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State College, Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 40°47′29″N 77°51′31″W / 40.79139°N 77.85861°W / 40.79139; -77.85861
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"State College" redirects here. For other uses, see State College (disambiguation).
For the Penn State University campus, see University Park, Pennsylvania.

State College
Home rule municipality
Borough of State College
Pennsylvania State University Main campus
Pennsylvania State University Main campus
Campus buildings on Burrowes Road
Campus buildings on Burrowes Road
Campus building spanning across Atherton Street at White Course
Campus building spanning across Atherton Street at White Course
Official logo of State College
Logo
Nickname(s): 
"Lion Country", "Happy Valley"
Map
Map
Map
Map
Coordinates: 40°47′29″N 77°51′31″W / 40.79139°N 77.85861°W / 40.79139; -77.85861
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyCentre
IncorporatedAugust 29, 1896; 128 years ago (August 29, 1896)
Government
 • MayorEzra Nanes[1] (D)
 • Borough Council PresidentEvan Myers[2]
Area
[3]
4.58 sq mi (11.86 km2)
 • Land4.58 sq mi (11.86 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,154 ft (352 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
40,501
 • Density8,846.88/sq mi (3,415.50/km2)
 • Urban
87,454 (US: 335th)
 • Metro
MSA:158,742 (US: 257th)
CSA: 236,577 (US: 124th)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
16801, 16802, 16803, 16804, 16805
Area code814 and 582
FIPS code42-73808
School districtState College Area School District
Websitewww.statecollegepa.us

State College is a borough and home rule municipality in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a college town, home to the University Park campus of The Pennsylvania State University.

State College is the largest designated borough in Pennsylvania.[5] It is the principal borough of the six municipalities that make up the State College area, the largest settlement in Centre County and one of the principal cities of the greater State College-DuBois Combined Statistical Area with a combined population of 236,577 as of the 2010 U.S. census. In the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034.[5]

History

[edit]

Indigenous peoples

[edit]

The Delaware, Iroquois, Mingo, and Shawnee were some of the first native inhabitants who began establishing settlements, farms, and trails throughout the valley and it's water gaps.[6][7]

The name of the Nittany Valley and it's most prominent feature, Mount Nittany, comes from either Shawnee, Iroquois, or Lenape. It's thought to be a place name roughly translating to "single mountain."[8] A common myth suggests the name comes from princess Nita-Nee, who led her people to the fertile valleys of central Pennsylvania. The author of the story, Henry W. Shoemaker, later admitted that the legend was "purely fictitious," although the myth persists to this day.[9] Waupelani Drive is named after Chief Woapalanne.[10]

Farmers' High School

[edit]
Main articles: Farmers' High School and Bellefonte Central Railroad
BCRR station in State College with Mount Nittany in the background

The Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania was founded in 1855 on 400-acres of land in what was Harris Township.[11] Although, the area was isolated from most of the state,[12] the land was reasonably affordable and the Nittany Valley was rich in limestone, causing exceptional soil fertility.[13] The land was clear-cut for charcoal, powering the adjacent Centre Furnace. In 1862 the school was renamed to The Agricultural College of Pennsylvania.[13]

In 1875, College Township formed, taking up most of what is now State College.[14] In 1885, the Pennsylvania Railroad opened a train station two miles from campus in Lemont on the Lewisburg and Tyrone Railroad.[12] Passengers would have to catch an autobus or a Hack to complete the journey to State College from the new station.[12] Construction of the a train station on West College Avenue was finally completed in 1892, connecting State College to the Bellefonte Central Railroad via Struble. The journey along the 20-mile-long line took 50 minutes, meandering through the Scotia Barrens and the Buffalo Run Valley south of the Bald Eagle Ridge before making it to Bellefonte.[15] On August 29th, 1896 State College would officially separate from College Township forming a borough.[16]

In 1909 the hilly area south of Downtown began to be developed under the name "Highland Park."[17] The borough began expanding in 1916 with annexations from Ferguson and College Township. In 1917 the borough added the "Hamilton,"[18] "Highland Park,"[19] and "South Side"[20] additions to it's boundary. Regular passenger trains were discontinued in 1917, while mixed passenger and freight trains would continue until 1945.[21]

