Mifflin County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mifflin County
U.S. county
former Mifflin County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	September 19, 1789
Named for	Thomas Mifflin
Seat	Lewistown
Largest borough	Lewistown
Area
• Total	415 sq mi (1,070 km2)
• Land	411 sq mi (1,060 km2)
• Water	3.7 sq mi (10 km2)  0.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	46,143
• Density	111.19/sq mi (42.93/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	13th

Mifflin County is a county in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2020, about 46,143 people lived there. Its main town, or county seat, is Lewistown.

The county was created on September 19, 1789. It was formed from parts of Cumberland County and Northumberland County. The county was named after Thomas Mifflin, who was the first Governor of Pennsylvania. Mifflin County is part of the Central Pennsylvania region.

Exploring Mifflin County

Land and Rivers

Mifflin County is shaped by the Appalachian Mountain ridges. These mountains run from the southwest to the northeast across the county. The highest point is Broad Mountain, which is about 2,339 feet (713 meters) above sea level.

The Juniata River flows through the lower part of the county. It moves northeast and then enters Juniata County. The county covers a total area of 415 square miles (1,075 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small part being water.

Mifflin County is known for its "Ridge-and-Valley" landscape. This means it has long, parallel ridges and valleys.

Roads and Climate

Major roads like US Route 322 and US Route 522 help connect Mifflin County to other parts of Pennsylvania. US 322 links the county to cities like Harrisburg and State College.

The county has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. In Lewistown, average temperatures range from about 28°F (minus 2°C) in January to 73°F (23°C) in July.

Neighboring Counties

Mifflin County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Centre County - to the north
• Union County - to the northeast
• Snyder County - to the east
• Juniata County - to the south
• Huntingdon County - to the west

Important Highways

Here are some of the main highways that pass through Mifflin County:

• US 22
• 
  US 22 Bus.
• US 322
• US 522
• PA 103
• PA 305
• PA 333
• PA 655

Natural Areas

Mifflin County is home to beautiful natural areas, including:

• Reeds Gap State Park
• Parts of Bald Eagle State Forest
• Parts of Rothrock State Forest
• Parts of Tuscarora State Forest

People of Mifflin County

Population Changes Over Time

The population of Mifflin County has changed over many years. Here’s a look at how it has grown:

Who Lives Here?

In 2010, there were 46,682 people living in Mifflin County. Most people (97.53%) were White. About 1.14% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. Many residents have German, American, Irish, or English backgrounds.

About 5.7% of people speak Pennsylvania Dutch, Dutch, or German at home. This is especially true for the Amish community.

The population includes people of all ages. About 23.1% were under 18 years old. The average age was 39 years.

The Amish Community

Mifflin County has a large Amish community. It was started in 1791. In 2017, there were about 3,905 Amish people living in the county. This made up about 8.5% of the county's total population.

Local Dialect

Most people in Mifflin County speak with a Central Pennsylvania accent. The Amish and some Mennonites speak Pennsylvania German, also called Pennsylvania Dutch. This is a German dialect that is different from modern Standard German. Both the Amish and Mennonites can also speak English.

Economy and Jobs

Mifflin County has many different types of businesses. Some of the major employers include:

• Asher’s Chocolates (candy)
• First Quality (manufacturing)
• Geisinger Health (healthcare)
• Giant Food (groceries)
• Jarden Plastics (plastics)
• Lowe’s (home improvement)
• Marlette Homes (housing)
• Mifflin County School District (education)
• Overhead Door Corporation (doors)
• Philips (electronics)
• Standard Steel (steel products)
• Trinity Packaging (packaging)
• Walmart (retail)

Learning and Schools

Map of Mifflin County Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Public Schools

Most children in Mifflin County go to schools in the Mifflin County School District. However, some areas, like Wayne Township and the towns of Newton-Hamilton and Kistler, are part of the Mount Union Area School District.

Preschool Programs

• Head Start: This program helps young children from low-income families get ready for school. It serves 3- and 4-year-olds.
  • Coleman Head Start Center
  • McVeytown Head Start Center

Private Schools

There are several private schools in the county:

• Sacred Heart: A Catholic school for kindergarten through fifth grade.
• Mennonite Schools: Belleville Mennonite School, Beth-El Christian Day School, and Valley View Christian School offer education up to twelfth grade.
• Mifflin County Christian Academy: Provides Christian education from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
• Amish Schools: Several small schools teach Amish children up to eighth grade.

Colleges and Training

• Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology: Offers training for careers like nursing, auto mechanics, and electrical services.
• Penn State Learning Center in Lewistown: Provides two-year and four-year college degrees. It also has a science lab used by students at the Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing.

Media and News

Radio Stations

Mifflin County has several local radio stations:

• AM Stations:
  • WLUI 670 AM - Lewistown
  • WKVA 920 AM - Lewistown
• FM Stations:
  • WRYV 88.7 - Milroy
  • WJRC 90.9 - Lewistown
  • WMRF 95.7 - Lewistown
  • WVNW 96.7 - Burnham
  • WCHX 105.5 - Burnham

Newspapers

You can read local news in these newspapers:

• Lewistown Sentinel
• County Observer
• The Valley Newspaper

Towns and Communities

Mifflin County, showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

In Pennsylvania, there are different types of towns: boroughs and townships. Some areas are also called "census-designated places" (CDPs) for data collection.

Boroughs

These are incorporated towns with their own local governments:

• Burnham
• Juniata Terrace
• Kistler
• Lewistown (This is the county seat!)
• McVeytown
• Newton Hamilton

Census-Designated Places and Other Communities

These are areas recognized for census data or are smaller communities without their own borough government:

• Alfarata
• Allensville
• Anderson
• Atkinson Mills
• Barrville
• Belleville
• Belltown
• Cedar Crest
• Church Hill
• Granville
• Hawstone
• Highland Park
• Little Kansas
• Longfellow
• Lumber City
• Maitland
• Mattawana
• Menno
• Milroy
• Naginey
• Potlicker Flats
• Reedsville
• Ryde
• Shindle
• Siglerville
• Strodes Mills
• Union Mills
• Wagner
• Woodland
• Yeagertown

Townships

These are larger areas that often include smaller communities:

• Armagh
• Bratton
• Brown
• Decatur
• Derry
• Granville
• Menno
• Oliver
• Union
• Wayne

Largest Communities by Population

Here are the largest communities in Mifflin County, based on the 2010 census: