Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Middletown Township | |
---|---|
EDT) | |
Area codes | 215, 267, and 445 |
FIPS code | 42-017-49120 |
Website | www |
Middletown Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 46,040 at the 2020 census. Many sections of Levittown are located in the southern end of the township. The municipality surrounds the boroughs of Langhorne, Langhorne Manor, Penndel and Hulmeville; much of the township beyond Levittown uses Langhorne as its mailing address. The township is located within the Delaware Valley, also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Also located within the township is Core Creek Park. The township also has many acres of protected woods, the largest being the woods behind Neshaminy High School. The Neshaminy Creek flows through these woods. There are also some few protected farms, most significantly that of Styer's Orchards, which was saved from turning into the site of 632 homes in the late 1990s.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50.2 km2), 19.1 square miles (49.5 km2) of which is land and 0.3 square mile (0.7 km2) (1.39%) of which is water.
Place names in Middletown Township include Bucktoe, Chicken Foot, Edgewood, Glenlake, Levittown (also in Bristol and Falls Township, and Tullytown Borough), Maple Point, Oxford Valley, Parkland, Pickpocket, Timbucktoo, and Woodbourne.[3]
Natural features include Core Creek, Lake Luxembourg in Core Creek Park, Edge Hill, Langhorne Water Works Run, Neshaminy Creek, and Newtown Creek.[3]
The
History
Middletown Township was formally established in 1692 and originally included within its boundaries the present-day boroughs of Langhorne, Langhorne Manor, Hulmeville, and Penndel.[5]
Middletown Township began as a farming community, with close proximity to trading towns such as Langhorne and Newtown. There are not many significant historical places located in the township apart from homes and farms constructed in the late 18th century.
Middletown Township was sparsely populated before 1950: there were only a little more than 2,000 people in 1930, compared to about 46,000 in 2010. Then William Levitt began his second Levittown, which included land of four municipalities, including that of Middletown. Twelve developments were constructed in the township, with the majority of them containing hundreds of homes. This marked the first planned residential development in the township. Meanwhile, Langhorne Terrace was being constructed out of the Neshaminy Woods. During this decade, the township grow by over 440%, or more than 20,000 new residents. As the decades passed, its woods, countryside, and farms continued to be swallowed into homes and businesses. In the 1970s, the Oxford Valley Mall was constructed, and at the time was named the country's largest mall for a short time.
Growth continues to this day; however, Middletown has taken action. The township preserved hundreds of acres now known as Core Creek Park, which includes the sprawling Lake Luxembourg. Many woodlands and a few farms have also been saved. The township has transformed from a bucolic, rural area to a highly desirable and well-planned community, with low crime and an award-winning school district. This is why the township is still seeing a growing population, attracting many out-of-state residents and international migrants.
Middletown also benefits from its convenient location, in the near center of the county: Middletown is close to almost any other municipality nearby, including the cities of Philadelphia, Trenton, and Princeton. Both I-295 and U.S. 1 pass through the township, offering its residents an easy commute, with the exception of rush hour traffic, which too has been greatly reduced and continues to be in ongoing road projects.
Edgemont and Harewood and Beechwood are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]
Demographics
As of a 2014 estimate, the township was 84.1% Non-Hispanic White, 5.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.0% Asian, 0.2% Some other race, and 1.4% were two or more races. 4.9% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[7]
As of the 2010 census, the township was 88.3% Non-Hispanic White, 3.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 4.0% Asian, and 1.6% were two or more races. 3.1% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[8]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1930 | 2,095 | — | |
1940 | 3,136 | 49.7% | |
1950 | 4,987 | 59.0% | |
1960 | 26,936 | 440.1% | |
1970 | 32,364 | 20.2% | |
1980 | 34,246 | 5.8% | |
1990 | 43,063 | 25.7% | |
2000 | 44,141 | 2.5% | |
2010 | 45,436 | 2.9% | |
2020 | 46,040 | 1.3% | |
[9][10] |
As of the 2000 census,
There were 15,321 households, out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $63,964, and the median income for a family was $71,271. Males had a median income of $47,244 versus $32,154 for females. The
Like much of the
Transportation
As of 2018 there were 189.70 miles (305.29 km) of public roads in Middletown Township, of which 50.63 miles (81.48 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 139.07 miles (223.81 km) were maintained by the township.[12]
Politics
The township was once dominated by the Republican Party like most of Bucks County, due to a more bucolic, rural feel. However, after years of growth, including migration of peoples from Democratic areas, the area has been trending Democratic. The Neshaminy School Board and Middletown Township Board of Supervisors both lack a one party dominance, which used to be mostly or all Republican. In the
Education
Middletown Township lies within the Neshaminy School District. Students living within township boundaries may attend either Albert Schweitzer Elementary School, Herbert Hoover Elementary School, Pearl S. Buck Elementary School, Tawanka Elementary School, or Walter Miller Elementary School for grades K-4, depending on where they live. Carl Sandburg Middle School and Maple Point Middle School serve students in grades 5–8, and Neshaminy High School serves students in grades 9-12.
