Chester County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chester County
County
Chester County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	August 24, 1682
Named for	Chester, England
Seat	West Chester
Largest borough	West Chester
Area
• Total	759 sq mi (1,970 km2)
• Land	751 sq mi (1,950 km2)
• Water	8.7 sq mi (23 km2)  1.1%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	534,413
• Estimate  (2023)	546,638
• Density	712.0/sq mi (274.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	5th, 6th
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated:	October 26, 1982

Chester County, also known as Chesco, is a county in the state of Pennsylvania. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, near the Delaware Valley region. In 2020, about 545,823 people lived here. This was a 7.1% increase from 2010.

The main town where the county government is located is West Chester. The biggest town in the county is Tredyffrin Township. Other large towns include West Chester and Phoenixville. Coatesville is the only place in the county that is officially called a city.

Chester County was one of the first three counties created by William Penn in 1682. It was named after Chester, a city in England. The county is part of a larger area that includes Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington. Many towns in eastern Chester County are part of the "Philadelphia Main Line" area, which are western suburbs of Philadelphia.

In 2020, Chester County had the highest average household income in Pennsylvania. It was also the 35th highest in the entire United States.

History

A sign welcoming you to Chester County

Chester County was one of the first three counties in Pennsylvania. It was created by William Penn on August 24, 1682, when Pennsylvania was still a colony.

Back then, Chester County was much larger. It stretched from Philadelphia County in the north to the Susquehanna River in the west. The Delaware River was its eastern border, and Delaware and Maryland were to the south. Many early settlers in the eastern part of the county were from Wales, which is why you can still find many Welsh place names there today.

Over time, parts of Chester County were used to create new counties. Lancaster County was formed from Chester County in 1729. Later, in 1752, Berks County was also created from parts of Chester, Lancaster, and Philadelphia counties.

The original county seat (where the government was) was the City of Chester. This city was important for building ships. But as more people moved to the western part of the county, it became too far for them to travel. So, in 1788, the county seat was moved to a more central village called Turk's Head. This village was then renamed West Chester. Because of this move, the eastern part of the county decided to form its own county, Delaware County, in 1789. The City of Chester became the county seat for Delaware County.

Chester County's location between Philadelphia and the Susquehanna River has been very important to its history. The first main road to the west, which led to Lancaster County, went right through the middle of Chester County. This road later became U.S. Route 30. Early railroads also followed this path. This easy transportation helped industries grow along the rail lines. It also made it easier for people to live in the county and travel to jobs in nearby cities. This is how the suburbs started to grow. Even today, the most developed areas of the county are along these major transportation routes.

During the American Revolutionary War, several important battles happened in Chester County. The Battle of Brandywine was fought in the southeastern part of the county. The Battle of the Clouds and the Battle of Paoli took place in the northeastern part. George Washington and his army also camped at Valley Forge in this area.

Geography

Chester County covers about 759 square miles. Most of this is land (751 square miles), and a small part (8.7 square miles) is water. The land here has rolling hills and valleys. It is part of a region called the Piedmont.

Several creeks and rivers flow through Chester County, including the Octoraro, Brandywine, and Chester creeks, and the Schuylkill River. The soil is very fertile, which made it a major farming area for a long time. Because it's close to Philadelphia, Chester County has seen a lot of growth and new buildings in the last 50 years as more people moved to the suburbs.

Even with all the new development, farming is still a big part of Chester County's economy. There are also many horse farms. Growing mushrooms is a special type of farming in the southern part of the county.

Chester County is unique because it is the only county in Pennsylvania that borders both Delaware and Maryland.

Adjacent counties

• Berks County (north)
• Montgomery County (northeast)
• Delaware County (east)
• New Castle County, Delaware (southeast)
• Cecil County, Maryland (south)
• Lancaster County (west)

National protected area

• Valley Forge National Historical Park (part)

State protected areas

• French Creek State Park
• Marsh Creek State Park
• White Clay Creek Preserve

Major roads and highways

I-76/Pennsylvania Turnpike going west in Chester County

Economy and environment

Chester County is home to many businesses. For example, the Lanchester Landfill, which is on the border of Chester and Lancaster Counties, collects methane gas. This gas is then sold to local businesses as a clean energy source. This helps reduce pollution and offers an alternative to other energy sources.

Many companies have their main offices or a big presence in Chester County. Some of these include Bentley Systems, QVC (a shopping channel), The Vanguard Group (a big investment company), and Victory Brewing Company (a brewery).

