Donora, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donora, Pennsylvania
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Borough
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Concrete houses in the Cement City neighborhood
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| Etymology: Portmanteau of "William Donner" and "Nora Mellon" | |
Location of Donora in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
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 Donora, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Washington |
| Established | 1900 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.05 sq mi (5.30 km2) |
| • Land | 1.90 sq mi (4.92 km2) |
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.38 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,569 |
| • Density | 2,406.00/sq mi (928.72/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
15033
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| Area code(s) | 724 |
| Website | www.DonoraBoro.org |
Donora is a small town, called a borough, in Washington County, Pennsylvania. It is about 20 miles (32 km) south of Pittsburgh. Donora sits along the Monongahela River. In 2020, about 4,558 people lived there.
Donora became an official borough in 1901. Its name is a mix of two names: William Donner and Nora Mellon. Nora Mellon was the wife of a famous banker, Andrew W. Mellon. Donora is often called "The Home of Champions." This is because many famous athletes grew up there. These include Baseball Hall of Fame players Stan Musial and Ken Griffey Jr..
Donora was once a very important industrial town. It had many factories for steel and wire. In 1911, it was even the third wealthiest borough in the United States. However, like many towns in the "Rust Belt" region, it lost most of its big industries over time. Donora is located in the "Mon Valley" area.
Contents
Donora's Past
In 1794, some meetings for the Whiskey Rebellion happened near Donora. This was an important event in early American history.
A trolley line, like an old-fashioned streetcar, started in Donora in 1901. It helped people travel around town. Later, it connected Donora to a bigger trolley system that went to Pittsburgh. This trolley line stopped running in 1953.
Donora is known for a serious air pollution event in 1948. This event is called the Donora Smog of 1948. From October 26 to October 31, 1948, a weather condition trapped pollution from local factories. This caused many people to have breathing problems. Sadly, some people also died. This event made national news and helped lead to new laws about clean air. Today, you can visit the Donora Smog Museum. It teaches visitors about the smog event and how it changed air quality rules.
Donora also has a special neighborhood called "Cement City." The houses there are made entirely of concrete. This building style was supported by the famous inventor Thomas Edison. These homes were built for workers at the Donora Wire and Steel Mill in the early 1900s. Donora's "Cement City" is the second largest in the world. It has 80 concrete homes. Both the Cement City Historic District and the Webster Donora Bridge are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Donora and its nearby areas have also been used for filming movies and TV shows. For example, the TV show American Rust filmed some scenes in Donora.
Where Donora Is Located
Donora is located at 40°10′33″N 79°51′41″W / 40.17583°N 79.86139°W.
The United States Census Bureau says that Donora covers about 2.0 square miles (5.3 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, and a small part is water.
Donora's Weather
Donora has a climate with hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.
| Climate data for Donora, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1926–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) |
79 (26) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
96 (36) |
101 (38) |
105 (41) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
95 (35) |
85 (29) |
77 (25) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.7 (3.7) |
42.1 (5.6) |
50.9 (10.5) |
64.0 (17.8) |
73.1 (22.8) |
80.7 (27.1) |
84.4 (29.1) |
83.5 (28.6) |
77.5 (25.3) |
66.0 (18.9) |
53.7 (12.1) |
43.2 (6.2) |
63.2 (17.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.6 (−1.3) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
39.7 (4.3) |
51.2 (10.7) |
61.1 (16.2) |
69.4 (20.8) |
73.3 (22.9) |
72.1 (22.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
54.1 (12.3) |
43.1 (6.2) |
34.4 (1.3) |
52.1 (11.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20.5 (−6.4) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
38.4 (3.6) |
49.0 (9.4) |
58.1 (14.5) |
62.2 (16.8) |
60.7 (15.9) |
53.9 (12.2) |
42.2 (5.7) |
32.5 (0.3) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
41.1 (5.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −19 (−28) |
−14 (−26) |
−2 (−19) |
11 (−12) |
22 (−6) |
37 (3) |
40 (4) |
38 (3) |
31 (−1) |
17 (−8) |
−1 (−18) |
−11 (−24) |
−19 (−28) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.90 (74) |
2.43 (62) |
3.14 (80) |
3.40 (86) |
4.30 (109) |
4.39 (112) |
4.31 (109) |
3.64 (92) |
3.55 (90) |
3.05 (77) |
2.84 (72) |
2.90 (74) |
40.85 (1,038) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.7 (14) |
7.2 (18) |
4.6 (12) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
3.3 (8.4) |
21.4 (54) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 15.4 | 11.9 | 12.8 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 12.5 | 11.3 | 10.2 | 9.7 | 11.5 | 11.6 | 13.1 | 147.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.3 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 14.4 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Neighboring Areas
Donora shares its land borders with Carroll Township to the north, south, and west. Across the Monongahela River to the east, Donora is next to Rostraver Township.
Donora's Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 8,174 | — | |
| 1920 | 14,131 | 72.9% | |
| 1930 | 13,905 | −1.6% | |
| 1940 | 13,180 | −5.2% | |
| 1950 | 12,186 | −7.5% | |
| 1960 | 11,131 | −8.7% | |
| 1970 | 8,825 | −20.7% | |
| 1980 | 7,524 | −14.7% | |
| 1990 | 5,928 | −21.2% | |
| 2000 | 5,653 | −4.6% | |
| 2010 | 4,781 | −15.4% | |
| 2020 | 4,558 | −4.7% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 4,526 | −5.3% | |
| Sources: | |||
In 2000, Donora had 5,653 people living there. There were 2,469 households. About 23.4% of these households had children under 18. About 37.4% of all households were single people living alone.
The population was spread out by age. About 21.7% were under 18 years old. About 25.0% were 65 years or older. The average age in Donora was 42 years.
Local Industries
Donora was once known for its steel industry. Many towns in this area are called the "rust belt" because these industries closed. However, Donora still has some important businesses. There is a large industrial park where the old steel mills used to be. This park is managed by MMIDA.
Many different companies have facilities in the Donora Industrial Park. These include businesses like A-1 Babbit company, Apex N.A., and Bergen Power Pipe Supports. Other companies include Dyno-Nobel Inc, Eastern Alloy, and Glosser MFG. There are also companies like Airgas Specialty Products, Inc. and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Distribution Center.
Schools in Donora
Donora is part of the Ringgold School District. This school district serves several nearby communities. These include Donora, Monongahela, Carroll Township, and New Eagle.
Famous People from Donora
Donora is proud to be the hometown of many notable people.
- Frances Dorothy Acomb – A historian and academic.
- Mary Amdur – A scientist who studied the 1948 Donora smog.
- Robert Costanza – An expert in ecological economics.
- Devra Davis – A scientist who also studied the 1948 Donora smog.
- Arnold Galiffa – A famous football player and College Football Hall of Fame member.
- Ken Griffey Jr. – A Baseball Hall of Fame Centerfielder.
- Ken Griffey Sr. – A baseball player. His father played with Stan Musial in high school.
- Stan Musial – A legendary baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals and a Baseball Hall of Famer.
- Reggie Walton – A United States District Judge.
See also
In Spanish: Donora (Pensilvania) para niños
