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Washington County, Pennsylvania

Washington County
County
Washington County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse
Flag of Washington County
Flag
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Washington County
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°11′N 80°15′W / 40.19°N 80.25°W / 40.19; -80.25
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
FoundedMarch 28, 1781
Named forGeorge Washington
SeatWashington
Largest cityPeters Township
Government
 • Chairman of the Board of CommissionersNick Sherman
Area
 • Total
861 sq mi (2,230 km2)
 • Land857 sq mi (2,220 km2)
 • Water3.9 sq mi (10 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
209,349 Increase
 • Density240/sq mi (90/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district14th
Websitewashingtoncopa.gov

Washington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 209,349.[1] Its county seat is Washington.[2] The county is part of the Greater Pittsburgh region of the state.[a] The county is home to Washington County Airport, three miles (4.8 km) southwest of Washington.

History

The county was created on March 28, 1781, from part of Westmoreland County. The city and county were both named after American Revolutionary War leader George Washington, who eventually became the first President of the United States. The town of Charleroi got its name from the Belgian city of Charleroi. There lived many Belgian immigrants in the Monongahela area at the end of the 19th century, some of whom were glass makers.[3][4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 861 square miles (2,230 km2), of which 857 square miles (2,220 km2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2) (0.5%) is water.[5] Washington County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission,[6] and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.[7]

Surrounding counties

Major highways

Washington County's Flag

Design

The flag of Washington County, Pennsylvania consists of a light blue background with the county's seal in the middle. The seal consists of the county courthouse, a covered bridge, an Indigenous American, and an early settler. This montage has the words "Historical Washington County" and "1781" inside a circle.

Climate

Washington County has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Precipitation is highest in the summer months, with an annual average of 38.87 in (987 mm). Snow usually falls between November and April, with an average of 37.8 in (96 cm).

Climate data for Washington, Pennsylvania (3mi NE) (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1975–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 70
(21) 		75
(24) 		82
(28) 		90
(32) 		94
(34) 		93
(34) 		100
(38) 		96
(36) 		95
(35) 		87
(31) 		80
(27) 		76
(24) 		100
(38)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 35.1
(1.7) 		38.5
(3.6) 		48.5
(9.2) 		60.7
(15.9) 		69.4
(20.8) 		78.0
(25.6) 		81.6
(27.6) 		80.7
(27.1) 		73.9
(23.3) 		62.3
(16.8) 		51.0
(10.6) 		39.1
(3.9) 		59.6
(15.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 26.0
(−3.3) 		28.6
(−1.9) 		37.2
(2.9) 		48.6
(9.2) 		57.5
(14.2) 		66.2
(19.0) 		70.0
(21.1) 		69.0
(20.6) 		61.9
(16.6) 		50.6
(10.3) 		41.1
(5.1) 		30.5
(−0.8) 		48.9
(9.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 16.8
(−8.4) 		18.7
(−7.4) 		26.0
(−3.3) 		36.5
(2.5) 		45.6
(7.6) 		54.4
(12.4) 		58.5
(14.7) 		57.3
(14.1) 		49.9
(9.9) 		39.0
(3.9) 		31.1
(−0.5) 		21.8
(−5.7) 		38.0
(3.3)
Record low °F (°C) −25
(−32) 		−20
(−29) 		−1
(−18) 		9
(−13) 		20
(−7) 		32
(0) 		38
(3) 		29
(−2) 		30
(−1) 		18
(−8) 		−4
(−20) 		−16
(−27) 		−25
(−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.87
(73) 		2.47
(63) 		3.25
(83) 		3.11
(79) 		4.16
(106) 		3.91
(99) 		3.94
(100) 		3.19
(81) 		3.28
(83) 		2.46
(62) 		3.37
(86) 		2.97
(75) 		38.87
(987)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.5
(27) 		9.3
(24) 		6.6
(17) 		1.2
(3.0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		2.1
(5.3) 		7.9
(20) 		37.8
(96)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 16 14 14 14 15 12 12 11 11 13 14 15 162
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 12 10 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 38
Source: NOAA[8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179023,892—
180028,29818.4%
181036,28928.2%
182040,03810.3%
183042,7846.9%
184041,279−3.5%
185044,9398.9%
186046,8054.2%
187048,4833.6%
188055,41814.3%
189071,15528.4%
190092,18129.5%
1910143,68055.9%
1920188,99231.5%
1930204,8028.4%
1940210,8523.0%
1950209,628−0.6%
1960217,2713.6%
1970210,876−2.9%
1980217,0742.9%
1990204,584−5.8%
2000202,897−0.8%
2010207,8202.4%
2020209,3490.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010–2019[13] 2010-2020[14]

