Clairton, Pennsylvania
Clairton, Pennsylvania | ||
---|---|---|
ZIP code 15025[4] | ||
Area code | 412 | |
FIPS code | 42-13704 | |
Website | www.cityofclairton.com |
Clairton is a city in
The city was the setting for the movie The Deer Hunter (1978), although none of the movie was actually filmed there (other mill towns in the Monongahela River Valley and elsewhere in the tri-state area were used).
The
History
External audio | |
---|---|
Clairton, Hometown Pride Still Alive in a Declining Steel Town, 14:13, Grapple, Keystone Crossroads[6] |
Clairton's existence dates to just after the turn of the 20th century, when the Crucible Steel Company acquired a large tract along the west side of the Monongahela River, approximately 13 miles (21 km) south of Pittsburgh. Soon after, the Carnegie Steel Company (later U.S. Steel) built an integrated steel mill and coke production facility, which eventually became one of the world's largest.
The site had more than 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of level land suitable for a large industrial complex. On April 12, 1903, Clairton was incorporated as a borough, and on January 1, 1922, Clairton was incorporated as a City of the Third Class with a population of approximately 11,000. This incorporation was prompted by industry, which was taxed by the three boroughs - Clairton, Wilson and North Clairton - which were chartered separately prior to the incorporation of the City of Clairton.
During the next several decades, growth and advancement indicated a thriving city. As the steel mill and coke production facilities expanded, the population of Clairton grew. Clairton took on a life of its own, including a business district and educational, religious, and cultural facilities. The city peaked in the late 1950s, and has been in decline since.[7][8][9][10]
In the late 1950s, Clairton High School (CHS) had a large student body, and the city had a "feeder" system of public and parochial elementary schools. The CHS student body was soon siphoned off, however, by new schools in Elizabeth Borough, Snowden Township, and Jefferson Borough. During the mid-1950s and into the 1960s, CHS was a Class AAA competitor in the formidable Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL), playing against high schools in other mill towns up and down the Monongahela River Valley.
With the decline of the
Geography
Clairton is located at 40°17′47″N 79°53′14″W / 40.29639°N 79.88722°W (40.296419, -79.887090).[12]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2), of which 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) is land, and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (8.31%) is water.
Surrounding and adjacent neighborhoods
A majority of Clairton is bordered by land with Jefferson Hills with a short border with West Mifflin to the north.
Across the Monongahela River, Clairton runs adjacent with
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 3,326 | — | |
1920 | 6,264 | 88.3% | |
1930 | 15,291 | 144.1% | |
1940 | 16,381 | 7.1% | |
1950 | 19,652 | 20.0% | |
1960 | 18,389 | −6.4% | |
1970 | 15,051 | −18.2% | |
1980 | 12,188 | −19.0% | |
1990 | 9,656 | −20.8% | |
2000 | 8,491 | −12.1% | |
2010 | 6,796 | −20.0% | |
2020 | 6,181 | −9.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[13][3] |
As of the
There were 3,710 households, out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. Of these households, 36.4% consisted of individuals, and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household had 2.25 people and the average family size was 2.92.
The population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,596, and the median income for a family was $31,539. Males had a median income of $29,399 versus $21,743 for females. The
Government and politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 32% 915 | 66% 1,857 | 1% 38 |
2016 | 29% 813 | 69% 1,924 | 2% 66 |
2012 | 23% 706 | 76% 2,292 | 1% 21 |
In popular culture
The city was the setting for the movie The Deer Hunter (1978), the steel town where the American characters live. None of the movie was actually filmed there; other mill towns in the Monongahela River Valley and elsewhere in the tri-state area were used. Even the opening scene, which features a large sign saying "Welcome to Clairton, City of Prayer," was shot in Mingo Junction, Ohio. The phrasing on the sign is based on smaller signs posted at the city's boundaries during the mid-1960s as a response to the Supreme Court's 1963 ban on sponsored school prayer.
Notable people
- Nancy Y. Bekavac, President of Scripps College
- Benny Benack, trumpet player
- Tyler Boyd, NFL player
- Walter Cooper, scientist
- Reginald B. Desiderio, Medal of Honor recipient
- Marva Josie, jazz vocalist
- Lance Parrish, MLB catcher 1977–1995, chiefly for the Detroit Tigers
References
- ^ "City Administration / Finance".
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ "Clairton PA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ "Explore Census Data".
- ^ "Clairton, Hometown Pride Still Alive in a Declining Steel Town". Grapple. Keystone Crossroads. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ "1960 Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. August 16, 2012. Archived from the original on May 5, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "Census '90: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). Census.gov. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ^ Longman, Jeré (November 22, 2012). "Football Team Keeps Mill Town's Heart Beating". The New York Times.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ EL. "2012 Allegheny County election". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- ^ EL. "2016 Pennsylvania general election results". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- ^ "Election Night Reporting".