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Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

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Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco,<ref name="Montco">Template:Multiref2</ref> is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia and Allegheny counties and the most populous county in Pennsylvania without a major city.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>

The county seat and largest city is Norristown.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is part of the Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington PA-NJ–DE–MD metropolitan statistical area, known as the Delaware Valley, and marks the Delaware Valley's northern border with the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

The county borders Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city, to its southeast, Bucks County to its east, Berks and Lehigh counties to its north, Delaware County to its south, and Chester County to its southwest.

The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part of Philadelphia County. The first courthouse was housed in the Barley Sheaf Inn. It is believed to have been named either for Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, or for the Welsh county of Montgomeryshire, which was named after one of William the Conqueror's main counselors, Roger de Montgomerie, since it was part of the Welsh Tract, an area of Pennsylvania settled by Quakers from Wales.<ref name=familysearch>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, Template:Convert of which was land and Template:Convert (0.9%) of which was water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties

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National protected area

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County-owned parks

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Park<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Acres Trail Miles
Perkiomen Valley Park 800 19
Green Lane Park 3,400 25
Schuylkill Canal Park - 5
Lorimer Park 230 5.4
Lower Perkiomen Valley Park 107 -
Norristown Farm Park 690 8
Upper Schuylkill Valley Park 15 -

Demographics

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Template:US Census population

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the county was 73.27% White (72.18% White, non-Hispanic), 9.55% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American or Alaskan Native, 7.94% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, and 2.87% some other race; 6.13% were two or more races. 6.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Montgomery County Racial Composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 618,244 72.2%
Black or African American (NH) 79,510 9.3%
Native American (NH) 763 0.1%
Asian (NH) 67,761 8%
Pacific Islander (NH) 168 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 35,595 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 54,512 6.4%

The largest townships/boroughs in Montgomery County include:

Township/borough Population (2010 US Census) Density mi2
Lower Merion Township 57,825 2,526.1
Abington Township 55,310 3,630.3
Cheltenham Township 36,793 4,083.1
Municipality of Norristown 34,324 9,806.9
Upper Merion Township 28,395 1,593.3
Horsham Township 26,147 1,398.6
Upper Dublin Township 25,569 1,960.7
Lower Providence Township 25,436 1,458.8
Montgomery Township 24,790 2,067.1
Upper Moreland Township 24,015 3,202

Economy

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Montgomery County is a suburb of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth most populous city. Many Montco residents work in the city, but the county is also a major employment center with large business parks in Blue Bell, Lansdale, Fort Washington, Horsham, and King of Prussia attracting thousands of workers from all over the region. The strong job base and taxes generated by those jobs have resulted in Montgomery County receiving the highest credit rating of 'AAA' from Standard & Poor's, one of fewer than 30 counties in the United States with such a rating.<ref>"Montgomery County," Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association Template:Webarchive</ref> In 2012, Moody's downgraded the general obligation rating to Aa1,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and in 2018 the rating was revised back to Aaa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Major employers include:<ref>Top 50 Employers by County – Montgomery Template:Webarchive</ref>

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Education

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Colleges and universities

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Public school districts

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File:Map of Montgomery County Pennsylvania School Districts.png
Map of Montgomery County public school districts

School districts:<ref>Template:Cite map - Text list - See also county's school district map</ref>

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Private secondary schools

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Night schools/adult education

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  • Abington Township Adult School
  • Cheltenham Township Adult School

Communities

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File:Map of Montgomery County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels.png
Map of Montgomery County with municipal labels showing boroughs (red), townships (white), and census-designated places (blue)

Under Pennsylvania law, five types of incorporated municipalities are listed: cities, boroughs, townships, home rule municipalities (which can include communities that bear the name "Borough" or "Township") and, in at most two cases, towns. These boroughs, townships, and home rule municipalities are located in Montgomery County:

Home rule municipalities

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Boroughs

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Townships

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Unincorporated areas

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Census-designated places

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Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the United States 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.

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Even though the historic village of Valley Forge, as well as the park, are partially located within Montgomery County, the modern village is in Chester County, PA

