| Butler County, Pennsylvania | |
Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
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Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | March 12, 1800 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Butler |
| Largest city | Butler |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
795 sq mi (2,059 km²) 789 sq mi (2,044 km²) 6 sq mi (16 km²), 0.79% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
183,862 233/sq mi (89.9/km²) |
| Website | www.co.butler.pa.us |
Butler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 183,862.
Butler County was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named in honor of General Richard Butler. Its county seat is the city of Butler.[1]
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Unlike the rest of traditionally Democratic Western Pennsylvania, Butler County has leaned towards the Republican party. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win Butler was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. In the 2000 U.S. presidential election, the county was carried by Republican George W. Bush 62% to Democrat Al Gore 35%. In the 2004 U.S. presidential election, the county was carried by Republican George W. Bush 64% to Democrat John Kerry 35%. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, the county was carried by Republican John McCain 63% to Democrat Barack Obama 35%. Additionally, John McCain carried every Western Pennsylvania county except for Allegheny County and Erie County, in sharp contrast to previous years, like 2004, in which Democratic candidate John Kerry carried 5 counties in Western Pennsylvania.
As of May 2007, there are 121,719 registered voters in Butler County.[2]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 795 square miles (2,059.0 km2), of which 789 square miles (2,043.5 km2) is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km2) (0.79%) is water.
| Mercer County | Venango County | Clarion County | ||
| Lawrence County and Beaver County | Armstrong County | |||
| Butler County, Pennsylvania | ||||
| Allegheny County | Westmoreland County |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 3,916 |
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| 1810 | 7,346 | 87.6% | |
| 1820 | 10,193 | 38.8% | |
| 1830 | 14,581 | 43.0% | |
| 1840 | 22,378 | 53.5% | |
| 1850 | 30,346 | 35.6% | |
| 1860 | 35,594 | 17.3% | |
| 1870 | 36,510 | 2.6% | |
| 1880 | 52,536 | 43.9% | |
| 1890 | 55,339 | 5.3% | |
| 1900 | 56,962 | 2.9% | |
| 1910 | 72,689 | 27.6% | |
| 1920 | 77,270 | 6.3% | |
| 1930 | 80,480 | 4.2% | |
| 1940 | 87,590 | 8.8% | |
| 1950 | 97,320 | 11.1% | |
| 1960 | 114,639 | 17.8% | |
| 1970 | 127,941 | 11.6% | |
| 1980 | 147,912 | 15.6% | |
| 1990 | 152,013 | 2.8% | |
| 2000 | 174,083 | 14.5% | |
| 2010 | 183,862 | 5.6% | |
| [3][4] | |||
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile (85/km²). There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile (34/km²). The racial/ethnic makeup of the county is 97.83% White, 0.79% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, 0.54% from two or more races; and 0.58% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.8% were of German, 12.0% Irish, 10.9% Italian, 7.0% English, 6.3% American and 5.2% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 65,862 households out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males. The distribution of age is around the 30 to 40 year range which does not appear to closely compare to the household income. In Pennsylvania overall the median age is 38 years old which is very similar to Butler County’s median age. (City-data.com)
Butler County is named after Richard Butler (general), a hero of the American Revolution. It is the location of Moraine State Park, with the 3,000-acre (12 km2) glacial lake, Lake Arthur. Lake Arthur is used for fishing and sailing, and the surrounding park is used for hiking and hunting.
Some famous inventions and discoveries were made in Butler County. It was in Saxonburg, that the designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, John Roebling, invented his revolutionary "wire rope." At what is now known as Oil Creek, Butler County resident William Smith and Edwin Drake first proved that oil could be tapped from underground for consistent supply. The Jeep was developed in Butler County by American Bantam in 1941.
Famous politicians have lived in and traveled through Butler County. George Washington passed through during the French and Indian War. Butler's only U.S. Senator, Walter Lowrie, built a home in 1828 that still stands behind the Butler County Courthouse. Butler's highest ranked federal official ever is William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1994-1997. He graduated from Butler High School in 1945. In 1923, President Warren G. Harding's funeral train passed through Butler County on its way back to Washington D.C. John F. Kennedy delivered a speech in front of the Butler County Courthouse during the United States presidential election, 1960. Then in 2004, Vice President Dick Cheney delivered a speech in Saxonburg to rally support for President George W. Bush during the United States presidential election, 2004.
Butler County has often been used as a setting for films shot in the North Pittsburgh area. This is a list of some of those films.
Films set in Butler County, but not necessarily filmed there.
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Butler County:
One of the important aspects of Butler County is its close proximity to Pittsburgh. It is included in Pittsburgh’s Metropolitan Statistical Area which is renowned for its industries in glass, oil, and steel.
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
In 2008, Pennsylvania School Districts were ranked by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic performance as demonstrated in 3 years of PSSA results.[9]
There are 2 Pennsylvania state parks in Butler County.
Before the glacier dam. Slippery Rock and Muddy creeks flowed north while extinct McConnells Run flowed south. The glacier dammed Lake Prouty on the edge of the drainage divide. Eventually Lake Pouty spilled over and rushed to the south, carving Slippery Rock Creek Gorge. Lakes Watts and Edmund drained into the gorge, digging it deeper and making Slippery Rock and Muddy creeks flow south. Areas of the 400-foot (120 m) deep Slippery Rock Gorge may be seen at nearby McConnells Mill State Park.
The glacier created a landscape of rolling hills topped with hardwood trees and swamps in the valley bottoms. Moraines containing gravel, sand and clay were draped upon the landscape and silt was left on the extinct lake bottoms. Reference to: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/parks/moraine/moraine_history.aspx
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