Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

Main	Births etc

This article is based on the corresponding article in another wiki. For Familypedia purposes, it requires significantly more historical detail on phases of this location's development. The ideal article for a place will give the reader a feel for what it was like to live at that location at the time their relatives were alive there. Also desirable are links to organizations that may be repositories of genealogical information..
Please help to improve this page yourself if you can.

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Seal
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S.
Founded	March 6, 1812
Seat	Allentown
Largest city	Allentown
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	349 sq mi (904 km²) 347 sq mi (899 km²) 2 sq mi (5 km²), 0.48%
Population  - (2020)  - Density	374,557 1,007/sq mi (388.7/km²)
Website	www.lehighcounty.org

Lehigh County is a county located in the Lehigh Valley region of the eastern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the county's population was 374,557. Its county seat is Allentown, the state's third largest city behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In addition to Allentown, the county includes the western section of the city of Bethlehem, six boroughs and 14 townships.

The county, which was first settled around 1730, was formed in 1812 with the division of Northampton County into two counties. It is named after the Lehigh River, whose name is derived from the Delaware Indian term Lechauweki or Lechauwekink, meaning "where there are forks".

Geography

Topography

The Lehigh River near Slatington at the Lehigh County–Northampton County line, 2007

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 349 square miles (903.9 km²), of which 347 square miles (898.7 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.48%), water.

The Lehigh Valley, which includes all of Lehigh and Northampton counties, is bounded on the north by Blue Mountain, a ridge of the Appalachian mountain range with an altitude of 1,300 to 1,700 feet (520 m), and on the south by South Mountain, a ridge of 700 to 1,100 feet (340 m) that cuts through the southern portions of the two counties. The highest point in Lehigh County is Bake Oven Knob, a mass of Tuscarora conglomeratic rocks that rise about 100 feet (30 m) above the main ridge of the Blue Mountain in northwestern Heidelberg Township.

Lehigh County is in the Delaware River watershed. While most of the county is drained by the Lehigh River and its tributaries, the Schuylkill River also drains regions in the south of the county via the Perkiomen Creek and the northwest via the Maiden Creek.

Adjacent counties are Carbon County to the north; Northampton County to the northeast and east; Bucks County to the southeast; Montgomery County to the south; and Berks County and Schuylkill County to the west.

Climate

See also: Climate of Allentown, Pennsylvania

Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year.

For the city of Allentown, January lows average −6 °C (21.2 °F) and highs average 1.3 °C (34.3 °F). The lowest officially recorded temperature was −26.7 °C (−16 °F) in 1912 . July lows average 17.6 °C (63.7 °F) and highs average 29.2 °C (84.6 °F), with an average relative humidity (morning) of 82%. The highest temperature on record was 40.6 °C (105.1 °F) in 1966 . Early fall and mid winter are generally driest, with October being the driest month with only 74.7 mm of average precipitation.

Snowfall is variable, with some winters bringing light snow and others bringing numerous significant snowstorms. Average snowfall is 82.3 centimetres (32.4 in) per year, with the months of January and February receiving the highest at just over 22.86 centimetres (9.00 in) each. Rainfall is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to twelve wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 110.54 centimetres (43.52 in).Template:Allentown Pennsylvania weatherbox

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	18,895		—
1830	22,256		17.8%
1840	25,787		15.9%
1850	32,479		26.0%
1860	43,753		34.7%
1870	56,796		29.8%
1880	65,969		16.2%
1890	76,631		16.2%
1900	93,893		22.5%
1910	118,832		26.6%
1920	148,101		24.6%
1930	172,893		16.7%
1940	177,533		2.7%
1950	198,207		11.6%
1960	227,536		14.8%
1970	255,304		12.2%
1980	272,349		6.7%
1990	291,130		6.9%
2000	312,090		7.2%
2010	349,497		12.0%

Allentown, Pennsylvania in Lehigh County, 2010

As of the 2010 census, the county was 79.1% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.9% were two or more races, and 8.6% were some other race. 18.8% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

As of the census of 2000, there were 312,090 people, 121,906 households, and 82,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 900 people per square mile (348/km²). There were 128,910 housing units at an average density of 372 per square mile (144/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.02% White, 3.56% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.28% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 10.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 27.1% were of German, 7.9% Italian, 7.7% Irish, 6.2% Pennsylvania German and 5.6% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 85.0% spoke English, 8.4% Spanish and 1.2% Arabic as their first language.