Other communities

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Population ranking

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The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Montgomery County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 Lower Merion Township 63,633
2 Abington Township 58,502
3 Cheltenham Township 37,452
4 † Norristown Municipality 35,748
5 Upper Merion Township 33,613
6 Upper Dublin Township 26,665
7 Horsham Township 26,564
8 Montgomery Township 25,862
9 Lower Providence Township 25,625
10 Upper Moreland Township 24,015
11 Pottstown Borough 23,433
12 King of Prussia CDP 22,028
13 Upper Providence Township 21,219
14 Springfield Township 20,814
15 Limerick Township 20,458
16 Whitpain Township 20,333
17 Whitemarsh Township 19,707
18 Lansdale Borough 18,773
19 Plymouth Township 18,256
20 Towamencin Township 18,009
21 Hatfield Township 17,294
22 Upper Gwynedd Township 17,072
23 West Norriton Township 16,201
24 Lower Salford Township 15,896
25 Horsham CDP 15,193
26 Skippack Township 14,386
27 Lower Moreland Township 13,917
28 Willow Grove CDP 13,730
29 East Norriton Township 13,590
30 Ardmore (partially in Delaware County) CDP 13,566
31 Franconia Township 13,259
32 Montgomeryville CDP 12,998
33 New Hanover Township 12,973
34 Lower Pottsgrove Township 12,217
35 Lower Gwynedd Township 12,076
36 Douglass Township 10,585
37 Harleysville CDP 9,899
38 Worcester Township 9,750
39 Conshohocken Borough 9,261
40 Perkiomen Township 8,959
41 Audubon CDP 8,688
42 Sanatoga CDP 8,496
43 Upper Hanover Township 8,350
44 Hatboro Borough 8,238
45 Kulpsville CDP 8,159
46 Glenside CDP 7,737
47 Plymouth Meeting CDP 7,452
48 Souderton Borough 7,191
49 Ambler Borough 6,807
50 Maple Glen CDP 6,647
51 Blue Bell CDP 6,506
52 Penn Wynne CDP 6,493
53 Oreland CDP 6,210
54 Fort Washington CDP 5,910
55 Bryn Mawr CDP 5,879
56 Upper Pottsgrove Township 5,870
57 Wyndmoor CDP 5,853
58 Gilbertsville CDP 5,508
59 Trooper CDP 5,481
60 Collegeville Borough 5,043
61 Bridgeport Borough 5,015
62 Royersford Borough 4,940
63 Telford (partially in Bucks County) Borough 4,928
64 Lower Frederick Township 4,830
65 Eagleville CDP 4,800
66 Flourtown CDP 4,786
67 Jenkintown Borough 4,719
68 Narberth Borough 4,492
69 Gladwyne CDP 4,096
70 Trappe Borough 4,002
71 Pennsburg Borough 3,889
72 Spring House CDP 3,978
73 Skippack CDP 3,928
74 West Pottsgrove Township 3,798
75 Upper Frederick Township 3,703
76 Stowe CDP 3,697
77 Marlborough Township 3,520
78 Hatfield Borough 3,496
79 Pottsgrove CDP 3,471
80 North Wales Borough 3,426
81 Halfway House CDP 3,273
82 Upper Salford Township 3,172
83 East Greenville Borough 3,166
84 Wyncote CDP 3,081
85 Salford Township 3,035
86 Rockledge Borough 2,638
87 Spring Mount CDP 2,498
88 Red Hill Borough 2,496
89 Evansburg CDP 2,410
90 Haverford College (mostly in Delaware County) CDP 1,497
91 West Conshohocken Borough 1,493
92 Woxhall CDP 1,297
93 Schwenksville Borough 1,296
94 Bryn Athyn Municipality 1,272
95 Arcadia University CDP 758
96 Green Lane Borough 490

Transportation

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Major roads and highways

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File:2022-10-11 11 58 25 View east along Interstate 276 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Delaware River Extension) from the overpass for Interstate 476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension) in Plymouth Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.jpg
I-276/Pennsylvania Turnpike eastbound at the Interstate 476/Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension in Montgomery County

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Public transportation

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The county is served by the SEPTA, which include bus, commuter rail, and interurban rail services. Pottstown Area Rapid Transit (PART) also provides bus services around the Pottstown area in the western portion of the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Airports

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Commercial airline service is provided primarily by Philadelphia International Airport, one of the nation's largest commercial airports, located in Philadelphia and Delaware counties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other public use airports include Heritage Field in Limerick Township, Wings Field in Blue Bell, and Pottstown Municipal Airport in Pottstown.

Culture

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Climate

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The majority of the county has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa). In most southern areas of the county and along the Schuylkill River including Pottstown a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) exists. The hardiness zone is 7a for the majority of the county and 7b in most areas south of Interstate 276. 6b only continues to exist in some very small higher areas in the north. [1]

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Politics

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As of November 4, 2024, there are 632,719 registered voters in Montgomery County.<ref>Pennsylvania Department of State, Voting and Election Statistics, accessed November 4, 2024</ref>

Montgomery County historically was a stronghold for the Republican Party. The county was the only one carried by Barbara Hafer in the 1990 gubernatorial election over the incumbent governor, Bob Casey. However, the Democratic Party has made substantial gains in the county over the last quarter-century and gained the registration edge early in 2008.

Like neighboring Bucks County, the county voted Democratic during the Civil War era, voting Democratic between 1856 and 1876, except in 1860 and 1872. Like most of Philadelphia's suburbs, the brand of Republicanism practiced in Montgomery County for much of the 20th century was moderate. As the national parties have polarized, the county's voters have increasingly supported Democrats at the national level. The county voted for the Republican presidential nominee in all but two elections from 1880 to 1988, that being in 1892 and 1964. However, Montgomery County residents have voted for the Democratic presidential nominee since 1992, with the margins progressively increasing between every election, except in 2012. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to obtain over 60% of the county's vote.

