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Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 39°55′N 75°24′W / 39.92°N 75.40°W / 39.92; -75.40
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Not to be confused with Delaware Valley, which is the entire Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Delaware County
County
Delaware County Courthouse in Media, Pennsylvania
Delaware County Courthouse in Media, Pennsylvania
Flag of Delaware County
Flag
Official seal of Delaware County
Seal
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Delaware County
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°55′N 75°24′W / 39.92°N 75.40°W / 39.92; -75.40
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
FoundedSeptember 26, 1789
Named forDelaware River
SeatMedia
Largest TownshipUpper Darby
Other citiesChester
Area
 • Total
191 sq mi (490 km2)
 • Land184 sq mi (480 km2)
 • Water6.8 sq mi (18 km2)  3.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
576,830
 • Estimate 
(2023)
576,720 Decrease
 • Density3,000/sq mi (1,200/km2)
Congressional district5th
Websitedelcopa.gov
DesignatedOctober 3, 1982[1]
Map
Interactive map of Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Delaware County, colloquially referred to as Delco,[2] is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. With a population of 576,830 as of the 2020 census,[3] it is the fifth-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the third-smallest in area. The county was created on September 26, 1789, from part of Chester County and named for the Delaware River. The county is part of the Southeast Pennsylvania region of the state.[a]

Delaware County borders Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-most populous city, to its northeast. It also is adjacent to the city-county of Philadelphia County and is included in the Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA–NJ–DE–MD metropolitan statistical area. Its county seat is Media.[4]

History

[edit]
Map of the early settlements of Delaware County, Pennsylvania
The old Chester Courthouse, built in 1724

Delaware County lies in the river and bay drainage area named "Delaware" in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, Governor of the nearby English colony of Virginia. The land was explored by Henry Hudson in 1609, and over the next several decades it was variously claimed and settled by the Swedes, the Dutch, and the English. Its original human inhabitants were the Lenape tribe of American Indians.

Once the Dutch were defeated and the extent of New York was determined, King Charles II of England made his grant to William Penn to found the colony which came to be named Pennsylvania. Penn divided his colony into three counties: Bucks, Philadelphia, and Chester. The riverfront land south of Philadelphia, being the most accessible, was quickly granted and settled. In 1789, the southeastern portion of Chester County was divided from the rest and named Delaware County for the Delaware River.

Geography

[edit]
Bartram's Covered Bridge, built 1860 west of Newtown Square, crosses Crum Creek into Chester County
Newlin Mill, built 1704, on the west branch of Chester Creek, near Concordville

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 191 square miles (490 km2), of which 184 square miles (480 km2) is land and 6.8 square miles (18 km2) (3.5%) is water.[5] It is the third-smallest county in Pennsylvania by area.

Delaware County is roughly diamond- or kite-shaped, with the four sides formed by the Chester County boundary to the northwest, the boundary with the state of Delaware, a portion of the "Twelve-Mile Circle") to the southwest, the Delaware River, forming the border with the state of New Jersey) to the southeast, and the city of Philadelphia and Montgomery County to the east and northeast.

The lowest point in the state of Pennsylvania is located on the Delaware River in Marcus Hook in Delaware County, where it flows out of Pennsylvania and into Delaware. The highest point in Delaware County is 500 feet at two points southeast of Wyola in Newtown Township.[6]

Waterways in Delaware County generally flow in a southward direction and ultimately drain into the Delaware River. The waterways are, from west to east: the Brandywine River (forming a portion of the county's western boundary with Chester County), Naaman's Creek, Stoney Creek, Chester Creek, Ridley Creek, Crum Creek, Muckinipates Creek, Darby Creek and Cobbs Creek (forming a portion of the county's eastern boundary with Philadelphia). Crum Creek was dammed in 1931 near Pennsylvania Route 252 to fill Springton Lake (also known as Geist Reservoir), an approximately 391-acre (1.58 km2)[7] drinking water reservoir maintained by Aqua America, the county's largest lake.

The Trainer Refinery and the Port of Chester are located along the shores of the Delaware River.

With its location in the southeastern part of the state, Delaware County is the only county to border both Delaware and New Jersey.

Adjacent counties

[edit]

Delaware County is one of four counties in the United States to border a state with which it shares the same name (the other three are Nevada County, California, Texas County, Oklahoma, and Ohio County, West Virginia).

