Armstrong County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Armstrong County
U.S. county
Armstrong County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	March 12, 1800
Named for	John Armstrong
Seat	Kittanning
Largest borough	Kittanning
Area
• Total	664 sq mi (1,720 km2)
• Land	653 sq mi (1,690 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.6%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	65,558
• Density	100/sq mi (40/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	15th
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated:	October 15, 1982

Armstrong County is a county in the state of Pennsylvania. A county is like a large area of land with its own local government. In 2020, about 65,558 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Kittanning.

Armstrong County was created on March 12, 1800. It was formed from parts of Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Lycoming Counties. The county is named after John Armstrong. He was an important person who helped represent Pennsylvania in the early days of the United States. He was also a major general during the Revolutionary War.

This county is part of the larger Greater Pittsburgh area in Pennsylvania.

History of Armstrong County

Armstrong County is named after John Armstrong. He was a brave general in the Revolutionary War.

One interesting town in Armstrong County is Parker. It's a small city today, with less than 800 people. But back in 1873, during the oil boom, it was a very busy place! People say its population grew to about 20,000 then. Now, it's known as the "Smallest City in America."

Did you know that iron was made in the Brady's Bend area of Armstrong County even before Pittsburgh had its own foundries? Also, Ford City is famous for making plate glass. A man named John Ford started a company there that later became Pittsburgh Plate Glass.

In the 1880s, Kittanning was home to many wealthy people. It was said to have more millionaires than any other place in Pennsylvania!

Leechburg was the first place in the United States to use natural gas for making metal. This happened in 1869. Natural gas was found when people were drilling for oil. It was then used to power the furnaces at the Siberian Iron Works.

Some towns like Freeport, Leechburg, and Apollo grew along the Pennsylvania Canal. This canal was a waterway that helped transport goods. It ran along the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers, which are on the southern edge of the county.

Geography of Armstrong County

Armstrong County covers about 664 square miles. Most of this area, 653 square miles, is land. The remaining 11 square miles, or about 1.6%, is water.

Rivers and Creeks

The main rivers flowing through or near Armstrong County are the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers. Many creeks also flow through the county. These include Buffalo, Crooked, Cowanshannock, Redbank, and Mahoning creeks. You can also find islands in the Allegheny River within Armstrong County, such as Murphy, Nicholson, Ross, and Cogley islands.

Neighboring Counties

Armstrong County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Clarion County (north)
• Jefferson County (northeast)
• Indiana County (east)
• Westmoreland County (south)
• Allegheny County (southwest)
• Butler County (west)
• Venango County (northwest)

Population Information

In 2020, the population of Armstrong County was 65,558 people. Most residents are White, with smaller populations of other racial and ethnic groups.

Education in Armstrong County

Map of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Armstrong County has several options for education, from colleges to public and private schools.

Colleges and Universities

• Indiana University of Pennsylvania Northpointe - located in South Buffalo Township
• Butler County Community College @ Armstrong - located in Ford City

Public School Districts

These school districts serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade:

• Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District (part of it)
• Apollo-Ridge School District
• Armstrong School District (part of it, with 2 high schools)
• Freeport Area School District (part of it)
• Karns City Area School District
• Kiski Area School District (part of it)
• Leechburg Area School District (part of it)
• Redbank Valley School District (part of it)

Technology School

• Lenape Technical School - located in Ford City

Private Schools

Many private schools are also available in the county:

• Adelphoi Village Miller Home - Apollo
• Divine Redeemer School - Ford City
• Dry Knob Amish School - Smicksburg
• Evangelical Lutheran School - Worthington
• Grace Christian School - Kittanning
• Meadow View School - Dayton
• Model Education Program - Kittanning
• New Bethlehem Wesleyan Methodist School - New Bethlehem
• Orchard Hills Christian Academy - Apollo
• Owl Hollow Amish School - Smicksburg
• Shady Lane Amish School - Smicksburg
• Shady Run Amish School - Smicksburg
• Stony Acres Amish School - Smicksburg
• Stony Flat Amish School - Smicksburg
• United Cerebral Palsy Of Western Pennsylvania - Spring Church
• Whippoorwill School - Smicksburg
• Worthington Baptist Christian School - Worthington

Libraries

There are six public libraries in Armstrong County where you can find books and other resources:

• Apollo Memorial Library - Apollo, PA
• Ford City Public Library - Ford City, PA
• Freeport Area Library - Freeport, PA
• Kittanning Public Library - Kittanning, PA
• Leechburg Public Library - Leechburg, PA
• Worthington West Franklin Community Library - Worthington, PA

Communities in Armstrong County

Map of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Pennsylvania has different types of local governments for its communities. These include cities, boroughs, and townships. Here are the communities in Armstrong County:

City

• Parker

Boroughs

Townships

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are special areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau for collecting population data. They are not official towns or cities.

• Kiskimere
• Lenape Heights
• North Vandergrift
• Orchard Hills
• Pleasant View
• Templeton
• West Hills

Former Community

• Barnard

Population Ranking of Communities (2010 Census)

This table shows the population of the largest communities in Armstrong County based on the 2010 census.

† county seat

Notable People from Armstrong County

Many interesting people have come from Armstrong County.

Military Heroes

• Donald R. Lobaugh: From Freeport, he was a U.S. Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor during World War II.
• Raymond Harvey: From Ford City, he also received the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the Korean War.

Science Innovators

• David Alter: A medical doctor and scientist from Freeport, PA. He invented spectrum analysis, which is the idea that every element has its own unique light pattern. This was a huge step forward in understanding light and elements.

Sports Stars

• Ed Hobaugh: A baseball player from Kittanning. He was a right-hand pitcher for the Washington Senators in the early 1960s.
• Mickey Morandini: From Leechburg, he was a Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman. He played for teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. He was even an All-Star in 1995 and played in the 1993 World Series. He also played for the USA baseball team in the 1988 Olympic Games.
• Dick Starr: A major league pitcher who played for the New York Yankees and Washington Senators from 1947 to 1951.
• Red Bowser: An outfielder in Major League Baseball from Freeport.
• Broc Hepler: A professional motocross racer from Kittanning.
• Ryan Hemphill: A NASCAR driver from Apollo.
• Alex Kroll: A professional football player for the New York Titans (who later became the Jets). After football, he became the CEO of a big advertising company, Young & Rubicam.
• Jack Lambert: A famous American Football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won four Super Bowls and was known for being a tough player.
• Eric Ravotti: A former NFL linebacker, also for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Mitch Frerotte: An American professional football player who played as a guard for the Buffalo Bills.
• Gus Frerotte: A former American football quarterback who played for several NFL teams, including the Washington Redskins.
• Bud Carson: A former NFL coach. He was the Steelers' Defensive Coordinator when they won their first two Super Bowls and helped create their famous "Steel Curtain" defense.
• Greg Christy: An American football player who played for the Buffalo Bills. He played high school football at Freeport High School.
• Jeff Christy: An American football player who played as a center for teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1992 to 2003. He also played at Freeport High School.
• Nick Bowers: An NFL tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders, from Kittanning.
• Tim Levcik: An American football player.
• Zigmund "Red" Mihalik: A Hall of Fame basketball official.

Other Notable People

• Teri Hope: An actress.
• Ralph Patt: A jazz guitarist.
• Don Taylor: An actor and director.
• Nellie Bly: A journalist and adventurer from Apollo. She was famous for traveling around the world in just 72 days and for her investigative reporting.
• David Coulter: A well-known banker.
• S.K. McClafferty: An author.
• Marcy Graham Waldenville: An author.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Armstrong (Pensilvania) para niños