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Swarthmore, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Parrish Hall at Swarthmore College
Parrish Hall at Swarthmore College
Location of Swarthmore in Delaware County (top) and of Delaware County in Pennsylvania (bottom)
Location of Swarthmore in Delaware County (top) and of Delaware County in Pennsylvania (bottom)
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Delaware
Area
 • Total 1.40 sq mi (3.63 km2)
 • Land 1.40 sq mi (3.63 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
125 ft (38 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 6,194
 • Estimate 
(2019)
6,346
 • Density 4,532.86/sq mi (1,750.28/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
19081
Area code(s) 610 and 484
FIPS code 42-045-75648
FIPS code 42-75648
GNIS feature ID 1189142

Swarthmore is a small town, also called a borough, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was first named "Westdale" to honor a famous painter, Benjamin West, who lived there early on. The name changed to "Swarthmore" when Swarthmore College was built. In 2010, about 6,194 people lived in Swarthmore.

History of Swarthmore

Presby Church in Swarthmore
Presbyterian Church, designed by William Lightfoot Price, about 1897

Swarthmore was once part of Springfield Township. The town grew around Swarthmore College, which started in 1864. When train service to Philadelphia began in the 1880s, more people wanted to live in Swarthmore. It became a popular place for people to live and travel to work. The borough officially became a town in 1893.

About one-third of Swarthmore is taken up by the college campus. Many streets in the southern part of town are named after colleges. Many of the homes in Swarthmore were built between the Victorian era and the 1920s.

The Ogden House and Benjamin West Birthplace are two historic homes in Swarthmore. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography and Climate

Swarthmore is located in the eastern part of Delaware County. It is surrounded by Springfield Township to the north, east, and southwest. Ridley Township is to the southeast, and Nether Providence Township is to the west. A stream called Crum Creek flows south and forms the western edge of the town.

The total area of Swarthmore is about 3.63 square kilometers (1.40 square miles). All of this area is land. Swarthmore has a warm, wet climate, like the southeastern United States. The average monthly temperatures range from about 33 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 78 degrees Fahrenheit in July.

People and Population

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 903
1910 1,899 110.3%
1920 2,350 23.7%
1930 3,405 44.9%
1940 4,061 19.3%
1950 4,825 18.8%
1960 5,753 19.2%
1970 6,156 7.0%
1980 5,950 −3.3%
1990 6,157 3.5%
2000 6,170 0.2%
2010 6,194 0.4%
2020 6,543 5.6%
Sources:

In 2010, there were 6,194 people living in Swarthmore. There were 1,963 households, and 1,327 of these were families. The town had about 4,460 people per square mile.

Most people in Swarthmore are White (82.5%). There are also people of Asian (7.7%), African American (5.0%), and other backgrounds. About 4.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 34.1% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (57.3%) were married couples. The average household had 2.48 people, and the average family had 3.06 people.

The population is spread out in terms of age. About 20.7% of residents were under 18. About 15.8% were between 20 and 24 years old. The median age in Swarthmore was 30.8 years.

Education in Swarthmore

2022-10-08 11 58 22 View south along Pennsylvania State Route 320 (Chester Road) from the overpass for the rail line just north of Park Avenue in Swarthmore, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
PA 320 southbound in Swarthmore

Swarthmore is part of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. This district was created in 1971 by combining a few smaller school districts.

  • Younger students (grades K-5) go to Swarthmore-Rutledge School.
  • Middle school students (grades 6-8) attend Strath Haven Middle School.
  • High school students (grades 9-12) go to Strath Haven High School. Both the middle and high schools are located in Wallingford, a nearby town.

Swarthmore also has one private school, the George Crothers Memorial School. Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic School is very close by in Ridley Township.

The town is also home to Swarthmore College. This is a private college that focuses on liberal arts, and it was founded in 1864.

Getting Around Swarthmore

Swarthmore has about 18.88 miles of public roads. Most of these roads are taken care of by the borough itself.

Pennsylvania Route 320 is the main highway that goes through Swarthmore. It runs north and south through the center of town.

The Swarthmore Station is a train station for the SEPTA Regional Rail system. It's on the Media/Wawa Line and is located between the college and the town center. The SEPTA Route 109 bus also stops in Swarthmore. This bus connects Chester with Upper Darby.

Places to Visit and Things to Do

OgdenHouseSwarthmore2
The Ogden House
  • The Scott Arboretum is a beautiful garden located on the campus of Swarthmore College.
  • The Swarthmore Public Library is a great place to find books and learn. It's located at 121 Park Avenue.
  • The Park Avenue Community Center is next to the Swarthmore Borough Hall. It hosts many fun activities, including theater and music events.

Notable People from Swarthmore

Many interesting people have lived in Swarthmore, including:

  • Valerie Hollister (born 1939), an artist and painter.
  • John Honnold (1915–2011), a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Edmund Jones, who was the Mayor of Swarthmore and a state representative.
  • Mary Gay Scanlon (born 1959), a United States Representative.
  • Rogers Stevens (born 1970), a guitarist for the band Blind Melon.
  • Benjamin West (1738–1820), a famous British-American painter.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Swarthmore para niños

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