Bradford County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bradford County
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Towanda is the county seat
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Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Pennsylvania |
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| Founded | February 21, 1810 | ||
| Named for | William Bradford | ||
| Seat | Towanda | ||
| Largest borough | Sayre | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 1,161 sq mi (3,010 km2) | ||
| • Land | 1,147 sq mi (2,970 km2) | ||
| • Water | 14 sq mi (40 km2) 1.2%% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 59,967 | ||
| • Density | 52/sq mi (20/km2) | ||
| Congressional district | 9th | ||
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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| Designated: | July 10, 1982 | ||
Bradford County is a special area in Pennsylvania called a county. It's like a big neighborhood with its own local government. In 2020, about 59,967 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, where the county government is located, is Towanda.
Bradford County was created on February 21, 1810. It was made from parts of Lycoming and Luzerne Counties. At first, it was called Ontario County. But on October 13, 1812, it was renamed Bradford County. It got its new name from William Bradford, who was an important judge and lawyer for the United States.
This county is in the Northeast Pennsylvania part of the state. It's also part of a larger area called the Sayre, Pennsylvania micropolitan statistical area. This just means that Sayre is a central town for the smaller communities around it.
It's important not to mix up Bradford County with the city of Bradford. That city is in a different county, McKean County, which is about 141 miles away.
Contents
History of Bradford County
As we learned, Bradford County was first called Ontario County. It was renamed in 1812. You might still find a street named Ontario Street in north Philadelphia. This street is named after the original county name. There are also a couple of short Bradford Streets in northeast Philadelphia.
Bradford County is also the historic home of the Tehotitachsae Native American people. Their main village, called Gohontoto, was located where the town of Wyalusing is today.
Geography of Bradford County
Bradford County is a large area. It covers about 1,161 square miles. Most of this area, about 1,147 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 14 square miles, is covered by water. This makes it the second-largest county in Pennsylvania by land area.
Climate in Bradford County
Bradford County has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. The average temperatures in Towanda range from about 24.5 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 70.6 degrees Fahrenheit in July.
Neighboring Counties
Bradford County shares borders with these other counties:
- Chemung County, New York (to the northwest)
- Tioga County, New York (to the northeast)
- Susquehanna County (to the east)
- Wyoming County (to the southeast)
- Sullivan County (to the south)
- Lycoming County (to the southwest)
- Tioga County (to the west)
It's interesting that Bradford County borders two counties named Tioga. One is in New York, and the other is in Pennsylvania!
People of Bradford County (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 11,554 | — | |
| 1830 | 19,746 | 70.9% | |
| 1840 | 32,769 | 66.0% | |
| 1850 | 42,831 | 30.7% | |
| 1860 | 48,734 | 13.8% | |
| 1870 | 53,204 | 9.2% | |
| 1880 | 58,541 | 10.0% | |
| 1890 | 59,233 | 1.2% | |
| 1900 | 59,403 | 0.3% | |
| 1910 | 54,526 | −8.2% | |
| 1920 | 53,166 | −2.5% | |
| 1930 | 49,039 | −7.8% | |
| 1940 | 50,615 | 3.2% | |
| 1950 | 51,722 | 2.2% | |
| 1960 | 54,925 | 6.2% | |
| 1970 | 57,962 | 5.5% | |
| 1980 | 62,919 | 8.6% | |
| 1990 | 60,967 | −3.1% | |
| 2000 | 62,761 | 2.9% | |
| 2010 | 62,622 | −0.2% | |
| 2020 | 59,967 | −4.2% | |
In 2000, there were 62,761 people living in Bradford County. There were 24,453 households, which are like homes where people live together. About 17,312 of these were families.
2020 Census Information
Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Bradford County in 2020:
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 55,717 | 93% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 394 | 0.66% |
| Native American (NH) | 117 | 0.2% |
| Asian (NH) | 460 | 0.77% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 13 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 2,393 | 4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 873 | 1.45% |
Economy of Bradford County
The main jobs and businesses in Bradford County include:
- The natural gas industry
- Farming
- Logging (cutting down trees for wood)
- Companies like DuPont, Global-Tungsten and Powders, Jeld-Wen, and Cargill Regional Beef.
Education in Bradford County
Bradford County has many schools and places to learn.
