Chester, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. For other uses, see Chester, Pennsylvania (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

Chester, Pennsylvania

Home rule city

Chester Courthouse

Harrah's Philadelphia

Subaru Park

Delaware County National Bank

Widener University

Flag

Seal

Motto(s):

What Chester Makes Makes Chester

Location of Chester in Delaware County and in Pennsylvania

Country

United States

State

Pennsylvania

County

Delaware

Incorporated

1682

Area

• Total

6.00 sq mi (15.55 km²)

• Land

4.83 sq mi (12.52 km²)

• Water

1.17 sq mi (3.04 km²)

Elevation

69 ft (21 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

32,605

• Density

6,746.33/sq mi (2,604.57/km²)

Time zone

UTC-5 (EST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-4 (EDT)

19013

484 and 610

42-045-13208

42-13208

GNIS feature ID

1171694

Pennsylvania Historical Marker

Designated:

October 13, 1947

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Philadelphia area, located on the western bank of the Delaware River. The city is between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. In 2020, Chester had a population of 32,605 people.

Chester was founded in 1682, making it the oldest city in Pennsylvania. It was the first place William Penn arrived in the Province of Pennsylvania. For many years, Chester was an important county seat. It served Chester County from 1682 to 1788. Then, it was the county seat for Delaware County from 1789 to 1851.

From the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, Chester was a big center for factories, manufacturing, and shipping. It grew a lot during World War I and World War II. Many people moved to Chester for jobs in factories, at the docks, and in shipbuilding. These workers came from Southern and Eastern Europe, and African-American families moved from southern states. After the mid-1900s, many factories closed. The city has faced challenges since then.

Today, Chester is home to Widener University, Harrah's Philadelphia (a casino and racetrack), the Chester Waterside Station, the William Penn Landing Site, and Subaru Park. Subaru Park is the home stadium for the Major League Soccer team, the Philadelphia Union.

Discovering Chester's Past: A Look at Its History

The first European settlers in the Chester area were from Sweden. They first called their settlement "Finlandia," and then "Upland." In 1641, they built Fort Mecoponacka to protect their community.

By 1682, Upland was the largest town in the new Province of Pennsylvania. On October 27, 1682, the ship Welcome arrived in Upland. On board was William Penn, visiting the province for the first time. Penn decided to rename the settlement "Chester" after a city in England.

Chester was the main town for Chester County for many years. This county used to be very large, stretching from the Delaware River to the Susquehanna River. In 1789, a new county called Delaware County was created. Chester became its county seat. Later, in 1851, the county seat moved to Media. The old courthouse in Chester is still near the new City Hall.

The Hendrickson House, built in Chester in 1690 by Swedish farmers, was moved to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1958.

Chester's Role in Shipbuilding and Industry

Chester's naval shipyard was very important during the American Civil War for the Union side. It also helped the United States in later wars. After World War II, the shipyard in Philadelphia became more important.

One of America's biggest shipyards after the Civil War was John Roach's Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works in Chester. Later, the Ford Motor Company used this location for its Chester Assembly factory until 1961. The Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. was also in Chester until it closed in 1990. Two ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Chester to honor the city.

On April 10, 1917, a large explosion happened at the Eddystone Ammunition Corporation near Chester. This sad event caused the deaths of 133 workers, many of whom were women.

A bird's-eye view of Chester in 1885, showing how the city looked.

Fun Facts About Chester

Chester is one of several places that claim to be the birthplace of the hoagie sandwich. It is also known as the "Cradle of Rock 'n Roll." This is because Bill Haley & His Comets first performed and had their main office in the Chester area.

Many important places in Chester are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Delaware County National Bank, the 1724 Chester Courthouse, and the William Penn Landing Site.

Exploring Chester's Location and Environment

Chester is surrounded by several towns and townships in Pennsylvania. These include Trainer, Upper Chichester Township, Chester Township, Upland, Parkside, Brookhaven, Nether Providence Township, Ridley Township, and Eddystone.

Across the Delaware River, Chester faces Gloucester County, New Jersey. Most of its riverfront is next to Logan Township. A smaller part borders Greenwich Township. The city covers about 6 square miles (15.6 square kilometers). About 4.8 square miles (12.5 square kilometers) is land, and 1.17 square miles (3.0 square kilometers) is water.

Chester has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The hardiness zone for plants is 7b.

Understanding Chester's Population Changes

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	657	—
1830	847	28.9%
1850	1,667	—
1860	4,631	177.8%
1870	9,485	104.8%
1880	14,997	58.1%
1890	20,226	34.9%
1900	33,988	68.0%
1910	38,537	13.4%
1920	58,030	50.6%
1930	59,164	2.0%
1940	59,285	0.2%
1950	66,039	11.4%
1960	63,658	−3.6%
1970	56,331	−11.5%
1980	45,794	−18.7%
1990	41,856	−8.6%
2000	36,854	−12.0%
2010	33,972	−7.8%
2020	32,605	−4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020

Chester's Population in 2020

In 2020, Chester's population was 32,605. The city is home to people from many different backgrounds.