Cairn University, a private religious university, is partially located within township boundaries.
Commerce and growth
Oxford Valley Mall is at the center of the township's commercial retail area; it is surrounded by over 30 car dealerships and car automotive shops and over 40 restaurant chains, and several major retail stores. A number of furniture stores, hotel chaing, a major hospital, and office buildings are also located in the Oxford Valley Mall vicinity.
Many homes have been constructed around the mall, the oldest being Langhorne Gardens, a branch of Levittown, Pennsylvania. Many newly constructed townhouses, condos, and large single-family homes have been built. As thousands of people from other continents have settled near the mall, there is a wide variety of ethnic food, churches, and superstores in its vicinity.
Traffic has become a major concern. Nearby
Middletown Township is the home to the corporate headquarters of
Housing
Middletown has a large mix of housing construction and time periods, which range from the fifties to new construction. Almost all the development that occurred in the fifties were the Levittown sections. Housing ranges from cheap single-family housing to exorbitant single-family living, and also townhomes, condos, assisted living, apartment complexes, deluxe apartment complexes, and 55+ housing. There are no trailer parks in Middletown. There are a handful of homes constructed before 1950, even a few dating back to the 18th century, however they are individual homes and scattered, due to Levittown being the first planned development. The most significant area with scattered housing periods is the area of Parkland. Houses date from every decade of the 20th century, and the 21st. Parkland has the lowest land value and family incomes than any other area of Middletown.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Middletown Township has a Hot-summer, Humid continental climate (Dfa). Dfa climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are slightly humid in Middletown Township, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > 108 °F (42 °C). Since 1981, the highest air temperature was 102.9 °F (39.4 °C) on July 22, 2011, and the highest daily average mean dew point was 75.3 °F (24.1 °C) on August 13, 2016. The average wettest month is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was 6.60 inches (168 mm) on August 27, 2011.
During the winter months, the average annual extreme minimum air temperature is 1.2 °F (−17.1 °C).
Climate data for Middletown Township, Pennsylvania (Neshaminy Falls) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1915–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
79 (26) |
88 (31) |
95 (35) |
97 (36) |
102 (39) |
105 (41) |
102 (39) |
98 (37) |
95 (35) |
88 (31) |
76 (24) |
105 (41) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39.4 (4.1) |
42.2 (5.7) |
50.5 (10.3) |
62.5 (16.9) |
72.3 (22.4) |
81.1 (27.3) |
85.8 (29.9) |
84.0 (28.9) |
77.4 (25.2) |
65.6 (18.7) |
54.6 (12.6) |
44.4 (6.9) |
63.3 (17.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.4 (−0.9) |
32.4 (0.2) |
40.0 (4.4) |
51.0 (10.6) |
60.9 (16.1) |
70.5 (21.4) |
75.5 (24.2) |
73.8 (23.2) |
66.6 (19.2) |
54.6 (12.6) |
43.9 (6.6) |
35.4 (1.9) |
52.9 (11.6) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.5 (−5.8) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
39.5 (4.2) |
49.5 (9.7) |
59.8 (15.4) |
65.2 (18.4) |
63.5 (17.5) |
55.7 (13.2) |
43.5 (6.4) |
33.2 (0.7) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
42.5 (5.8) |
Record low °F (°C) | −18 (−28) |
−18 (−28) |
−2 (−19) |
8 (−13) |
29 (−2) |
34 (1) |
43 (6) |
35 (2) |
30 (−1) |
19 (−7) |
−3 (−19) |
−10 (−23) |
−18 (−28) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.69 (94) |
