Lehigh Valley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Lehigh Valley (disambiguation).
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton
Map of the Lehigh Valley

Common name: Lehigh Valley
Largest city
Other cities		 Allentown
 - Bethlehem
 - Easton
Population  Ranked 62nd in the U.S.
 - Total 790,535 (2005 est.)
 - Density /sq. mi. 
/km²
Area sq. mi.
km²
State(s)  Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Elevation   
 - Highest point 2180+ [1] feet (664+ [1] m)
 - Lowest point feet ( m)

The Lehigh Valley, also known as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area, is an official metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and Warren county on the western edge of New Jersey, in the United States.

The Valley is named for the Lehigh River, which runs through it.

Contents

[edit] Cities and location

The Lehigh Valley's principal cities are Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, comprising the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area. The traditional bounds of the region are The Poconos to the north, the Delaware River to the east, the boundaries of Berks County and Montgomery County to the southwest, and the boundary with Bucks County to the south. More recently, however, the area around Phillipsburg, New Jersey west of Pohatcong Mountain, parts of upper Bucks County around Quakertown, and portions of northeastern Berks County and southwestern Carbon County in Pennsylvania are considered outer parts of the Valley.

The Lehigh Valley is located approximately 50 miles (96 km) north of Philadelphia, the country's sixth largest city, and 70 miles (144 km) west of New York City, the country's largest city. The Valley is home to some 790,000 people. Recent census studies show it to be the fastest growing region of the state, due mostly to its growing popularity as a bedroom community for the highly-populated neighboring regions of Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City.

The Lehigh Valley is geologically and geographically part of the Great Appalachian Valley, a region largely made up of limestone that stretches along the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. As such, the Valley suffers from a great number of sinkholes, which have caused millions of dollars of property damage annually. The Lehigh Valley is so named because it comprises an actual valley that lies between two mountain ranges, Blue Mountain to the north and South Mountain to the south.

[edit] Towns with more than 10,000 people

[edit] Towns with fewer than 10,000 people

[edit] Census-designated places

[edit] Climate

The Lehigh Valley has four distinct seasons, which typically include humid summers, cold winters, and very short and mild springs and falls.

[edit] Industry

Bethlehem Steel, located along the Lehigh River in the Lehigh Valley, was once one of the world's largest manufacturers of steel; it closed in 2003.
Bethlehem Steel, located along the Lehigh River in the Lehigh Valley, was once one of the world's largest manufacturers of steel; it closed in 2003.

The Lehigh Valley is known historically for its production of steel, Portland cement and apparel. It has historically served as a major U.S. center of industrial manufacturing, though this role has diminished at least slightly in the 21st century as companies have shifted to Asia and other lower wage, off-shore locations for industrial mining and manufacturing.

The Lehigh Valley boasts the honor of being the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, which began in the borough of Catasauqua with the development of anthracite iron.

[edit] Corporations

Companies based in the Lehigh Valley include Air Products & Chemicals (in Trexlertown), Bethlehem Steel (which ceased operations in 2003, in Bethlehem), Binney & Smith, Inc. (in Easton), Buckeye Pipe Line (in Emmaus), Just Born (in Bethlehem), Mack Trucks (in Allentown), Olympus Corporation USA (in Center Valley), Pennsylvania Power & Light (in Allentown), and Rodale Press (in Emmaus).

The Lehigh Valley is also one of the larger areas on the east coast for the location of warehouses and distribution centers. This is due to the Lehigh Valley's central location in the BosWash megalopolis. Most of these distribution centers are located along the U.S. Route 22 and Interstate 78 corridors.

After the 2003 demise of Bethlehem Steel, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network (in Allentown), one of Pennsylvania's largest hospital systems, has taken Bethlehem Steel's place as the Lehigh Valley's largest employer. The Lehigh Valley's top five employers are: 1.) Lehigh Valley Hospital, 2.) St. Luke's Hospital (in Bethlehem), 3.) Air Products & Chemicals (in Allentown), 4.) the Federal Government, and 5.) PPL Corporation (in Allentown).

[edit] Media

[edit] Television

Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties receive television service from Philadelphia, New York City and Scranton/Wilkes Barre. Warren County gets most of its television from New York City. Lehigh Valley-based television stations include:

  • WBPH-TV, an independent television station (licensed to Bethlehem but based in Allentown).
  • WFMZ-TV, an independent television station (based in Allentown).
  • WLVT-TV, a PBS station (licensed to Allentown but based in Bethlehem).