**Chester city, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1980	Pop 1990	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 1980	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	18,894	13,045	6,582	5,117	4,527	41.26%	31.17%	17.86%	15.06%	13.88%
Black or African American alone (NH)	25,850	26,924	27,500	24,803	22,560	56.45%	64.33%	74.62%	73.01%	69.19%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	38	83	65	69	54	0.08%	0.20%	0.18%	0.20%	0.17%
Asian alone (NH)	73	165	217	213	227	0.16%	0.39%	0.59%	0.63%	0.70%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	N/A	N/A	4	9	7	N/A	N/A	0.01%	0.03%	0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	15	60	60	30	140	0.03%	0.14%	0.16%	0.09%	0.43%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	N/A	N/A	440	677	1,038	N/A	N/A	1.19%	1.99%	3.18%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	924	1,579	1,986	3,054	4,052	2.02%	3.77%	5.39%	8.99%	12.43%
Total	45,794	41,856	36,854	33,972	32,605	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Sports and Entertainment in Chester

Horse Racing and Gaming

Harrah's Philadelphia

Chester is home to Harrah's Philadelphia, which opened in 2008. This place has horse races and a casino. The horse races are one mile long, and part of the track goes over the Delaware River!

Chester's Soccer Team: The Philadelphia Union

Interior of Subaru Park and the Commodore Barry Bridge in 2010

Chester is proud to be the home of the Major League Soccer team, the Philadelphia Union. They play their games at Subaru Park. This stadium is built right on the Delaware River, near the Commodore Barry Bridge. Subaru Park is part of a bigger plan called Rivertown. This plan aims to build new homes, offices, and shops in the area.

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Established	Championships
Philadelphia Union	Soccer	MLS	Subaru Park	2010

Learning in Chester: Schools and Universities

Chester High School

Chester has several schools for students of all ages.

Public Schools in Chester

The Chester-Upland School District serves students in Chester. It also includes nearby Chester Township and Upland.

Private and Charter Schools

Drexel Neumann Academy is Chester's only Catholic school. It is run by the Saint Katharine Drexel Roman Catholic Church.

Chester Charter Scholars Academy

Chester Charter Scholars Academy started in 2008. It began as a partnership between a local fund and the school district. In 2017, a new $30 million campus was built for the school.

Chester Community Charter School was created in 1998. It serves over 4,000 students from kindergarten to 8th grade. The school has four different campuses.

Widener Partnership Charter School opened in 2006. It is located near Widener University. The university helps the school by educating staff and letting students use its facilities. The school also has many community partners. A new $4.6 million part of the school was recently added. It includes a science center, a bigger library, a gym, and more classrooms.

Colleges and Universities

Old Main and Chemistry Building on Widener University's campus

Widener University is a private university in Chester. Its main campus covers 108 acres. Widener also has campuses in Harrisburg, Exton, and Wilmington, Delaware.

The school started in 1821 as The Bullock School for Boys in Wilmington, Delaware. It moved to Chester in 1862 and became Pennsylvania Military Academy. It changed its name to Widener in 1972.

About 3,300 undergraduate and 3,300 graduate students attend Widener. They can study many different subjects, from traditional arts to professional programs.

Sleeper's College provided office and commercial training

Sleeper's College was a vocational school founded in 1910. It taught skills for office and business jobs.

Getting Around Chester: Transportation

Chester has many public roads. Some are maintained by the state, and others by the city. East-west streets are numbered, and north-south streets have names. The main street is called The Avenue of the States and Edgmont Avenue.

Major Roads and Bridges

I-95 southbound in Chester

Interstate 95 runs through Chester, with several exits for easy access. This highway was built in the 1960s and expanded in the 1970s.

The Commodore Barry Bridge, crossing the Delaware River, at Chester

Two other important federal highways, U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 322, also go through Chester. US 322 crosses the Delaware River on the Commodore Barry Bridge. This bridge opened in 1974. Before the bridge, cars had to use a ferry, which caused long waits. New ramps were built between 2007 and 2010 to give direct access to the waterfront.

Plans are being made to improve US 322 and its connection with I-95. There is also a project to repair eight I-95 bridges, which started in 2017.

Public Transportation Options

Chester Transportation Center

Public buses in Chester are run by SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). Seven bus routes serve the city, with the Chester Transportation Center as the main hub.

The city also has commuter train service from SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line. The Chester Transportation Center and Highland Avenue stations are the two train stations in Chester.

Places of Worship in Chester

Chester has many churches that are important to its history:

Asbury AME Church - Started in 1845, it is the second oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in Chester.
Calvary Baptist Church - A Baptist church founded in 1879. Martin Luther King Jr. attended this church when he was a student at Crozer Theological Seminary from 1948 to 1951.
Chester Friends Meetinghouse - The first Quaker meetinghouse was built in 1693. William Penn was known to speak there.
St. Paul's Church and Old Burial Ground - An Episcopal church first built in 1702. The Old Burial Ground is where important historical figures like John Morton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, are buried.
Third Presbyterian Church - A Presbyterian church founded in 1872. It was the location of the first summer Bible school in 1912.

St. Katharine Drexel Church is the only Catholic church left in Chester. It was formed in 1993 by combining six smaller Catholic churches in the city.

Notable People from Chester

Places to See in Chester

Civil War memorial at Chester Rural Cemetery