Great Depression and WWII

[edit]
Allen St. looking south at night circa. 1930

In 1930, the BCRR built a line from State College to Fairbrook, though it ceased using line in 1933 due to the economic impact of the Great Depression.[21] Compared to the rest the country, State College was much more economically stable due to the expanding Pennsylvania State University.[22] This led to State College and the surrounding townships being nicknamed "Happy Valley."[23] The borough expanded throughout the 1930s with three more annexations, including Lytle's Addition.[24] In 1940, State College would eclipse Bellefonte in population with around 6,226 people.[22]

The influx of veterans returning from the war led to a post-war building boom from 1946-47 especially around the Highlands and South End.[24] Windcrest, a trailer park community built to accomadate returning veterans, was rented to married student veteran families.[25]

Cold War and civil rights era

[edit]

In 1951, the Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer team flew to Iran following a request from U.S. State Department. The team was meant to play several exhibition matches in an attempt to "further goodwill" between the United States and Iran. The Nittany Lions lost their first match in Isfahan 2-0 in front of 5,000 spectators.[26]

On January, 21st 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speach on desegregation to an audiance of about 8,000 coumminty memebers and students in Rec Hall.[27]

In 1970 attempts were made by university students to divest money from the Applied Research Laboratory, which produces torpedos. A sit-in at Old Main led to the arrest of at least 30 people. Protests aiganst the ARL escelated in 1972 when about 2,000 protesters blocking College Avenue and North Atherton Street were met with police in riot gear. The following day more than 5,000 protesters marched to the ARL, which would temproily shut down at the request of the university and Lieutenant Governor Ernest Kline.[28]

In 1973, State College adopted a home rule charter which took effect in 1976;[29] since then, it has not been governed by the state's Borough Code, although it retains "Borough of State College" as its official name.

The university has a post office address in University Park, Pennsylvania. When it changed its name from Pennsylvania State College to The Pennsylvania State University in 1953, its president, Milton S. Eisenhower, sought to persuade the town to change its name as well.[30] A referendum failed to yield a majority for any of the choices proposed as a new name, so the town remains State College.

Construction boom

[edit]

State College remained resistant to the economic shocks of the 2008 Great Recession[31] as it did during the Great Depression.[23] This led to a wave of investment into high-rises and other construction projects in the area.[32] The tallest building in State College, the Fraser Centre, was finished in 2015.[33] There have been several other high-rises built in Downtown State College since the Fraser Centre was completed, and one in the West End.[34]

Beginning in 2015 the borough council voted to change the name of State College to "City of THON" for 46 hours in honor of THON, the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the world,[35] a tradition that would continue every year since.[36]

Protesters outside the State College Municipal Building in 2020

On March 20th, 2019 State College police officer Jordan Pieniazek shot and killed Osaze Osagie, a 29-year old man, during a wellness check.[37] An investigation by the state police was passed down to the district attorney of Centre County, Bernie Cantorna, who determined that the shooting was justified.[38] Protests began after the district attorney's report was released on May 8th, 2019.[38] On May 31, 2020 thousands took part in a protest against police brutality with an emphasis on the killings of George Floyd and Osaze Osagie.[39] It became one of the largest protests in the county's history.[40] Demonstrations would continue for years such as a 24-hour occupation of the State College Borough municipal building in November 2020,[41] a march outside the Marvin Garden's apartments where Osagie was fatally shot in 2021,[42] and so on.[43] In 2023, the federal judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Matthew William Brann, dissmised a lawsuit against the borough and police involved.[42] March 20 was declared “Osaze Osagie Day of Remembrance” by the State College Borough in 2023.[44] Osagie's parents established two scholarships, The Osaze's Heart Community Service Scholarship for racially underrepresented State High seniors,[45] and The Osaze Olufemi Osagie Memorial Scholarship for Educational Equity for Penn State students with intellectual and mental health diagnoses.[46][47]

The borough became the first municipality in Pennsylvania to pass a resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza war.[48] The measure passed unanimously on December 20th, 2023[49] after months of marches and demonstrations.[50] A copy of the resolution was forwarded to President Joe Biden; senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey Jr.; and representative Glenn Thompson.[48]

Geography

[edit]
View of Mount Nittany from Downtown, State College

Topography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.5 square miles (12 km2), all land. It is surrounded by large tracts of farmland and an expanse of Appalachian Mountain ranges and forests. Its location within a valley makes it prone to frequent rain and snowfall. State College is in the Susquehanna watershed[51] and is prone to flooding.[52] State College is also in the Centre Region and Happy Valley which is part of the larger Nittany Valley. The Nittany Valley is part of Pennsylvania's geologic ridge-and-valley province of the Appalachian Mountains.[53] It is located at the approximate geographic center of Pennsylvania. The borough is bordered by Ferguson and College Township.

