West Chester, Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 39°57′31″N 75°36′18″W / 39.95861°N 75.60500°W / 39.95861; -75.60500
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
West Chester
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
484, 610
Websitewest-chester.com

West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States.[5] Located within the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,461 at the 2010 census.[6] West Chester is the mailing address for most of its neighboring townships. When calculated by mailing address, the population as of the 2010 U.S. Census was 108,696, which would make it the 10th largest city by mailing address in the state of Pennsylvania.[7]

Much of the

West Chester University of Pennsylvania
North Campus and the Chester County government are located within the borough. The center of town is located at the intersection of Market and High Streets.

History

Main article: History of West Chester, Pennsylvania

The area was originally known as Turk's Head—after the

Theobald Wolfe Tone briefly lived in West Chester during his exile.[citation needed] In the late 19th century the Hoopes, Bro. and Darlington company became a major wheelworks, first for wagons and later automobiles.[11][12] In the early 20th century, an important industry was the Sharples cream separator company.[13] In the late 20th century, Commodore International, one of the pioneers of home computers, giving its headquarters as West Chester, was located approximately a mile northeast of the borough.[citation needed
]

The West Chester Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Other listed buildings are the Bank of Chester County, Buckwalter Building, Butler House, Chester County Courthouse, William Everhart Buildings, Farmers and Mechanics Building, First Presbyterian Church of West Chester, New Century Clubhouse, Joseph Rothrock House, Sharples Homestead, Sharples Separator Works, Warner Theater, West Chester Boarding School for Boys, and components of West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District.[14]

Geography

Gay Street in downtown West Chester

Brandywine Creek and Chester Creek watersheds.[15] It is located 25 miles (40 km) west of Philadelphia and 17 miles (27 km) north of Wilmington, Delaware
.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (5 km2), all land.

Climate

As with much of southeastern Pennsylvania east of the

Appalachian mountains, West Chester lies in the transition zone between the humid continental (Köppen: Dfa) and humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa) climate zones, with generally more characteristics of the former than the latter.[16] Summers are hot and humid and winters are cold but variable. Annual high temperatures average between 39.0 °F (3.9 °C) and 85.4 °F (29.7 °C), annual low temperatures average between 22.2 °F (−5.4 °C) and 64.4 °F (18.0 °C), with the record high being 105 °F (41 °C), and record low being −16 °F (−27 °C).[17]

Annual

snowfall averages 27.7 inches (70 cm).[17]

Climate data for West Chester, Pennsylvania
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 39.0
(3.9) 		40.5
(4.7) 		50.8
(10.4) 		62.1
(16.7) 		72.7
(22.6) 		80.9
(27.2) 		85.4
(29.7) 		83.5
(28.6) 		77.1
(25.1) 		65.9
(18.8) 		54.1
(12.3) 		42.2
(5.7) 		62.9
(17.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.7
(−0.7) 		31.6
(−0.2) 		40.9
(4.9) 		51.2
(10.7) 		61.5
(16.4) 		70.2
(21.2) 		74.9
(23.8) 		73.2
(22.9) 		66.4
(19.1) 		55.1
(12.8) 		44.6
(7.0) 		33.8
(1.0) 		52.8
(11.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 22.2
(−5.4) 		22.6
(−5.2) 		30.8
(−0.7) 		40.2
(4.6) 		50.3
(10.2) 		59.5
(15.3) 		64.4
(18.0) 		62.9
(17.2) 		55.7
(13.2) 		44.3
(6.8) 		35.0
(1.7) 		25.5
(−3.6) 		42.8
(6.0)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.5
(89) 		3.3
(84) 		3.8
(97) 		3.7
(94) 		4
(100) 		4.3
(110) 		4.5
(110) 		4.6
(120) 		4.1
(100) 		3.6
(91) 		3.6
(91) 		3.7
(94) 		46.7
(1,180)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 7
(18) 		8.6
(22) 		4.6
(12) 		0.9
(2.3) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.1
(0.25) 		1.2
(3.0) 		5.3
(13) 		27.7
(70)
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1800374—
181047125.9%
182055217.2%
18301,258127.9%
18402,15271.1%
18503,17247.4%
18604,75750.0%
18705,63018.4%
18807,04625.2%
18908,02813.9%
19009,52418.6%
191011,76723.6%
192011,717−0.4%
193012,3255.2%
194013,2897.8%
195015,16814.1%
196015,7053.5%
197019,30122.9%
198017,435−9.7%
199018,0413.5%
200017,861−1.0%
201018,4613.4%
202018,6711.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
Old Chester County Courthouse. The new Chester County Justice Center is located at West Market St. and North Darlington St.

