities for the cities and boroughs. The names used by the post office are generally used by residents to describe where they live. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Chester County:

City[]

  • Coatesville

Boroughs[]

  • Atglen
  • Avondale
  • Downingtown
  • Elverson
  • Honey Brook
  • Kennett Square
  • Malvern
  • Modena
  • Oxford
  • Parkesburg
  • Phoenixville
  • South Coatesville
  • Spring City
  • West Chester (county seat)
  • West Grove

Townships[]

  • Birmingham
  • Caln
  • Charlestown
  • East Bradford
  • East Brandywine
  • East Caln
  • East Coventry
  • East Fallowfield
  • East Goshen
  • East Marlborough
  • East Nantmeal
  • East Nottingham
  • East Pikeland
  • East Vincent
  • East Whiteland
  • Easttown
  • Elk
  • Franklin
  • Highland
  • Honey Brook
  • Kennett
  • London Britain
  • London Grove
  • Londonderry
  • Lower Oxford
  • New Garden
  • New London
  • Newlin
  • North Coventry
  • Penn
  • Pennsbury
  • Pocopson
  • Sadsbury
  • Schuylkill
  • South Coventry
  • Thornbury
  • Tredyffrin
  • Upper Oxford
  • Upper Uwchlan
  • Uwchlan
  • Valley
  • Wallace
  • Warwick
  • West Bradford
  • West Brandywine
  • West Caln
  • West Fallowfield
  • West Goshen
  • West Marlborough
  • West Nantmeal
  • West Nottingham
  • West Pikeland
  • West Sadsbury
  • West Vincent
  • West Whiteland
  • Westtown
  • Willistown

Census-designated places[]

Census-designated places are unincorporated communities designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.

  • Berwyn
  • Caln
  • Chadds Ford (partly in Delaware County)
  • Chesterbrook
  • Cheyney University (partly in Delaware County)
  • Cochranville
  • Devon
  • Dilworthtown (partly in Delaware County)
  • Eagle
  • Eagleview
  • Exton
  • Frazer
  • Glenmoore
  • Hamorton
  • Hayti
  • Kenilworth
  • Kimberton
  • Lincoln University
  • Lionville
  • Marshallton
  • Nottingham
  • Paoli
  • Pomeroy
  • Pughtown
  • Sadsburyville
  • South Pottstown
  • Thorndale
  • Toughkenamon
  • Unionville
  • Westwood

Other unincorporated communities[]

  • Birchrunville
  • Black Horse
  • Brandamore
  • Bucktown
  • Byers Station
  • Cedarville
  • Chatham
  • Chester Springs
  • Chesterville
  • Compass
  • Coventryville
  • Cromby
  • Darlington Corners
  • Daylesford
  • Devault
  • Doe Run
  • Dorlan
  • Embreeville
  • Ercildoun
  • Faggs Manor
  • Glenloch
  • Goshenville
  • Hallman
  • Harmony Hill
  • Harmonyville
  • Hayesville
  • Hephzibah
  • Hickory Hill
  • Hiestand
  • Homeville
  • Humphreyville
  • Icedale
  • Ironsides
  • Isabella
  • Jennersville
  • Kaolin
  • Kelton
  • Kemblesville
  • Knauertown
  • Landenberg
  • Lenape
  • Lewisville
  • London Grove
  • Longwood
  • Lower Hopewell
  • Ludwigs Corner
  • Lyndell
  • Mendenhall
  • Milford Mills
  • Mortonville
  • Morstein
  • Nantmeal Village
  • Parker Ford
  • Pocopson
  • Russellville
  • Saint Peters
  • Siousca
  • Springdell
  • Steelville
  • Strafford
  • Strickersville
  • Sugartown
  • Suplee
  • Valley Forge
  • Wagontown
  • Warwick
  • West Goshen
  • Whitford
  • Willowdale
  • Yellow Springs

Historic community[]

  • Barnestown

Population ranking[]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Chester County.[38]