Neighborhoods

[edit]
Neighborhoods in State College and the surrounding townships.

The Borough of State College has twelve neighborhoods and half of University Park. The Highlands have around ten thousand people, making it the largest neighborhood in the borough, followed by Downtown and Orchard Park.[54] The Highlands are a mix of apartments, townhouses, single-family homes, businesses, and parks. The neighborhood features working class areas like Lytle Hill and Marvin Gardens, and student areas like Frat Row. The Holmes–Foster–Highlands Historic District includes parts of Holmes-Foster, the Highlands, and the West End. Holmes-Foster and the West End were two of the first neighborhoods to be developed due to their proximity to Downtown, University Park, and the Bellefonte Central Railroad.[55] Part of College Heights makes up the College Heights Historic District which was created in 1935 and features the College Heights Service Station.[56][57] It took six annexations from College Township from 1930 to 1968 to officially bring the South End and Nittany Hills (also Penfield) neighborhoods in the borough.[24] Vallamont and Penfield are the least populated neighborhoods, both of which are in the foothills of Mount Nittany on the east side of town.[54] Parkway, short for Westerly Parkway Plaza, is home to State High, the Delta Program, the Westerly Parkway Wetlands,[58] and the Parkway Plaza Apartments, which were built in the 1960s.[59] Orchard Park is home to the South Hills School of Business & Technology. Residents of Downtown (99%), the West End (96%), and Orchard Park (89%) are largely renters; whereas Greentree (93%), College Heights (70%), and Penfield (68%) residents are predominately homeowners.[54]

Downtown

[edit]

Downtown bring in over two million tourists a year, and features 25 major festivals, including Arts Fest,[60] Latin Festival,[61] Fall Festival,[62] and First Night festival.[63] The neighborhood is home to Schlow Library, Memorial Field, Sydney Friedman Park, MLK Plaza, the State Theater, and several murals and art installations including the Calder Way Fresco, Dreams Take Flight, and the MLK Plaza mural depicting King's 1965 speech at Penn State.[64][65]

The 2010s saw a construction boom downtown, with several mixed-use towers developed, including Rise, Metropolitan, Fraser Centre, and Here State College, and others. Unlike older towers, many of the newer buildings are mixed-use, with retail on the ground floor, offices on the next couple floors up, and apartments on the top floors.[66][67]

The Downtown area has seen large protests over past the couple of decades,[68] particularly at the Allen Street Gates and the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza. In recent years, marches for May Day,[69] Black Lives Matter,[70] trans rights,[71] and against Israeli war crimes have taken place in the Downtown streets.[72]

University Park

[edit]
Main articles: Pennsylvania State University and University Park, Pennsylvania
Old Main in the summer

University Park is the main campus of Pennsylvania State University, and its split between the Borough of State College and College Township. It is home to Old Main, Penn State's first building of major significance, completed in 1863; Palmer Museum of Art, visual arts facility and cultural resource for Penn State and local community; and Penn State Creamery, the world's largest university creamery. University Park is also home to Beaver Stadium, the second-largest stadium in the Western hemisphere and the home of Penn State Nittany Lions football and the Bryce Jordan Center, home of the Men's and Women's Penn State basketball and other indoor sports and entertainment events; although these structures are located in College Township.[73]

Historic Districts

[edit]
Main articles: Holmes–Foster–Highlands Historic District and College Heights Historic District
Camelot a historic house in the borough. Built in 1922; listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The Holmes–Foster–Highlands Historic District with 727 contributing buildings, and College Heights Historic District with 278 were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[74] Houses come in popular early twentieth-century architectural styles including Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and Bungalow. The historic Camelot house is also in the Holmes–Foster–Highlands Historic District[75] while the College Heights Service Station and College Heights School are in the College Heights Historic District.[57][76]

Climate

[edit]

State College has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). Temperatures average 27.2 °F (−2.7 °C) in January and 72.2 °F (22.3 °C) in July.[77] Annual precipitation averages 41.53 inches (105 cm), with 43.8 inches (111 cm) of annual snowfall on average.[77] With a period of record dating back to 1893, the lowest temperature recorded was −20 °F (−29 °C) on February 10, 1899, and the highest was 102 °F (39 °C) on July 17, 1988, and July 9, 1936.[78]