There were 121,906 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.90% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males.

Politics and government

As of May 2021, there were 239,865 registered voters in Lehigh County:

• Democratic: 114,313 (47.66%)
• Republican: 82,447 (34.37%)
• Other Parties: 43,105 (17.97%)

Lehigh County and neighboring Northampton County are part of Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional district. The 7th Congressional district is a contentious swing district with neither Republicans nor Democrats winning the district consistently. Voters elected Republican Charlie Dent in 2004, 2006 and 2008 and, previously, Republican Pat Toomey in 1998, 2000, and 2002. In 2004, the county narrowly voted for John Kerry over George W. Bush for President, and in 2008 the county gave all statewide Democratic candidates significant leads and Barack Obama a victory of more than 15 points over John McCain, 57.1% to 41.5%. In 2012, President Obama carried the county again, but by a narrower margin: 53.17% to 45.52%.

United States presidential election results for Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	84,418	45.47%	98,498	53.05%	2,739	1.48%
2016	73,690	45.28%	81,324	49.97%	7,719	4.74%
2012	66,874	45.42%	78,283	53.17%	2,067	1.40%
2008	63,382	41.57%	87,089	57.12%	2,002	1.31%
2004	70,160	48.36%	73,940	50.96%	991	0.68%
2000	55,492	47.71%	56,667	48.72%	4,148	3.57%
1996	45,103	42.51%	48,568	45.77%	12,439	11.72%
1992	42,631	37.12%	46,711	40.68%	25,494	22.20%
1988	56,363	56.30%	42,801	42.76%	943	0.94%
1984	61,799	59.69%	41,089	39.69%	649	0.63%
1980	50,782	52.91%	34,827	36.28%	10,376	10.81%
1976	46,895	49.20%	46,620	48.92%	1,793	1.88%
1972	58,023	62.39%	33,325	35.83%	1,654	1.78%
1968	47,255	49.53%	44,033	46.15%	4,120	4.32%
1964	32,245	34.64%	60,377	64.86%	471	0.51%
1960	54,278	57.64%	39,640	42.10%	249	0.26%
1956	50,564	63.30%	29,067	36.39%	251	0.31%
1952	45,143	57.52%	33,033	42.09%	303	0.39%
1948	32,202	53.65%	26,826	44.69%	994	1.66%
1944	31,584	51.75%	29,134	47.73%	315	0.52%
1940	29,584	47.00%	33,007	52.43%	359	0.57%
1936	25,841	41.27%	35,325	56.41%	1,455	2.32%
1932	21,169	46.95%	21,939	48.65%	1,985	4.40%
1928	40,291	74.35%	13,463	24.84%	434	0.80%
1924	20,826	59.02%	10,415	29.52%	4,043	11.46%
1920	18,032	59.49%	10,863	35.84%	1,415	4.67%
1916	10,588	44.67%	11,920	50.29%	1,194	5.04%
1912	2,722	12.20%	10,834	48.56%	8,755	39.24%
1908	11,593	48.80%	11,285	47.50%	879	3.70%
1904	11,826	52.89%	10,138	45.34%	394	1.76%
1900	9,775	47.64%	10,438	50.87%	304	1.48%
1896	9,507	48.90%	9,369	48.19%	567	2.92%
1892	7,089	41.65%	9,699	56.99%	231	1.36%
1888	6,977	43.35%	8,927	55.47%	190	1.18%
1884	6,357	43.72%	8,095	55.67%	88	0.61%
1880	6,144	42.49%	8,292	57.35%	23	0.16%

All five statewide winners carried it in November 2004. Although the Republican Party has historically been dominant in county-level politics, the Democratic Party has made substantial inroads this decade. In 2005, Bethlehem Mayor Don Cunningham unseated incumbent County Executive Jane Ervin to become the first Democrat to be elected to the office. Four of the nine commissioner seats and all row offices except for the District Attorney have held by Democrats since winning two at-large seats in November 2007. Lehigh County has a home-rule charter with four at-large and five district commissioners. In 2006 Lehigh County voters approved a county-charter amendment to combine the offices of Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, and Recorder of Deeds into the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records. Clerk of Courts Andrea Naugle won the new office in November 2007.