At the 2010 census, the borough was 72.1% non-Hispanic White, 12.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.4% Asian, and 2.4% was of two or more races. About 13.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[19]

As of the

racial makeup
of the borough was 75.44% White, 17.08% Black, 3.64% from other races, 1.46% Asian, 0.31% Native American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.94%.

Of the 6,265 households, 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 26.8% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.5% were not families. About 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 13.4% under the age of 18, 37.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 13.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough from 2018 to 2022 was $71,875.

poverty line.[22]

Economy

Corporate headquarters include:

Electronics Boutique, when it existed as an independent company, had its headquarters in West Goshen Township,[26][27] in proximity to West Chester.[25][28]

Among the major

New York Life for $35.7 million.[29]

Culture and media

The West Chester Public Library has provided library services to area residents since 1872. It currently has a collection of 50,000 items and receives 110,000 visits every year.[30] The Francis Harvey Green Library on the university campus has additional collections.[31]

The Daily Local News, headquartered in West Chester, covers Chester County events.[32] WCHE (1520 AM) broadcasts from downtown West Chester and is a local commercial radio station that provides news and entertainment to Chester County. The Quad is the student-run newspaper of West Chester University. Published since 1932, it covers not only campus events, but also regional and national news.[33] Radio station WCUR (91.7 FM) broadcasts from the borough and is managed by university students.[34]

Transportation

Roads and highways

US 322 Business in West Chester

As of 2011, there were 33.82 miles (54.43 km) of public roads in West Chester, of which 5.36 miles (8.63 km) were maintained by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 28.46 miles (45.80 km) were maintained by the borough.[35]

US 202 and US 322 are the major highways serving the area, though both bypass West Chester Borough on the limited-access West Chester Bypass. US 202 heads northeast to King of Prussia and south to Wilmington, Delaware while US 322 heads northwest to Downingtown and southeast to Chester. US 322 Business still follows the original alignment of US 322 and part of the original alignment of US 202 through West Chester along Hannum Avenue, Chestnut and Market streets, and South High Street.

The main east–west road to West Chester is

West Chester Pike, which begins in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, just outside Philadelphia, and is part of Pennsylvania Route 3 (PA 3).[36] The West Chester Pike originally existed as a private turnpike connecting Philadelphia and West Chester between 1850 and 1918, when it became a public road.[37] In West Chester, PA 3 follows Market Street eastbound and Gay Street westbound. The main north–south road in West Chester is High Street. To the north of town, the road is known as Pottstown Pike, which connects to PA 100 near Exton (PA 100 formerly ran through town). To the south of town, the road is known as Wilmington-West Chester Pike. Other state routes serving West Chester include PA 162 and PA 842, which head west towards Unionville, and PA 52, which heads southwest towards Kennett Square.[36]

Public transportation

West Chester Transportation Center

West Chester is home to the

Route 135 bus connects West Chester to Exton, Downingtown, and Coatesville.[38] The Route 104 bus replaced a trolley service that connected West Chester to Philadelphia along the West Chester Pike between 1898 and the 1950s.[37] West Chester is also served by the Transportation Management Association of Chester County's SCCOOT, which provides service to Kennett Square and Oxford.[38]

Until September 1986, West Chester was served by SEPTA's

heritage railroad.[39]

In popular culture

Government

See also:
Chief of Police
). The mayor and council members are directly elected by borough voters.