Weather in State College is strongly influenced by the mountain and valley topology of the area. The surrounding mountains cause significantly lower temperatures in the winter, and make summer heat waves much rarer than in the rest of the state. Precipitation is about 20% lower than areas at comparable elevations, again due to the surrounding mountains. Snowfall typically occurs between October and April, but has happened as late as June.[79]

Climate data for State College, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 71
(22) 		74
(23) 		86
(30) 		94
(34) 		93
(34) 		96
(36) 		102
(39) 		101
(38) 		98
(37) 		90
(32) 		81
(27) 		71
(22) 		102
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 56.5
(13.6) 		58.9
(14.9) 		69.0
(20.6) 		81.3
(27.4) 		86.7
(30.4) 		89.2
(31.8) 		91.0
(32.8) 		89.3
(31.8) 		85.9
(29.9) 		78.1
(25.6) 		68.7
(20.4) 		58.2
(14.6) 		92.4
(33.6)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 33.9
(1.1) 		36.8
(2.7) 		45.6
(7.6) 		59.2
(15.1) 		69.4
(20.8) 		77.0
(25.0) 		81.1
(27.3) 		79.3
(26.3) 		72.3
(22.4) 		60.7
(15.9) 		48.8
(9.3) 		38.4
(3.6) 		58.5
(14.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 27.2
(−2.7) 		29.1
(−1.6) 		37.0
(2.8) 		49.3
(9.6) 		59.8
(15.4) 		68.1
(20.1) 		72.2
(22.3) 		70.4
(21.3) 		63.2
(17.3) 		51.9
(11.1) 		41.2
(5.1) 		32.2
(0.1) 		50.1
(10.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 20.5
(−6.4) 		21.5
(−5.8) 		28.3
(−2.1) 		39.4
(4.1) 		50.3
(10.2) 		59.3
(15.2) 		63.3
(17.4) 		61.6
(16.4) 		54.1
(12.3) 		43.0
(6.1) 		33.5
(0.8) 		26.0
(−3.3) 		41.7
(5.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 2.8
(−16.2) 		5.6
(−14.7) 		11.6
(−11.3) 		25.8
(−3.4) 		36.4
(2.4) 		45.9
(7.7) 		52.9
(11.6) 		51.1
(10.6) 		41.2
(5.1) 		30.7
(−0.7) 		20.4
(−6.4) 		11.3
(−11.5) 		0.5
(−17.5)
Record low °F (°C) −18
(−28) 		−20
(−29) 		−9
(−23) 		1
(−17) 		27
(−3) 		34
(1) 		40
(4) 		30
(−1) 		28
(−2) 		16
(−9) 		1
(−17) 		−13
(−25) 		−20
(−29)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.92
(74) 		2.46
(62) 		3.38
(86) 		3.51
(89) 		3.64
(92) 		4.09
(104) 		3.79
(96) 		4.16
(106) 		3.95
(100) 		3.46
(88) 		2.99
(76) 		3.18
(81) 		41.53
(1,055)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 11.3
(29) 		11.6
(29) 		9.4
(24) 		0.9
(2.3) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.4
(1.0) 		2.6
(6.6) 		7.6
(19) 		43.8
(111)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 13.6 11.4 12.0 13.6 14.5 12.3 12.4 11.2 10.7 11.4 10.5 12.8 146.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 8.4 7.3 4.4 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.6 5.6 28.6
Source: NOAA[78][77]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900851—
19101,42567.5%
19202,40568.8%
19304,45085.0%
19406,22639.9%
195017,227176.7%
196022,40930.1%
197032,83346.5%
198036,13010.0%
199038,9237.7%
200038,420−1.3%
201042,0349.4%
202040,501−3.6%
Sources:[80][81][82][83][4]

According to the 2010 census,[82] there were 42,034 people, 12,610 households, and 3,069 families residing in the borough. The population density was 9,258.6 inhabitants per square mile (3,574.8/km2). There were 13,007 housing units at an average density of 2,865.0 per square mile (1,106.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 83.2% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 9.8% Asian, 1.0% Other, and 2.0% from two or more races. 3.9% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. 22,681 or 54.0% of borough residents were males and 19,353 or 46.0% were females.

