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Not to be confused with Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
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Pottstown
Borough
Borough of Pottstown
High Street in Pottstown, June 2020
High Street in Pottstown, June 2020
Flag of Pottstown
Flag
 Official seal of Pottstown
Seal
Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Pottstown is located in Pennsylvania
Pottstown
Pottstown
Location in Pennsylvania
Pottstown is located in the United States
Pottstown
Pottstown
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Montgomery
Founded 1752
Incorporated February 6, 1815
Government
 • Type Council-manager
Area
 • Total 4.94 sq mi (12.79 km2)
 • Land 4.85 sq mi (12.57 km2)
 • Water 0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2)
Elevation
203 ft (62 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 23,433
 • Density 4,829.55/sq mi (1,864.88/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
19464-19465
Area codes 610 and 484
FIPS code 42-62416
Website http://www.pottstown.org

Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the incorporation as a borough in 1815. In 1888, the limits of the borough were considerably extended. Pottstown is the center of a productive farming and dairying region.

Pottstown is located on the Schuylkill River. It is 29.1 miles (46.8 km) south of Allentown and 40.4 miles (65.0 km) northwest of Philadelphia. It is generally considered part of the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area.

History

PottsgroveManor Pottstown PA
Pottsgrove Mansion, located on the west end of town, was the home of John Potts.
Pottstown Roller Mill
Pottstown Roller Mill, 1725
Pottstown Riverfront Park, April 2016
Schuylkill River Trail at the Pottstown Riverfront Park

Modern-day Pottstown is on land originally deeded to William Penn. Germans, Swedes and English were among the area's first European settlers. After establishment of the first iron forge in 1714, Pottstown's fortunes became tied to the iron industry, and blast furnaces for production of iron and later steel eventually opened in the area.

Iron and steel production attracted the Potts family, iron masters by trade. They established a forge and built a large home just west of the Manatawny Creek. John Potts founded a town in 1761 on part of the 995 acres (4.03 km2) that he owned. It is the home of the nation's oldest mill, Pottstown Roller Mill.

Pottsgrove grew, and in 1815 it was incorporated under the name Pottstown, becoming the second borough in Pennsylvania, after Norristown.

The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad mainline reached Pottstown in 1838. The extension of the railroad to Mount Carbon in 1842 facilitated the movement of raw materials and finished goods that helped Pottstown's economy grow. In a few years after the extension of the railroad, the population grew from 600 to 1,850. Pottstown's metal production grew; steel from the borough was used in the Panama Canal and Golden Gate Bridge.

In 1944, the borough adopted a city manager form of government. By 1964, the borough saw the need to reorganize the municipal government. At the time, it had one of the largest borough councils in the state, with 20 members. This was reduced to seven members in redrawn wards.

The High Street Historic District, Old Pottstown Historic District, Pottsgrove Mansion, Grubb Mansion, Jefferson Elementary School, Pottstown Roller Mill, Reading Railroad Pottstown Station, and Henry Antes House are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Pottstown is located at 40°14′59″N 75°38′25″W / 40.24972°N 75.64028°W / 40.24972; -75.64028 (40.249690, -75.640262). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.9 square miles (13 km2), of which 4.8 square miles (12 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) or 1.83% is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Pottstown, Pennsylvania has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated Cfa on climate maps. Using the freezing mark as a boundary (as is more common in the US), the climate was hot-summer humid continental (Dfa) with January averaging below freezing until the most recent temperature numbers. The hardiness zone is 7a. Heavy snowfall remains occasionally possible.

Pottstown lacks an official weather station as administered from the regional National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey. Temperatures average a little higher than the closest official weather station serving Reading from Bern Township, Berks County due to the difference in latitude and elevation.

Climate data for Pottstown, Pennsylvania (Heritage Field Airport) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1999–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 71
(22)		 78
(26)		 82
(28)		 92
(33)		 94
(34)		 98
(37)		 105
(41)		 101
(38)		 98
(37)		 91
(33)		 80
(27)		 73
(23)		 105
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 37.4
(3.0)		 40.4
(4.7)		 49.1
(9.5)		 61.3
(16.3)		 71.0
(21.7)		 79.3
(26.3)		 83.8
(28.8)		 81.5
(27.5)		 74.6
(23.7)		 63.3
(17.4)		 52.4
(11.3)		 42.1
(5.6)		 61.4
(16.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 29.7
(−1.3)		 31.9
(−0.1)		 39.8
(4.3)		 50.7
(10.4)		 60.4
(15.8)		 69.1
(20.6)		 74.0
(23.3)		 71.9
(22.2)		 64.7
(18.2)		 53.3
(11.8)		 43.0
(6.1)		 34.4
(1.3)		 51.9
(11.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 22.0
(−5.6)		 23.4
(−4.8)		 30.4
(−0.9)		 40.0
(4.4)		 49.9
(9.9)		 58.9
(14.9)		 64.2
(17.9)		 62.2
(16.8)		 54.8
(12.7)		 43.3
(6.3)		 33.7
(0.9)		 26.7
(−2.9)		 42.5
(5.8)
Record low °F (°C) −7
(−22)		 −2
(−19)		 0
(−18)		 21
(−6)		 30
(−1)		 40
(4)		 48
(9)		 47
(8)		 34
(1)		 25
(−4)		 11
(−12)		 0
(−18)		 −7
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.02
(77)		 2.56
(65)		 4.07
(103)		 3.64
(92)		 3.69
(94)		 3.84
(98)		 4.72
(120)		 4.38
(111)		 4.83
(123)		 3.81
(97)		 3.02
(77)		 3.76
(96)		 45.34
(1,152)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.4 10.4 11.1 12.5 12.7 12.6 11.6 12.3 11.8 11.6 9.2 11.2 137.4
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1830 676 —
1840 721 6.7%
1850 1,664 130.8%
1860 2,380 43.0%
1870 4,125 73.3%
1880 5,305 28.6%
1890 13,285 150.4%
1900 13,696 3.1%
1910 15,599 13.9%
1920 17,431 11.7%
1930 19,430 11.5%
1940 20,194 3.9%
1950 22,589 11.9%
1960 26,144 15.7%
1970 25,355 −3.0%
1980 22,729 −10.4%
1990 21,831 −4.0%
2000 21,859 0.1%
2010 22,377 2.4%
2020 23,433 4.7%
Sources:
Presidential elections results
Year Republican Democratic
2020 35.1% 3,573 63.2% 6,429
2016 36.6% 3,245 58.3% 5,160
2012 33.3% 2,825 65.1% 5,527
2008 29.2% 2,737 69.5% 6,506
2004 38.0% 3,069 61.3% 4,950
2000 40.0% 2,459 56.1% 3,448

