Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Township of Upper Dublin
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Township
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Quaker Manor House
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Location of Upper Dublin within Montgomery County
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Pennsylvania | |
| County | Montgomery | |
| Purchased | 1684 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 13.26 sq mi (34.3 km2) | |
| • Land | 13.23 sq mi (34.3 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) | |
| Elevation | 230 ft (70 m) | |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 25,569 | |
| • Estimate
(2016)
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26,225 | |
| • Density | 1,928.3/sq mi (744.51/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
19001, 19002, 19025, 19034, 19038, 19075, 19090
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| Area code(s) | 215, 267, 445 | |
| FIPS code | 42-091-79008 | |
Upper Dublin Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,569 at the 2010 census. Until the 1950s, Upper Dublin was mostly farmland and open space, but transitioned to a residential suburb during the postwar population boom. The population went from just over 6,000 residents in the 1950s to just under 20,000 by 1970. Today, Upper Dublin is mostly spread-out development housing, and has the fourth highest median income in Montgomery County.
Upper Dublin is made up of several community areas, many of which are unincorporated areas in Montgomery County with no legal status, and are used primarily by the US Postal Service. These community areas are portions of Abington (19001), Ambler (19002) (excluding the Borough of Ambler), Ardsley (19038), Dresher (19025), Fort Washington (19034), Jarrettown (19025), Maple Glen (19002), North Hills (19038), Oreland (19075) and Willow Grove (19090).
Contents
History
Founding
Upper Dublin dates back to 1684, when Edward Tanner was granted land by William Penn in the Province of Pennsylvania and named it "Upper and Lower Dublin." Lower Dublin was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation in 1854. The "upper" portion has continued to exist around the original survey for the laying out and naming of Susquehanna Road. Upper Dublin Township was established in 1701, when William Penn ordered a survey of all townships in the Commonwealth. It was first settled in 1698, and incorporated in 1719. The township was granted its current status of First Class Township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on January 1, 1946. Originally the area started as a farming community with additional activity in the mining of limestone. Limekiln Pike today continues to be an important travel artery.
American Revolutionary War
During the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, George Washington and the Continental Army were encamped here after their October 4, 1777 defeat at the Battle of Germantown, and immediately prior to their march to Valley Forge. From December 5–8, 1777, the Battle of White Marsh was fought here between British and American forces. Throughout the encampment, Washington was headquartered at the Emlen House, built by Quaker George Emlen in 1745. British commander General William Howe observed the American lines from the belltower of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church (at Bethlehem Pike and Camp Hill Road), site of the British encampment on December 5. Fort Washington State Park, in neighboring Whitemarsh Township, contains the area in which the primary American defenses were situated.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Township has a total area of 13.2 square miles (34.2 km2), of which, 13.2 square miles (34.2 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.15%) is water. It is in the Delaware watershed and almost all of it is drained by the Wissahickon Creek into the Schuylkill River, except for very small areas near the NE boundary drained by the Neshaminy Creek and the Pennypack Creek.
Numbered routes include PA 63 (which forms the northeast border,) PA 152, I-276 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike), and the PA 309 expressway. I-276 and PA 309 meet at the Fort Washington Interchange. I-276 also has a slip ramp in Upper Dublin for E-ZPass users connecting with Virginia Drive east of PA 309. Other important roads include Bethlehem Pike, Butler Pike, Morris Road, Norristown Road, and Susquehanna Road.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 744 | — | |
| 1850 | 1,330 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,437 | 8.0% | |
| 1870 | 1,588 | 10.5% | |
| 1880 | 1,856 | 16.9% | |
| 1890 | 2,008 | 8.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,933 | −3.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,936 | 51.9% | |
| 1920 | 3,045 | 3.7% | |
| 1930 | 4,379 | 43.8% | |
| 1940 | 4,620 | 5.5% | |
| 1950 | 6,637 | 43.7% | |
| 1960 | 10,184 | 53.4% | |
| 1970 | 19,562 | 92.1% | |
| 1980 | 22,348 | 14.2% | |
| 1990 | 24,028 | 7.5% | |
| 2000 | 25,878 | 7.7% | |
| 2010 | 25,569 | −1.2% | |
| 2020 | 26,665 | 4.3% | |
| (1930-2000); (1850-1930) | |||
As of the 2010 census, there were 25,569 people, 9,397 households, and 7,214 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,966 people per square mile (758.9/km2). The racial makeup of the township 83.0% White, 6.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 8.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.3% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 9,397 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the Township the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 19, 3.9% from 20 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 33.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males.
As of the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the township was $80,093, and the median income for a family was $91,418 (these figures had risen to $106,337 and $123,030 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $68,353 versus $39,152 for females. The per capita income for the Township was $37,994. About 2.7% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
The ten most common ancestries of residents are Irish (21.3%), German (19.0%), Italian (14.2%), English (10.2%), Russian (8.7%), Asian (6.2%), Polish (6.0%), African American (1.4%) United States or American (8.0%), and French (2.0%).