Demographics

In 2010, most people in Chester County (82.1%) were White. About 6.1% were Black or African American, and 3.9% were Asian. About 6.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The county's population has grown a lot over the years. In 2000, there were 433,501 people. By 2010, it grew to 498,886. In 2020, the population was 534,413.

The area was first home to the Lenni Lenape people. Later, settlers from England, Scotland, and Wales came. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Eastern Europe, and Italy moved to industrial areas like Coatesville. People from the American South, both Black and White, also moved north for jobs. More recently, Hispanic immigrants, including Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, have moved to the county.

Chester County used to be mostly rural (farmland). But now, it's one of the fastest-growing counties in the Delaware Valley and the northeastern United States.

Religion

Uwchlan Meetinghouse in Uwchlan Township

Because of its early history, Chester County has many old Quaker buildings, called meeting houses. Some of these include Birmingham, Bradford, and Old Kennett meeting houses.

Other historic religious buildings include St. Malachi Church, which is the oldest active Catholic mission church in southeastern Pennsylvania. There are also several old Episcopal churches like St. Mary's and St. Peter's. The First Presbyterian Church of West Chester and Coventryville United Methodist Church are also in the county. The Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County is a Conservative synagogue in Coatesville, a town that saw many Eastern European immigrants in the 1900s.

2020 census

Education

Colleges and universities

Philips Memorial Building at West Chester University

• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania (partially in Delaware County)
• Delaware County Community College (locations in Downingtown and West Grove)
• Immaculata University
• Lansdale School of Business (location in Phoenixville)
• Lincoln University
• Penn State Great Valley
• University of Valley Forge
• West Chester University

Public school districts

Map of Chester County's public school districts

School districts include:

• Avon Grove School District
• Coatesville Area School District
• Downingtown Area School District
• Great Valley School District
• Kennett Consolidated School District
• Octorara Area School District
• Owen J. Roberts School District
• Oxford Area School District
• Phoenixville Area School District
• Spring-Ford Area School District
• Tredyffrin/Easttown School District
• Twin Valley School District
• Unionville-Chadds Ford School District
• West Chester Area School District

Charter schools

• Achievement House Charter School grades 9–12, Exton
• Avon Grove Charter School grades K-12, West Grove
• Chester County Family Academy Charter School grades K-2, West Chester
• Collegium Charter School grades K-12, Exton
• Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School K-12, West Chester
• Renaissance Academy Charter School grades K-12, Phoenixville
• Sankofa Academy Charter School grades 5–8, West Chester
• 21st Century Cyber Charter School grades 6–12. Downingtown.

Independent schools

• Bishop Shanahan High School (Archdiocese of Philadelphia)
• Center for Arts and Technology (Administered by Chester County Intermediate Unit)
• Church Farm School (now called CFS the School at Church Farm)
• Delaware Valley Friends School
• Devon Preparatory School
• Fairville Friends School (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania)
• Goshen Friends School (West Chester, Pennsylvania)
• Kimberton Waldorf School (Kimberton, Pennsylvania)
• London Grove Friends Kindergarten (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania)
• Malvern Preparatory School
• The Concept School - 6th through 12th Grade
• Upattinas School and Resource Center (Glenmoore, Pennsylvania)
• Upland Country Day School (UCDS) - Pre-K through 9th Grade
• Villa Maria Academy (Malvern, Pennsylvania)
• Villa Maria Academy Lower School (Immaculata, Pennsylvania)
• West-Mont Christian Academy
• West Chester Friends School
• West Fallowfield Christian School
• Westtown School
• Windsor Christian Academy - K through 6th Grade
• Windsor Christian Preschool
• Regina Luminis Academy

Libraries

The Chester County Library System helps people find books and information. It was started in 1965 and has a main library in Exton and sixteen other libraries.

Communities

Map of Chester County showing cities (yellow), boroughs (red), townships (white), and census-designated places (blue)

In Pennsylvania, there are different types of towns: cities, boroughs, and townships. The names used by the post office for mailing addresses often don't match the official town names, except for cities and boroughs. Here are the different types of communities in Chester County:

City

• Coatesville

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

These are communities that the U.S. Census Bureau uses for collecting data, but they are not official towns under Pennsylvania law.

Other unincorporated communities

Historic community

• Barnestown

Population ranking

This table shows the population of the biggest towns and areas in Chester County, based on the 2020 census.

† county seat

Climate

Chester County has four clear seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. It has a climate where summers are hot.

Notable people

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Chester (Pensilvania) para niños