Everything about State College totally explained
State College, Pennsylvania, is the largest
borough in
Centre County in the
U.S. state of
Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania
Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre county. As of the
2000 census, the borough population was 38,420, (estimated 38,720 in 2007) and roughly double that total lived in the borough plus the surrounding townships. Of that population, 20,011 or 52.1% are
males and 18,409 or 47.9% are
females.
City Data
.
The town is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of the main campus of the
Pennsylvania State University, more often referred to as Penn State.
Happy Valley is an often-used term to refer to the State College area, including the borough and the townships of College, Harris, Patton, and Ferguson.
The area is served by
University Park Airport.
History
State College evolved from village to town to serve the needs of the fledgling Pennsylvania State College, founded as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania in 1855. Since then, the school has grown into a major university, renamed in 1953
The Pennsylvania State University, also known as Penn State. State College was incorporated as a
borough on
August 29,
1896 and has since grown with the university. Borough and university share a symbiotic relationship. In 1973 State College adopted a home rule charter which took effect in 1976. The areas outside of State College are filled with historic towns and villages, immense tracts of farmland, and an expanse of mountains and forests.
The university has a post office address of University Park, PA, which is sometimes a cause for confusion. When Penn State changed its name from College to University in 1953, its president,
Milton S. Eisenhower, sought to persuade the town to change its name as well. A referendum failed to yield a majority for any of the choices for a new name, and so the town remains State College. After this, Penn State requested a new name for its on-campus post office in the
Hetzel Union Building from the U.S. Post Office Department. The post office, which has since moved across a street to the McAllister Building, is the official home of
zip code 16802 (University Park). The new zip code was granted directly by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the request of his younger brother Milton S. Eisenhower .
General information
- ZIP Codes: State College: 16801, 16803, 16804; Penn State University: 16802
- Area Code: 814
- Local Phone Exchanges: 231, 234, 235, 237, 238, 272, 278, 689, 861, 863, 865, 867
Geography and climate
State College is at (40.791261, -77.858740). The elevation is approximately above sea level. According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.5
square miles (11.8
km²), all of it land.
Temperatures in State College average in January and in July. Annual precipitation is about, and 46.3 inches of snow a year falls in the city (Based on official 109-year average of snowfall at State College as per National Weather Service's State College office).
Demographics
As of the
census of
2000, there were 38,420 people, 12,024 households, and 3,306 families residing in the borough. The
population density was 8,459.3 people per square mile (3,267.4/km²). There were 12,488 housing units at an average density of 2,749.6/sq mi (1,062.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.31%
White, 3.69%
African American, 0.15%
Native American, 8.77%
Asian, 0.13%
Pacific Islander, 1.38% from
other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 3.02% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 12,024 households out of which 10.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.4% were
married couples living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 72.5% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.69.
The age distribution of State College, overwhelmingly influenced by Penn State, was: 5.8% under the age of 18, 65.5% from 18 to 24, 16.2% from 25 to 44, 6.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $21,186, and the median income for a family was $54,949. Males had a median income of $34,388 versus $27,219 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $12,155. 46.9% of the population and 9.7% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.6% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. However, traditional measures of poverty can be very misleading when applied to a community like State College which is dominated by students.
Culture
Happy Valley
"Happy Valley" is sometimes used as shorthand for State College, Pennsylvania. Commentators referring to Penn State athletic events often give the location as "Happy Valley" rather than mentioning State College or the specific campus facility.
In a
survey conducted in the late 1980s by
Psychology Today, State College was ranked as one of the least
stressful places in the
United States. A more recent rating put State College 19th among "50 Smart Places to Live
(External Link)." The same source states: "Sperling's BestPlaces research group has previously ranked State College the No.1 safest small city in America, and Forbes, thanks in large part to the tremendous amount of research conducted at the University, listed State College among the top 10 smaller metro areas in which to start a career or business
(External Link)." In 2007, CNN Money said State College was the number one "single" city based on percentage of unmarried people living there.
(External Link) Even more statistics about State College are available at: http://www.bestplaces.net/zip-code/?zip=16801&city=State_College_PA
(External Link).
In the August issue of
Rolling Stone Magazine, State College received honorable mention in best music scenes throughout the country. Bands formed in State College include
Axum,
The Bullet Parade (External Link),
Cootie Brown,
The Earthtones,
Emily's Toybox,
Holy Mary, Mother of Bert,
Katsu,
The Nightcrawlers,
Blasting Trout Overbite,
Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band, and
The Rustlanders.
Otto's Pub & Brewery, located in State College, was voted #37 on the "Top 50 Places to Have A Pint" in the United States in 2003 by BeerAdvocate.com.
(External Link) In addition to this, the 2006 survey listed
Zeno's Pub, a local bar, in the top 50 as well.
