Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Newtown, Pennsylvania
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State Street in Newtown
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| Motto(s):
"a good place to live, shop and worship..."
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Location of Newtown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (left) and of Bucks County in Pennsylvania (right)
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 Newtown, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Newtown, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Bucks |
| Founded | 1684 |
| Incorporated | April 16, 1838 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.55 sq mi (1.43 km2) |
| • Land | 0.55 sq mi (1.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 174 ft (53 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,268 |
| • Density | 4,093.86/sq mi (1,581.88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
18940
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| Area codes | 215, 267 and 445 exchanges: 434, 497, 504, 550, 579, 626, 860, 867, 944, 968 |
| FIPS code | 42-54184 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1214973 |
Newtown is a small town, called a borough, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's located west of Trenton, New Jersey, and is part of the larger Philadelphia area. In 2020, about 2,268 people lived there. Newtown is completely surrounded by Newtown Township, from which it became separate in 1838. State Street is the main road with many shops, restaurants, and wide sidewalks.
Contents
History
How Newtown Began
William Penn founded Newtown in 1684. He planned it as one of several towns around Philadelphia. These towns were meant to be country homes for city people and to support farming.
Newtown in the 1700s
Newtown was the main town, or county seat, for Bucks County, Pennsylvania, from 1726 to 1813. Later, Doylestown became the new county seat because it was more central. After his famous march to Trenton in December 1776, Continental Army leader George Washington set up his headquarters in Newtown. This happened before the Battle of Princeton.
Newtown in the 1800s and Beyond
Newtown officially became a borough on April 16, 1838. It has grown bigger three times since then. In 1969, the entire central part of Newtown was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This was largely because of its historic clock tower.
Newtown is known for its rich history. It has unique shops, colleges, and great food. It's also home to Tyler State Park, which is very popular. You can even follow a "Heritage Walk" that traces the steps of George Washington. The Law School Admission Council has its main office in Newtown Township. This means many American lawyers have heard of Newtown. The oldest movie theater still running in America is the Newtown Theatre. You can find it at 120 North State Street.
One famous person who lived in Newtown was the painter Edward Hicks. He lived there for over 40 years and ran his own business. Newtown also has a historical society called the Newtown Historic Association. The Newtown Hardware House has been open for over 130 years. This makes it the oldest business in Newtown that has been open continuously.
Several historic places in Newtown are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Half-Moon Inn, Newtown Creek Bridge, Newtown Friends Meetinghouse and Cemetery, Newtown Historic District, Newtown Presbyterian Church, and George F. Tyler Mansion.
Geography and Climate
Where Newtown Is Located
Newtown covers about 0.6 square miles (1.4 square kilometers) of land. The Newtown Creek flows along the western edge of the borough. This creek is a smaller stream that flows into the Neshaminy Creek.
Weather in Newtown
Newtown has a Humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and cool winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 102.9°F (39.4°C) on July 22, 2011. The coldest was -10.5°F (-23.6°C) on January 22, 1984.
Summers can be quite humid, and sometimes it feels even hotter than the actual temperature. July is usually the wettest month, with many thunderstorms. Winters can bring cold winds, and sometimes there are big snowstorms. On average, Newtown gets about 24 to 30 inches (61 to 76 cm) of snow each winter.