National protected areas

[edit]
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

State protected area

[edit]

2,600 acres (11 km2) of the county are occupied by the Ridley Creek State Park.

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
17909,469—
180012,80935.3%
181014,73415.0%
182014,8100.5%
183017,32317.0%
184019,79114.2%
185024,67924.7%
186030,59724.0%
187039,40328.8%
188056,10142.4%
189074,68333.1%
190094,76226.9%
1910117,90624.4%
1920173,08446.8%
1930280,26461.9%
1940310,75610.9%
1950414,23433.3%
1960553,15433.5%
1970600,0358.5%
1980555,007−7.5%
1990547,651−1.3%
2000550,8640.6%
2010558,9791.5%
2020576,8303.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2019[12][13]

As of the 2020 census, the county was 63% White non-Hispanic, 22% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American or Alaskan Native, 6.3% Asian, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 3.5% were two or more races.

As of the 2000 census, there were 550,864 people, 206,320 households, and 139,472 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,990 inhabitants per square mile (1,150/km2). There were 216,978 housing units at an average density of 1,178 per square mile (455/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.3% White, 14.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.3% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 1.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.6% were of Irish, 17.5% Italian, 10.1% German and 6.7% English ancestry.

There were 206,320 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,092, and the median income for a family was $61,590. Males had a median income of $44,155 versus $31,831 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,040. About 5.8% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

[edit]
Delaware County Racial Composition[14]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 363,249 63%
Black or African American (NH) 127,055 22%
Native American (NH) 676 0.12%
Asian (NH) 36,317 6.3%
Pacific Islander (NH) 133 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 22,628 3.9%
Hispanic or Latino 26,772 4.6%

Communities

[edit]
Map of Delaware County, Pennsylvania with municipal labels showing cities (yellow), boroughs (red), townships (white), and census-designated places (blue)

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and exactly one town. There are 49 municipalities in Delaware County:

City

[edit]

Boroughs

[edit]

Townships

[edit]

Census-designated places

[edit]

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. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

Unincorporated communities

[edit]