Ye Olde College Diner, located in State College, was voted #3 on the "Best Places to Eat a Sticky Bun" in the United States in 2005 by Pastrypoll.com. It is a place of
Penn State tradition that dates back to 1929. The diner serves
grilled stickeys. Many alumni come back here well after they've graduated from
Penn State. The Diner was closed briefly in August 2007 by Centre County due to health code violations, but re-opened after five days.
Baby's Burgers & Shakes is a 50's style diner located down town, and was once featured in a
Visa commercial, saying that they don't accept
American Express. There are dozens of additional interesting restaurants and bars unique to State College, most of which are concentrated in the downtown area along College Avenue and Beaver Avenue and their cross streets.
The
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, usually referred to simply as Arts Fest, is held down town every July. The 5 day long festival features artists from around the country and draws more than 125,000 visitors. Many streets are closed off and lined with booths where people can buy paintings, pottery, jewelry, and a variety of other hand made goods. There are also numerous musical performances and plays to take in, and food vendors selling everything from funnel cakes to Indian cuisine.
Famous people from State College
Ryan Buell - Paranormal Investigator, and star of A&E's Paranormal State
Tawni O'Dell - author
Joshua Leonard - film actor, star of The Blair Witch Project and Madhouse (2004)
Jesse Fritsch - professional skateboarder
Si Kahn - Folksinger, political activist
Harry Groves - legendary and oft-quoted track and field coach, and a USTCA Hall of Fame Inductee
Larry Johnson - NFL running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, born in La Plata, Maryland
Butch Leitzinger - professional racecar driver
Eric Milton - baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds
James Morrow - science-fiction author; wrote City of Truth
Joel N. Myers - Founder of AccuWeather.com
Jim O'Hora - football coach, associate professor at PSU
Vance Packard - Muckraker, social critic
Joe Paterno - college football coach; born in Brooklyn, New York
Rene Portland - former Penn State women's basketball coach
C. R. Rao - World-renouned statistician and Professor Emeritus at Penn State
Leah Rozen nationally recognized film critic
Jerry Sandusky - football coach, founder of Second Mile
Matt Suhey- Fullback at Penn State and for the Chicago Bears, where he was Walter Payton's lead blocker
Bill Welch - mayor of State College; born in Philadelphia
Gus Aranguiz - Award winning chef
Points of interest
American Philatelic Society
Arboretum at Penn State
Beaver Stadium - football venue
Bryce Jordan Center - basketball and other indoor sports venue
Citizens Bank Theatre - located in Downtown State College, It is home to Pennsylvania Centre Stage
Downtown State College
Friday Farmers' Market (During summer and fall only)
The HUB
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, home of the State College Spikes baseball
Mount Nittany - hiking
Mount Nittany Medical Center
Old Main
Pennsylvania State University
The Creamery
Playhouse Theatre -Home of Penn State's University Resident Theatre Company (URTC)
Schlow Centre Region Library
Tussey Mountain - skiing/snowboarding
American Red Cross Centre Communities Chapter
Media
Newspapers
The Daily Collegian
The Centre Daily Times
Voices
Magazines
Town & Gown
State College Magazine
Phroth
Web media
HappyValley.com
StateCollege.com
Television
State College is part of the Johnstown/Altoona/State College television market, which is currently ranked #99 in the nation.
Radio
The State College, PA radio market is ranked #257 in the nation. The following box contains a list of radio stations in State College.
WPSU-FM Public Radio (Classical, Folk, Jazz, Blues, NPR)
WPSU2-FM HD Radio - Jazz, News, Public Affairs
WFGY-FM Country
WZWW-FM Hot Adult Contemporary
WBUS-FM Classic Rock
WQWK-FM Active Rock
WOWY-FM Oldies
WJOW-FM New Country
WRSC-AM News Talk Information
WLTS-FM Soft Adult Contemporary
WMAJ-AM All Sports
WBHV-FM Pop Contemporary Hit Radio
WBLF-AM News Talk Information
WGMR-FM Pop Contemporary Hit Radio
WALY-FM Oldies
WIEZ-AM News Talk Information
WPHB-AM Country
WQBR-FM Country
WSGY-FM Country
WWOT-FM Pop Contemporary Hit Radio
(Source: http://www.arbitron.com/home/ratings.htm, State College market)
Entertainment
Local bars include:
Allen Street Grill - an upscale restaurant featuring a piano bar
Bill Pickles Tap Room
Cell Block - trendy music, dancing
The Brewery, inc. - live music and performance art with a moderately diverse selection of beer.
Chumley's - State College's only alternative lifestyle bar
Indigo Night Club - playing top 40 dance.
The Darkhorse Tavern
Sharky's
The Lion's Den
Bar Bleu
Cafe 210
Sports Cafe
Candy Lounge
Tony's Big Easy
The Phyrst - an Irish-style pub.
The Saloon - 101 Heister St.
The University Resident Theatre Company (URTC). The School of Theatre at Penn State.
Zenos Pub - voted in Playboy magazine as one of the United States top 50 places to have a beer.
