Jefferson County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jefferson County
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![]() Jefferson County Courthouse
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![]() Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
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![]() Pennsylvania's location within the U.S. |
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Country | ![]() |
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State | ![]() |
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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)
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• Total | 44,492 ![]() |
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• 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.
Contents
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:
- Forest County (north)
- Elk County (northeast)
- Clearfield County (east)
- Indiana County (south)
- Armstrong County (southwest)
- Clarion County (west)
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 | |||
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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:
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
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:
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- Clarion University of Pennsylvania
- Butler County Community College (in Brockway)
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:
- Clear Creek State Park
- Cook Forest State Park (partially in Jefferson County)
The Jefferson County Fair is a popular event held every July. It's a great time for rides, games, and seeing local exhibits!
Communities
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.
- Big Run
- Brockway
- Brookville (This is the county seat!)
- Corsica
- Falls Creek (partly in Clearfield County)
- Punxsutawney
- Reynoldsville
- Summerville
- Sykesville
- Timblin
- Worthville
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.
- Adrian Mines
- Alaska
- Allens Mills
- Anita
- Baxter
- Beechtree
- Beechwoods
- Bells Mills
- Blowtown
- Bowersville
- Cloe
- Coal Glen
- Conifer
- Content
- Coolspring
- Cortez
- Desire
- Dora
- East Branch
- Ella
- Emerickville
- Fordham
- Forestville
- Frostburg
- Fuller
- Hamilton
- Hazen
- Heathville
- Horatio
- Howe
- Kahletown
- Knox Dale
- Lanes Mills
- Langville
- Markton
- McMinns Summit
- Munderf
- North Freedom
- Ohl
- Oliveburg
- Panic
- Pancoast
- Pansy
- Pardus
- Port Barnett
- Porter
- Prescottville
- Ramsaytown
- Rathmel
- Richardsville
- Ringgold
- Rockdale
- Roseville
- Sandy Valley
- Schoffner Corner
- Sigel
- Soldier
- Sprankle Mills
- Stanton
- Stump Creek
- Sugar Hill
- Valier
- Walston
- Warsaw
- Westville
- Winslow
- Wishaw
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) |
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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
In Spanish: Condado de Jefferson (Pensilvania) para niños