Cambria County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cambria County
U.S. county
Cambria County Courthouse, built in 1890-1891
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	November 2, 1807
Named for	Latin name of Wales
Seat	Ebensburg
Largest city	Johnstown
Area
• Total	694 sq mi (1,800 km2)
• Land	688 sq mi (1,780 km2)
• Water	5.3 sq mi (14 km2)  0.8%%
Population
• Estimate  (2020)	133,472
• Density	194/sq mi (75/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	13th
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated:	May 25, 1982

The historic Cambria Iron Company in Johnstown, 1987.

Cambria County is a special area in the state of Pennsylvania. It's like a big neighborhood with its own government. In 2020, about 133,472 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Ebensburg.

The county was created a long time ago, on March 26, 1804. It was made from parts of other counties like Bedford, Huntingdon, and Somerset. It officially started working in 1807. The name "Cambria" comes from the old Latin name for Wales, a country in the United Kingdom. This county is part of the Southwest Pennsylvania region.

Cambria County is also part of a larger area called the Johnstown, PA metropolitan area. This means Johnstown is a big city that many smaller towns and communities around it depend on.

Exploring Cambria County's Geography

Cambria County is located in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania. It has a total area of about 694 square miles. Most of this area, about 688 square miles, is land. The rest, about 5.3 square miles, is water, like rivers and lakes.

Neighboring Counties: Who Are Cambria's Neighbors?

Cambria County shares its borders with several other counties. Knowing its neighbors helps us understand its location better.

• To the north, you'll find Clearfield County.
• To the east, it's next to Blair County.
• In the southeast, it borders Bedford County.
• To the south, you'll find Somerset County.
• In the southwest, it's next to Westmoreland County.
• And to the west, it borders Indiana County.

Special Protected Areas: Natural and Historic Sites

Cambria County is home to important national sites that protect history and nature.

• The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is a place where an old railroad helped connect different parts of the country.
• The Johnstown Flood National Memorial remembers a very important event in the county's history, the devastating Johnstown Flood.

People and Population in Cambria County

Cambria County has seen its population change over many years. Here's how the number of people living here has grown and changed:

In 2000, there were about 152,598 people living in Cambria County. Most people were White (95.80%), with smaller groups of Black or African American (2.83%) and Asian (0.38%) residents. People from other backgrounds also live here, making the county diverse. Many residents have German, Irish, Italian, or Polish family roots.

The county's population is spread out in terms of age. About 21% of people were under 18 years old. About 19.7% were 65 years or older. The average age in the county was 41 years old.

Education in Cambria County

Cambria County offers many educational opportunities, from colleges to public and private schools.

Colleges and Universities: Higher Learning Options

For students looking to continue their education after high school, Cambria County has several colleges and universities:

• Christ the Saviour Seminary, located in Johnstown.
• Mount Aloysius College
• Saint Francis University
• University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

Community and Technical Colleges: Hands-On Training

These schools offer shorter programs and job-focused training:

• Cambria-Rowe Business College
• Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
• Commonwealth Technical Institute, in Johnstown.
• Wrightco Technologies Technical Training Institute, in Ebensburg.

Public School Districts: Learning in Your Community

Map of Cambria County, Pennsylvania School Districts.

Many public school districts serve the students of Cambria County. These districts manage the local elementary, middle, and high schools.

• Blacklick Valley School District
• Cambria Heights School District
• Central Cambria School District
• Conemaugh Valley School District
• Ferndale Area School District
• Forest Hills School District
• Glendale School District (also in Clearfield County)
• Greater Johnstown School District
• Northern Cambria School District
• Penn Cambria School District (also in Blair County)
• Portage Area School District
• Richland School District
• Westmont Hilltop School District
• Windber Area School District (also in Somerset County)

Private Schools: Other Learning Choices

There are also many private schools in Cambria County, offering different educational styles.

• All Saints Catholic School, Cresson
• Bishop Carroll High School (Ebensburg, Pennsylvania)
• Bishop McCort High School, Johnstown
• Cambria County Christian School, Johnstown
• Cathedral Catholic Academy, Johnstown
• Holy Name School, Ebensburg
• Northern Cambria Catholic School, Nicktown
• Our Mother of Sorrow School, Johnstown
• [Richland Academy Montessori School], Johnstown
• St Michael's School, Loretto
• St Sophia Orthodox Christian Academy, Johnstown

Vocational and Technical Schools: Skills for the Future

These schools help students learn specific job skills:

• Admiral Peary Vocational Technical School
• [Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center]

Fun and Recreation in Cambria County

Cambria County has great places for outdoor fun and relaxation. There are two Pennsylvania state parks here.

• Prince Gallitzin State Park is named after a Russian nobleman who became a Catholic priest and helped settle Cambria County. It's a great place for camping, boating, and hiking.
• Laurel Ridge State Park is known for its long hiking trail, which is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) long. The trail starts in Cambria County and goes all the way to Ohiopyle State Park in Fayette County.

Communities of Cambria County

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

In Pennsylvania, communities are organized in different ways: cities, boroughs, and townships. Here are the main types of communities you'll find in Cambria County:

City: The Largest Community

• Johnstown is the only city in Cambria County.

Boroughs: Smaller Towns with Their Own Governments

Townships: Rural and Suburban Areas

Census-Designated Places: Defined for Data Collection

These are areas that the U.S. Census Bureau defines for collecting population data. They don't have their own local government like cities or boroughs.

Other Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially part of a city, borough, or census-designated place.

• Coupon
• Flinton
• New Germany
• Twin Rocks

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Cambria para niños