Blainsburg, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Blainsburg is a small community in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's considered an "unincorporated area," which means it doesn't have its own local government like a town or city. Instead, it's connected to nearby West Brownsville. Blainsburg is known for having more homes than West Brownsville itself.

This community was named after James G. Blaine, a famous U.S. Senator. Blainsburg was officially founded in 1906. Even though its namesake's name has an "E," Blainsburg is spelled without it. Students living in Blainsburg attend the California Area School District. However, students from West Brownsville go to the Brownsville Area School District in Fayette County. Blainsburg is often called a "bedroom community" because many people who live there travel to other places for work. It sits on a high area (a bluff) overlooking West Brownsville, which is located closer to the river.

Blainsburg is found along PA Route 88. This road climbs up from the lower areas of West Brownsville. This part of the road is sometimes called Blainsburg Hill Road. It then connects with streets in Blainsburg before climbing even higher. After that, it becomes California Road and continues towards California. Both Blainsburg and West Brownsville are located on a big curve of the Monongahela River. This river is in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania.

Exploring Blainsburg's Landscape

Blainsburg has a very different landscape from West Brownsville. Most of West Brownsville is quite flat, with elevations around 770 to 780 feet above sea level. Blainsburg, however, is much higher. Its streets are generally between 930 and 1040 feet high.

For example, at the intersection of Pittsburgh Road and 5th Avenue in Blainsburg, the elevation is about 940 feet. This is nearly 170 feet higher than the intersection of Main Street and Pittsburgh Road in West Brownsville. The distance between these two points is only about 980 feet. This means there's a very steep slope connecting the two areas!

How Roads and Railways Shape the Area

Pennsylvania Route 88 runs somewhat parallel to Blainsburg. It starts further south in West Brownsville and climbs gradually. The higher parts of Blainsburg are actually on a bluff that overlooks this highway.

Blainsburg also overlooks a rail yard and an important railroad bridge. This bridge was built by the Monongahela Railroad. It connects the smaller rail yard in Brownsville with the much larger one in West Brownsville.