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 West Chester Borough 18,461
2 Phoenixville Borough 16,440
3 Coatesville City 13,100
4 Downingtown Borough 7,891
5 Lionville CDP 6,189
6 Kennett Square Borough 6,072
7 Paoli CDP 5,575
8 Oxford Borough 5,077
9 Exton CDP 4,842
10 Chesterbrook CDP 4,589
11 Berwyn CDP 3,631
12 Parkesburg Borough 3,593
13 Thorndale CDP 3,407
14 Spring City Borough 3,323
15 Malvern Borough 2,998
16 West Grove Borough 2,854
17 South Pottstown CDP 2,081
18 Kenilworth CDP 1,907
19 Lincoln University CDP 1,726
20 Honey Brook Borough 1,713
21 Eagleview CDP 1,644
22 Caln CDP 1,519
23 Devon CDP 1,515
24 Toughkenamon CDP 1,492
25 Atglen Borough 1,406
26 South Coatesville Borough 1,303
27 Avondale Borough 1,265
28 Elverson Borough 1,225
29 Cheyney University (partially in Delaware County) CDP 988
30 Westwood CDP 950
31 Cochranville CDP 668
32 Modena Borough 535
33 Pomeroy CDP 401

Climate[]

Chester County has four distinct seasons and has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) except for some far southern lowlands which have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). The hardiness zones are 6b and 7a.

Climate data for Honey Brook Twp (Elevation: 728 ft (222 m)) 1981-2010 Averages
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 37.6
(3.1)
40.4
(4.7)
49.5
(9.7)
60.1
(15.6)
70.8
(21.6)
78.9
(26.1)
82.9
(28.3)
82.3
(27.9)
75.3
(24.1)
64.1
(17.8)
52.3
(11.3)
41.4
(5.2)
61.4
(16.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 29.1
(−1.6)
31.3
(−0.4)
39.2
(4.0)
49.3
(9.6)
59.6
(15.3)
68.1
(20.1)
72.6
(22.6)
71.8
(22.1)
64.7
(18.2)
53.6
(12.0)
43.8
(6.6)
33.9
(1.1)
51.5
(10.8)
Average low °F (°C) 20.7
(−6.3)
22.3
(−5.4)
28.9
(−1.7)
38.4
(3.6)
48.4
(9.1)
57.3
(14.1)
62.3
(16.8)
61.3
(16.3)
54.2
(12.3)
43.1
(6.2)
35.2
(1.8)
26.4
(−3.1)
41.6
(5.3)
Precipitation inches (mm) 3.13
(79.5)
2.73
(69.3)
3.78
(96)
3.79
(96.3)
4.08
(103.6)
4.11
(104.4)
4.92
(125)
3.64
(92.5)
4.37
(111)
4.19
(106.4)
3.73
(94.7)
3.66
(93)
46.13
(1,171.7)
humidity 69.9 67.8 62.1 62.2 64.5 72.7 72.6 73.6 74.7 72.6 72.4 72.8 69.8
Source: PRISM[39]
Climate data for Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 3.7
(38.7)
4
(40)
10.2
(50.4)
16.8
(62.2)
22.7
(72.9)
27.4
(81.3)
29.9
(85.8)
28.7
(83.7)
25.4
(77.7)
19.1
(66.3)
11.9
(53.4)
5.3
(41.6)
17.1
(62.8)
Average low °C (°F) −6.2
(20.8)
−6.2
(20.9)
−1.4
(29.4)
3.8
(38.8)
9.5
(49.1)
14.6
(58.3)
17.3
(63.2)
16.3
(61.3)
12.4
(54.3)
5.7
(42.3)
0.4
(32.8)
−4.6
(23.8)
5.1
(41.2)
Precipitation mm (inches) 91
(3.6)
84
(3.3)
97
(3.8)
94
(3.7)
99
(3.9)
114
(4.5)
112
(4.4)
114
(4.5)
94
(3.7)
84
(3.3)
84
(3.3)
97
(3.8)
1,163
(45.8)
Source: Weatherbase[40]
Climate data for London Britain (Elevation: 167 ft (51 m)) 1981-2010 Averages
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 40.4
(4.7)
43.4
(6.3)
52.2
(11.2)
64.1
(17.8)
73.6
(23.1)
82.5
(28.1)
86.7
(30.4)
85.0
(29.4)
77.9
(25.5)
66.6
(19.2)
55.5
(13.1)
44.3
(6.8)
64.4
(18.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 31.9
(−0.1)
34.5
(1.4)
42.2
(5.7)
52.8
(11.6)
62.4
(16.9)
71.7
(22.1)
76.1
(24.5)
74.6
(23.7)
67.3
(19.6)
55.8
(13.2)
46.0
(7.8)
36.1
(2.3)
54.4
(12.4)
Average low °F (°C) 23.5
(−4.7)
25.6
(−3.6)
32.2
(0.1)
41.5
(5.3)
51.3
(10.7)
61.0
(16.1)
65.6
(18.7)
64.2
(17.9)
56.8
(13.8)
44.9
(7.2)
36.4
(2.4)
27.9
(−2.3)
44.3
(6.8)
Precipitation inches (mm) 3.30
(83.8)
2.79
(70.9)
4.21
(106.9)
3.72
(94.5)
4.18
(106.2)
4.05
(102.9)
4.66
(118.4)
3.66
(93)
4.48
(113.8)
3.49
(88.6)
3.50
(88.9)
3.73
(94.7)
45.77
(1,162.6)
humidity 66.8 63.3 59.0 58.6 62.7 66.6 68.1 69.6 71.1 69.3 67.9 68.1 65.9
Source: PRISM[39]