On January 3, 2022, Lillian DeBaptiste (D), daughter of former mayor Clifford DeBaptiste (R), was sworn in as mayor.[41]

Council members

as of November 5, 2021:

Ward Council member Party Term ends
1 Patrick McCoy Democratic 2025
2 Nick Allen Democratic 2023
3 Brian McGinnis Democratic 2025
4 Michael Stefano Democratic 2023
5 Sheila Vaccaro Democratic 2025
6 Bernie Flynn Democratic 2023
7 Lisa Dorsey Democratic 2025

Education

Public schools

The

Henderson High School, West Chester East High School, Rustin High School) and three middle schools (E.N. Peirce Middle School, J.R. Fugett Middle School, G.A. Stetson Middle School).[42]

Elementary schools serving sections of West Chester borough include: East Bradford, East Goshen, Hillsdale, Greystone, Sarah Starkweather, and Westtown-Thornbury. [43] Previously the following also included sections in West Chester borough: Exton, Fern Hill, Glen Acres, Mary C. Howse, and Penn Wood. Under some zoning proposals c. 2018, Exton, Glen Acres, Howse, and Penn Wood would no longer serve portions of West Chester borough.[44]

Private schools

Darlington Seminary was a nonsectarian girls' school
St. Agnes School

St. Agnes School, a

K-8 school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is in the borough limits. It opened in 1871. As of 2020 its enrollment is over 300.[45]

There are other Catholic K–8 schools with West Chester postal addresses:

Colleges and universities

Much of West Chester University's North Campus is located in the borough, south of the commercial and retail center.[51]

Delaware County Community College is the community college system for Chester County.[52]

Public libraries

West Chester Public Library is the community library.[53]

Entertainment

West Chester has a variety of places to visit, including restaurants, shops, parks, and historical sites. Some popular tourist attractions include the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, the Chester County History Center, the American Helicopter Museum, the West Chester Railroad, and QVC studio tours.[54] People can also explore Downtown West Chester, which features a selection of dining and retail options along with historical buildings.[55]

West Chester is home to West Chester United SC, a lower level professional soccer club that currently competes in both the National Premier Soccer League and USL League Two. Home matches are played at Kildare's Field. The organization also fields a side in the United Soccer League of Pennsylvania, a fully-amateur state league.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from West Chester, Pennsylvania