Allentown, Pennsylvania in Lehigh County, 2010

County executives

Lehigh County Executives

Name	Party	Term start	Term end
Jane R. Ervin	Republican	2002	2006
Don Cunningham	Democratic	2006	2012
William H. Hansell, Jr.	Democratic	2012	2013
Matt Croslis	Democratic	2013	2014
Tom Muller	Democratic	2014	2018
Phil Armstrong	Democratic	2018	Incumbent

Commissioners

District	Holder	Party
1st	Marc Grammes	Republican
2nd	Percy Dougherty	Republican
3rd	Amy Zanelli	Democratic
4th	Geoff Brace	Democratic
5th	Jeffrey Dutt	Republican
At-Large	Bob Elbich	Democratic
At-Large	Dave Harrington	Democratic
At-Large	Dan Hartzell	Democratic
At-Large	Zakiya Smalls	Democratic

Other county offices

Office	Holder	Party
Clerk of Judicial Records	Andrea Naugle	Democratic
County Executive	Phil Armstrong	Democratic
Controller	Mark Pinsley	Democratic
Coroner	Scott Grim	Democratic
District Attorney	James B. Martin	Republican
Sheriff	Joseph Hanna	Republican

State House of Representatives

District	Representative	Party
22	Peter Schweyer	Democratic
131	Milou Mackenzie	Republican
132	Michael H. Schlossberg	Democratic
133	Jeanne McNeill	Democratic
134	Ryan E. Mackenzie	Republican
183	Zach Mako	Republican
187	Gary Day	Republican

State Senate

District	Representative	Party
16	Pat Browne	Republican
18	Lisa Boscola	Democratic

United States House of Representatives

• Susan Wild, Democratic, Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district

Municipalities

Map of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue)

Young people gather on 19th Street, in Allentown's West End, 2007

A farm in Lynn Township in Lehigh County, 2008

.

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in only one case, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Lehigh County:

Cities

See also: List of Allentown neighborhoods

Allentown Bethlehem (situated in both Lehigh and Northampton counties)

Boroughs

Alburtis Catasauqua Coopersburg Coplay

Emmaus Fountain Hill Macungie Slatington

Townships

Hanover Township Heidelberg Township Lower Macungie Township Lower Milford Township Lowhill Township Lynn Township North Whitehall Township

Salisbury Township South Whitehall Township Upper Macungie Township Upper Milford Township Upper Saucon Township

Washington Township Weisenberg Township Whitehall Township

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.

Ancient Oaks Fullerton Hokendauqua Schnecksville

Notable villages

Breinigsville Cementon Center Valley Cetronia Dorneyville East Texas Egypt Fogelsville

Germansville Guthsville Ironton Kuhnsville Lanark Laurys Station Limeport Lynnport

Mechanicsville Meyersville Neffs New Tripoli Orefield Pleasant Corners Sherersville Shimerville

Slatedale Summit Lawn Trexlertown Vera Cruz Walbert Wescosville Zionsville

Education

4-Year Colleges and Universities

• Cedar Crest College, Allentown
• DeSales University, Center Valley
• Muhlenberg College, Allentown
• Penn State Lehigh Valley, Center Valley

2-Year Colleges and Technical institutes

• Baum School of Art, Allentown
• Lehigh Carbon Community College – Main Campus, Schnecksville, and Donley Center, Allentown
• Lehigh Valley College, Center Valley
• Lincoln Technical Institute, Allentown

Public school districts and schools

Map of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania School Districts

• Allentown School District
  • William Allen High School, Allentown
  • Louis E. Dieruff High School, Allentown
  • Francis D. Raub Middle School
  • Harrison-Morton Middle School
  • South Mountain Middle School
  • Trexler Middle School
• Catasauqua Area School District
  • Catasauqua High School, Northampton
  • Catasauqua Middle School
• East Penn School District
  • Emmaus High School, Emmaus
  • Eyer Middle School, Macungie
  • Lower Macungie Middle School, Macungie
• Northern Lehigh School District
  • Northern Lehigh High School, Slatington
  • Northern Lehigh Middle School, Slatington
• Northwestern Lehigh School District
  • Northwestern Lehigh High School, New Tripoli
• Parkland School District
  • Parkland High School, South Whitehall Township
  • Orefield Middle School, Orefield
  • Springhouse Middle School, Allentown
• Salisbury Township School District
  • Salisbury High School, Salisbury Township
  • Salisbury Middle School
• Southern Lehigh School District
  • Southern Lehigh High School, Center Valley
• Whitehall-Coplay School District
  • Whitehall High School, Whitehall Township
  • Whitehall-Coplay Middle School

Non-public high schools and charter schools

• Allentown Central Catholic High School, Allentown
• Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, Schnecksville
• Lehigh Valley Christian High School, Allentown
• Roberto Clemente Charter School, Allentown
• Salem Christian School, Macungie
• Seven Generations Charter School, Emmaus

Transportation

File:LVI-sat.png

Arial photo of Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE), 2005

Main article: Transportation in the Lehigh Valley

Air transportation

Lehigh County's primary airport, Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE), is located three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown in Hanover Township.