A 2014 estimate had the racial makeup of the borough as 78.9% Non-Hispanic White, 5.6% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American and Alaska Native, 11.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 0.8% Some other race, and 2.2% two or more races. 4.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).[84]

Of the 12,610 households, 9.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 18.2% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 75.6% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.71.

The age distribution of the borough was overwhelmingly influenced by its student population: 5.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 70.6% from 18 to 24, 13.1% from 25 to 44, 6.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.7% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years.

The median income for a household in the borough was $23,513, and the median income for a family was $58,953. The per capita income for the borough was $13,336. 46.9% of the population and 9.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.6% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. However, traditional measures of income and poverty can be very misleading when applied to a community like State College that is dominated by students.

The population of the State College metropolitan statistical area was 153,990 as of the 2010 U.S. census.

Economy

[edit]
The Hetzel Union Building (HUB) at Penn State University

Pennsylvania State University is the largest single employer in the region, employing over 27,000 full- and part-time workers as of 2016. Other industries in the area include health care, retail, hospitality services, construction, and government.[85]

# Employer # of employees
1 Pennsylvania State University 27,029
2 Mount Nittany Medical Center 2,365
3 State College Area School District 1,792
4 Government of Pennsylvania 1,704
5 Walmart 732
6 Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. (construction) 700
7 HRI Inc. (asphalt contractor) 692
8 Weis Markets 631
9 Centre County Government 586
10 Geisinger Medical Group 563

Other notable employers include the Federal Government (452 employees), YMCA (446 employees), Wegmans (430 employees), Shaner Corporation (380 employees), McDonald's (263 employees), Giant Food Stores (255 employees), Hotel State College & Company (251 employees), Raytheon (251 employees), Sheetz (251 employees), Foxdale Village (250 employees), State College Borough Government (213 employees), Minitab (211 employees), and Penn State Hershey Medical Group (200 employees).[85]

Arts and culture

[edit]

Events

[edit]
THON 2007 was held for the first time in the Bryce Jordan Center on the University Park campus of Penn State.

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts,[86] usually referred to as "Arts Fest", is held downtown every July. The five-day festival features artists from around the country and draws more than 125,000 visitors.[87] Streets are closed off and lined with booths where people can buy paintings, pottery, jewelry, and other hand-made goods. There borough hosts musical performances, plays, and food vendors selling everything from funnel cakes to Indian cuisine.

The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, commonly referred to as THON, is a 46-hour dance marathon that takes place every February on the University Park campus with the goal of raising money for the Four Diamonds Foundation.[88] A number of events throughout the year pave the way to February's THON weekend.

Blue-White Football Weekend occurs in April and includes a carnival, fireworks, food vendors, a student entertainment stage, live music, a parade, and more.[89] On game day, autograph sessions with the football student-athletes is held in Beaver Stadium prior to kickoff of the Blue-White football intra-squad scrimmage game.

Other annual events in the area include "First Night State College", a New Year's Eve celebration with carved ice sculptures and musical performances that takes place in downtown State College, and "Central PA 4th Fest", a day-long event that includes Fourth of July fireworks, crafts, food vendors, and entertainers.

On Saturday, February 4, 2017, State College set a Guinness World Record holder with Light Up State College organizing 5,226 lighted ice luminaries that were displayed across South Allen Street in Downtown State College. This is the most ice luminaries in any one location to date. The previous record was held by Vuollerim, Sweden, with 2,652 ice luminaries.

Library

[edit]

State College is served by the Schlow Centre Region Library.

Sports

[edit]
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, home of the State College Spikes

State College is most known for Penn State Nittany Lions football, which draws over 100,000 fans to Beaver Stadium on home games.[90] The borough is home to the State College Spikes, a minor league baseball team that is part of the MLB Draft League and plays their home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, and Penn State baseball.[91] Penn State also has Division 1 teams in basketball, ice hockey, soccer, volleyball, and wrestling.

The Lemont Ducks play at the Community Field in State College.[92] The team is a part of the Centre County Baseball League, Pennsylvania's oldest amateur baseball league,[93] which began in 1932.[94]

Rec Hall is a field house located on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It was opened on January 15, 1929, and remains in use. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions women's and men's volleyball teams, and Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling. Rec Hall has a banked indoor track of approximately 257 yards around, or roughly 6.85 laps per mile.

