| Paoli | |
| Census-designated place | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Chester |
| Townships | Tredyffrin, Willistown |
| Elevation | 509 ft (155.1 m) |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2) |
| - land | 2.0 sq mi (5 km2) |
| - water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0% |
| Population | 5,575 (2010) |
| Density | 2,787.5 / sq mi (1,076.3 / km2) |
| Timezone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 19301 |
| Area code | 610 |
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Location of Paoli in Pennsylvania
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Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
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Paoli (pronounced /peɪˈoʊliː/) is a census-designated place in Chester County near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated in portions of two townships: Tredyffrin and Willistown. As of the 2010 census, it had a total population of 5,575.
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The town of Paoli grew around an inn kept in 1769 by Joshua Evans, whose father bought 500 acres (200 ha) from William Penn in 1719 near the current site of the Paoli Post Office. Evans named his inn after General Pasquale Paoli, a Corsican, after he had received the 45th and final toast at a Saint Patrick's Day celebration.
In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Paoli occurred in the town; the site of the battle is now part of nearby Malvern, Pennsylvania.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), all of which is land area. Paoli borders other towns, such as Berwyn and Malvern.[1] These three towns all belong to either the T/E or Great Valley school districts.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 5,425 people, 2,361 households, and 1,437 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,710.2 people per square mile (1,047.3/km²). There were 2,468 housing units at an average density of 1,233.0/sq mi (476.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.93% White, 5.36% African American, 0.09% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,361 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $55,800, and the median income for a family was $69,519. Males had a median income of $46,536 versus $34,702 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $30,570. 4.7% of the population and 3.6% of families were below the poverty line. 8.0% of those under the age of 18 and 4.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District serves the portions of Paoli in Tredyffrin Township. The section of Paoli in Willistown Township is served by Great Valley School District. The elementary schools, Charlestown, K.D. Markley, Sugartown, and General Wayne, all filter into Great Valley Middle School.
T/E students attend Conestoga High School, while GVSD students attend Great Valley High School.
Delaware Valley Friends School is a school for those with learning disabilities in Paoli. It is adjacent to Station Square, a business complex.
Tredyffrin Township Libraries operates the Paoli Library within the Paoli CDP.[3][4]
Paoli was on the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, which was later absorbed into the Lincoln Highway, and became U.S. 30 still later. In a nod to the old days, most locals still call the route "Lancaster Pike".
For generations, Paoli was the western terminus of Pennsylvania Railroad commuter trains coming from Philadelphia on the Main Line. The "Paoli Local" became iconic in the western suburbs. Amtrak stops at the Paoli station, but with the decline of long-distance train travel, the stops are now less frequent.
Commuters traveling by rail within Southeastern Pennsylvania use the Paoli station, although most local trains serving Paoli now terminate in Malvern, one stop to the west. SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Line (formerly R5) commuter rail runs between Thorndale and Philadelphia both ways every 30 minutes during the week. College students and city-working suburbanites take the Paoli/Thorndale Line to school and work. Station-to-station, a trip from Paoli to downtown Philadelphia on the Paoli/Thorndale Line takes approximately 45 minutes. [1] Local buses traverse Route 30 along the Main Line, and Paoli Pike is the main artery for buses heading to West Chester.