Population ranking

[edit]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Delaware County.[15]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census) Total Area Population Density Incorporation Settlement
1 Upper Darby Township 85,681 7.83 sq mi 10,942.7/sq mi 1736 1653
2 Haverford Township 50,431 9.95 sq mi 5,068.4/sq mi 1682 1682
3 Radnor Township 33,228 13.79 sq mi 2,409.6/sq mi 1684 1682
4 Chester City 32,605 6.00 sq mi 5,434.2/sq mi 1701 (borough) 1866 (city) 1644
5 Ridley Township 31,053 5.31 sq mi 5,848.0/sq mi 1687 1647
6 Drexel Hill CDP 29,181 3.20 sq mi 9,119.1/sq mi
7 Springfield Township 25,070 6.34 sq mi 3,954.3/sq mi 1686 1682
8 Marple Township 24,214 10.52 sq mi 2,301.7/sq mi 1684 1684
9 Concord Township 18,295 13.64 sq mi 1,341.3/sq mi 1683 1660
10 Upper Chichester Township 16,898 6.70 sq mi 2,531.6/sq mi 1759 1881
11 Aston Township 16,791 5.84 sq mi 2,880.3/sq mi 1688 1681
12 Middletown Township 16,373 13.47 sq mi 1,215.5/sq mi 1686 1681
13 Newtown Township 15,002 10.09 sq mi 1,486.8/sq mi 1684 1681
14 Nether Providence Township 14,525 4.72 sq mi 3,077.3/sq mi 1687 1687
15 Ardmore (partially in Montgomery County) CDP 13,566 1.97 sq mi 6,886.3/sq mi
16 Yeadon Borough 12,054 1.59 sq mi 7,581.1/sq mi 1893 1682
17 Broomall CDP 11,718 3.17 sq mi 3,696.5/sq mi
18 Lansdowne Borough 11,107 1.18 sq mi 9,412.7/sq mi 1893 1732
19 Upper Providence Township 10,852 5.81 sq mi 1,867.8/sq mi 1687
20 Darby Borough 10,715 0.84 sq mi 12,756.0/sq mi 1653
21 Woodlyn CDP 9,685 1.7 sq mi 5,697.1/sq mi
22 Bethel Township 9,574 5.41 sq mi 1,769.7/sq mi 1683 1682
23 Darby Township 9,219 1.42 sq mi 6,492.3/sq mi 1683 1682
24 Collingdale Borough 8,908 0.87 sq mi 10,239.1/sq mi 1891
25 Brookhaven Borough 8,300 1.71 sq mi 4,882.4/sq mi 1945 1684
26 Folsom CDP 8,287 1.25 sq mi 6,629.6/sq mi
27 Villanova (partially in Montgomery County) CDP 8,213 2.09 sq mi 3,929.7/sq mi
28 Village Green-Green Ridge CDP 8,000 1.9 sq mi 4,210.5/sq mi
29 Glenolden Borough 7,223 0.97 sq mi 7,446.4/sq mi 1894
30 Ridley Park Borough 7,186 1.08 sq mi 6,653.7/sq mi 1897
31 Wayne CDP 7,160 2.12 sq mi 3,377.4/sq mi
32 Thornbury Township 6,904 9.27 sq mi 744.8/sq mi 1687
33 Clifton Heights Borough 6,863 0.63 sq mi 10,893.7/sq mi 1885
34 Folcroft Borough 6,792 1.42 sq mi 4,783.1/sq mi 1922
35 Swarthmore Borough 6,543 1.40 sq mi 4,673.6/sq mi 1893 1724
36 Prospect Park Borough 6,427 0.74 sq mi 8,685.1/sq mi 1894 1694
37 Sharon Hill Borough 6,014 0.77 sq mi 7,810.4/sq mi 1890
38 Norwood Borough 5,943 0.82 sq mi 7,247.6/sq mi 1893
39 † Media Borough 5,901 0.77 sq mi 7,663.6/sq mi 1850 1681
40 Bryn Mawr (mostly in Montgomery County) CDP 5,879 0.96 sq mi 6,124.0/sq mi
41 Boothwyn CDP 4,968 1.25 sq mi 3,974.4/sq mi
42 Edgmont Township 4,283 9.73 sq mi 440.2/sq mi 1687 1687
43 Aldan Borough 4,244 0.60 sq mi 7,073.3/sq mi 1893
44 Chester Township 4,080 1.43 sq mi 2,853.1/sq mi 1683
45 Tinicum Township 3,983 8.78 sq mi 453.6/sq mi 1780 1643
46 Chadds Ford Township 3,972 8.72 sq mi 455.5/sq mi 1684
47 Linwood CDP 3,949 0.65 sq mi 6,075.4/sq mi
48 St. Davids CDP 3,604 1.5 sq mi 2,402.7/sq mi
49 Rosemont (mostly in Montgomery County) CDP 3,507 0.82 sq mi 4,276.8/sq mi
50 Lower Chichester Township 3,425 1.07 sq mi 3,200.9/sq mi 1682 16678
51 Upland Borough 3,068 0.65 sq mi 4,720.0/sq mi 1869 1683
52 Chester Heights Borough 2,897 2.22 sq mi 1,305.0/sq mi 1945
53 Morton Borough 2,778 0.36 sq mi 7,716.7/sq mi 1898
54 Lima CDP 2,745 1.47 sq mi 1,867.3/sq mi
55 East Lansdowne Borough 2,714 0.21 sq mi 12,923.8/sq mi 1911
56 Colwyn Borough 2,474 0.26 sq mi 9,515.4/sq mi 1892
57 Eddystone Borough 2,459 1.52 sq mi 1,617.8/sq mi 1888 1641
58 Marcus Hook Borough 2,454 1.62 sq mi 1,514.8/sq mi 1892
59 Parkside Borough 2,321 0.21 sq mi 11,052.4/sq mi 1945
60 Trainer Borough 1,976 1.38 sq mi 1,431.9/sq mi 1919
61 Haverford College (partially in Montgomery County) CDP 1,497 0.31 sq mi 4,829.0/sq mi
62 Chadds Ford (mostly in Chester County) CDP 1,476 2.28 sq mi 647.4/sq mi
63 Millbourne Borough 1,212 0.07 sq mi 16,378.4/sq mi 1909 1682
6 Rose Valley Borough 1,017 0.73 sq mi 1,393.2/sq mi 1923 1682
65 Dilworthtown (mostly in Chester County) CDP 1,150 0.64 sq mi 1,796.9/sq mi
66 Rutledge Borough 782 0.14 sq mi 5,585.7/sq mi 1887 1885
67 Cheyney University (mostly in Chester County) CDP 565 0.30 sq mi 1,883.3/sq mi