3.06 (78) |
4.58 (116) |
3.97 (101) |
4.00 (102) |
4.58 (116) |
4.94 (125) |
4.67 (119) |
4.72 (120) |
4.21 (107) |
3.63 (92) |
4.65 (118) |
50.70 (1,288) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.0 (18) |
5.7 (14) |
3.5 (8.9) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.2 (0.51) |
3.4 (8.6) |
19.9 (51) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.5 | 9.9 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 9.3 | 8.7 | 10.6 | 119.8 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 6.8 |
Source: |
Climate data for Middletown Township, Elevation 151 ft (46 m), 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1981-2018 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 71.4 (21.9) |
77.8 (25.4) |
87.5 (30.8) |
94.5 (34.7) |
95.4 (35.2) |
96.6 (35.9) |
102.9 (39.4) |
100.5 (38.1) |
98.4 (36.9) |
88.5 (31.4) |
81.2 (27.3) |
75.9 (24.4) |
102.9 (39.4) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.1 (4.5) |
43.4 (6.3) |
51.6 (10.9) |
63.5 (17.5) |
73.0 (22.8) |
82.2 (27.9) |
86.4 (30.2) |
84.7 (29.3) |
77.9 (25.5) |
66.6 (19.2) |
55.6 (13.1) |
44.5 (6.9) |
64.2 (17.9) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.9 (−0.1) |
34.5 (1.4) |
41.9 (5.5) |
52.6 (11.4) |
62.0 (16.7) |
71.6 (22.0) |
76.1 (24.5) |
74.6 (23.7) |
67.4 (19.7) |
55.9 (13.3) |
46.2 (7.9) |
36.4 (2.4) |
54.4 (12.4) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.8 (−4.6) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
32.2 (0.1) |
41.7 (5.4) |
51.0 (10.6) |
60.9 (16.1) |
65.9 (18.8) |
64.5 (18.1) |
57.0 (13.9) |
45.2 (7.3) |
36.8 (2.7) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
44.5 (6.9) |
Record low °F (°C) | −9.9 (−23.3) |
−2.4 (−19.1) |
4.2 (−15.4) |
18.1 (−7.7) |
33.7 (0.9) |
42.3 (5.7) |
48.4 (9.1) |
43.2 (6.2) |
36.4 (2.4) |
25.4 (−3.7) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
0.1 (−17.7) |
−9.9 (−23.3) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.55 (90) |
2.76 (70) |
4.21 (107) |
3.93 (100) |
4.29 (109) |
4.31 (109) |
5.15 (131) |
4.33 (110) |
4.33 (110) |
3.76 (96) |
3.56 (90) |
4.03 (102) |
48.21 (1,225) |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
65.6 | 62.5 | 58.0 | 57.5 | 61.9 | 65.7 | 66.4 | 68.6 | 69.8 | 68.5 | 67.4 | 67.6 | 65.0 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 21.7 (−5.7) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
38.0 (3.3) |
48.8 (9.3) |
59.5 (15.3) |
64.1 (17.8) |
63.6 (17.6) |
57.2 (14.0) |
45.7 (7.6) |
36.0 (2.2) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
42.8 (6.0) |
Source: PRISM[17] |
Ecology
According to the
References
- ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Middletown township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ a b MacReynolds, George, Place Names in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Doylestown, Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, PA, 1942, P1.
- ^ http://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=1752507&DocName=Map13_PhysProvs_Pa.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Township History | Middletown Township | Bucks County | PA. www.middletownbucks.org. Retrieved on 2022-04-19.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "DVRPC > Site Search". Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "Census 2020".
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Middletown Township map" (PDF). PennDOT. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ SEPTA Official Transit & Street Map Suburban (PDF) (Map). SEPTA. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ^ a b "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
- ^ "Station: Neshaminy Falls, PA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Retrieved October 25, 2019.