Cranberry, PA

Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania

Introduction to Cranberry, Pennsylvania

Cranberry Township is located in Butler County and is situated in the western portion of Pennsylvania. It is recognized as a Second Class Township and adheres to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code.

History

Cranberry Township was established in 1804. The most populated area of the township was originally called Criders Corners. Criders Corners is an intersection of two roads. The intersection was named after Jacob Crider who was a trustee of the local Methodist Church. He bought 50 acres in the area in 1871. Cranberry Township takes its name from the cranberry bogs that used to be prevalent in the area. Pioneers arrived in the area in the 1790's and discovered wild cranberries in the Bush Creek area.

The marsh areas in the region were drained by the settlers in the 1800's. The land was now available for the settlers to farm and for grazing by cattle. As the swamp areas were drained and converted to farmland the natural habitat for the wild cranberries was significantly reduced. By 1900 the cranberries were no longer growing in the area.

Transportation

Interstate 79 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike go through Cranberry Township. US Route 19 as well as Pennsylvania Route 228 are primary roads in the area. The Cranberry Connector Project which became available for use in 2004 has successfully served as a connection for the busy roads in Cranberry Township.

The Cranberry Mall is a thriving business center in the area. In 2007 Westinghouse Electric Company revealed they were moving their headquarters to Cranberry Township and had plans to construct a major research facility in the township which would add a significant number of jobs to the area. The citizens of Cranberry Township long desired to have a post office located in their township and it finally happened in 1994.

Higher Education

Butler County Community College, Geneva College and Robert Morris University have satellite campuses in Cranberry Township. Residents of Cranberry also pursue their educational goals at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburg, Penn State University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

High Points

Cranberry strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Pennsylvania):

Category	Trophy
College Educated Adults (vs. State)	Top 4%

Comparative Profile of Cranberry Township, PA

Comparing Cranberry to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Pennsylvania (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Children Under 5 Years Old
Male Share of the Population
Age of the Population
Female Share of the Population
Racial Diversity
Senior Citizens

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Portion of People Married
Average Household Size

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Seasonal and Vacation Housing

Cranberry Almanac

Cranberry Population (2000)

Cranberry Colleges

(List of All Pennsylvania Colleges)

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