Politics and government

[edit]
United States presidential election results for Delaware County, Pennsylvania[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 123,421 37.49% 201,324 61.15% 4,470 1.36%
2020 118,639 36.02% 206,709 62.75% 4,056 1.23%
2016 110,667 36.97% 177,402 59.27% 11,267 3.76%
2012 110,853 38.82% 171,792 60.16% 2,919 1.02%
2008 115,273 38.75% 178,870 60.12% 3,367 1.13%
2004 120,425 42.32% 162,601 57.15% 1,512 0.53%
2000 105,836 42.66% 134,861 54.36% 7,380 2.97%
1996 92,628 39.46% 115,946 49.39% 26,174 11.15%
1992 108,587 40.81% 111,210 41.80% 46,277 17.39%
1988 147,656 59.95% 96,144 39.03% 2,505 1.02%
1984 161,754 61.79% 98,207 37.51% 1,821 0.70%
1980 143,282 55.78% 88,314 34.38% 25,263 9.84%
1976 148,679 54.88% 117,252 43.28% 4,963 1.83%
1972 175,414 63.91% 94,144 34.30% 4,893 1.78%
1968 133,777 50.21% 106,695 40.05% 25,964 9.74%
1964 111,189 42.91% 147,189 56.81% 717 0.28%
1960 135,672 52.02% 124,629 47.79% 482 0.18%
1956 143,663 63.51% 82,024 36.26% 523 0.23%
1952 129,743 61.56% 80,316 38.11% 689 0.33%
1948 93,412 60.93% 57,156 37.28% 2,747 1.79%
1944 78,533 54.80% 64,021 44.67% 755 0.53%
1940 80,158 56.88% 60,225 42.73% 549 0.39%
1936 74,899 52.37% 65,117 45.53% 2,997 2.10%
1932 75,291 68.19% 32,413 29.36% 2,705 2.45%
1928 83,092 73.57% 29,378 26.01% 471 0.42%
1924 41,998 81.80% 6,368 12.40% 2,979 5.80%
1920 34,126 75.34% 9,602 21.20% 1,565 3.46%
1916 16,315 65.96% 7,742 31.30% 677 2.74%
1912 8,418 36.23% 6,001 25.82% 8,819 37.95%
1908 15,184 70.75% 5,727 26.69% 550 2.56%
1904 15,032 78.15% 3,586 18.64% 618 3.21%
1900 13,794 74.96% 4,249 23.09% 358 1.95%
1896 13,979 75.27% 4,169 22.45% 424 2.28%
1892 9,272 60.72% 5,520 36.15% 477 3.12%
1888 8,791 62.04% 5,028 35.48% 351 2.48%
1884 7,512 61.27% 4,538 37.01% 211 1.72%
1880 7,008 60.84% 4,473 38.83% 38 0.33%

The county has operated under a home-rule charter with five at-large council-members since 1972.

Until the 1990s, Delaware County was regarded as a classic suburban Republican county. The Delaware County Republican political machine was controlled by William McClure and his son John J. McClure from 1875 to 1965.[17] Delaware County voted for the Republican candidate all but once from 1860 through 1988, with the exception being Lyndon Johnson's national landslide of 1964.

In 1992, however, the county swung from a 21-point win for George H. W. Bush to a narrow one-point win for Bill Clinton, who became only the second Democrat to win the county in the 20th century. Clinton won it just under 10 points in 1996, coming up just short of a majority. The county has gone Democratic in every Presidential election since then by 10 points or more by progressively-increasing margins. In the 2004 election Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry won the county by 14 points. Barack Obama won it by large 21-point margins in each of his bids for president. Hillary Clinton carried it by an equally substantial 22 points in 2016. Joe Biden carried it in 2020 with 62 percent of the vote, his second-strongest performance in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump turned in the worst showing for a Republican in the county in over 160 years.