| Climate data for Newtown, Elevation 174 ft (53 m), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2018 | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71.4 (21.9) |
77.6 (25.3) |
87.4 (30.8) |
94.2 (34.6) |
95.0 (35.0) |
96.3 (35.7) |
102.9 (39.4) |
100.1 (37.8) |
98.0 (36.7) |
88.9 (31.6) |
80.9 (27.2) |
75.6 (24.2) |
102.9 (39.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) |
43.0 (6.1) |
51.3 (10.7) |
63.2 (17.3) |
72.8 (22.7) |
82.0 (27.8) |
86.3 (30.2) |
84.6 (29.2) |
77.7 (25.4) |
66.4 (19.1) |
55.4 (13.0) |
44.2 (6.8) |
64.0 (17.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 32.0 (0.0) |
34.2 (1.2) |
41.6 (5.3) |
52.3 (11.3) |
61.8 (16.6) |
71.3 (21.8) |
75.9 (24.4) |
74.4 (23.6) |
67.2 (19.6) |
55.5 (13.1) |
45.9 (7.7) |
36.1 (2.3) |
54.1 (12.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.8 (−4.6) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
41.4 (5.2) |
50.7 (10.4) |
60.6 (15.9) |
65.6 (18.7) |
64.2 (17.9) |
56.6 (13.7) |
44.7 (7.1) |
36.5 (2.5) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −10.5 (−23.6) |
−2.7 (−19.3) |
3.5 (−15.8) |
17.9 (−7.8) |
34.1 (1.2) |
42.0 (5.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
42.8 (6.0) |
35.8 (2.1) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
12.1 (−11.1) |
−0.6 (−18.1) |
−10.5 (−23.6) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.55 (90) |
2.78 (71) |
4.16 (106) |
3.96 (101) |
4.32 (110) |
4.34 (110) |
5.22 (133) |
4.35 (110) |
4.41 (112) |
3.80 (97) |
3.63 (92) |
4.08 (104) |
48.60 (1,234) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 65.9 | 62.2 | 58.2 | 57.6 | 62.1 | 66.3 | 66.6 | 68.8 | 69.8 | 69.0 | 67.6 | 67.6 | 65.2 |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 21.5 (−5.8) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
37.8 (3.2) |
48.7 (9.3) |
59.5 (15.3) |
64.0 (17.8) |
63.5 (17.5) |
57.0 (13.9) |
45.5 (7.5) |
35.8 (2.1) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
| Source: PRISM | |||||||||||||
Local Plants and Animals
Newtown is in a plant hardiness zone called 7a. This means certain types of plants can grow well there. Spring flowers usually start blooming around April 8. The leaves on trees typically change color in the fall around November 2.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 580 | — | |
| 1860 | 652 | 12.4% | |
| 1870 | 859 | 31.7% | |
| 1880 | 1,001 | 16.5% | |
| 1890 | 1,213 | 21.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,463 | 20.6% | |
| 1910 | 1,675 | 14.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,703 | 1.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,824 | 7.1% | |
| 1940 | 2,009 | 10.1% | |
| 1950 | 2,095 | 4.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,323 | 10.9% | |
| 1970 | 2,216 | −4.6% | |
| 1980 | 2,519 | 13.7% | |
| 1990 | 2,565 | 1.8% | |
| 2000 | 2,312 | −9.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,248 | −2.8% | |
| 2020 | 2,268 | 0.9% | |
| Sources: | |||
In 2010, most people in Newtown were White (95.3%). Other groups included Black or African American (0.8%), Native American (0.2%), and Asian (1.2%). About 1.2% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.
In 2000, there were 2,312 people living in Newtown. The average household had 2.35 people. About 28.3% of households had children under 18. The median age was 41 years old. This means half the people were older than 41 and half were younger. The average income for a family was $78,215.
Fun and Learning
Parks and Trails
Newtown Township, which surrounds the borough, has many bike and walking trails. These trails connect to Newtown in several spots, including from Tyler State Park.
Schools and Colleges
Newtown is part of the Council Rock School District. This district serves many towns in the area. In Newtown Township, you'll find Council Rock High School North and Newtown Middle School. There are also elementary schools like Goodnoe Elementary School and Newtown Elementary School.
For private education, St. Andrews Catholic Education Center is in the township. While George School and Newtown Friends School are often linked to Newtown, they are actually located in nearby Middletown Township. Newtown Township is also home to the main campus of Bucks County Community College. Other universities, like La Salle University and Holy Family University, have smaller campuses nearby.
Getting Around Newtown
Roads and Highways
Newtown has about 10 miles of public roads. Most of these roads are taken care of by the borough itself. State Street is the main commercial road in Newtown. It crosses Washington Avenue in the center of town. Larger state roads like Pennsylvania Routes 532, 332, and 413 pass around Newtown on the Newtown Bypass.
Train and Bus Service
Newtown used to have commuter train service until 1983. Since then, people have talked about bringing the trains back because more people are moving to the area. However, this hasn't happened yet. There was also an idea to turn the old train tracks into a bike trail. This idea has not been successful so far.
SEPTA does not currently plan to bring back train service. The issue of restarting trains has been a long-standing debate. Newtown has always supported bringing back the trains. The nearest train station now is Woodbourne station on SEPTA's West Trenton Line.
SEPTA also provides bus service to Newtown. SEPTA Suburban Bus Route 130 goes to Bucks County Community College. It also travels south to the Langhorne station and into Northeast Philadelphia.
Famous People from Newtown
- Peter Baltes, musician
- Alex Cooper, podcast host
- Dave Terrell, racing driver
- Rich Zober, racing driver
- Sheena Monk, racing driver
- Martha Schofield, human rights activist
- Martha Wilson, performance artist
Images for kids
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State Street in Newtown
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Location of Newtown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
See also
In Spanish: Newtown (condado de Bucks, Pensilvania) para niños