2020 census

Washington County Racial Composition[15]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 186,900 89.3%
Black or African American (NH) 6,861 3.3%
Native American (NH) 230 0.11%
Asian (NH) 1,998 1%
Pacific Islander (NH) 63 0.03%
Other/Mixed (NH) 9,276 4.43%
Hispanic or Latino 4,021 2%

Government and politics

United States presidential election results for Washington County, Pennsylvania[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 75,929 62.26% 44,910 36.82% 1,117 0.92%
2020 72,080 60.70% 45,088 37.97% 1,588 1.34%
2016 61,386 60.03% 36,322 35.52% 4,559 4.46%
2012 53,230 56.04% 40,345 42.48% 1,403 1.48%
2008 50,752 51.52% 46,122 46.82% 1,642 1.67%
2004 47,673 49.57% 48,225 50.14% 279 0.29%
2000 37,339 44.22% 44,961 53.25% 2,141 2.54%
1996 27,777 35.73% 40,952 52.67% 9,016 11.60%
1992 21,977 26.05% 46,143 54.70% 16,244 19.25%
1988 28,651 37.43% 47,527 62.08% 375 0.49%
1984 34,782 40.47% 50,911 59.24% 244 0.28%
1980 32,532 39.66% 45,295 55.23% 4,191 5.11%
1976 32,827 39.43% 49,317 59.24% 1,107 1.33%
1972 42,587 54.00% 34,781 44.10% 1,494 1.89%
1968 28,023 32.98% 47,805 56.26% 9,140 10.76%
1964 24,127 27.49% 63,482 72.34% 147 0.17%
1960 38,348 41.59% 53,729 58.28% 120 0.13%
1956 39,465 45.04% 48,052 54.84% 98 0.11%
1952 36,041 39.16% 55,725 60.55% 270 0.29%
1948 26,860 35.73% 46,327 61.63% 1,979 2.63%
1944 27,615 37.30% 46,023 62.17% 392 0.53%
1940 29,026 36.21% 50,829 63.42% 296 0.37%
1936 23,342 30.25% 52,878 68.52% 948 1.23%
1932 21,447 40.82% 28,934 55.07% 2,155 4.10%
1928 31,099 63.61% 17,149 35.07% 645 1.32%
1924 22,315 60.64% 6,706 18.22% 7,776 21.13%
1920 18,514 62.49% 8,827 29.80% 2,284 7.71%
1916 10,367 52.39% 7,747 39.15% 1,674 8.46%
1912 4,297 22.98% 5,563 29.75% 8,837 47.26%
1908 11,430 56.31% 7,018 34.57% 1,850 9.11%
1904 11,530 66.01% 4,886 27.97% 1,051 6.02%
1900 10,408 59.40% 6,380 36.41% 733 4.18%
1896 10,798 57.93% 7,384 39.61% 458 2.46%
1892 8,060 51.24% 6,847 43.53% 822 5.23%
1888 7,801 54.83% 5,847 41.10% 579 4.07%
1884 6,699 50.21% 5,849 43.84% 793 5.94%
1880 6,451 51.04% 5,850 46.29% 338 2.67%

The Democratic Party has been historically dominant in county-level politics and national politics between 1932 and 2004, only voting Republican for president in Richard Nixon's 1972 landslide victory over George McGovern. However, like much of Appalachian coal country, Washington has trended strongly Republican in recent years. In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won 53% of the vote and Republican George W. Bush won 44%. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry received 50.14% of the vote and Bush received 49.57% a difference of 552 votes. In 2008, Republican John McCain won 51% to Democrat Barack Obama's 46% and each of the three state row office winners carried Washington County.

Voter registration

As of January 8, 2024, there are 142,146 registered voters in Washington county. Registered Republicans have a plurality of 68,164 registered voters, compared to 56,044 registered Democrats, 13,943 registered non-affiliated voters, and 3,995 voters registered to other parties.[17]

Chart of Voter Registration

  Republican (47.95%)
  Democratic (39.42%)
  Independent (9.81%)
  Third Party (2.81%)
Voter registration and party enrollment
Party Number of voters Percentage
Republican 68,164 47.95%
Democratic 56,044 39.42%
Independent 13,943 9.81%
Third Party 3,995 2.81%
Total 142,146 100%

County Commissioners

Washington County Courthouse

Washington County is administered by a three-member publicly elected commission. Each commissioner serves in four-year terms. Elections occur in the odd-numbered years that precede U.S. presidential elections. All three Commissioners are chosen in the same election, and voters may vote for no more than two of the candidates. By state law, the commission must have a minority party guaranteeing a political split on the commission. The Commissioners are responsible for the management of the fiscal and administrative functions of the county.