As of the 2010 census, the borough was 72.1% White, 19.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 4.4% were two or more races. 8.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

As of 2006–2008 Census Bureau Estimates, there were 22,018 people living in Pottstown. The racial makeup of the borough was 72.1% White, 19.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.6% of the population.

As of the census of 2000, there were 21,859 people, 9,146 households, and 5,533 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,526.3 people per square mile (1,747.6 people/km2). There were 9,973 housing units at an average density of 2,065.1 per square mile (797.3/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 79.34% White, 15.06% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.89% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.53% of the population.

There were 9,146 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the borough, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $35,785, and the median income for a family was $45,734. Males had a median income of $34,923 versus $26,229 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,078. About 8.7% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

2022-10-10 09 41 03 View north along Pennsylvania State Route 100 (Pottstown Pike) just north of Pennsylvania State Route 663 (King Street) in Pottstown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
PA 100 northbound in Pottstown

As of 2018 there were 74.33 miles (119.62 km) of public roads in Pottstown, of which 12.85 miles (20.68 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 61.48 miles (98.94 km) were maintained by the borough.

The main east–west street in Pottstown is High Street, which continues east of the borough as Ridge Pike. The main north–south street in the borough is Hanover Street. The U.S. Route 422 freeway passes to the south of Pottstown and heads east to King of Prussia and Philadelphia and west to Reading. Pennsylvania Route 100 runs north–south through the Pottstown area, heading south to West Chester and north to Allentown. Pennsylvania Route 663 begins at PA 100 in Pottstown and follows King Street east and Charlotte Street northeast before leaving the borough and continuing to Pennsburg and Quakertown. Pennsylvania Route 724 runs along the south bank of the Schuylkill River in Chester County.

Pottstown station 2020
The Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center, located at the former Pottstown station, is the main hub for all Pottstown Area Rapid Transit buses.

Local bus service in the Pottstown area is owned, funded, and administered by the Borough of Pottstown and operated by Pottstown Area Rapid Transit (PART). PART operates five routes Monday through Saturday out of the Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center in downtown Pottstown along with a paratransit service for disabled people. SEPTA's Route 93 bus connects Pottstown with the Norristown Transportation Center in Norristown. Amtrak Thruway bus service operated by Krapf Coaches connects Pottstown with the BARTA Transportation Center in Reading and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia; the bus stops on Hanover Street near the Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center.

Pottstown is serviced by Pottstown Municipal Airport, a general aviation airport, and a short distance from Pottstown is Heritage Field Airport located in Limerick.

Passenger train service between Reading/Pottstown and Philadelphia was operated by Conrail under the auspices of SEPTA until July 29, 1981, when all non-electrified routes were terminated. Efforts to reinstitute commuter trains, such as the Schuylkill Valley Metro, have so far been unsuccessful. The station still exists and is currently home to a district justice office. Norfolk Southern Railway provides freight rail service to Pottstown along the Harrisburg Line. The Colebrookdale Railroad is a heritage railway running from Pottstown to Boyertown.

Education

Aerial of The Hill School Quad
Aerial view of The Hill School

Public library

  • Pottstown Regional Public Library

Colleges

  • Montgomery County Community College – West Campus

Public school districts

  • The Pottstown School District serves the borough.
  • The Pottsgrove School District serves the surrounding townships in Montgomery County.
  • The Owen J. Roberts School District serves the suburban/rural area to the south of the borough in Chester County, such as Warwick Township, East Nantmeal Township, South Coventry Township, North Coventry Township, East Vincent Township, East Coventry Township and West Vincent Township. It consists of five elementary schools, a middle school, and the Owen J. Roberts High School.

Private schools

  • The Hill School
  • Wyndcroft School
  • Saint Aloysius School
  • West-Mont Christian Academy

Media

Newspapers

The Mercury

The Mercury is the smallest-circulation newspaper in the U.S. to have won two Pulitzer Prizes. The first came in 1979 in the Spot News Photography category by staff photographer Tom Kelly. The second came in 1990 for Editorial Writing by Tom Hylton.

Television

PCTV

PCTV (Pottstown Community TV) is owned and operated by the Borough of Pottstown and provides local Government-access television (GATV) programming over Comcast Cable TV in over 77,000 homes in western Montgomery County, northern Chester County and eastern Berks County. In existence since 1983, PCTV produces programming on three local Cable Channels: 22, 27 and 98.

PCTV also covers local high school sports such as football, basketball, swimming or baseball.

Radio

WPAZ operates at 1370AM and serves the Greater Philadelphia Area. Originally WPAZ, the station changed its call letters to WBZH on October 28, 2011, and back to WPAZ on January 25, 2013. On November 1, 2013, the station began a traditional Christian music format of religious hymns and songs.

Notable people

See also

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