References

  1. ^ "DeBaptiste takes over as new West Chester mayor". 3 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Lillian DeBaptiste for Mayor - Home". Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  3. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  6. ^ United States Census[dead link]
  7. ^ "Pennsylvania Zip Codes by Population". pennsylvania-demographics.com. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  8. ^ "West Chester, Pennsylvania". Thebrandywine.com. July 26, 2001. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-12-08. Retrieved 2009-12-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ Enter your Company or Top-Level Office (January 19, 2011). "Chester County: Courthouse History". Dsf.chesco.org. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  11. ^ West Chester, past and present: centennial souvenir with celebration proceedings. Daily Local News, West Chester, PA. 1899. p. 125.
  12. ^ "Keeping the wheels turning in West Chester". Daily Local News. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  13. ^ "Cream Separators Page 2". Dairyantiques.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  14. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  15. ^ "Watersheds of Chester County". Chester County. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  16. ^ Climate Summary for West Chester, Pennsylvania
  17. ^ a b "West Chester, Pennsylvania Travel Weather Averages". Weatherbase. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  18. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  19. ^ Copeland, Larry (10 March 2011). "Philadelphia gains, Pittsburgh shrinks in population". USA Today.
  20. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  21. ^ "QuickFacts - West Chester borough, Pennsylvania".
  22. ^ "QuickFacts - West Chester borough, Pennsylvania".
  23. ^ McGann, Mike (July 18, 2013). "Chamber touts benefits of social capital". Coatsville Timers. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  24. ^ "Directions to QVC Studio Park Archived 2010-06-11 at the Wayback Machine." QVC. Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
  25. ^
    U.S. Census Bureau
    . Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
  26. ^ Moran, Sarah E. "County jobless rate worsens Archived 2012-02-29 at the Wayback Machine." Daily Local News. Tuesday November 1, 2005. Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
  27. ^ "Contact." Electronic Boutique. June 11, 2004. Retrieved on August 11, 2010. "931 South Matlack St. West Chester, PA 19382."
  28. ^ "Corporate Office Positions." Electronic Boutique. June 9, 2001. Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
  29. ^ Kostelni, Natalie (2014-06-20). "West Chester shopping center sells for $35.7M". Philadelphia Business Journal.[permanent dead link]
  30. ^ "Short History" (PDF). West Chester Public Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  31. ^ "University Libraries". West Chester University. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  32. ^ "Daily Local News". Daily Local News. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  33. ^ "The Quad: About". The Quad. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  34. ^ "91.7 WCUR The Curve". WCUR. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  35. ^ "West Chester Borough map" (PDF). PennDOT. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  36. ^
    ISBN 0-87530-778-7
    .
  37. ^
    ISBN 9780738592442
    . Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  38. ^ a b Chester County Ride Guide (Map). Chester County Planning Commission. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  39. ^ "West Chester Railroad". Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  40. ^ "Marley & Me Filming in West Chester". chestercountymoms.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  41. ^ "DeBaptiste takes over as new West Chester mayor". Daily Local. 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  42. ^ "Attendance/District Boundary Maps" (PDF). West Chester Area School District. Retrieved 2023-12-29. - Accessed from here, PDF capture with zoom on West Chester.
    "School Boundary Adjustment Draft SK8C - Current Boundaries with Zones of Change Archived 2018-09-26 at the Wayback Machine" (Secondary). West Chester Area School District. Retrieved on September 26, 2018.
  43. ^ "Attendance/District Boundary Maps" (PDF). West Chester Area School District. Retrieved 2023-12-29. - Accessed from here, PDF capture with zoom on West Chester
  44. ^ "School Boundary Adjustment Draft SK8C - Current Boundaries with Zones of Change Archived 2018-09-26 at the Wayback Machine" (Elementary). West Chester Area School District. Retrieved on September 26, 2018.
  45. ^ "About". St. Agnes School. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  46. ^ a b c "West Chester Area Council of Governments Map Archived 2018-09-26 at the Wayback Machine." On the website of West Goshen Township. Retrieved on September 26, 2018. Includes maps of various townships around West Chester borough.
  47. ^ "School". SS. Peter and Paul Parish. Retrieved 2020-04-23. Saints Peter & Paul School 1327 Boot Road West Chester, PA 19380 - Compare with the township maps.
  48. ^ "History". SS. Peter and Paul Parish. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  49. ^ "Home". SS. Simon and Jude School. Retrieved 2020-04-23. Saints Simon and Jude School 6 Cavanaugh Court West Chester, PA 19382 - Compare with the township map
  50. ^ "Home". St. Maximilian Kolbe School. Retrieved 2020-04-23. School Address St. Maximilian Kolbe School 300 Daly Drive West Chester, PA 19382 - Compare with the township map
  51. ^ "North Campus Map." West Chester University. Retrieved on October 9, 2018. See: "West Chester Area Council of Governments Map Archived 2018-09-26 at the Wayback Machine."
  52. ^ "Chester County". Delaware County Community College. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  53. ^ "Home". West Chester Public Library. Retrieved 2022-10-19. 415 N. Church Street West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380
  54. ^ "THE 15 BEST Things to Do in West Chester - 2023 (with Photos)". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  55. ^ "Historic Towns". VisitPA. Retrieved 2023-03-20.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for West Chester (Pennsylvania).
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