Commissioner Party Title
Nick Sherman Republican Chairman
Lawrence Maggi Democratic Vice Chairman
Electra S. Janis Republican Treasurer

Maggi was the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district against Republican incumbent Tim Murphy in 2012. Maggi lost to Murphy and earned only 36 percent of the vote. Irey Vaughan was the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district and lost to the late Democratic incumbent John Murtha in the 2006 election.

On November 7, 2023, Nick Sherman and Lawrence Maggi were reelected as county commissioners. Electra Janis won her first term as county commissioner.[18]


County row offices

Office Official Party
Clerk of Courts Ray Phillips Republican
Controller April Sloane Republican
Coroner Timothy Warco Democratic
District Attorney Jason M. Walsh Republican
Prothonotary Laura Hough Republican
Recorder of Deeds Carrie Perrell Republican
Register of Wills James Roman Republican
Sheriff Anthony Andronas Republican
Treasurer Tom Flickinger Republican

State House of Representatives[19]

District Representative Party
15 Josh Kail Republican
39 Andrew Kuzma Republican
40 Natalie Mihalek Republican
46 Jason Ortitay Republican
48 Timothy O'Neal Republican
50 Bud Cook Republican

State Senate[19]

District Senator Party
46 Camera Bartolotta Republican

United States House of Representatives

District Representative Party
14 Guy Reschenthaler Republican

United States Senate

Senator Party
John Fetterman Democrat
Bob Casey, Jr. Democrat

Landmarks and events

F. Julius LeMoyne House in Washington, headquarters of the Washington County Historical Society

Pony League baseball was founded in Washington County in 1951 for 13 and 14 year old boys and its headquarters are located here. As of 2016, more than a half-million youth in the U.S. and 40 other nations participate. The televised Pony League World Series held annually in August at Washington's Lew Hays Pony Field attracts teenage teams from around the world.[20]

Washington County is home of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.[21] The county is known for the Meadowcroft Rock Shelter at Meadowcroft Village, which are one of the best preserved and oldest Pre-Clovis Native American dwellings in the country.[22] The county has 21 covered bridges still standing.[23]

The Whiskey Rebellion culminated in Washington. The home of David Bradford, one of the rebellion leaders, is located in Washington and is a national landmark.[24] Just a couple blocks away is the F. Julius LeMoyne House, which serves as the headquarters of the Washington County Historical Society.

Washington County is the home of the first crematory in the United States.[25][26]

In 1981, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission installed a historical marker noting the historic importance of the county.[27]

Education

Colleges and universities

Public school districts

Map of Washington County, Pennsylvania School Districts
Served by
  • Intermediate Unit 1 – Coal Center
  • Mon Valley Career and Technology Center – Charleroi
  • Western Area Career and Technology Center – Canonsburg

Private schools

  • Calvary Chapel Christian School – Fredericktown
  • Central Christian Academy – Houston
  • Children's School of Washington
  • Cornerstone Mennonite School – Burgettstown
  • Faith Christian School of Washington – Washington
  • First Love Christian Academy High – Washington
  • Goddard School – Venetia
  • Gwens Montessori School Inc – Washington
  • Hickory Christian School – Hickory
  • Huntington Learning Center – McMurray
  • John F Kennedy School – Washington
  • Kinder Care Learning Centers
  • Lakeview Christian Academy – Bridgeville
  • Madonna Catholic Regional School – Monongahela
  • Mel Blount Leadership Academy – Claysville
  • NHS School – Ellsworth
  • Rainbows End Learning Center – Washington
  • St Francis Children's School – Beallsville
  • Tri-State Christian School – Burgettstown

Libraries

Citizens Library in Washington
  • Avella Area Library Center
  • Bentleyville Public Library
  • Burgettstown Community Library
  • California Public Library
  • Chartiers-Houston Community Library
  • Citizens Library – Washington
  • Donora Public Library
  • Frank Sarris Public Library – Canonsburg
  • Fredericktown Area Public Library
  • Heritage Public Library – McDonald
  • John K Tener Library – Charleroi
  • Marianna Community Public Library
  • Monongahela Area Library
  • Peters Township Public Library
  • Washington County Library System

Hospitals

Communities

Map of Washington 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 Washington County:

Cities

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.