Driving the county's Democratic shift have been longstanding trends in voter registration advantage and demographics. In 1998, Republicans held a voter registration advantage of about 125,000,[18] but by 2008 that advantage had shrunk to under 20,000 voters.[19] As of the November 2021 election, Democrats enjoyed a voter registration advantage of 50,000. Propelling and compounding the voter registration shift has been a change in demographics in the county. Since the 2000 Census, the White population of the county has decreased from 80.3% to 68.5% as of the 2020 Census, while, the Black population has risen from 14.5% to 22.7%, driven by the gentrification of Philadelphia and University City neighborhood and rapid demographic shift in Upper Darby.[20][21][22] Further increasing the shift has been the change in education level demographics in the county, as voters have become more college educated and white collar (and, in turn, less blue collar) over the past few decades.

While the longstanding Republican registration edge has been erased, Republicans still remain competitive with Democrats at the state and local level. Most Republicans from the county tend to be fiscally conservative and socially moderate, as is the case with Republicans from most suburban Philadelphia counties. In the 2004 US Senate election, Republican Arlen Specter defeated Joe Hoeffel but Democrat Bob Casey, Jr. defeated Rick Santorum in the 2006 Senate election. All three Democratic state row office candidates carried it in 2008. In 2016, Delaware County elected all Democrats in national office elections except Republican Patrick Meehan (U.S. Representative).[23]

After the election of Donald Trump in 2016, the county rapidly shifted blue as a result of increased Democratic turnout and less enthusiasm from often less conservative suburban Republicans. In the 2019 elections for the Delaware County Council, Democrats swept the board and elected Monica Taylor, Elaine P. Schaefer, and Christine Reuther, gaining control of the county Council for the first time since the Civil War.[24] This was the first time in history that the county had an all-Democratic Council.[25]

As of 2020, all of Delaware County is located in the state's 5th congressional district, represented by Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon. Prior to 2019, most of Delaware County had been in the 7th congressional district. The district had been held for 20 years by Republican Curt Weldon until he was ousted by Joe Sestak, a retired admiral, in the 2006 U.S. House of Representatives election. Also in the 2006 election, Democrat Bryan Lentz unseated Republican incumbent State Representative Tom Gannon in the 161st House district. In 2010 Sestak ran for the senate seat vacated by Arlen Specter and was replaced by Republican Pat Meehan, who defeated Lentz, the Democratic candidate. Lentz was replaced in the State House by Joe Hackett, a Republican. Meehan represented the 7th district until his resignation on April 27, 2018.[26] Before it was thrown out by a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in 2018, the 7th Congressional District had been regarded one of the most irregularly drawn districts in the nation.[27]

Voter registration

[edit]

Chart of Voter Registration

  Democratic (49.93%)
  Republican (35.91%)
  Independent (9.73%)
  Other Parties (4.43%)

As of February 5, 2024, there are 406,799 registered voters in Delaware County.[28]

Delaware County Council

[edit]

As of March 2, 2022:[29]

Office Holder Party
Chair Monica Taylor Democratic
Vice-chair Elaine Paul Schaefer Democratic
Member of Council Kevin M. Madden Democratic
Member of Council Christine Reuther Democratic
Member of Council Richard Womack Democratic

County row officers

[edit]

Row officers, a term unique to Pennsylvania, are a conglomeration of elected officials defined by Article IX, Section 4 of the Pennsylvania Constitution. This unit of officers includes the position of controller, District Attorney, treasurer, sheriff, register of wills, recorder of deeds, prothonotaries, clerks of the court, and the coroner. It is thought that this term originated because these positions were arranged in a row on a typical ballot.[30]

Office Holder Party
Controller Joanne Phillips, Esquire Democratic
District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer Democratic
Register of Wills Rachel Ezzell Berry, Esquire Democratic
Sheriff Jerry Sanders Democratic

United States Senate

[edit]
Senator Party
John Fetterman Democratic
Bob Casey Democratic

United States House of Representatives

[edit]
The 2018 congressional map ordered by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania places all of Delaware County in the new 5th congressional district.

