Overview

Introduction to Pottsville, Pennsylvania

Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in Schuylkill county, is 28 miles NW of Reading, Pennsylvania (center to center) and 74 miles NW of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Pottsville History

Pottsville was founded in 1806 by John Pott and was named in honor of him. Originally Pottsville was located in Chester County, but after several changes it became a part of Schuylkill County. It was incorporated as a borough in 1828. Replacing Orwigsburg, Pottsville became the county seat in 1851, and it became a city in 1911. A small textile industry emerged by the Schuylkill River, which was the source of the famous company, Phillips Van Heusen. Anthracite coal was discovered by hunter Nelcho Allen.

Pottsville and Nearby Attractions

  • Museum of Anthracite Mining
  • Indian Echo Caverns
  • Knoebels Amusement Park
  • Hershey's Chocolate World
  • John O'Hara House
  • Locust Lake State Park

Things To Do In Pottsville

Parks in the area include Yuengling Park, Rotary Park, and Henry Clay Park. People may visit museums and historic sites like Jerry's Classic Cars Museum, John O'Hara House, and Jewish Museum of Eastern Pennsylvania. Exhibits on the history of coal mining and anthracite industries are displayed at the Museum of Anthracite Mining. Some of the other popular attractions near Pottsville are Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, Indian Echo Caverns, Knoebels Amusement Park, and Crystal Cave. Hersheypark, which is located nearby, has more than 65 rides, live entertainment, 11 rollercoasters, and a boardwalk.

Pottsville Transportation

Air transportation is available from Schuylkill County Airport.

Pottsville Higher Education

Colleges nearby include Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks, Luzerne County Community College, and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

Demographics

People

Total Population13,728
Male Share of the Population48.2%
Female Share of the Population51.8%
Senior Citizens19.8%
Employed Population 16+5,984
Age of the Population43

Families

% of people married43.1%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher20.9%
Median Earnings25+$35,262
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$16,719
Median Earnings With High School Degree$30,649

Wealth

Median Family Income$53,918
% Above Poverty Level82.8%
% Below Poverty Level17.2%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time22 minutes
% Working from Home3.4%
% Walking and Biking to Work3.8%
% Using Public Transportation2.1%

Housing

People Living Alone37.3%
Median Gross Rent$629
Median House Value$68,100

Ancestry

Irish17.9%
Italian13.1%
English7.8%
Polish7.5%
Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)7.1%
Lithuanian3.6%
Welsh2.6%
German2.6%
Dutch2.1%
Scottish1.7%
Slovak1.2%
French Except Basque1.2%
Russian0.9%
Greek0.9%
US/American0.9%
Ukrainian0.8%
Arab0.6%
Austrian0.6%
Hungarian0.6%
Czech0.3%
Egyptian0.3%
Lebanese0.2%
Swedish0.2%
Latvian0.1%
Canadian0.1%
Belgian0.1%
Syrian0.1%
Norwegian0.1%
Portuguese0.1%
Romanian0.1%
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Pottsville Almanac

CategoryValue
CountySchuylkill County
Standard Zip Codes17901
Phone Area Codes570
Time ZoneAmerica/New_York
Approximate Latitude40.67
Approximate Longitude-76.2

Pottsville Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationHAMBURG
Distance14.6 miles
Jan Temp18 to 36 F
Apr Temp39 to 61 F
Jul Temp63 to 84 F
Oct Temp41 to 63 F
Annual Precip46.6 inches
StationREADING 4 NNW
Distance23.2 miles
Jan Temp21 to 38 F
Apr Temp40 to 62 F
Jul Temp65 to 85 F
Oct Temp43 to 65 F
Annual Precip44.8 inches
StationBELTZVILLE DAM
Distance24.9 miles
Jan Temp14 to 34 F
Apr Temp35 to 59 F
Jul Temp58 to 83 F
Oct Temp37 to 63 F
Annual Precip49.7 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Cressona1,618$57,625
Minersville4,227$32,641
Palo Alto887$65,096
Port Carbon1,855$57,059
Schuylkill Haven5,211$67,885
St. Clair2,891$48,990

Pottsville Public Libraries

Pottsville Free Public Library
215 W MARKET ST
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
(570) 622-8880

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Pottsville Hospitals

Schuylkill Medical Center East Norwegian Street
(Non-profit)
700 East Norwegian Street
(717) 621-4000
Schuylkill Medical Center South Jackson Street
(Non-profit)
420 South Jackson Street
(717) 621-5000

Pottsville Public Schools

Clarke El Ctr
601 North 16th St
ZIP: 17901
(570) 621-2945
Primary
Total Enrollment 956
Early Childhood Edu Ctr
24 Llewellyn Road
ZIP: 17901
(570) 544-1400
Primary
Total Enrollment 139
Gillingham Charter School
915 Howard Avenue
ZIP: 17901
(570) 955-3830
Other
Total Enrollment 253
Lengel Ms
1541 Laurel Blvd
ZIP: 17901
(570) 621-2923
Middle
Total Enrollment 837
Pottsville Area Hs
16th Street & Elk Avenue
ZIP: 17901
(570) 621-2960
High
Total Enrollment 1006

Pottsville Private Schools

Perception Training Center
1265 Laurel Blvd B
ZIP: 17901
Elementary
Total Enrollment 9
St Joseph Center For Special Learning
2075 W Norwegian St
ZIP: 17901
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 17
Sources :
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