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| Centre County, Pennsylvania | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
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 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | February 13, 1800 |
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| Seat | Bellefonte |
| Largest city | State College |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,112 sq mi (2,880 km²) 1,108 sq mi (2,870 km²) 4 sq mi (10 km²), 0.39% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
135,758 122/sq mi (47/km²) |
| Website: county.centreconnect.org | |
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 135,758.
Centre County was created on February 13, 1800, from parts of Huntingdon, Lycoming, Mifflin, and Northumberland counties and named for its central location in the state. Its county seat is Bellefonte[1].
Contents |
Law And Government
Pennsylvania State Senate
- Jake Corman, Republican, Pennsylvania's 34th Senatorial District
- John N. Wozniak, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 35th Senatorial District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- Michael K. Hanna Sr., Democrat, Pennsylvania's 76th Representative District
- Scott Conklin, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 77th Representative District
- Kerry Benninghoff, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 171st Representative District
United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
Politics
Centre County had for many years been a strongly Republican county like most of rural Pennsylvania. In recent years however it has been becoming more competitive. In 2000 George Bush defeated Al Gore with 52% of the vote to Gore's 43%. In 2004 Bush won the county by a much smaller margin. Bush won 51% to Kerry's 47% a margin of only 4%.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,112 square miles (2,880 km²), of which, 1,108 square miles (2,868 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (11 km²) of it (0.39%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Clinton County (north)
- Union County (east)
- Mifflin County (southeast)
- Huntingdon County (south)
- Blair County (south)
- Clearfield County (west)
- Cambria County (southwest)
Significant Topographic Features
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 135,758 people, 49,323 households, and 28,508 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile (47/km²). There were 53,161 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.44% White, 2.61% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 3.96% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 1.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26.1% were of German, 9.8% Irish, 9.3% American, 8.7% Italian and 8.0% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.9% spoke English, 1.8% Spanish and 1.1% Chinese or Mandarin as their first language.
There were 49,323 households out of which 25.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.90% were married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.20% were non-families. 26.60% 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 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out with 18.00% under the age of 18, 26.80% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 18.40% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 104.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.40 males.
Municipalities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Centre County:
Boroughs
Townships
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.
Education
Colleges and universities
Community, Junior and Technical Colleges
- South Hills School of Business and Technology
- Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology
Public School Districts
- Bald Eagle Area School District
- Bellefonte Area School District
- Keystone Central School District (also in Clinton County)
- Penns Valley Area School District
- Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District (also in Clearfield County)
- State College Area School District
- Tyrone Area School District (also in Blair County and Huntingdon County)
Recreation
There are six Pennsylvania state parks in Centre County.
- Bald Eagle State Park is on Pennsylvania Route 150 between State College and Lock Haven.
- Black Moshannon State Park west of State College has a bog with three species of carnivorous plants and 17 orchid varieties.
- McCalls Dam State Park is a small park on a dirt road in the extreme eastern tip of the county.
- Penn-Roosevelt State Park is the site of a former segregated CCC camp for African American men.
- Poe Paddy State Park
- Poe Valley State Park
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
External links
- Official site
- Interactive Web Mapping Application for Centre County
- Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) Historical Marker Search
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