The most common languages spoken at home after English (88.6%) are Korean (3.1%), Italian (1.7%), Chinese (1.5%), Spanish or Spanish Creole (1.0%), German (0.7%), and French (0.6%).
Parks and Recreation
Upper Dublin has more than 40 sites and 600 acres (2.4 km2) of parkland and open space ranging in size from neighborhood squares to sprawling meadow-like areas. There are natural resource areas as well as active recreation sites with varying amenities including tennis courts, play lots, jogging/exercise trails, picnic pavilions, playing fields, basketball courts and sand volleyball courts. In 2005, the Township opened MonDaug Bark Park, with wooded trails as well as a 1-acre (4,000 m2) fenced, off-leash dog park.
In 2006, the Board of Commissioners adopted an extensive Open Space & Environmental Resources Protection Plan that guides local acquisition, development and protection efforts to the year 2020.
Upper Dublin is also home to three golf courses. Manufacturers Golf & Country Club is nestled on historic Camp Hill and is nationally known. Lu Lu Country Club is located in the South Eastern section of the Township bordering Abington. The Township owns Twining Valley Golf Club operated by Links Management.
Locale
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Lower Gwynedd Township | Horsham Township | Lower Moreland Township | |
| Whitpain Township |  |
Abington Township | ||
 Upper Dublin Township  |
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| Whitemarsh Township | Springfield Township | Abington Township |
Education
There are four elementary schools (K-5), one middle school (6-8) and one high school (9-12) which are fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The professional staff has an average of 16 years teaching experience and approximately 85 percent hold advanced degrees.
The four elementary schools are Fort Washington Elementary School, Maple Glen Elementary School, Jarrettown Elementary School, and Thomas Fitzwater Elementary School; the middle school is Sandy Run Middle School, and the high school is Upper Dublin High School. Upper Dublin High School is considered to be one of the best-performing public schools in Pennsylvania, with the fifth highest combined score average on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) in the state. The high school has been recognized three times by the United States Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
The Township is also home to a number of private schools. There is an area Catholic grade school, Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School, in Maple Glen. Our Lady of Mercy was formed in 2012 by the merger of St. Alphonsus in Maple Glen, St. Anthony-St. Joseph in Ambler, and St. Catherine of Siena in Horsham.
The township has the following universities: Temple University Ambler and Fort Washington campuses, DeVry University Fort Washington campus and Gwynedd Mercy College Fort Washington campus.
Transportation
Numbered routes serving Upper Dublin Township include PA 63 (Welsh Road, which forms the northeast border), PA 152 (Limekiln Pike), I-276 (Pennsylvania Turnpike), and PA 309 (Fort Washington Expressway). I-276 and PA 309 meet at the Fort Washington Interchange. I-276 also has a westbound cashless tolling slip ramp in Upper Dublin Township connecting with Virginia Drive east of PA 309. Other important roads include Bethlehem Pike, Butler Pike, Morris Road, Norristown Road, and Susquehanna Road.
The Lansdale/Doylestown Line of SEPTA Regional Rail passes through Upper Dublin Township, but has no stops within the township. The nearest stops are the Fort Washington station in Whitemarsh Township, Oreland station in Springfield, and the Ambler station in Ambler. SEPTA provides bus service to Upper Dublin Township along Route 80, which runs a limited stop weekday route through the township between the Olney Transportation Center in North Philadelphia and the Horsham business parks; Route 94, which passes through the western part of the township near Fort Washington on its route between Chestnut Hill and the Montgomery Mall; Route 95, which passes through the western part of the township near Fort Washington on its route between Gulph Mills and Willow Grove; and Route 201, which provides weekday service between the Fort Washington business parks and the Fort Washington station.
Norfolk Southern Railway's Morrisville Line freight railroad line passes through Upper Dublin Township, running parallel to the south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Notable residents
- Bill Apter – professional wrestling journalist
- Kim Gallagher – athlete, U.S. Olympic track team
- Geologist (musician) - real name Brian Weitz, member of iconic indie band animal collective
- Suzy Kolber – anchor and reporter for ESPN
- Zach Pfeffer – former midfielder for the Philadelphia Union soccer team
- Josh Singer – Emmy-nominated writer and script supervisor for The West Wing, Lie to Me, and Fringe; winner of Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Spotlight (2016).
- John Tartaglia – Tony Award nominee for Avenue Q and star of Disney Channel's Johnny and the Sprites
- Tammi Terrell – singer
- Tom Warburton – animator, creator of the Cartoon Network series Codename: Kids Next Door
- Marc Zumoff – Philadelphia 76ers' television play-by-play commentator
Images for kids
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The Upper Dublin Friends Meeting House, built in 1814.
See also
In Spanish: Municipio de Upper Dublin (condado de Montgomery, Pensilvania) para niños