Public health[]

Opioid crisis[]

In both 2018 and 2019, deaths from drug overdoses in Chester County declined. Of the 104 drug overdoses recorded by the coroner, an estimated 77 percent involved the presence of fentanyl. One of the reasons for the decline in overdose deaths was "the saturation across the county of Narcan, the anti-opioid nasal spray that can revive someone suffering an overdose." In 2019, any resident of Chester County could obtain a free Narcan dose at community training events across the county.[41]

Notable people[]

  • Jesse B. Aikin (1808-1900), first to produce a song book with a seven-shape note system
  • Samuel Barber (1910-1981), one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century
  • Mifflin E. Bell (1847-1904), architect who served from 1883 to 1886 as Supervising Architect of the US Treasury Department
  • Scott Brunner (born 1957), NFL quarterback during the 1980s
  • Smedley Butler (1881–1940), twice recipient of the Medal of Honor, thwarted the Business Plot, advocate for veterans, author
  • Bruce Davidson (born 1949), multiple Olympian in equestrian eventing; noted competition-horse breeder and trainer
  • Ryan Dunn (1977-2011), actor, television personality, and daredevil; died in a car crash in West Goshen
  • Phillip Dutton (born 1963), Australian-born Olympic-level equestrian rider in eventing
  • Bartholomew Fussell (1794-1871), abolitionist active in the Underground Railroad; early advocate for women's careers in medicine
  • Kyle Gallner (born 1986), actor
  • Robert Grace (1709–1766), first manufacturer of the Franklin stove
  • Isaac Israel Hayes (1832-1881), Arctic explorer and physician
  • Rebecca Webb Lukens (1794-1854), first female owner and manager of the company that became the Lukens Steel Mill
  • Franklin MacVeagh (1837-1934), banker and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
  • Bam Margera (born 1979), professional skateboarder, television and radio personality, and daredevil
  • Boyd Martin (born 1979), Australian-born equestrian competing in eventing; has participated in two Summer Olympics
  • Jon Matlack (born 1950), baseball pitcher for the New York Mets and Texas Rangers (1971–83), All Star and N.L. champion
  • Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909), one of the most prominent American Beaux-Arts architects of the late nineteenth century
  • Herb Pennock (1894–1948), Hall of Fame baseball pitcher; also known as the "Squire of Kennett Square"
  • Thomas Buchanan Read (1822-1872), poet and portrait painter
  • Bayard Rustin (1912-1987), civil rights leader posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Matt Ryan (born 1985), quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons; born in Exton
  • John Wallace Scott (1832-1903), Medal of Honor recipient during the Civil War
  • M. Night Shyamalan (born 1970), film director
  • William Thomas Smedley (1858-1920), artist; member of the National Academy of Design
  • James Smith (1719-1806), signer to the United States Declaration of Independence
  • Kerr Smith (born 1972), actor
  • Richard Troxell, international opera star, aka "America's Tenor"
  • Bernardhus Van Leer (1687–1790), German-American physician and centenarian
  • Samuel Van Leer (1747-1825), captain during the American Revolution; owned Warwick Furnace Farms and other nearby historical places
  • Anthony Wayne (1745-1796), Revolutionary War general known as "Mad Anthony" Wayne
  • George Alexis Weymouth (born 1936), artist (painter); "whip" stager; founder of the Brandywine Conservancy and the Brandywine River Museum
  • Thomas Wharton Jr. (1735-1778), served as the first President of Pennsylvania (an office akin to Governor) following the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain
  • William (Amos) Wilson (1762-1821), folklore figure known as "The Pennsylvania Hermit"
  • Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009), artist, son of N.C. Wyeth
  • Jamie Wyeth (born 1946), artist, son of Andrew Wyeth
  • N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), artist

See also[]

  • Duffy's Cut
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Chester County, Pennsylvania

References[]