As of July 23, 2021:

District Representative Party
5 Mary Gay Scanlon Democratic

State senate

[edit]

As of July 23, 2021:

District Representative Party
8 Anthony Hardy Williams Democratic
9 John I. Kane Democratic
17 Amanda Cappelletti Democratic
26 Tim Kearney Democratic

State House of Representatives

[edit]

As of March 2, 2022:

District Representative Party
159 Carol Kazeem Democratic
160 Craig Williams Republican
161 Leanne Krueger Democratic
162 Dave Delloso Democratic
163 Heather Boyd Democratic
164 Gina Curry Democratic
165 Jennifer O'Mara Democratic
166 Greg Vitali Democratic
168 Lisa Borowski Democratic
185 Regina Young Democratic
191 Joanna McClinton Democratic

Corrections

[edit]

The George W. Hill Correctional Facility (Delaware County Prison) is located in Thornbury Township.[31][32] The jail houses pre-trial inmates and convicted persons who are serving sentences of no longer than two years less one day.[32] It is operated by Delaware County.[33]

Education

[edit]
Map of Delaware County's school districts

Public school districts

[edit]

School districts include:[34]

Note that Delaware County Technical High School takes students from all of the county.

Charter schools

[edit]

Private schools

[edit]

In 1963 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia had 48 Catholic K-8/elementary schools in Delaware County with a total of 39,695 students, which was the highest ever enrollment. From 1971 to 2012, 20 of these schools closed, with ten of them closing from 2003 to 2012. By 2012 there were 28 Catholic K-8/elementary schools in Delaware County with a total of 8,291 students.[35] One notable private school is Friends School Haverford.

Colleges and universities

[edit]
Library at Cheyney University
Benjamin West Birthplace on the campus of Swarthmore College
Old Main at Widener University

Adult education

[edit]
  • Haverford Adult School[36]
  • Main Line School Night[37]
  • Senior Community Services Lifelong Learning[38]
  • Delaware County Literacy Council

Libraries

[edit]
Main article: List of public libraries in Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Transportation

[edit]
I-95 southbound in Delaware County

Delaware County is bisected north to south by Blue Route Interstate 476, which connects I-76 just north of the extreme northern corner of the county to I-95, which parallels the Delaware River along the southeastern edge of the county.

Delaware County is home to SEPTA's 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby, and is served by the Norristown High Speed Line (P&W), two Red Arrow trolley lines, Media–Sharon Hill Line, four Regional Rail Lines, including the Airport Line, Wilmington/Newark Line, Media/Wawa Line, and Paoli/Thorndale Line), and a host of bus routes.

The western portion of Philadelphia International Airport is located in Delaware County, and the county hosts some airport-related commerce such as Philadelphia's UPS terminal and airport hotels.

Major roads and highways

[edit]

Recreation

[edit]

Parks

[edit]
Dam on Ridley Creek in Ridley Creek State Park
Old Rose Tree Tavern in Rose Tree Park

There is one Pennsylvania state park in Delaware County:

County parks include:

Racing

[edit]

Harrah's Philadelphia is a harness racing track and casino (i.e., "racino") located on the Chester, Pennsylvania waterfront. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment.

Sports

[edit]

Chester is home to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer; the team plays at Subaru Park, a venue located at the base of the Commodore Barry Bridge.

Delaware County is the traditional home of women's professional soccer in the Philadelphia area. The former Philadelphia Charge of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association played at Villanova Stadium, which is located on the campus of Villanova University. The Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer succeeded the Charge and played at Widener University's Leslie Quick Stadium in 2011.

Delaware County is the home of one of oldest baseball leagues in the country, the Delco League, which at one time was known for featuring future, former, and even current major league players who were offered more money than their current teams would pay them.[39][40][41]

Every summer, Delaware County is home to the Delco Pro-Am, a basketball league consisting of current, future, and former NBA players as well as local standout players.[42]

Delaware County is also the former home of a rugby league team called the Aston Bulls, a member of the American National Rugby League.

Darby was home to the Hilldale Club, the 1925 Colored World Series champions.

Media

[edit]

The county is serviced by several newspapers, including Delaware County Daily Times, News of Delaware County, The Spirit, and The Suburban and Wayne Times.[citation needed]

The Philadelphia Inquirer also has a significant presence in Delaware County. Delaware County Magazine is the news magazine with the largest circulation in Delaware County, reaching over 186,000 homes.