Pegula Ice Arena is a 6,014-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, on the campus of Penn State University, which opened October 11, 2013, to replace the 1,350-seat Penn State Ice Pavilion. The facility is located on the corner of Curtin Road and University Drive near the Bryce Jordan Center.

Parks and recreation

[edit]
Parkway Wetlands

In 1914, the State College School Board purchased a sinkhole along Fraser and Nittany avenues to build a football field and track in the “natural amphitheater.” During the Great Depression the project received a $40,000 grant from the Works Progress Administration, $5,000 from the school district, and additional federal funds.[95] The sinkhole was originally nicknamed "The Hollow", though it would later be named Memorial Field in dedication to State College High School graduates killed in both World Wars.[96] In September 1937, the stadium hosted its first football game between State College and Yeagertown. State College would win 52–7 in front of an audience of 3,000 spectators. $500,000 was spent on drainage to protect against flooding in the former sinkhole.[95] In 1966 the area between Memorial Field and the post office was turned into a parklet. Originally named Central Parklet, the parks name was changed in 2009 to Sidney Friedman Park after Altoona-born business owner and real estate mogul Sidney Friedman passed away.[97]

The Westerly Parkway Wetlands Education Center was transformed from a drainage basin into a functional, sustainable wetland.[58]

Sunset Park in College Heights is connected to Gerhold Wildflower Trail;[98] Walnut Springs in Vallamont and Lederer Park in Penfield are largely forested;[99] South Hills Park, Tussey View Park, and Nittany Village Park are in Tusseyview; Orchard Park is split between the Orchard Park neighborhood and Greentree; High Point Park is also in Orchard Park and is the proposed site of a skate park;[100] Holmes-Foster Park is in Holmes-Foster and Greentree; Community Field is in Parkway; East Fairmount Park is in the Highlands; and Smithfield Park is in the South End.[54] Additionally half of the Arboretum including the H.O. Smith Botanical Gardens are in the borough.

Government

[edit]

Borough

[edit]

The mayor is Ezra Nanes.[101][102]

State College is a member of the Centre Region Council of Governments (CRCOG).[103] Other members are:

The county seat of Centre County is Bellefonte, approximately 12 miles northeast of State College.

Alpha Fire Company, a volunteer service, covers State College and surrounding townships.[104]

The State College Police Department patrols the borough as well as College and Harris Townships.[105] Penn State operates its own police agency, covering University Park and 21 other campuses.[106]

State and federal

[edit]

At the federal level, State College is located in Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district, represented by Republican Glenn Thompson.

Republican Greg Rothman represents Pennsylvania Senate, District 34, and Democrat Scott Conklin represents Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 77.

State College Borough falls under jurisdiction of the following district courts.[107] The jurisdictions include civil claims and summary offenses. Higher level courts are located in Bellefonte:

  • Magesterial District 49–1–01, Magesterial District Judge Donald Hahn
  • Magesterial District 49–3–05, Magesterial District Judge Steven Lachman

Education

[edit]

Higher education

[edit]
Main article: Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University, founded in 1855 as Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania,[108] is a public land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state, with its largest and main campus, University Park, being located in the borough of State College and College Township north of College Avenue.

The South Hills School of Business & Technology, founded in 1970, is a vocational school located in the Orchard Park neighborhood of State College.[109]

Primary and secondary schools

[edit]
Main article: State College Area School District

The State College Area School District operates eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school in and around State College, enrolling 6,712 students.[110] The borough is home to three out of the eight elementary schools: Coral Street, Radio Park, and Easterly Parkway. Mount Nittany Middle School serves most of the borough except for College Heights, while the entire district is served by the State College Area High School.

The school district began in 1896 in the two-story Frazier Street school.[111] In 1914 the State College High School, now known as the Fairmount Building, opened on Fraser Street. In 1957 high school students began moving into a new school on Westerly Parkway. In 1981 the Delta Program, a democratic charter school governed by students, moved into the Fairmount Building.[112] In 2019 the Delta Program moved into the North Building on Westerly Parkway.[113] The Fairmount Building now hosts the Reclaiming Individual Talent (RIT) program.[114]

The Borough is home to other charter schools, such as Centre Learning Community Charter School,[115] Nittany Valley Charter School,[116] and Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania.[117]

Private schools include Our Children's Center Montessori School,[118] Our Lady of Victory Catholic School,[119] and the State College Friends School.[120]

