State College, PA

State College, Pennsylvania

Introduction to State College, Pennsylvania

State College is a Pennsylvania borough located in Centre County. It is home to the Pennsylvania State University, more often referred to as Penn State, whose influence is greatly felt in State College's economics, demographics, and history. Originally a village, then a township, State College developed around the university (then known as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania) in the mid-1800s. Incorporated as a borough in 1896, the town never really had a name, although several (including "McAllister", "Nittany" and "Irvin", all honoring prominent citizens) were considered. The designation of "State College" finally stuck and remains today.

State College, affectionately referred to as "Happy Valley", is located 42 miles northeast of Altoona, 86 miles northeast of Johnstown, and 90 miles northwest of Harrisburg. The city of Pittsburgh is 136 miles to the west and Philadelphia 193 miles to the east, placing State College roughly in the middle of the state's two most prominent cities. Because of this centralized location, sports rivalries between Pittsburgh teams and Philadelphia teams are most intensely felt here. State College is served by the following highways: Interstate 80, U.S. Route 220, U.S. Route 322, and Pennsylvania State Highways 26 and 45. One of the area's major employers is AccuWeather, the world's largest private weather forecasting service, which originated in State College and is still based there.

State College Points of Interest

There are several things to do and see in and near State College. Following is a partial list:

• Shaver's Creek Environmental Center: Penn State's nature center, which features hiking trails, picnic areas, a Discovery Room (with snakes, turtles, etc), and a Raptor Center, with twenty birds of prey.
• Penn's Cave: America's only all-water cavern and wildlife park.
• Centre Furnace Mansion and Village: Restored and furnished to reflect the period of residency of ironmaster Moses Thompson and his family (1842 - 1891).
• Frost Entomological Museum: Houses Penn State's insect and related arthropod collections.
• Matson Museum of Anthropology: Located on the Penn State campus.
• The Arboretum at Penn State
• Palmer Museum of Art: A free-admission arts resource on the Penn State campus.
• The Pennsylvania Military Museum: Commemorates the men and women of all service branches from the early French and Indian War through more recent conflicts.
• Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum: Celebrates the significant contributions of railroaders to American life and industry.
• Mifflinburg Buggy Museum: An authentic original buggy-making shop with belting and pulleys, tools, machinery and forges.
• Mount Nittany Vineyard and Winery.

College football fans can stay right at home to see some of the finest teams in the country play the Penn State Nittany Lions, a perennial college football powerhouse. Baseball fans can enjoy the State College Spikes, a class-A (short season) Minor League Baseball team playing in the New York Penn League. The Spikes have been affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals, but as of 2007 they will become a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate.

For the price of a short drive, baseball fans have other options too. Altoona, less than an hour away, is home to the Altoona Curve, a class-AA minor league affiliate of the Pirates. The city of Harrisburg, less than two hours away, is home to the Harrisburg Senators, a class-AA minor league affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

High Points

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

Category	Trophy
Walking and Biking to Work (vs. Peers)	Top 1%
College Educated Adults (vs. Peers)	Top 1%
Short Commute Times (vs. Peers)	Top 2%
Public Transportation Use (vs. State)	Top 5%
Racial Diversity (vs. State)	Top 7%
Low Violent Crime (vs. Peers)	Top 14%
Median Family Income (vs. State)	Top 15%

Comparative Profile of State College, PA

Comparing State College 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
Male Share of the Population
Racial Diversity
Senior Citizens
Well-Paid Single Men
Female Share of the Population
Children Under 5 Years Old
Age of the Population

Families

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

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults
Median Family Income
People in Middle Class or Better
People Above Poverty

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Walking and Biking to Work
Short Commute Times
Public Transportation Use
Working at Home

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
People Living Alone
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
Affordability of Rents
Housing Recently Built
Affordability of Property Taxes

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Violent Crime
Low Property Crime

State College Almanac

State College Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

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

State College Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Political Contributions (2004)

Money donated by State College residents to parties and candidates for the 2004 elections.

by Political Party

by Presidential Candidate

Neighborhood and Nearby Area Names

According to the US Postal Service, State College, its neighborhoods, and/or surrounding areas are also referred to as:

Note that not all alternate names are acceptable for use in US Post Office addresses.

Nearby Cities and Towns

State College Public Libraries

More Information for Librarians

State College Hospitals

MOUNT NITTANY MEDICAL CENTER
(Voluntary non-profit - Other)
1800 EAST PARK AVE
(814) 231-7000
Emergency Service: Yes

Starbucks in State College

Wal-Mart in State College

State College High Schools (2004)

STATE COLLEGE AREA HS
814-231-1111
Serves 2,664 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 13.9

State College Colleges

Click school name for a detailed profile.

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

South Hills School of Business and Technology

(List of All Pennsylvania Colleges)

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