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Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

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Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Seal of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Map
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lehigh County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Map of the U.S. highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S.
Statistics
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
 - (2000)
 - Density
312,090
901/sq mi (348/km²)
Website: www.lehighcounty.org

Lehigh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was formed in 1812 from parts of Northampton County. As of 2000, the population of the county is 312,090. Its county seat is Allentown[1].

Lehigh County is named after the Lehigh River (whose name is derived from the Delaware Indian term Lechauweki or Lechauwekink, meaning "where there are forks")[2], which runs through the county's two largest cities, Allentown and Bethlehem. It is located in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the eastern part of the state.

Contents

[edit] Geography

[edit] Topography

The Lehigh River near Slatington at the Lehigh County–Northampton County line.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 348 square miles (902 km²), of which, 347 square miles (898 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (4 km²) of it (0.48%) is water.

The county is located within the Lehigh Valley, a geographic region bounded by Blue Mountain, a ridge of the Appalachian mountain range which varies from 1,000 to 1,585 feet (483 m) in height in the north of the county, and South Mountain, a ridge of 500 to 1,000 feet (300 m) in height in the south of the county. The highest point in the county is Bake Oven Knob, a mass of Tuscarora conglomeratic rocks that rises about 100 feet above the main ridge of the Blue Mountain in northwestern Heidelberg Township.[3]

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.

Schuylkill County Carbon County Northampton County
v • d • e
 
Berks County North Northampton County
West   Lehigh County    East
South
Berks County Montgomery County Bucks County

[edit] Climate

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.[4]

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,[5] 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,[6] at an average annual rate of 110.54 centimetres (43.52 in).[7]

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Avg high temperature °F (°C) 35
(1)		 38
(3)		 48
(8)		 61
(16)		 71
(21)		 80
(26)		 85
(29)		 82
(27)		 75
(23)		 64
(17)		 52
(11)		 40
(4)
61
(16)
Avg low temperature °F (°C) 20
(-6)		 21
(-6)		 29
(-1)		 39
(3)		 49
(9)		 59
(15)		 64
(17)		 62
(16)		 54
(12)		 43
(6)		 34
(1)		 24
(-4)
42
(5)
Precipitation in. (cm) 3.2
(8)		 2.9
(7)		 3.6
(9)		 3.7
(9)		 4.1
(10)		 3.5
(8)		 4.3
(10)		 4.3
(10)		 3.9
(9)		 3.0
(7)		 3.8
(9)		 3.6
(9)
44.1
(112)
Source: Weatherbase

[edit] Demographics

The skyline of Allentown, Pennsylvania in Lehigh County, 2008.

As of the census[8] 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.

[edit] Politics and government

As of November 2008, there are 224,331 registered voters in Lehigh County [1].

Lehigh County and neighboring Northampton County are part of Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional district. The 15th Congressional district is a contentious swing district with neither Republicans nor Democrats winning the district consistently. Despite the advantage in Democratic registration in the district, voters elected Republicans Charlie Dent in 2004, 2006 and 2008 and, previously, Pat Toomey in 1998, 2000, and 2002. In 2004, however, the county did narrowly vote 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%.[9]

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.

[edit] Commissioners

Office Holder Party
County Commissioner (vice chairman) Dean Browning Republican
County Commissioner (chairman) Percy Dougherty Republican
County Commissioner Glenn Eckhart Republican
County Commissioner Gloria Hamm Democratic
County Commissioner David S. Jones Sr. Democratic
County Commissioner Bill Leiner Jr. Democratic
County Commissioner Daniel McCarthy Democratic
County Commissioner Sterling Raber Republican
County Commissioner Andy Roman Republican

[edit] Other county offices

Office Holder Party
Clerk of Judicial Records Andrea Naugle Democratic
County Executive Don Cunningham Democratic
Controller Thomas Slonaker Democratic
Coroner Scott Grim Democratic
District Attorney James B. Martin Republican
Sheriff Ronald Rossi Democratic

