Montour County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Montour County
U.S. county
Montour County Courthouse in Danville
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	May 3, 1850
Named for	Andrew Montour
Seat	Danville
Largest borough	Danville
Area
• Total	132 sq mi (340 km2)
• Land	130 sq mi (300 km2)
• Water	2.1 sq mi (5 km2)  1.6%%
Population
• Estimate  (2020)	18,136
• Density	140/sq mi (50/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	9th

Montour County is a small county in Pennsylvania. About 18,136 people lived there in 2020. Its main town, called the county seat, is Danville.

The county is named after Andrew Montour. He was a famous interpreter who helped George Washington during the French and Indian War. Montour County is the smallest county in Pennsylvania. It covers about 132 square miles. It is located in the central part of Pennsylvania.

Montour County is part of a larger area called the Bloomsburg-Berwick Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History of Montour County

During the American Revolutionary War, Fort Bosley was the only fortified place in the county. It was located near Derry Township and Washingtonville.

Geography and Nature

Montour County covers about 132 square miles. Most of this area, 130 square miles, is land. The rest, about 2.1 square miles, is water. This makes it the smallest county by land area in Pennsylvania.

Almost half of Montour County, about 45%, is covered by woods. All the water in the county flows into the Susquehanna River. Other important streams in the county are Chillisquaque Creek and Mahoning Creek.

What is the Climate Like?

Montour County has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. In Danville, the average temperature in January is about 26.9°F. In July, it's about 72.3°F.

Neighboring Counties

Montour County shares borders with these other counties:

• Lycoming County (to the north)
• Columbia County (to the east)
• Northumberland County (to the south and west)

Main Roads and Highways

Several major roads pass through Montour County. These roads help people travel around the county and to other areas:

• I-80
• US 11
• PA 44
• PA 45
• PA 54
• PA 254
• PA 642

Geology and Landforms

Montour County is part of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians. This is a region of the Appalachian Mountains with many ridges and valleys. About 65% of the soil in the county drains water well.

The Muncy Hills are in the northern part of the county. Montour Ridge is in the southern part, close to the Susquehanna River. Montour Ridge is also the highest point in the county, at 1,425 feet above sea level. The lowest point is 440 feet above sea level, by the Susquehanna River.

The rocks in Montour County are sedimentary rocks. They formed during the Devonian Period or the Silurian Period. Devonian Period rocks make up two-thirds of the county. These rocks are found in the Muncy Hills and the lowlands in the south.

Silurian Period rocks make up the other third of the county. These rocks are common on Montour Ridge and near Washingtonville.

How the Land Was Formed

Montour County has three main anticlines (upward folds) and synclines (downward folds). These are the White Deer Anticline, the Lackawanna Syncline, and the Milton Anticline. They run from northeast to southwest. They were formed about 200 million years ago by strong pressure and uplift.

During the Pleistocene Period, a large glacier reached Montour County. This glacier helped shape the land. There are also alluvial deposits in many river valleys. These are recent deposits of sand, silt, and clay left by water.

Water Supply

Montour County gets its water mainly from the Susquehanna River. Many people in rural areas use wells and springs for their water. Danville mostly uses the Susquehanna River.

Population and People

In 2000, there were 18,236 people living in Montour County. There were 7,085 households. About 4,817 of these were families. The county had about 140 people per square mile.

Most people in the county were White (96.67%). About 1.01% were Black or African American. About 1.28% were Asian. A small number were Native American or from other backgrounds. About 0.92% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many people in Montour County have German (33.2%) or American (13.2%) roots. Other common backgrounds include Irish, English, Italian, and Polish.

Who Lives in Montour County?

About 30% of households had children under 18 living with them. More than half (56.3%) were married couples. About 8.9% had a female head of household without a husband.

The average household had 2.43 people. The average family had 2.98 people.

In terms of age, 24.4% of the population was under 18. About 17.1% were 65 years or older. The average age in the county was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were about 90.5 males.

2020 Census Information

Economy of Montour County

Montour County has about 350 farms. Most of these farms raise beef cattle, hogs, and dairy cows. Limestone is also mined in some parts of the county.

Education in Montour County

Map of Montour County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

The Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit #16 helps children in Montour County. They offer many services. These include support for special education and early learning programs. They also provide speech and hearing therapy. These services are free for families if their child qualifies.

Danville Area Head Start is another program for young children.

Public School Districts

Children in Montour County attend schools in these public school districts:

• Danville Area School District (also serves parts of Northumberland County)
• Warrior Run School District (also serves parts of Northumberland and Union Counties)

Private Schools

Here are some private schools in Montour County, as reported in 2014:

Local Library

• Thomas Beaver Free Library - Danville

Communities in Montour County

Map of Montour County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Pennsylvania has different types of towns and areas. Montour County has boroughs and townships.

Boroughs

• Danville (This is the county seat, the main town)
• Washingtonville

Townships

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially boroughs or townships:

• Exchange
• Kaseville
• Limestoneville
• Mausdale
• Mechanicsville
• Mexico
• Mooresburg
• Ottawa
• Ridgeville

Largest Communities by Population

The table below shows the largest communities in Montour County based on the 2010 census.

† county seat

Images for kids

• 

  Scenery of southern Montour County

• 

  Scenery of northern Montour County

• 

  Montour Ridge in Liberty Township

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Montour para niños