Washington County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Learn Washington County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
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Washington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 209,349. Its county seat is Washington. The county is part of the Greater Pittsburgh region of the state.

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.

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. Washington County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, 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.

Surrounding counties

Beaver County (north)

Allegheny County (NNE-northeast)

Westmoreland County (East-northeast)

Fayette County (East-southeast)

Greene County (south)

Marshall County, West Virginia (southwest)

Ohio County, West Virginia (west)

Brooke County, West Virginia (west)

Hancock County, West Virginia (northwest)

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).

Demographics

Historical population Census Pop. %± 1790 23,892 — 1800 28,298 18.4% 1810 36,289 28.2% 1820 40,038 10.3% 1830 42,784 6.9% 1840 41,279 −3.5% 1850 44,939 8.9% 1860 46,805 4.2% 1870 48,483 3.6% 1880 55,418 14.3% 1890 71,155 28.4% 1900 92,181 29.5% 1910 143,680 55.9% 1920 188,992 31.5% 1930 204,802 8.4% 1940 210,852 3.0% 1950 209,628 −0.6% 1960 217,271 3.6% 1970 210,876 −2.9% 1980 217,074 2.9% 1990 204,584 −5.8% 2000 202,897 −0.8% 2010 207,820 2.4% 2020 209,349 0.7% U.S. Decennial Census

1790–1960 1900–1990

1990–2000 2010–2019 2010-2020

2020 census

Washington County Racial Composition 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%

Landmarks and events

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.

Washington County is home of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. 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. The county has 21 covered bridges still standing.

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. 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.

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

Education

Colleges and universities

California University of Pennsylvania in California Borough

Community College of Allegheny County Washington branch in North Franklin Township

Washington & Jefferson College in the City of Washington and East Washington Borough

Waynesburg University- Southpointe Center Campus in Cecil Township.

Public school districts

Avella Area School District

Bentworth School District

Bethlehem-Center School District

Brownsville Area School District (also in Fayette County)

Burgettstown Area School District

California Area School District

Canon-McMillan School District

Charleroi School District

Chartiers-Houston School District

Fort Cherry School District (also in Allegheny County)

McGuffey School District

Peters Township School District

Ringgold School District

Trinity Area School District

Washington School District

Served by

Intermediate Unit 1 – Coal Center

Mon Valley Career and Technology Center – Charleroi

Western Area Career and Technology Center – Canonsburg

Private schools

Libraries

[[File:Citizens Library.jpg|thumb|Citizens Library in Washington

Hospitals

Canonsburg Hospital, part of West Penn Allegheny Health System in North Strabane Township

Penn Highlands Mon Valley, part of Penn Highlands Healthcare, formerly Monongahela Valley Hospital in Carroll Township

The Washington Hospital in the City of Washington

Communities

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

Monongahela

Washington (county seat)

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

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.

† 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