Media

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State College's daily newspaper is Centre Daily Times, first published in 1898. Originally published under the name State College Times, the paper would change its name in 1932 to the Centre Daily Times.[121] The Times is now part of the McClatchy Company newspaper chain. The paper had a daily circulation of 9,279, a Sunday circulation of 11,521, and over four million average monthly page views in 2020.[122] There is also a weekly version published as Centre Weekly. Centre County Gazette is an alternative town newspaper.[123] Newspapers of Pennsylvania State University's main campus include The Forum, the student-run Daily Collegian and Onward State is a student-run digital media blog.[124]

Other publications include State College Magazine, a monthly regional magazine;[125] Blue White Illustrated, a magazine for fans of the Penn State Nittany Lions;[126] In The Belly, a quarterly abolitionist publication written by incarcerated contributors;[127] Centered Magazine, a quarterly health and wellness publication;[128] and Valley Magazine, a student-run quarterly life and style magazine;[129] as well as Pennsylvania Business Central,[130] and Town & Gown Magazine.[131]

State College is part of the Johnstown/Altoona/State College television market, which is ranked as the 102nd largest in the nation as of 2016.[132] Television stations broadcasting out of State College include WPSU 3 (PBS), WHVL-LD 29 (MyNetworkTV), and C-NET Centre County's government and education access television network, which broadcasts on two cable channels: CGTV (Government Access TV) on Comcast and Windstream Channel 7 and CETV (Educational Access TV) on Channel 98. WATM-TV 23 (ABC) produces a Centre County focused newscast, anchored from a studio on West College Avenue. WJAC-TV 6 (NBC), WTAJ-TV 10 (CBS), and WWCP-TV 8 (FOX) also maintain satellite studios and offices in State College.

Transportation

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In 2013, the State College MSA ranked as the fifteenth lowest in the United States for percentage of workers who commuted by private automobile (79.2 percent). During the same year, 9.9 percent of State College area commuters walked to work.[133]

Rail

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In 1892, the Bellefonte Central Railroad extended it's tracks from Struble to a new station in the West End of State College.[21] State College was initially connected to Bellefonte via Waddle through the Scotia Barrens and Buffalo Run Valley.[15] In 1896, State College would be connected to Pine Grove Mills via Struble and Bloomsdorf. In 1930, the Fairbrook Branch was finished connecting State College to Fairbrook, Tyrone, and Altoona. The tracks were abandoned in 1976.[21]

Busses

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CATA bus stop on Easterly Parkway near Pugh Street on the Game Day Shuttle route

Centre Area Transportation Authority provides local bus service with fixed routes between the borough and the surrounding townships College, Ferguson, and Patton Township;[134] and on-demand routes for Harris Township.[135]

Fullington Trailways, Greyhound Lines, Megabus, and OurBus provide inter-city bus service.

Roads

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Highways include:

Airports

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The borough is also served by State College Regional Airport.

Utilities

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Electricity in State College is provided by West Penn Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy.[136] Natural gas service in the borough is provided by Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, a division of NiSource.[137] The State College Borough Water Authority provides water service to State College and Patton, Ferguson, college, Harris, and Benner townships. Sewer service in State College is provided by the University Area Joint Authority.[138] Trash and recycling collection is provided by the borough's Public Works department.[139]

Health care

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Healthcare providers for the area include Mount Nittany Health, Geisinger, and Penn State Health. Mount Nittany Medical Center is a 260-bed hospital with an emergency department. Penn Highlands State College opened in 2024.[140] Geisinger Healthplex State College is Geisinger's largest multi-specialty clinic.[141] The primary ambulance service for State College is Centre Lifelink EMS, although Mount Nittany and Penn State both offer EMS as well.[142][143][144]

Notable people

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The following individuals were born and/or raised in State College:

The following were/are residents of State College:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Moyer, Josh (January 2, 2022). "What does a more 'progressive' State College look like? Incoming mayor talks priorities, police and more". Centre Daily Times. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
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  8. ^ Stout, Lee (February 19, 2025). "Mount Nittany". Centre County Historical Society.
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  11. ^ Gailey, Ryen (November 6, 2020). "Penn State History Lesson: James Irvin, Centre Furnace, & Humble Beginnings". Onward State.
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  20. ^ "South Side Addition". Local Geohistory.
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  142. ^ "About Us". Centre Life Link EMS. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
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  144. ^ "Emergency Medical Services". Penn State Student Affairs. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for State College.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to State College, Pennsylvania.
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