[edit] Radio

The Lehigh Valley is within the broadcasting range of most Philadelphia and New York City-based stations. Radio stations based in the Lehigh Valley include:

[edit] Print media

Lehigh Valley-based daily newspapers include The Morning Call (in Allentown), which is owned by the Tribune Company, and The Express-Times (in Easton), the Valley's second largest circulation newspaper, which is owned by Advance Publications. Both daily newspapers have rich traditions, with their foundings dating back to the mid-1800s. With their founding in 1883 and 1855, respectively, they are the Valley's two longest standing periodicals. With over 100,000 daily readers, The Morning Call ranks among the top 100 U.S. newspapers by circulation.[citation needed]


The Lehigh Valley also features Pulse Weekly, a weekly regional arts and entertainment publication. Also, The Times News, based in Lehighton (in Carbon County), recently opened a Bethlehem edition that covers the Lehigh Valley.

[edit] Wine

The Lehigh Valley AVA was designated an official American Viticultural Area in March, 2008. The wine region includes 230 acres (93 ha) of vineyards, planted to several Vitis vinifera and French-American hybrid grape varieties. Fifteen to twenty percent of the wine produced commercially in Pennsylvania is made from grapes grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA.[2]

[edit] Education

[edit] Colleges and universities

The Lehigh Valley is a center of post-secondary education, with seven four-year colleges and universities. These include: Cedar Crest College (in Allentown), DeSales University (in Center Valley), Lafayette College (in Easton), Lehigh University (in Bethlehem), Moravian College (in Bethlehem), Muhlenberg College (in Allentown), and Penn State Lehigh Valley (in Fogelsville).

The Lehigh Valley is also home to three two-year colleges: Lehigh Carbon Community College (with campuses in Allentown, Carbon County and Schnecksville), Lehigh Valley College (in Allentown), and Northampton Community College (with campuses in Bethlehem Township and Monroe County).

[edit] High school education

As the third most populous metropolitan region in Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley is served by numerous school districts, public and private high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools.

Lehigh Valley-based high schools include:

The largest Lehigh Valley high schools (12 in all) compete athletically in the Lehigh Valley Conference, widely considered one of the most competitive athletic divisions in the state and nation. Most of the smaller schools compete in the Colonial League, also very competitive throughout the state, especially in football.

[edit] Famous people from the Lehigh Valley

The Lehigh Valley is the birthplace or home to a number of famous Americans, including:

[edit] Athletics and entertainment

Club League Venue Established Championships
Lehigh Valley IronPigs PL, Baseball Coca-Cola Park 2008 0
Lehigh Valley Outlawz CIFL, Indoor football Stabler Arena 2004 0

[edit] Philadelphia Eagles

The Lehigh Valley is the home of pre-season training camp for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, which is held each summer on the practice fields of Lehigh University in Bethlehem. The camp, which attracted in excess of 20,000 fans daily in July 2007, draws some of the largest crowds of any NFL team's pre-season camp.

[edit] IronPigs Baseball

In early 2008, Coca-Cola Park, an 8,100-seat Minor League baseball stadium, opened in east-side Allentown.[3] The stadium hosts the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Philadelphia Phillies' AAA-level International League franchise. The team previously played as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (1989-2006) and Ottawa Lynx (2007).[4] The club's move to the Lehigh Valley brought the franchise closer to Philadelphia and the Phillies' large eastern Pennsylvania fan base. The team’s name is a reference to pig iron, a key ingredient in the steel-making process for which the Lehigh Valley area is known worldwide.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for Coca-Cola Park were held September 6, 2006, and construction was completed in December 2007. The stadium hosted its first game on March 30, 2008, when the Phillies major league team faced the IronPigs.

[edit] Stabler Arena

Lehigh University's Stabler Arena, an indoor arena, is in Bethlehem, in the Lehigh Valley. Stabler hosts regular sporting and concert events. The arena is home to Lehigh University men's and women's college basketball teams and also to the Lehigh Valley Outlawz, an indoor football team that plays in the Continental Indoor Football League. On April 17, 2007, the eastern Pennsylvania grunge music group Breaking Benjamin released their first live DVD, which is a full recording of the group's February 11, 2007 "homecoming" concert at Stabler. The stadium also has been featured in numerous music videos, most recently including Breaking Benjamin's number one hit "Breath".[5]

[edit] "The Rivalry": Lehigh vs. Lafayette

The Lehigh Valley is also home to a strong collegiate football rivalry, between two Lehigh Valley colleges: Easton's Lafayette College and Bethlehem's Lehigh University. The two teams, located a mere 17 miles a part, have played each other for 142 times since 1884, making it the longest-running, uninterrupted series in all of college football. For this reason, the game is often referred to regionally as simply "The Rivalry".

