Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 40°22′00″N 79°36′59″W / 40.36667°N 79.61639°W / 40.36667; -79.61639
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other Pennsylvania townships with similar names, see Penn Township, Pennsylvania (disambiguation).
Penn Township
Township
Monument at the Bushy Run Battlefield
Monument at the Bushy Run Battlefield
Map of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Highlighting Penn Township
Map of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Highlighting Penn Township
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Westmoreland County
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting
Westmoreland County
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyWestmoreland
Area
[1]
 • Total30.76 sq mi (79.68 km2)
 • Land30.76 sq mi (79.68 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Population
 (2010)[2]
 • Total20,047 Increase
 • Estimate 
(2021)[2]
20,346
 • Density650.3/sq mi (245.74/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code42-129-58880
Websitehttps://penntwp.org/

Penn Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States.

History[edit]

Penn Township, officially known as the Township of Penn, was named after Pennsylvania founder William Penn. The township was incorporated on February 23, 1855.

In the early years after its founding, numerous Scotch-Irish Americans came to the area to farm its rich land. Later in the township's history, coal mining contributed heavily to the economy.[3]

Penn Township is also home to the Bushy Run Battlefield. The Bushy Run Battlefield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, and is designated a National Historic Landmark.[4]

In 1957 Carnegie Mellon University chose the township for a new lab facility.[5]

Geography[edit]

Penn Township is located in the western part of Westmoreland County. It is approximately 25 miles east from Pittsburgh and seven miles west of Greensburg. The township is bordered by north by Murrysville, to the northeast by Salem Township, to the east by Hempfield Township, to the southeast by Jeannette, to the southwest by North Huntington Township, to the west-southwest by Trafford, and to the west by Monroeville.[6]

Penn Township maintains nearly 100 miles of roadways. The township has three major transportation routes within its boundaries: Pennsylvania Route 130, Pennsylvania Route 993, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 30.76 square miles (79.1 km2), all 0 land.

Penn Township is also part of the Turtle Creek (Monongahela River tributary) watershed.

Government[edit]

Penn Township was incorporated in 1855 and became a First Class township in 1958.[8] The township is governed by five commissioners who are publicly elected and serve a four-year term. Penn Township also has a tax collector elected to serve a four-year term.

Like all First Class Townships, Penn Township has a fully functioning police force.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19406,085—
19507,46122.6%
196010,70243.4%
197012,97521.2%
198016,15324.5%
199015,945−1.3%
200019,59122.9%
201020,0052.1%
202020,0470.2%
2021 (est.)20,346[2]1.5%

Population[edit]

As of July 1, 2021, Penn Township has a population of 20,346. This is a 1.5% increase from the 2020 US Census Population.

Age and Sex[edit]

Penn Township[9] Pennsylvania United States
Persons under 5 Years, percent 5.4 5.5 6.1
Persons under 18 Years, percent 20.0 20.7 22.4
Persons 65 Years and over, percent 18.7 18.2 16.0
Female Persons, percent 50.4 51 50.

Race[edit]

Penn Township[10] Pennsylvania United States
White alone, percent 98.0 81.8 76.5
Black or African American alone, percent 0.2 12.0 13.4
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent 0.0 0.4 1.3
Asian alone, percent 0.1 3.7 5.9
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent 0.1 0.1 0.2
Two or More Races, percent 1.5 2.1 2.7
Hispanic or Latino, percent 0.7 7.6 18.3
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent 97.6 76.1 60.4

Education[edit]

Penn Township is within the Penn-Trafford School District.[11] The district operates eight schools, six of which are in Penn Township:

  • McCullough Elementary School
  • Level Green Elementary School
  • Sunrise Estates Elementary School
  • Harrison Park Elementary School
  • Penn Middle School
  • Penn-Trafford High School

The Murrysville branch of the Westmoreland County Community College is located along Mellon Road.

Penn Township has an overall graduation rate of 96.3% and a bachelor's degree rate of 37.7%[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Aug 14, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  3. ^ "History » Penn Township, Westmoreland County, PA".
  4. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  5. ^ Bauman, Mary Lou (July 26, 1977), "Toxic Research Lab Scheduled For Penn", News Dispatch, Jeanette, PA
  6. ^ "Westmoreland County Pennsylvania, Township Maps".
  7. ^ "About » Penn Township, Westmoreland County, PA".
  8. ^ "History » Penn Township, Westmoreland County, PA".
  9. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Penn township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania; United States". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-07-24.
  10. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Penn township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania; United States". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-07-24.
  11. ^ Penn-Trafford School District
  12. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Penn township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania; United States". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-07-24.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

40°22′00″N 79°36′59″W / 40.36667°N 79.61639°W / 40.36667; -79.61639

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