The county is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport, a two-runway general aviation facility located off of Allentown's Lehigh Street. Queen City is used predominantly by private aviation that was awarded General Aviation Airport of the year by the Eastern Region of the Federal Aviation Administration in 2006.

Bus transportation

Public bus service in Lehigh County is available through the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, known as LANTA. Several private bus lines, including Bieber Tourways, Susquehanna Trailways and Trans-Bridge Lines, provide bus service from Allentown to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, Philadelphia's Greyhound Terminal, Atlantic City's Bus Terminal, and other regional locations.

Road transportation

Interstates

• I-78
• I-476 -Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike

US Highway System

• Route 22
• Route 222

Pennsylvania Highway System

• Route 29 South
• Route 100
• Route 143
• Route 145
• Route 309
• Route 329
• Route 378
• Route 863
• Route 873
• Route 987

Other roads

• Cedar Crest Boulevard
• Lehigh Street

Media

Main article: Media in the Lehigh Valley

The Lehigh County is part of the Philadelphia broadcast media market, though numerous New York City radio and television stations also are available in Allentown and its suburbs. Lehigh County-based media include The Morning Call, a daily newspaper in Allentown, and two Allentown-based television stations: WLVT Channel 39 (a PBS affiliate) and WFMZ Channel 69 (an unaffiliated, independent television station).

Television

The four major Philadelphia-based network stations serving Lehigh County include: KYW-TV (CBS), WCAU (NBC), WPVI (ABC) and WTXF (Fox). Lehigh Valley-based television outlets include WFMZ-TV Channel 69 (an Allentown-based independent station) and WLVT-TV (a Bethlehem-based PBS affiliate). Template:Philly TV

Print

The primary newspaper for the county is The Morning Call, based in Allentown.

Radio

Lehigh County-area radio stations include WAEB-AM, a news, talk and sports station (in Allentown), WAEB-FM (known as B104), a Top 40 music station (in Allentown), WZZO, a hard rock music station (in Whitehall Township), and others. Some major New York City stations and every major Philadelphia station also can be heard in the county. Template:Allentown Radio

Telecommunications

Lehigh County was once served only by the 215 area code from 1947 (when the North American Numbering Plan of the Bell System went into effect) until 1994. With the county's growing population, however, Lehigh County areas were afforded area code 610 in 1994. Today, Lehigh County is covered by 610. An overlay area code, 484, was added to the 610 service area in 1999. A plan to introduce area code 835 as an additional overlay was rescinded in 2001.

Public parks and recreation

Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom's Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters, just outside Allentown. Steel Force opened in 1997 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster on the East Coast of the United States, with a first drop of 205 feet (62 m) and a top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).

Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs

See also: List of sites of interest in Allentown, Pennsylvania

Most municipalities in the county have set aside at least some land for public recreation, from neighborhood parks and playgrounds to the more expansive parkways developed by the county, city and several townships. Following are the public parks within the county of more than of 25 acres (101,000 m²), including listings of their primary activities:

• Cedar Creek Parkway, Allentown, 127 acres (0.514 km²). City-owned park along Cedar Creek that includes Lake Muhlenberg and Malcolm W. Gross Rose Gardens. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, basketball, fishing, swimming and picnicking. Mayfair, an annual arts festival, is held in the Parkway each May.
• Cedar Creek Parkway East, South Whitehall Township, 37.5 acres (151,800 m²). County-owned park along Cedar Creek that includes Haines Mill Museum. Activities: hiking/walking, soccer, fishing, nature study and picnicking.
• Cedar Creek Parkway West, South Whitehall Township, 261 acres (1.056 km²). County-owned park along Cedar Creek. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, basketball, swimming, nature study and picnicking.
• Covered Bridge Park, South Whitehall Township, 165 acres (0.668 km²). Township-owned park along Jordan Creek that includes two historic covered bridges. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, football, soccer fields, volleyball, handball, fishing, disc golf, playground and nature study.
• Jordan Creek Parkway, Whitehall & South Whitehall Townships, 296.1 acres (1.1983 km²). County-owned park along Jordan Creek. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, bicycling, softball, baseball, soccer, tennis, fishing, cross country skiing and nature study.
• Leaser Lake, Lynn Township, 540.5 acres (2.1873 km²). County-owned park (227.6 acres) and Pennsylvania Fish Commission-owned (312.9 acres) recreation area that includes a 117-acre (0.473 km²) lake. Activities: hiking/walking, fishing, hunting, boating (sail, other non-motor and small electric motor), cross country skiing, ice-skating, nature study and picnicking.
• Lehigh Canal Park, Allentown, 55 acres (223,000 m²). City-owned park along the Lehigh River. Activities: hiking/walking, fishing and non-motor boating.
• Lehigh Parkway, Allentown, 999 acres (4.043 km²). City-owned park along Little Lehigh Creek that also includes the Lil-Le-Hi Trout Nursery. Activities: hiking/walking, bicycling, fishing, disc golf, nature study and picnicking.
• Lock Ridge Park, Alburtis, 59.2 acres (239,600 m²). County-owned park along Swabia Creek that includes the Lock Ridge Furnace Museum. Activities: hiking/walking, baseball, bicycling, fishing, cross country skiing, nature study and picnicking.
• Lower Macungie Township Community Park, Lower Macungie township, 56. acres. Township-owned park along Spring Creek. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging, soccer and picnicking.
• Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park, Upper Macungie Township, 103.4 acres (0.4184 km²). County-owned bicycle track and fitness area. Activities: Hiking/walking, bicycling, softball, cricket, soccer, basketball, cross country skiing, roller blading, jogging, nature study, playground and picnicking.
• South Mountain Big Rock Park, Upper Saucon and Salisbury Townships, 57.1 acres (231,100 m²). County-owned park. Activities: hiking/walking, picnicking and nature study.
• Trexler Memorial Park, Allentown, 134 acres (0.542 km²). City-owned park along Cedar Creek. Activities: hiking/walking, jogging and nature study.
• Trexler Nature Preserve, 1,108 acres (4.484 km²). County-owned park along Jordan Creek, formerly Trexler-Lehigh County Game Preserve, which includes the Lehigh Valley Zoo and is adding 18 miles (29 km) of trails in 2010. Activities: hiking/walking, mountain biking, jogging, fishing, hunting, nature study and picnicking.
• Upper Macungie Park, Upper Macungie Township, 156.2 acres (0.6321 km²). Township-owned park with nature trail. Activities: hiking/walking, baseball, softball, sand volleyball, horse shoes, playground, jogging, nature study and picnicking.
• Whitehall Parkway, Whitehall Township, 110 acres (0.45 km²). Township-owned park connected to the nine-mile (14 km) Ironton Rail-Trail. Activities: hiking/walking, bicycling, jogging and nature study.

Notable people

See also: List of people from the Lehigh Valley

Lehigh County is the birthplace of, or home to, several notable Americans, including:

• Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles, and member of Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Stephen Vincent Benét, author.
• Michaela Conlin, stage and television actress, Bones.
• Don Cunningham, politician who has been elected mayor of Bethlehem and Executive of Lehigh County.
• Charlie Dent, Member of Congress.
• H.D., writer.
• Peter Gruner, professional wrestler.
• Lee Iacocca, former chairman of Chrysler Corporation.
• Keith Jarrett, jazz musician.
• Michael Johns, health care executive and former White House speechwriter.
• Carson Kressley, fashion consultant on Bravo's Queer Eye.
• Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, and former President and General Manager, Detroit Lions.
• Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins.
• Amanda Seyfried, model and actress, The CW's Veronica Mars and HBO's Big Love.
• Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.
• Dana Snyder, voice actor, Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
• Christine Taylor, actress and wife of actor Ben Stiller.
• Lauren Weisberger, author of The Devil Wears Prada.

See also

• Allentown Parking Authority
• List of municipal authorities in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
• Mayfair Festival of the Arts
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
• The Great Allentown Fair

External links

• Lehigh County travel guide from Wikitravel.
• Lehigh County Government Official Web Site.
• "Living in the Greater Lehigh Valley," by The Allentown Morning Call.