Despite Donald Trump's victory in the state of Pennsylvania in the 2016 presidential election, Montgomery County was one of the few counties in Pennsylvania that swung in the Democratic presidential candidates' direction with Hillary Clinton winning Montgomery County with 58.87% of the vote, an improvement from Barack Obama's 56.6% vote share in 2012. In the 2016 U.S. Senate and Pennsylvania Attorney General elections, Montgomery County voted for Katie McGinty and Josh Shapiro, both Democrats.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Most county-level offices were held by Republicans until after the 2007 election, when Democrats picked up control of five row offices. Democrats have also won several elections in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in recent years, including two GOP-leaning State House districts in 2004, the 148th with Mike Gerber and the 153rd with current Governor Josh Shapiro. Today, although the county is very Democratic at the national level, at the state and local level, it is not specifically partisan.

In the 2004 United States Senate election, Republican Arlen Specter won the county over Montco resident Joe Hoeffel, but Democrat Bob Casey, Jr. out-polled Rick Santorum in the 2006 Senate election. In 2006, Democrat Rick Taylor unseated incumbent Republican Eugene McGill in the 151st, although Taylor lost in 2010 to Republican Todd Stephens and, in 2008, Democrat Matthew Bradford unseated incumbent Republican Jay Moyer in the 70th. Six of the county's 12 state house seats and four of the county's eight senate seats are now held by Democrats. All four statewide Democratic candidates carried Montgomery in 2008, with Barack Obama receiving 60% of the county's vote. Barack Obama won Montgomery County in 2008 and 2012.

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Government

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Montgomery County is governed by a three-person county commission. The current composition is two Democrats and one Republican. By law, the county commission must have one member of a minority party represented.

County commissioners

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Holder Party Position
Jamila H. Winder Democratic Chair
Neil K. Makhija Democratic Vice Chair
Thomas DiBello Republican

County row offices

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As of the November 2019 election:

Office Holder Party
Clerk of Courts Lori Schreiber Democratic
Controller Karen Geld Sanchez Democratic
Coroner Janine Darby Democratic
District Attorney Kevin R. Steele Democratic
Prothonotary Noah Marlier Democratic
Recorder of Deeds Jeanne Sorg Democratic
Register of Wills Tina Lawson Democratic
Sheriff Sean Kilkenny Democratic
Treasurer Jason Salus Democratic
Jury Commissioner Joanne Cisco Olszewski Democratic
Jury Commissioner Merry Woods Republican

Same-sex marriage

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On July 24, 2013, Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes, a Democrat, announced he would begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, flouting Pennsylvania law banning such unions. Hanes called the commonwealth's ban "arbitrary and suspect", saying he believes it violates the Pennsylvania Constitution and the United States Constitution. The Republican administration of Governor Tom Corbett filed suit in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in an attempt to block Hanes from licensing same-sex marriage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini ordered Hanes in September 2013 to stop issuing same-sex marriage licenses. After Federal Judge John Jones threw out Pennsylvania's ban on same-sex marriage in May 2014, calling it unconstitutional, offices in other counties were able to issue these licenses, while Hanes had to wait for the ruling against him to be removed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

United States Senate

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Senator Party
Dave McCormick Republican
John Fetterman Democrat

United States House of Representatives

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File:Pennsylvania Congressional District 4.png
This 2018 Congressional map ordered by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania places the majority of Montgomery County in the newly created 4th congressional district.
District Representative Party
1 Brian Fitzpatrick Republican
4 Madeleine Dean Democratic
5 Mary Gay Scanlon Democratic

State senate

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District Representative Party
4 Art Haywood Democratic
7 Vincent Hughes Democratic
12 Maria Collett Democratic
17 Amanda Cappelletti Democratic
24 Tracy Pennycuick Republican
44 Katie Muth Democratic

State House of Representatives

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District Representative Party
26 Paul Friel Democratic
53 Steve Malagari Democratic
54 Greg Scott Democratic
61 Liz Hanbidge Democratic
70 Matthew Bradford Democratic
131 Milou Mackenzie Republican
146 Joe Ciresi Democratic
147 Donna Scheuren Republican
148 Mary Jo Daley Democratic
149 Tim Briggs Democratic
150 Joseph Webster Democratic
151 Melissa Cerrato Democratic
152 Nancy Guenst Democratic
153 Ben Sanchez Democratic
154 Napoleon Nelson Democratic
157 Melissa Shusterman Democratic
166 Greg Vitali Democratic
172 Kevin J. Boyle Democratic
194 Pam DeLissio Democratic

See also

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References

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Template:Commons category Template:Wikivoyage

Template:Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Template:Education in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Template:Delaware Valley Template:Pennsylvania Template:Authority control

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