HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA

'Huntingdon' is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. It is located along the Juniata River, 98 miles (158 km) west of Harrisburg, in an agricultural and fruit-growing region, with valuable forests and deposits of iron, coal, fire clay, and limestone. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. In the past, Huntingdon had manufactures of flour, machinery, radiators, furniture, stationery, woolen goods, lumber, etc. It also was the junction of the Huntingdon & Broad Top Mountain RR with the Pennsylvania RR, and a port on the Pennsylvania Canal. Huntingdon is home to Juniata College, originally founded by the Church of the Brethren in 1876. It is also the largest borough located closest to Raystown Lake, thought to be the home of Pennsylvania's lake monster, Raystown Ray. Its population was 6,918 people at the 2000 census.

Contents

History

General Information

Geography

Demographics

Education

Colleges

High Schools

Middle Schools

Elementary Schools

Transportation

External links

History

Huntingdon was settled in 1767 by William Smith (Anglican priest) on the site of a famous Indian council ground, near the spot where Standing Stone Creek flows into the Juniata River. The spot was marked by the erection of a "Standing Stone Monument" erected at the borough centenary and rumored to exist before the founding of the original village which was called Standing Stone. The original charter of incorporation to a borough was adopted in 1796. In 1900, Huntingdon was the home of 6,053 people; in 1910, 6,861 people; and in 1940, 7,170 people.

General Information

★ ZIP Codes: 16652, 16654

★ Area Code: 814

★ Local Phone Exchanges: 641, 643, 644

★ Current Mayor: Foster Ulrich

★ School District: Huntingdon Area School District

Geography

Huntingdon is located at (40.495187, -78.013147).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 9.1 km² (3.5 mi²). 8.9 km² (3.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.55%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,918 people, 2,626 households, and 1,491 families residing in the borough. The population density was 774.2/km² (2,006.2/mi²). There were 2,817 housing units at an average density of 315.3/km² (816.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.40% White, 1.40% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.
There were 2,626 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.5% under the age of 18, 22.5% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $31,261, and the median income for a family was $42,684. Males had a median income of $33,269 versus $21,327 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,744. About 10.1% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Colleges

★ Juniata College- founded 1876

High Schools

★ Huntingdon Area High School- built 1960

Middle Schools

★ Huntingdon Area Middle School- built 1971

Elementary Schools

★ Standing Stone Elementary School- built 1999

Transportation

★ Huntingdon (Amtrak station)

External links

★ Huntingdon Borough Website

★ Huntingdon Chamber of Commerce