Public School Districts
These are the public school systems that serve students in different areas:
- Athens Area School District
- Canton Area School District (also in Lycoming and Tioga Counties)
- Northeast Bradford School District
- Sayre Area School District
- Towanda Area School District
- Troy Area School District
- Wyalusing Area School District (also in Wyoming County)
Other Public Schools and Learning Centers
- BLAST Intermediate Unit 17
- Northern Tier Career Center in Towanda (a school for learning job skills)
- Adult Ed Linkage Services in Troy
- Lackawanna College Towanda Center (a college campus)
Private Schools
There are also several private schools in the county:
- Canton Country School – Canton
- Children's Place – Sayre
- Epiphany School (Catholic) Pre-K–6 – Sayre
- Freedom Lane Academy – Milan
- G&G Learning Center – Rome
- Maranatha Mission Learning Community Branch 19 – Canton
- North Rome Christian School
- South Hill Amish School – Wyalusing
- St. Agnes Elementary School – Towanda
- Union Valley Christian School – Ulster
- Valley View Amish School – Pike Township
- Wyalusing Valley Children's Center INC – Wyalusing
Libraries
Libraries are great places to read and learn! Here are the libraries in Bradford County:
- Allen F. Pierce Free Library – Troy
- Bradford County Library – Troy
- Bradford County Library System – Troy
- Green Free Library – Canton
- Mather Memorial Library – Ulster
- Monroeton Public Library – Monroeton
- New Albany Community Library Inc.
- Sayre Public Library
- Spalding Memorial Library – Athens
- Towanda Public Library
- Wyalusing Public Library
Transportation in Bradford County
Public transportation, like buses, is provided by BeST Transit.
Major Highways
These are some of the main roads that go through Bradford County:
I-86 / NY 17 / Southern Tier Expressway
US 220
PA 14
PA 154
PA 187
PA 328
PA 367
PA 414
PA 467
PA 514
PA 549
Fun and Recreation
There is one Pennsylvania state park in Bradford County where you can enjoy nature:
Communities in Bradford County
In Pennsylvania, there are different types of towns and areas. These include cities, boroughs, and townships. Here are the boroughs and townships in Bradford County:
Boroughs
These are smaller, often more populated, incorporated towns:
- Alba
- Athens
- Burlington
- Canton
- Le Raysville
- Monroe
- New Albany
- Rome
- Sayre
- South Waverly
- Sylvania
- Towanda (This is the county seat!)
- Troy
- Wyalusing
Townships
These are usually larger, less populated areas that include rural land and smaller communities:
- Albany
- Armenia
- Asylum
- Athens
- Burlington
- Canton
- Columbia
- Franklin
- Granville
- Herrick
- Leroy
- Litchfield
- Monroe
- North Towanda
- Orwell
- Overton
- Pike
- Ridgebury
- Rome
- Sheshequin
- Smithfield
- South Creek
- Springfield
- Standing Stone
- Stevens
- Terry
- Towanda
- Troy
- Tuscarora
- Ulster
- Warren
- Wells
- West Burlington
- Wilmot
- Windham
- Wyalusing
- Wysox
Other Communities
- Greens Landing (a census-designated place, meaning it's a community that isn't officially a city or borough but is recognized for census purposes)
- Berrytown (an unincorporated community)
- Browntown (an unincorporated community)
- Merryall (an unincorporated community)
Towns by Population
Here are the towns and communities in Bradford County, ranked by how many people lived there in 2010:
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Population (2010 Census) | Municipal type | Incorporated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sayre | 5,587 | Borough | 1891 |
| 2 | Athens | 3,367 | Borough | 1831 |
| 3 | † Towanda | 2,919 | Borough | 1828 |
| 4 | Canton | 1,976 | Borough | 1864 |
| 5 | Troy | 1,354 | Borough | |
| 6 | South Waverly | 1,027 | Borough | 1878 |
| 7 | Greens Landing | 894 | CDP | |
| 8 | Wyalusing | 596 | Borough | |
| 9 | Monroe | 554 | Borough | 1855 |
| 10 | Rome | 441 | Borough | 1860 |
| 11 | New Albany | 356 | Borough | 1879 |
| 12 | Le Raysville | 290 | Borough | 1863 |
| 13 | Sylvania | 219 | Borough | 1853 |
| 14 | Alba | 157 | Borough | 1864 |
| 15 | Burlington | 156 | Borough | 1854 |
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Bradford (Pensilvania) para niños
