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Jefferson County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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For other places in Pennsylvania named Jefferson, see Jefferson, Pennsylvania.
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Jefferson County
U.S. county
Jefferson County Courthouse
Jefferson County Courthouse
Flag of Jefferson County
Flag
 Official seal of Jefferson County
Seal
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Jefferson County
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Pennsylvania
Founded October 1, 1830
Named for Thomas Jefferson
Seat Brookville
Largest borough Punxsutawney
Area
 • Total 657 sq mi (1,700 km2)
 • Land 652 sq mi (1,690 km2)
 • Water 4.4 sq mi (11 km2)  0.7%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 44,492 Decrease
 • Density 68/sq mi (26/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 15th

Jefferson County is a cool place in Pennsylvania, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 44,492 people lived there. The main town, called the county seat, is Brookville.

The county was started on March 26, 1804. It was officially set up in 1830. It's named after Thomas Jefferson, who was a President of the United States.

Jefferson County is famous for being the home of Punxsutawney Phil. He is the most well-known groundhog in the world! Every year on February 2, also known as Groundhog Day, Phil tries to predict if spring will come early. The county is located in the North Central part of Pennsylvania.

Geography

Jefferson County covers about 657 square miles (1,702 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part, about 4.4 square miles (11 square kilometers), is water.

The weather here is a warm-summer humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. In January, the average temperature is around 25°F (-4°C). In July, it's about 69°F (21°C).

Neighboring Counties

Jefferson County shares its borders with several other counties:

Main Roads

Many important roads run through Jefferson County. These roads help people travel and connect different towns.

  • I-80
  • US 119
  • US 219
  • US 322
  • PA 28
  • PA 36
  • PA 310
  • PA 410
  • PA 536
  • PA 830
  • PA 899
  • PA 949
  • PA 950

Rivers and Streams

Many streams flow through Jefferson County. Most of these streams eventually lead to the Allegheny River. One small stream, Bear Run, flows into the Susquehanna River.

Some of the main rivers and creeks in the county include:

Population

The population of Jefferson County has changed over the years. In 1810, only 161 people lived here. By 1910, the population grew to over 63,000! In 2020, the population was 44,492 people.

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1810 161 —
1820 561 248.4%
1830 2,025 261.0%
1840 7,253 258.2%
1850 13,518 86.4%
1860 18,270 35.2%
1870 21,656 18.5%
1880 27,935 29.0%
1890 44,005 57.5%
1900 59,113 34.3%
1910 63,090 6.7%
1920 62,104 −1.6%
1930 52,114 −16.1%
1940 54,090 3.8%
1950 49,147 −9.1%
1960 46,792 −4.8%
1970 43,695 −6.6%
1980 48,303 10.5%
1990 46,083 −4.6%
2000 45,932 −0.3%
2010 45,200 −1.6%
2020 44,492 −1.6%

In 2000, there were about 45,932 people living in the county. Most people were White (98.97%). A small number of people were Black, Native American, or Asian. About 0.41% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many people in Jefferson County have German (31.1%) or Italian (13.4%) backgrounds. Other common backgrounds include American, Irish, and English.

The average age in the county in 2000 was 40 years old. About 23.6% of the population was under 18 years old.

2020 Population Details

Here's a quick look at the different groups of people living in Jefferson County in 2020:

Jefferson County Racial Composition
Race Number Percent
White (not Hispanic) 42,317 95.1%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 125 0.3%
Native American (not Hispanic) 45 0.1%
Asian (not Hispanic) 100 0.2%
Pacific Islander (not Hispanic) 8 0.02%
Other/Mixed (not Hispanic) 1,500 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 397 1%

Education

Map of Jefferson County Pennsylvania School Districts
Map of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Jefferson County has many schools and places to learn.

Colleges and Universities

If you want to go to college, there are a few options nearby:

Public Schools

Students in Jefferson County attend several public school districts:

  • Brockway Area School District
  • Brookville Area School District
  • Clarion-Limestone Area School District
  • DuBois Area School District
  • Punxsutawney Area School District

Libraries

Libraries are great places to find books and learn new things! Jefferson County has several libraries:

  • Jefferson County Library System - Brockway
  • Mengle Memorial Library - Brockway
  • Punxsutawney Memorial Library - Punxsutawney
  • Rebecca M Arthurs Memorial Library - Brookville
  • Reynoldsville Public Library - Reynoldsville
  • Summerville Public Library - Summerville
  • Sykesville Public Library - Sykesville

Fun Activities and Parks

Jefferson County offers fun places for recreation and enjoying nature.

Two Pennsylvania state parks are located here:

The Jefferson County Fair is a popular event held every July. It's a great time for rides, games, and seeing local exhibits!

Communities

Map of Jefferson County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red) and Townships (white).

Jefferson County has different types of communities. These include boroughs, townships, and other smaller places.

Boroughs

Boroughs are like towns with their own local governments.

Townships

Townships are another type of local government area, often covering larger, less populated regions.

  • Barnett
  • Beaver
  • Bell
  • Clover
  • Eldred
  • Gaskill
  • Heath
  • Henderson
  • Knox
  • McCalmont
  • Oliver
  • Perry
  • Pine Creek
  • Polk
  • Porter
  • Ringgold
  • Rose
  • Snyder
  • Union
  • Warsaw
  • Washington
  • Winslow
  • Young

Other Communities

  • Crenshaw is a Census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a community that the Census Bureau counts as a separate place, but it's not officially a borough or township.

There are also many smaller, unincorporated communities in Jefferson County. These places don't have their own separate local governments.

Largest Communities by Population

Here are the largest towns and communities in Jefferson County, based on the 2020 census:

Rank Community Name Type Population
(2020 Census)
1 Punxsutawney Borough 5,769
2 † Brookville Borough 3,995
3 Reynoldsville Borough 2,549
4 Brockway Borough 2,276
5 Sykesville Borough 1,115
6 Falls Creek (partially in Clearfield County) Borough 994
7 Big Run Borough 647
8 Summerville Borough 504
9 Crenshaw CDP 468
10 Corsica Borough 319
11 Timblin Borough 147
12 Worthville Borough 80

Famous People from Jefferson County

Many interesting people have come from Jefferson County!

  • John T. Morrison - He was the sixth Governor of Idaho.
  • Sparky Lyle - A professional baseball player.
  • Chuck Daly - A famous American basketball coach.
  • George Jenks - A politician.
  • Florence Parry Heide - A well-known author.
  • Wilbur Good - A professional baseball player.
  • Andy Hastings - A professional football player.
  • Mal Eason - A professional baseball player.
  • John Mizerock - A professional baseball player.
  • Devin Mesoraco - A professional baseball player.
  • Jim Pittsley - A professional baseball player.
  • Britt Baker - A professional wrestler and dentist.
  • Laura Temple - A missionary teacher and archaeologist.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Jefferson (Pensilvania) para niños

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