Zola New World Bistro - Upscale fusion cuisine and cocktail bar, featuring live jazz on Friday nights.
Sports
Collegiate sports/NCAA
See Pennsylvania State University Athletics and Penn State Nittany Lions football.
Correctional facility
State College is located not far from the State Correctional Institution - Rockview, which is known as the state penitentiary, or the "state pen" (Source: (External Link), reference to "state pen" being near Penn State).
Economy
Major employers
AccuWeather- the world's largest private weather forecasting service, originated and based in State College, PA
Bestbuy
Brookline Village
C-COR
Centre Area Transportation Authority
Circuit City
General Dynamics
Giant-Carlisle
Hotel State College & Co.
Jostens Printing and Publishing
Minitab
Mount Nittany Medical Center
The Pennsylvania State University
PNCBank
Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems - formerly E-Systems and HRB Singer
SRI International
State College Area School District
Target Corporation
Walmart
Wegmans
Shopping
Retail
State College has many shopping areas, most notably:
Downtown State College
Nittany Mall
Various Shopping plazas, including Colonnade Shopping Center, Hills Plaza, and Walmart Plaza.
Government and politics
Federal level
At the federal level, State College forms part of Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district. The current incumbent is John E. Peterson.
County level
At the county level, Centre County, Pennsylvania's county seat is in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. There are three county-level district courts within State College, with the others being Philipsburg, Bellefonte, and Centre Hall.
The current county-level districts are divided as follows, all of which are common pleas courts. The jurisdictions include civil claims and summary offenses. Higher level courts are located in neighboring Bellefonte.
District 49-1-01, District Judge Carmine W. Prestia, serving State College, elected in 2007 for a 4 year term (External Link)
District 49-3-05, District Judge Jonathan D. Grine, serving State College(External Link)
District 49-2-01, District Judge Leslie A. Dutchcot, serving College, Ferguson, Halfmoon, and Patton Townships, elected in 2007 for 4 year term at $76,000/year (External Link)
(Source: http://www.co.centre.pa.us/district_judges.asp)
Regional level
The Borough of State College is a member of the Center Region Council of Governments (CRCOG)
Other Members are
College Township, Pennsylvania
Ferguson Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Halfmoon Township, Pennsylvania
Harris Township, Pennsylvania
Patton Township, Pennsylvania
Local level
At the local level, the Borough of State College government is currently run by the following elected officials, based on the 2007 election results:
Mayor: Bill Welch
President of Council: Elizabeth A. Goreham
Council Members:
- Ronald Filippelli
- Donald M. Hahn
- Theresa D. Lafer
- Silvi Lawrence
- Peter Morris
- James L. Rosenberger
(Source: http://www.statecollegepa.us/index.asp?NID=32)
Law enforcement
The law enforcement arm of the Borough of State College is the State College Police Department, served by Chief Thomas R. King.
Fire protection
The Alpha Fire Company operates out of 3 station and responds with 5 engines, 2 trucks, 1 heavy rescue and 2 tankers. The Departments annual run total is around 1000.
The Alpha Fire is an All Volunteer Fire Company, arguably the largest in the state when you factor in the size and population of Penn State.
The Fire is led by 5 chiefs, 3 captains, and other various officers. The fire company operates under the Centre Region Council of Governments under the direction of Fire Director Steve Bair.
Education
Public schools
State College is served by the State College Area School District. (External Link)
Private schools
There are also a variety of private schools, including the State College Friends School(External Link), Nittany Christian School(External Link), and Our Lady of Victory Catholic school.
Higher education
See Penn State University.
Other colleges near State College
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Juniata College
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Libraries
State College is served by the following libraries:
Aaronsburg Public Library
American Philatelic Research Library
Centre County Book Mobile
Centre Hall Area Branch Library
Holt Memorial Library
Pennsylvania State University Libraries
- Pattee Library (main library)
- Hammond Library (engineering)
- Pollock Library (study library)
- Paterno Library
Schlow Centre Region Library (http://schlowlibrary.org/)
The Centre County Library
(Source: http://www.statecollege.com/business/directory.phtml?cat_id=349&Index=L)
Hospitals
HealthSouth
HealthSouth Spine & Rehabilitation Center
Mount Nittany Medical Center
University Park Nursing Center
Infrastructure
Roads
State College is served by:
I-80 (to the north)
U.S. Route 220, (I-99)
U.S. Route 322 (Atherton Street)
PA 26 (College and Beaver Avenues)
PA 45 (to the south, passes through Boalsburg and Pine Grove Mills)
PA 64
Airport
The closest airport is the University Park Airport.
Mass transportation
Centre Area Transportation Authority provides buses that run within the greater State College area
Greyhound Lines, located right next to the university, provide transportation to 2,200 locations in North America
Dragon Deluxe Bus Line provides daily, non-stop service between New York City and State College at discounted rates.Further Information
Get more info on 'State College'.
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