Northampton County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northampton County
U.S. county
A 1905 illustration of Northampton County Courthouse in Easton
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	March 11, 1752
Named for	Northamptonshire, England
Seat	Easton
Largest city	Bethlehem
Area
• Total	377 sq mi (980 km2)
• Land	370 sq mi (1,000 km2)
• Water	7.7 sq mi (20 km2)  2.0%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	312,951
• Density	830/sq mi (320/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	7th

Northampton County is a county in the state of Pennsylvania, United States. In 2020, about 312,951 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Easton.

The county was created in 1752. It was formed from parts of Bucks County. It was named after Northamptonshire in England. The town of Easton was named after Easton Neston, a large house in Northamptonshire.

Northampton County and Lehigh County are next to each other. Together, they form a region called the Lehigh Valley. Lehigh County has more people than Northampton County. Both counties are part of the Philadelphia media market. This is the fourth-largest media market in the United States.

Northampton County has a history of making many things. It was a leader in producing cement and steel. The Atlas Portland Cement Company was once the world's largest cement maker. It was located in Northampton in this county. Bethlehem Steel was the world's second-largest steel maker. It was based in Bethlehem, the county's biggest city.

Northampton County is surrounded by other places. To the north are Carbon County and the Poconos. To the west is Lehigh County. To the south is Bucks County. To the east are the Delaware River and New Jersey. The Lehigh River flows through the county. It is about 109 miles (175 km) long.

Geography

The Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge connects Easton with Phillipsburg in New Jersey.

Northampton County covers about 377 square miles (976 km²). Most of this area, 370 square miles (958 km²), is land. The rest, about 7.7 square miles (20 km²), is water.

The climate here is mostly humid continental. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. In Bethlehem, the average temperature in January is about 29.1°F (-1.6°C). In July, it's about 74.1°F (23.4°C).

Neighboring Counties

Northampton County shares borders with these counties:

• Monroe County (north)
• Warren County, New Jersey (east)
• Bucks County (south)
• Lehigh County (west)
• Carbon County (northwest)

Protected Natural Areas

Parts of these national protected areas are in Northampton County:

• Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
• Middle Delaware National Scenic River

Population Facts

In 2020, the population of Northampton County was 312,951. This was a 5.1% increase from 2010.

In 2020, about 73% of the people were White. About 5.6% were Black or African American. About 3.2% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up about 14.25% of the population.

Education

The Alumni Memorial Building at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

Northampton County has several colleges and universities:

• Lafayette College in Easton
• Lehigh University in Bethlehem
• Moravian University in Bethlehem
• Northampton County Area Community College in Bethlehem Township
• Respect Graduate School in Bethlehem

Public Schools

Freedom High School in Bethlehem Township.

Many public school districts serve the county:

There is also a public charter school:

• Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Bethlehem

Private High Schools

• Bethlehem Catholic High School in Bethlehem
• Moravian Academy in Bethlehem
• Notre Dame High School in Easton

Transportation

Lehigh Valley International Airport is a busy airport in Pennsylvania.

Air Travel

You can fly to and from Northampton County through Lehigh Valley International Airport. This airport is about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Bethlehem. It is also about 11 miles (18 km) west-southwest of Easton.

Bus Service

Public bus service is provided by LANta. There is also a special shuttle bus in Bethlehem called the Bethlehem Loop. NJ Transit offers bus service from Easton to the Phillipsburg area in New Jersey.

Main Roads

I-78 in Northampton County.

Several major highways run through Northampton County:

Telecommunications

Northampton County uses several area codes for phone numbers. It was first served by area code 215. Later, in 1994, area code 610 was added. In 1999, area code 484 was also added. Most of Northampton County uses 610 and 484. The Portland area uses area code 570.

Fun Activities and Parks

Northampton County has two Pennsylvania state parks:

• Delaware Canal State Park: This park follows the old Delaware Canal. It runs along the Delaware River from Easton to Bristol.
• Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center: This center offers programs to learn about nature and the environment.

Cities, Towns, and Communities

Easton, the main town of Northampton County.

Allen Township.

Bangor.

Dery Silk Mill in Catasauqua.

East Allen Township.

Tatamy at sundown.

Lake Poco Dam in Upper Mount Bethel Township.

The Delaware River running through Forks Township.

Northampton County has different types of communities:

Cities

• Bethlehem (partly in Lehigh County)
• Easton (the county seat)

Boroughs

Townships

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are areas the U.S. Census Bureau uses for collecting data. They are not official towns or cities.

Other Unincorporated Places

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city, borough, or township.

Notable People

Many interesting people have come from the Lehigh Valley, including Northampton County. You can find a list of them at List of people from the Lehigh Valley.

Images for kids

• 

  A 1905 illustration of Northampton County Courthouse in Easton

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Northampton (Pensilvania) para niños