Climate

[edit]

Delaware County has two physical geographic regions: the Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Most of the county has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) while some higher northern areas have a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa.). The hardiness zone is mostly 7b except for 7a in areas closer to Chester County (except along the Brandywine Creek) and 8a in Ridley Township near the Delaware River. [1]

Climate data for Newtown Square (Elevation: 456 ft; 139 m) 1981–2010 Averages
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 38.6
(3.7) 		41.8
(5.4) 		50.4
(10.2) 		62.3
(16.8) 		72.1
(22.3) 		81.0
(27.2) 		85.3
(29.6) 		83.5
(28.6) 		76.8
(24.9) 		65.5
(18.6) 		54.1
(12.3) 		42.6
(5.9) 		62.9
(17.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.4
(−0.9) 		33.1
(0.6) 		40.6
(4.8) 		51.6
(10.9) 		61.2
(16.2) 		70.5
(21.4) 		75.2
(24.0) 		73.7
(23.2) 		66.3
(19.1) 		55.0
(12.8) 		44.8
(7.1) 		34.6
(1.4) 		53.2
(11.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 22.2
(−5.4) 		24.3
(−4.3) 		30.9
(−0.6) 		40.8
(4.9) 		50.2
(10.1) 		60.0
(15.6) 		65.1
(18.4) 		63.8
(17.7) 		55.7
(13.2) 		44.4
(6.9) 		35.5
(1.9) 		26.6
(−3.0) 		43.4
(6.3)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.36
(85) 		2.80
(71) 		3.89
(99) 		3.84
(98) 		4.08
(104) 		3.94
(100) 		4.71
(120) 		3.88
(99) 		4.65
(118) 		3.87
(98) 		3.61
(92) 		3.89
(99) 		46.52
(1,182)
Average relative humidity (%) 68.3 65.0 60.5 59.4 63.2 68.2 68.2 70.5 71.7 70.5 69.7 70.8 67.2
Average dew point °F (°C) 21.2
(−6.0) 		22.6
(−5.2) 		28.0
(−2.2) 		37.9
(3.3) 		48.6
(9.2) 		59.5
(15.3) 		64.0
(17.8) 		63.5
(17.5) 		56.9
(13.8) 		45.6
(7.6) 		35.5
(1.9) 		26.1
(−3.3) 		42.5
(5.8)
Source: PRISM[43]
Climate data for Chester (Elevation: 10 ft; 3.0 m) 1981–2010 Averages
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 40.5
(4.7) 		44.2
(6.8) 		52.0
(11.1) 		63.4
(17.4) 		73.4
(23.0) 		82.7
(28.2) 		87.0
(30.6) 		85.2
(29.6) 		78.3
(25.7) 		66.7
(19.3) 		56.1
(13.4) 		45.0
(7.2) 		64.6
(18.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 33.7
(0.9) 		36.5
(2.5) 		43.7
(6.5) 		54.3
(12.4) 		64.1
(17.8) 		73.7
(23.2) 		78.3
(25.7) 		76.8
(24.9) 		69.5
(20.8) 		58.1
(14.5) 		48.3
(9.1) 		38.2
(3.4) 		56.4
(13.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 26.8
(−2.9) 		28.9
(−1.7) 		35.3
(1.8) 		45.2
(7.3) 		54.8
(12.7) 		64.6
(18.1) 		69.7
(20.9) 		68.4
(20.2) 		60.7
(15.9) 		49.4
(9.7) 		40.5
(4.7) 		31.4
(−0.3) 		48.1
(8.9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.15
(80) 		2.70
(69) 		3.87
(98) 		3.62
(92) 		3.81
(97) 		3.80
(97) 		4.65
(118) 		3.56
(90) 		4.21
(107) 		3.44
(87) 		3.27
(83) 		3.62
(92) 		43.70
(1,110)
Average relative humidity (%) 65.3 60.7 57.6 57.2 60.8 62.7 64.4 65.8 67.8 67.3 65.3 65.1 63.4
Average dew point °F (°C) 23.3
(−4.8) 		24.2
(−4.3) 		29.7
(−1.3) 		39.5
(4.2) 		50.3
(10.2) 		60.2
(15.7) 		65.3
(18.5) 		64.5
(18.1) 		58.4
(14.7) 		47.3
(8.5) 		37.2
(2.9) 		27.5
(−2.5) 		44.0
(6.7)
Source: PRISM[43]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Includes Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
  1. ^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search". Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on March 21, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  2. ^ "Delco Sheriff: Don't fall for jury duty scam". Delco Times. Retrieved July 1, 2014.; McCrystal, Laura (June 27, 2014). "Voting Wards To Be Changed in Delco's Radnor Township". Philly.com. Retrieved July 1, 2014.; McCrystal, Laura (June 30, 2014). "Roadwork in Delco to affect I-95 and I-476 this week". Philly.com. Retrieved July 1, 2014.; DaGrassa, Peg (June 27, 2014). "Here's the Scoop on Ross, Fresh Stop, KFC and Other Delco Businesses". Delco News Network. Retrieved July 1, 2014.[permanent dead link‍]; Kurtz, Paul (June 27, 2014). "Delco Homeless Families Get A Day of Escapist Fun". CBS Philly. Retrieved July 1, 2014.;"Delco's bars, taverns are really heating up". Delco Times. June 16, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  3. ^ "Census – Geography Profile: Delaware County, Pennsylvania". Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  6. ^ "Elevations in Pennsylvania" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2001.