  1. ^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search" (Searchable database). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_historical_marker_program/2539/search_for_historical_markers. 
  2. ^ "2020 Census Demographic Data". https://mtgis-portal.geo.census.gov/arcgis/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=2566121a73de463995ed2b2fd7ff6eb7. 
  3. ^ a b "QuickFacts Chester County, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/chestercountypennsylvania/PST045216. 
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  5. ^ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1852–1935). Pennsylvania Archives. 9 Series, 109 Volumes. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. pp. Series 2, Volume 5: 739–744. 
  6. ^ Futhey, John and Cope, Gilbert (1881). History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches. Philadelphia: L. H. Everts. https://archive.org/details/cu31924005813518. 
  7. ^ Armstrong, Edward; Editor (1860). Record of the Court at Upland, in Pennsylvania, 1676 to 1681. Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Volume 7. pp. 196. 
  8. ^ Swindler, William F., Editor (1973–1979). Sources and Documents of United States Constitutions. 10 Volumes. Dobbs Ferry, New York: Oceana Publications. pp. Vol. 8: 243. 
  9. ^ Ashmead, Henry Gordon (1884). A History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co.. pp. 77–83. https://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655. 
  10. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_42.txt. 
  11. ^ Elevations in Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey, Information Circular 4, Fourth Series
  12. ^ Hurdle, Jon (2016-03-08). "Chester County landfill gas used as alternative to fracking" (in en). https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2016/03/08/chester-county-landfill-gas-used-as-alternative-to-fracking/. 
  13. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  14. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  15. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/pa190090.txt. 
  16. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  17. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  18. ^ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of State. "November 2021 Voter Registration Statistics" (XLS). https://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/OtherServicesEvents/VotingElectionStatistics/Pages/VotingElectionStatistics.aspx. 
  19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/. 
  20. ^ "Pennsylvania Attorney General Results: Josh Shapiro Wins". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/pennsylvania-attorney-general. 
  21. ^ a b Chambless, J. (November 8, 2017). "Election results 2017: Democrats take the lead - Chester County Press". http://www.chestercounty.com/2017/11/08/159737/election-results-2017-democrats-take-the-lead. 
  22. ^ a b Rellahan, Michael (2019-11-06). "Commissioners race won by Chesco Democrats" (in en). https://www.dailylocal.com/news/commissioners-race-won-by-chesco-democrats/article_a8d0bdd6-0029-11ea-b67b-e77ff83894d4.html. 
  23. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  24. ^ Rellahan, Michael (2019-11-06). "Historic wins for Ryan, Maddox" (in en). https://www.dailylocal.com/news/historic-wins-for-ryan-maddox/article_d94e589c-0029-11ea-b244-3fae61655f37.html. 
  25. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education. "Charter Schools in Pennsylvania". http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/charter_schools/7356/charter_schools_in_pennsylvania/508152. 
  26. ^ "Chester County Intermediate Unit / Overview". http://www.cciu.org/. 
  27. ^ "Private School for Children with LD & Dyslexia in Philadelphia - DVFS". http://www.dvfs.org. 
  28. ^ "Fairville Friends School - Home". https://www.fairvillefriends.org/. 
  29. ^ "Goshen Friends School - Home". http://www.goshenfriends.org/. 
  30. ^ "Kimberton Waldorf School - The Art of Education". http://kimberton.org/. 
  31. ^ "Welcome to TCS! - The Concept School". http://www.theconceptschool.org. 
  32. ^ "Upland Country Day School Best Private Schools in Chester County". http://www.uplandcds.org. 
  33. ^ "West-Mont Christian Academy". https://www.west-mont.org/. 
  34. ^ "westchesterfriends". http://www.wcfriends.org/. 
  35. ^ "Windsor Christian Academy – Classical Christian Education in Upper Uwchlan, PA". http://www.windsorca.org. 
  36. ^ "Windsor Christian Preschool - Offering Morning or Afternoon Preschool Classes for 2-1/2, 3, 4, or 5 Year Olds". http://www.windsorcp.org. 
  37. ^ "Regina Luminis Academy - Catholic Classical Education". http://www.reginaluminisacademy.org. 
  38. ^ "2010 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html. 
  39. ^ a b "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/. 
  40. ^ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=716072&cityname=St-Andrews-New-Brunswick.  Retrieved on 2 September 2019.
  41. ^ Rellahan, Michael P. (2020-02-20). "Overdoses in Chester County decrease for second year in a row" (in en). https://www.dailylocal.com/news/overdoses-in-chester-county-decrease-for-second-year-in-a/article_a13cb0d0-5343-11ea-a28d-cfaf46d50a93.html. 

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Coordinates: 39°58′N 75°45′W / 39.97, -75.75

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