In the 142-game series, Lafayette currently leads with 75 wins to Lehigh's 62. The two teams also have played to a tie on five occasions.

[edit] High school athletics

The 12 largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley compete athletically in the Lehigh Valley Conference, one of the most competitive high school athletic divisions in the nation. The conference is well known as a top recruiting target for the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball and has produced numerous professional and Olympic-level athletes. Lehigh Valley Conference football, basketball and wrestling teams are very commonly ranked as the nation's best and typically draw large and ethusiastic Lehigh Valley crowds.

Currently, six former athletes from Lehigh Valley Conference schools are on active professional athletic rosters, including four in the National Football League (Dan Koppen, New England Patriots center from Whitehall High School; Tim Massaquoi, Buffalo Bills tight end from Parkland High School; Jim Molinaro, Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle from Bethlehem Catholic High School; and Tony Stewart, Oakland Raiders tight end from Allentown Central Catholic High School); one in the National Basketball Association (Aaron Gray, Chicago Bulls center from Emmaus High School); and one in Major League Baseball (Brian Schneider, New York Mets catcher from Northampton Area High School).

[edit] Running Events

The Lehigh Valley hosts the Lehigh Valley 15K Road Race annually each September. It is one of the premiere eastern Pennsylvania running events.

[edit] Arts

The Allentown Art Museum, based in center city Allentown, is the Lehigh Valley's largest museum. The museum carries over 11,000 works of art. Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center and Lafayette College's smaller Williams Center for the Arts host a wide variety of plays, concerts and performances throughout the year.

[edit] Lehigh Valley in popular music

The Lehigh Valley is the subject of four rock music songs, one folk music song and one ska reggae album:

[edit] Recreation

The Lehigh Valley is home to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, a popular amusement and water park. Located in South Whitehall Township, Dorney Park is known nationally for its elaborate roller coasters and water rides.

Dorney Park's Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters, in South Whitehall Township.
Dorney Park's Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters, in South Whitehall Township.

The region's ski resorts are Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area and Blue Mountain Ski Area. Bear Creek is a 21 slope resort located outside of Macungie, Pennsylvania. Blue Mountain is located near Danielsville, Pennsylvania. The Poconos, which feature some of the East Coast's best-known ski resorts, is approximately 30 miles north of the Lehigh Valley. Several large lakes used for boating and fishing also are located there. The Pocono 500, a NASCAR Nextel Cup race, is run each June at Pocono Raceway in the Poconos.

New Jersey shore beaches are approximately 45 miles east of the Lehigh Valley.

Dutch Springs, the nation's largest SCUBA amusement park, is located in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth Township. Over 40,000 divers annually utilize the facilities, which have sunken "treasures" to enhance the underwater experience. In addition to scuba diving, kayaking and paddle boats are available. The facility has a water park, camping grounds, and picnic areas.

In 2009, Sands BethWorks, a casino, hotel and apartment complex owned by the Las Vegas Sands is scheduled to open in Bethlehem, bringing legalized gambling to the Lehigh Valley for the first time.

Four large festivals are held each year in the Lehigh Valley. Musikfest, a large, 10-day music festival, is held in Bethlehem each August. Mayfair, an arts and crafts festival, is held in Allentown each May. In September, one of the largest celtic heritage festivals in America, The Celtic Classic, is held in Bethlehem. The Great Allentown Fair has been held on the grounds of the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown annually in late August through early September for more than 150 years.

[edit] Retail

The Lehigh Valley is home to many retail establishments. The largest retail area of the Lehigh Valley is the Pennsylvania Route 145/MacArthur Road Corridor, just north of Allentown. It is anchored by the Lehigh Valley Mall and the Whitehall Mall.

Other malls in the region include Palmer Park Mall (in Easton), Phillipsburg Mall (in Phillipsburg, New Jersey), South Mall (in Emmaus), and the Westgate Mall (in Bethlehem). In October 2006, a new Valley-based shopping mall, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, was opened. Located off Route 309 in Upper Saucon Valley Township, it is roughly half the size of the Lehigh Valley Mall, but features more upscale stores.

Yocco's Hot Dogs, the regionally-famous fast food establishment known for their hot dogs and cheesesteaks, maintains six locations, all of which are based in the Lehigh Valley. Its original restaurant, founded in 1922, is still located at its original center city Allentown location, on West Liberty Street. Four additional Yocco's locations can be found in the Lehigh Valley (in west-side Allentown, east-side Allentown, Emmaus, Fogelsville, and Wescosville).

