Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mifflin County, Pennsylvania | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
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 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | September 19, 1789 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Lewistown |
| Largest city | Lewistown |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
415 sq mi (1,075 km²) 3 sq mi (8 km²), 0.66% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
46,486 114/sq mi (44/km²) |
| Website: www.co.mifflin.pa.us | |
Mifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 46,486. Its county seat is Lewistown[1]. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.
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[edit] Geography
Mifflin County is located in, and has its boundaries defined by, the Ridge-and Valley Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania. US Route 322, a major divided highway, connects the county to the rest of the state on its route between Harrisburg and State College. US Route 522 also connects the county to the rest of the state on its route between Selinsgrove and Mount Union
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 415 square miles (1,074 km²), of which, 412 square miles (1,067 km²) of it is land and 3 square miles (7 km²) of it (0.66%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Centre County (north)
- Union County (northeast)
- Snyder County (east)
- Juniata County (southeast)
- Huntingdon County (west)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 46,486 people, 18,413 households, and 12,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile (44/km²). There were 20,745 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.53% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.8% were of German, 19.2% American, 8.0% Irish and 7.5% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 5.7% report speaking Pennsylvania German, Dutch, or German at home.[1]
There were 18,413 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.
[edit] Dialect, Accent and Language
The dominant form of speech in Mifflin County is the Central Pennsylvania accent. Almost everyone in Mifflin County speaks English. The Amish and some Mennonites speak Pennsylvania German also known as Pennsylvania Dutch, a West Central German dialect, which is very remote from modern Standard German. The Amish and Mennonites also can speak English. Few non-Amish or Mennonites in Mifflin County today speak Pennsylvania German, but this was not true in the past.
The Mifflin County School District offers only two foreign languages and only four years of each, with French and Spanish being offered in grades 9 through 12. In the past, the school district also offered German and Latin, but fiscally conservative school boards, which did not view foreign languages as important subjects, slashed spending on foreign language education. There was little outrage when Latin was eliminated in 1985, but some people were offended when German was eliminated in the mid-1990s, given the county's strong German heritage.
[edit] Sports Allegiances
By far, the most popular college sports team in Mifflin County is the Penn State football team.[citation needed]. In professional football, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the most popular team, with the Philadelphia Eagles also enjoying a lot of support[citation needed]. Although Mifflin County is geographically closer to Philadelphia, it is culturally and linguistically closer to Pittsburgh[citation needed]. Almost all Steelers and Eagles games are available live on network television, as Mifflin County receives stations from both the Steelers and Eagles broadcasting territories, though Baltimore Ravens games are also available through Harrisburg-based stations. The most popular baseball teams are the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies.
Historically, football has been the most popular high school sport, but over the past decade, the most successful teams have been in boys and girls basketball[citation needed]. In the past, high school wrestling was more popular than basketball. Although basketball is now more popular than wrestling, wrestling remains more popular in Mifflin County and in Central Pennsylvania in general than in most parts of the United States[citation needed].
As in most parts of Appalachia, NASCAR is very popular in Mifflin County. Local dirt track races and drag races are widely attended on weekends.
[edit] Media
[edit] Radio Stations
[edit] AM Radio Stations
[edit] FM Radio Stations
[edit] Television
Mifflin County does not have a local television station but it is provided with local coverage from the following stations outside of the county:
- {CBS}: WHP-TV, Harrisburg; WTAJ-TV; Altoona
- {Fox}: WPMT-TV, York; WWCP-TV, Johnstown
- {ABC}: WHTM-TV, Harrisburg; WATM-TV, Altoona
- {NBC}: WGAL-TV, Lancaster; WJAC-TV, Johnstown
- {PBS}: WPSU-TV, State College
[edit] Economy
[edit] Major Employers
- Philips
- Lewistown Hospital
- Standard Steel
- Buckell Plastics
- Trinity Packaging
- Uni-mart
- Marlette Homes
- Asher’s Chocolates (Formerly Goss Candies)
- Walmart
- Lowe’s
- Mifflin County School District
[edit] Education
[edit] Public School Districts
Most of the county is served by the Mifflin County School District, with the exception of Wayne Township and the boroughs of Newton-Hamilton and Kistler, which are part of the Mount Union Area School District.
[edit] Private Schools
- Sacred Heart provides a private, Catholic education until fifth grade.
- Belleville Mennonite School provides a Mennonite education from kindergarten through grade twelve.
- Mifflin County Christian Academy located in Decatur Township provides a Christian Fundamentalist education from kindergarten through grade twelve and also provides day care.
[edit] Colleges & Universities
Mifflin-Juniata Career and Technology Center located in Lewistown provides post high school degrees in nursing, auto mechanics and electrical services and numerous other technology driven careers.
The Lewistown branch of the South Hills School of Business and Technology offers associates degrees and other certifications in various areas of business, technology, and some health care.
[edit] Municipalities
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 Mifflin County:
[edit] Boroughs
[edit] Townships
[edit] Census-designated places
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.
[edit] References
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division, "2005 General Highway Map of Juniata and Mifflin Counties". Note: shows boroughs, townships, roads, villages, some streams. URL accessed on April 5, 2006.
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