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Swissvale, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Borough
Longfellow School (1902), National Register of Historic Places
Longfellow School (1902), National Register of Historic Places
Location in Allegheny County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Location in Allegheny County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Swissvale, Pennsylvania is located in Pennsylvania
Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Swissvale, Pennsylvania is located in the United States
Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Allegheny
Area
 • Total 1.24 sq mi (3.22 km2)
 • Land 1.20 sq mi (3.11 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 8,624
 • Estimate 
(2021)
8,490
 • Density 7,193.84/sq mi (2,777.35/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
15218
Area code(s) 412
FIPS code 42-75816

Swissvale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is about 9 miles (14 km) east of downtown Pittsburgh. The town was named after a farm owned by James Swisshelm. During the time of big factories, it was home to the Union Switch and Signal Company, started by George Westinghouse. In 2020, about 8,624 people lived there.

History of Swissvale

How Swissvale Got Its Name

Swissvale is named after the Swisshelm family. John Swisshelm (1752–1838) owned a farm where the town is now. He fought in the Revolutionary War with General George Washington. John Swisshelm and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Miller, had many children.

Their son, James Swisshelm, married Jane Grey Cannon. Jane was a famous activist who worked to end slavery. She named the town "Swissvale" because it overlooked the beautiful Monongahela River Valley. A nearby area in Pittsburgh, Swisshelm Park, is also named after John Swisshelm.

Industry and Growth

Since 1874, the Allegheny Car & Transportation Shops offered good jobs in the area. Later, George Westinghouse bought these shops. He was the president of Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Westinghouse then created the Union Switch & Signal company and kept its factory in Swissvale. This brought more jobs and growth to the borough.

Geography of Swissvale

Where is Swissvale Located?

Swissvale is located at 40.422304 degrees north latitude and -79.886185 degrees west longitude.

The borough covers about 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²). Most of this area, about 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), is land. A small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²), is water.

Neighboring Communities

Swissvale shares its borders with several other towns and parts of Pittsburgh. To the north is Edgewood. To the east is Braddock Hills. North Braddock is to the southeast, and Rankin is to the south.

To the west, Swissvale borders the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Regent Square and Swisshelm Park. (The Regent Square area also includes parts of Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg, and Edgewood.) Across the Monongahela River to the southwest is the borough of Munhall.

Population of Swissvale

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 1,716
1910 7,381 330.1%
1920 10,908 47.8%
1930 16,029 46.9%
1940 15,919 −0.7%
1950 16,488 3.6%
1960 15,089 −8.5%
1970 13,819 −8.4%
1980 11,345 −17.9%
1990 10,637 −6.2%
2000 9,653 −9.3%
2010 8,983 −6.9%
2020 8,624 −4.0%
Sources:

As of the 2020 census, there were 8,624 people living in Swissvale. There were 4,456 households and 2,390 families. The population density was about 8,052 people per square mile (3,109 people per km²).

Most residents, about 74.45%, were White. About 22.14% were African American. Other groups made up smaller percentages. About 1.06% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 20.0% of the population was under 18 years old. About 17.4% were 65 years or older. The average age in Swissvale was 39 years.

Education in Swissvale

Students in Swissvale attend schools in the Woodland Hills School District.

Transportation in Swissvale

Swissvale has two stations on the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway: Roslyn and Swissvale stations. This busway helps people travel easily.

Notable People from Swissvale

See also (related category): People from Swissvale, Pennsylvania

Many interesting people have connections to Swissvale:

  • Shirley Burkovich (1933–2022), a professional baseball player in the AAGPBL.
  • David Conrad, an actor.
  • Frank Conrad, who helped create KDKA Radio (KDKA-AM & KDKA-FM). He lived in Swissvale from 1910-1915 while doing his radio experiments.
  • William B. Dickson, a leader in the steel industry.
  • Michael F. Doyle, a congressman.
  • Bobby Epps, an NFL player for the New York Giants.
  • Billy Gardell, an actor.
  • Dick Groat, a baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and a college basketball star.
  • Agnes Christine Johnston, a screenwriter.
  • Summer Lee, a politician.
  • Esther Silveus, a radiologist.
  • Vladimir K. Zworykin, an inventor known for his work on television.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Swissvale para niños

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