  7. ^ "Crum". Chester – Ridley – Crum Watersheds Association. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008.
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  10. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts" (PDF). Delaware County. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2017.
  13. ^ "Census 2020".
  14. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Delaware County, Pennsylvania".
  15. ^ "2020 Census Results". Census.gov. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  17. ^ McLarnon, John Morrison (2003). Ruling Suburbia: John J. McClure and the Republican Machine in Delaware County. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. p. 11. ISBN 0-87413-814-0. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  18. ^ "Error" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022.
  19. ^ "Error" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022.
  20. ^ http://45.79.181.212:8080/county/PA/Delaware [dead link‍]
  21. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Delaware County, Pennsylvania". Census.gov. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  22. ^ "Northeast Philly, suburbs become poorer as inner city gentrifies". Whyy.
  23. ^ "Pennsylvania Elections – County Results". electionreturns.pa.gov. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  24. ^ "Democrats make history by winning control of Delaware County". November 5, 2019.
  25. ^ "Democrats Sweep Delaware County Council Race In Historic Election". Media, PA Patch. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  26. ^ Tamari, Jonathan (April 27, 2018). "Rep. Pat Meehan resigns; will pay back $39,000 used for harassment settlement". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  27. ^ Ingraham, Christopher. "This is the best explanation of gerrymandering you will ever see". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  28. ^ Pennsylvania Department of State (February 5, 2024). "Voter registration statistics by county". dos.pa.gov. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  29. ^ "Elected Officials – Delaware County, Pennsylvania". delcopa.gov.
  30. ^ Walmer, Daniel (November 7, 2014). "Row officers: What is their role in county government?". The Sentinel. Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  31. ^ "Chapter 7 7–11 Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." Comprehensive Zoning Plan. Thornbury Township. Retrieved on September 6, 2011. "The three major institutions found in the Township, the Delaware County Prison, Glen Mills Schools and Cheyney University[...]"
  32. ^ a b "Delaware County Prison". Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)." Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved on September 6, 2011. "George W. Hill Correctional Facility (Delaware County Prison), which is located on 500 Cheyney Road in Thornbury Township[...]"
  33. ^ Cooper, Kenny (April 6, 2022). "Delco takes back management of George W. Hill Correctional Facility — now it confronts 'chronic over-incarceration'". WHYY.
  34. ^ "2020 CENSUS – SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Delaware County, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022. – Text list
  35. ^ "Season of Change: New regional schools poised to replace long-time Delco Catholic institutions". Delco Times. June 10, 2012. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  36. ^ "Haverford Township Adult School". Haverford Township Adult School.
  37. ^ "MainLine School Night -". mainlineschoolnight.org.
  38. ^ "Lifelong Learing Course Catalog | Senior Community Services (SCS)". Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  39. ^ "Delco League". leaguelineup.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  40. ^ "Delco League to honor legends of ballfields from 105 seasons". Delco Times. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  41. ^ "COLTS BOLT BOROUGH: Collingdale's Delco Baseball League team is the latest loss endured by tiny town". Delco Times. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  42. ^ "Plenty of talent as Delco Pro-Am League tips off". Delco Times. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  43. ^ a b "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". Retrieved August 9, 2019.

Further reading

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