Unincorporated communities

Former communities

  • Allen Township[30]
  • Bethlehem Township
  • East Pike Run Township
  • Granville
  • Pike Run
  • Pike Run Township
  • Smallwood
  • South Canonsburg (annexed to Canonsburg in 1911)

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Washington County.[31]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 † Washington City 13,663
2 Canonsburg Borough 8,992
3 California Borough 6,795
4 Donora Borough 4,781
5 McMurray CDP 4,647
6 Monongahela City 4,300
7 Charleroi Borough 4,120
8 Thompsonville CDP 3,520
9 Centerville Borough 3,263
10 Wolfdale CDP 2,888
11 Gastonville CDP 2,818
12 McGovern CDP 2,742
13 Bentleyville Borough 2,581
14 Muse CDP 2,504
15 Cecil-Bishop CDP 2,476
16 East Washington Borough 2,234
17 New Eagle Borough 2,184
18 McDonald (partially in Allegheny County) Borough 2,149
19 Wickerham Manor-Fisher CDP 1,728
20 Baidland CDP 1,563
21 Burgettstown Borough 1,388
22 North Charleroi Borough 1,313
23 Houston Borough 1,296
24 Speers Borough 1,154
25 Ellsworth Borough 1,027
26 West Brownsville Borough 992
27 Midway Borough 913
28 Claysville Borough 829
29 Meadowlands CDP 822
30 Roscoe Borough 812
31 Avella CDP 804
32 Hickory CDP 740
33 Paris CDP 732
34 Deemston Borough 722
35 Langeloth CDP 717
36 Millsboro CDP 666
37 Eighty Four CDP 657
38 Cokeburg Borough 630
39 West Alexander CDP 604
40 Slovan CDP 555
41 Lawrence CDP 540
42 Allenport Borough 537
43 Joffre CDP 536
44 Stockdale Borough 502
45 Marianna Borough 494
46 Beallsville Borough 466
47 Finleyville Borough 461
48 Long Branch Borough 447
49 Bulger CDP 407
50 Fredericktown CDP 403
51 Atlasburg CDP 401
52 Wylandville CDP 391
53 Dunlevy Borough 381
54 Hendersonville CDP 325
55 Elco Borough 323
56 Elrama CDP 307
57 Southview CDP 276
58 Aaronsburg CDP 259
59 Twilight Borough 233
60 Taylorstown CDP 217
61 Westland CDP 167
62 Van Voorhis CDP 166
T-63 Coal Center Borough 139
T-63 West Middletown Borough 139
64 Cross Creek CDP 137
65 Green Hills Borough 29

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ Includes Allegheny, Washington, Butler, Beaver, Lawrence and Armstrong Counties
  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Washington County, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Pennsylvania Heritage, Volumes 34-36 - Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 2008. Pg. 5
  4. ^ "Pennsylvania Heritage". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. April 9, 2008 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  6. ^ "About the Appalachian Region". Appalachian Regional Commission. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  7. ^ Woodard, Colin (July 30, 2018). "The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line". New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  8. ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  11. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  13. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  14. ^ "Census 2020".
  15. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Washington County, Pennsylvania".
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  17. ^ Pennsylvania Department of State (May 15, 2023). "Voter registration statistics by county". dos.pa.gov. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  18. ^ "Check out Washington County's election results here". WTAE. November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  20. ^ Crawley, Dave. "Teens Flock To Play Ball In Pony League World Series (August 5, 2016)". KDKA-TV. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  21. ^ [1] Archived December 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ [2] Archived July 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "Welcome to Washington County, Pennsylvania". Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
  24. ^ Welcome! Archived December 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Bradfordhouse.org. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.
  25. ^ "The LeMoyne Crematory". Archived from the original on July 10, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  26. ^ "An Unceremonious Rite; Cremation of Mrs. Ben Pitman" (PDF). The New York Times. February 16, 1879. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  27. ^ "Mingo Creek Church – PHMC Historical Markers". Historical Marker Database. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  28. ^ "Homepage". www.waynesburg.edu. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  29. ^ "Monongahela Valley Hospital Joins Penn Highlands Healthcare".
  30. ^ "Allen Township, Washington County, PA". freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  31. ^ CNMP, US Census Bureau. "This site has been redesigned and relocated. - U.S. Census Bureau". www.census.gov. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  32. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967.
  33. ^ Welcome!. Bradfordhouse.org. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.
  34. ^ History, U.S. Army Center of Military. "Medal of Honor Recipients - Civil War (A-L)". www.history.army.mil. Archived from the original on August 2, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  35. ^ "CMOHS.org - Musician CARSON, WILLIAM J., U.S. Army". www.cmohs.org. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  36. ^ Alexander Clark of Muscatine, Iowa | HOME. Alexanderclark.org. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.
  37. ^ [3] [dead link‍]
  38. ^ "Fulton, Alexander". lahistory.org (Louisiana Historical Association). Archived from the original on September 23, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
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