Fullerton, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fullerton, Pennsylvania
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Location of Fullerton in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
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 Fullerton, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Fullerton, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Lehigh |
| Township | Whitehall |
| Area | |
| • Census-designated place | 3.75 sq mi (9.72 km2) |
| • Land | 3.67 sq mi (9.50 km2) |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2) |
| Elevation | 375 ft (114 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Census-designated place | 16,588 |
| • Density | 4,521.12/sq mi (1,745.40/km2) |
| • Metro | 865,310 (US: 68th) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
18052
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| Area code(s) | 610 |
| FIPS code | 42-28144 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1175328 |
Fullerton is a community in Whitehall Township, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is also known as a census-designated place (CDP). A CDP is a special area created by the U.S. Census Bureau for gathering population data.
In 2020, the population of Fullerton was 16,588 people. Fullerton is a suburb of Allentown. It is part of the larger Lehigh Valley metropolitan area. This area had about 861,899 people in 2020. It was the 68th largest metropolitan area in the United States.
History of Fullerton
Fullerton was first called "Ferndale." Early settlers like Giles Windsor and Stephen Snyder started living on the land in the late 1700s. Jacob Yundt also settled there in the early 1800s.
In 1895, the town's name changed to "Fullerton." This was to honor a local businessman named James W. Fuller Jr.. He bought a factory that made parts for railroad cars in 1865. His company later became known as Lehigh Car, Wheel & Axle Works.
Fuller planned the town in 1870. By 1883, it was a busy place with over 1,500 workers and their families. It was a "company town," meaning the company owned much of the housing and stores. When the cement industry grew in the early 1900s, Fuller's company did very well. They made machines for the cement factories nearby. The town also provided workers for these factories and local quarries.
The Dent Hardware Company Factory Complex is an important building in Fullerton. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This list includes places important to American history.
Where is Fullerton?
Fullerton is in eastern Lehigh County. It is in the southern part of Whitehall Township. To the south, it borders the city of Allentown. The Lehigh River is to its east. Across the Lehigh River to the northeast is the town of Catasauqua.
U.S. Route 22 runs through the middle of Fullerton. This road is also called the Lehigh Valley Thruway. It has two exits in Fullerton. One exit connects to Pennsylvania Route 145 (MacArthur Road). The other connects to Fullerton Avenue/Third Street.
US-22 goes east about 14 miles to Easton. It goes west about 82 miles to Harrisburg, which is Pennsylvania's capital city. PA-145 goes south 2 miles to the center of Allentown. It goes north 14 miles to Walnutport. The Lehigh Valley Mall is located in Fullerton, near the US-22 and PA-145 intersection.
Fullerton covers a total area of about 3.75 square miles (9.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 3.67 square miles (9.5 square kilometers). A small part, about 0.08 square miles (0.2 square kilometers), is water. The Lehigh River and Jordan Creek flow through the community.
People in Fullerton
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 14,268 | — | |
| 2010 | 14,925 | 4.6% | |
| 2020 | 16,588 | 11.1% | |
In 2000, there were 14,268 people living in Fullerton. There were 6,224 households and 3,827 families. The population density was about 3,815 people per square mile.
About 86% of the people were White. About 3.8% were African American, and 5.5% were Asian. About 6.1% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background. Many people had German (28.3%), Italian (11.8%), or Irish (10.8%) ancestry.
About 24.2% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 48.7% were married couples. The average household had 2.27 people, and the average family had 2.87 people.
The median age in Fullerton was 39 years old. About 19.6% of the population was under 18. About 19% of the population was 65 years or older. The median income for a household was $43,048. For a family, it was $50,147.
Education
Fullerton is part of the Whitehall-Coplay School District. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Whitehall High School.
Notable People
- Evelyn Keppel, a former baseball player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
- Dave Steckel, a former college football player and coach.
- Albert C. Vaughn, a former U.S. Representative.