[edit] Pennsylvania House of Representatives

District Representative Party
131 Karen D. Beyer Republican
132 Jennifer Mann Democratic
133 Joseph F. Brennan Democratic
134 Doug Reichley Republican
135 Steve Samuelson Democratic
183 Julie Harhart Republican
187 Gary Day Republican

[edit] Pennsylvania State Senate

District Representative Party
16 Pat Browne Republican
18 Lisa Boscola Democratic
24 Rob Wonderling Republican
29 Dave Argall Republican

[edit] United States House of Representatives

[edit] Famous people from Lehigh County

See also: List of notable people from Allentown, Pennsylvania

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

[edit] Municipalities

Map of Lehigh 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 Lehigh County:

[edit] Cities

[edit] Boroughs

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

[edit] Townships

[edit] 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.

[edit] Notable Villages

[edit] Education

[edit] 4-Year Colleges and Universities

[edit] 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

[edit] Public school districts and schools

Map of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania School Districts

[edit] Non-public high schools and charter schools

[edit] Transportation

[edit] 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.[10]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Road transportation

[edit] Interstates

[edit] US Highway System

[edit] Pennsylvania Highway System

[edit] Other roads

[edit] Media

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). The four major Philadelphia-based network stations serving Lehigh County include: KYW-TV (CBS), WCAU (NBC), WPVI (ABC) and WTXF (Fox).

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

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.

v • d • e
Radio stations in the Allentown-Bethlehem, Pennsylvania market
By FM frequency
88.1  · 88.9  · 89.3  · 89.5  · 89.9  · 90.3  · 91.1  · 91.3  · 91.7  · 91.9  · 92.7  · 92.9  · 93.1  · 93.5  · 93.7  · 93.9  · 95.1  · 96.1  · 96.9  · 97.1  · 97.9  · 98.5  · 99.3  · 99.9  · 100.7  · 102.5  · 103.5  · 104.1  · 104.9  · 104.9  · 105.1  · 105.7  · 106.3  · 107.1  · 107.5  · 107.9
By AM frequency
790 · 1100 · 1230 · 1320 · 1400 · 1470 · 1600 · 1640
By callsign
WAEB-AM · WAEB-FM · WBSX · WBYN · WCTO · WDIY · WEEX · WEST · WGPA · WHCY · WHOL · WIOV · WJCS · WJRH · WKRF · WLEV · WLVR · WMGS · WMUH · WNTI · WODE · WPNX700  · WRFY · WRTI · WSAN · WSBG · WTKZ · WVIA · WWPJ · WWYY · WXLV · WXPN · WZZO


[edit] References

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ Roberts, Charles R. (1936). "Place Names of Lehigh County and Their Origin". Proceedings: Lehigh County Historical Society (Lehigh County Historical Society). 
  3. ^ Miller, Benjamin LeRoy (1941). Lehigh County Pennsylvania: Geology and Geography. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Department of Internal Affairs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 
  4. ^ "Normal Monthly Precipitation, Inches". http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/html/wx/climate/normrain.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-04. 
  5. ^ "Snowfall - Average Total In Inches". http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/snowfall.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-04. 
  6. ^ "Average Days of Precipitation, .01 cm or more". http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/html/wx/climate/daysrain.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-04. 
  7. ^ "Average Monthly Precipitation". http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/html/wx/climate/normrain.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-04. 
  8. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  9. ^ "Election Results 2008: President Map". New York Times. 2008-11-21. http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-23. 
  10. ^ "Queen City Airport Designated General Aviation Airport of the Year by the Federal Administration Eastern Region". Lehigh Valley International Airport. http://www.lvia.org/info_booth/news_room/030206.html. Retrieved on 2007-06-22. 

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
County seat: Allentown
Cities
Boroughs
Townships
CDPs
Unincorporated
communities
Footnotes

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Flag of Pennsylvania
v • d • e

 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Harrisburg (capital)
Topics
Metro areas
Cities
Largest
boroughs
Regions
Counties

Coordinates: 40°37′N 75°35′W / 40.61°N 75.59°W / 40.61; -75.59

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehigh_County,_Pennsylvania"
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