[edit] Transportation

Air transportation

The Lehigh Valley is served by air transportation through Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE), located in the Lehigh Valley's Hanover Township, three miles northeast of Allentown.

Other regionally-located airports include Philadelphia International Airport (in Philadelphia), Newark Liberty International Airport (in Newark, New Jersey), John F. Kennedy International Airport (in Jamaica, Queens) and LaGuardia Airport (in Flushing, Queens).

Bus transportation

Private bus companies provide multiple daily roundtrip transportation to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, Philadelphia's Greyhound Terminal, Atlantic City's Bus Terminal and other regional locations. Public bus service within The Valley is provided by LANTA, which serves Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and the cities' suburbs with various routes.

Rail

Passenger service to the region ceased in 1981, when several rail operators opted to curtail long-distance services. From the south, SEPTA Regional Rail limited their services to their electrified-only territory, with trains going only as far north as Lansdale and Doylestown, Pennsylvania. To the east, the Central Railroad of New Jersey ceased operations into Pennsylvania in 1972. Current operator New Jersey Transit has looked at restoring rail service as far west as Phillipsburg, New Jersey; there are no plans to extend service over the border into Pennsylvania at present. Currently, freight operator Norfolk Southern Railway heavily serves the region, with a major classification yard in Allentown.

Roads

The Lehigh Valley has four major highways: Interstate 78, a major east-west highway, runs through the southern part of the Valley, duplexed with Pennsylvania Route 309. I-78 runs from Harrisburg in the west to the Holland Tunnel and New York City in the east.

U.S. Route 22 is a major freeway that runs through the Valley from Kuhnsville in the western part of the Valley to Easton in the eastern part of the Valley. U.S. Route 22 starts in Cincinnati, Ohio in the west, running through the Valley to Elizabeth, New Jersey in the east. A third highway, Pennsylvania Route 33, runs north-south through the Lehigh Valley, from the Poconos in the north to Northampton County in the south.

The fourth major highway in the Valley is Interstate 476, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It stretches 131 miles from Chester in the south to the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre in the north.

Other major roads in the Valley include MacArthur Road (PA 145), a divided local road that leads to the Lehigh Valley Mall and its surrounding commercial district. Cedar Crest Boulevard, a north-south highway, runs from North Whitehall Township in the north through west-side Allentown to Emmaus in the south. Lehigh Street runs from northeast to southwest, originating in downtown Allentown and ending in Emmaus. Tilghman Street runs from Fogelsville in the west to MacArthur Road (PA 145) in the east. Tilghman Street runs through most of Allentown and also intersects with Cedar Crest Boulevard, Pennsylvania Route 100, Pennsylvania Route 309 and several other major Lehigh Valley highways.

[edit] County statistics

Geographic Area July 1, 2005 Census 2000 1990 Census 1980 Census 1970 Census
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA 790,535 740,395 686,688 635,481 594,382
Carbon County, Pennsylvania 61,959 58,802 56,846 53,285 50,573
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania 330,433 312,090 291,130 272,349 255,304
Northampton County, Pennsylvania 287,767 267,066 247,105 225,418 214,368
Warren County, New Jersey 110,376 102,437 91,607
Allentown, Pennsylvania 105,231 106,632 105,090
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 68,114 71,329 71,428
Easton, Pennsylvania 26,263 26,276

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Pennsylvania County High Points. Peakbagger.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-01.
  2. ^ Lauer-Williams, Kathy (2008). "Lehigh Valley wineries earn recognition". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Apr. 17, 2008.
  3. ^ Coca-Cola Park Info, IronPigs Baseball Official Website. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  4. ^ Baseball Reference Bullpen: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  5. ^ Breaking Benjamin, "Breath" video, YouTube.

[edit] External links


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Colleges and universities in the Lehigh Valley
Four Year
Two Year
Lehigh Carbon Community College • Lehigh Valley College • Northampton Community College
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High schools in the Lehigh Valley
Allen High School • Allentown Central Catholic High School • Bangor Area High School • Bethlehem Catholic High School • Catasauqua High School • Dieruff High School • Easton Area High School • Emmaus High School • Freedom High School • Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts • Lehigh Valley Christian High School • Liberty High School • Moravian Academy • Nazareth Area High School • Northampton Area High School • Northern Lehigh High School • Northwestern Lehigh High School • Notre Dame High School • Parkland High School • Pen Argyl Area High School • Phillipsburg High School • Pius X High School • Roberto Clemente Charter School • Salisbury High School • Saucon Valley High School • Southern Lehigh High School • Whitehall High School • Wilson Area High School
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