Editing Lower Swatara Township, Pennsylvania

{{short description|Township in Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{other Pennsylvania townships|Swatara (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Lower Swatara Township, Pennsylvania
| settlement_type          = [[Township (Pennsylvania)|Township]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = "A Progressive First Class Township"
<!-- Images -->| image_skyline            = CONRAD AND MARGARET ALLERMAN HOUSE, DAUPHIN COUNTY, PA.jpg
| imagesize                = 250px
| image_caption            = The [[Conrad and Margaret Allerman House]], a historic site in the township
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = Dauphin County Pennsylvania incorporated and unincorporated areas Lower Swatara township highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location in [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin County]] and state of [[Pennsylvania]].
<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Pennsylvania]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin]]
<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = Board of Commissioners
| leader_title             = President
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| leader_title2            = 
| leader_name2             = 
| established_title        = Settled
| established_date         = 1717
| established_title1       = Incorporated
| established_date1        = 1961
<!-- Area -->| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2016">{{cite web|title=2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_42.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=Aug 13, 2017}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 38.36
| area_land_km2            = 31.93
| area_water_km2           = 6.44
| area_total_sq_mi         = 14.81
| area_land_sq_mi          = 12.33
| area_water_sq_mi         = 2.49
<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2023">{{cite web |last1=Bureau |first1=US Census |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
| population_total         = 9528 {{increase}}
| population_density_km2   = 274.54
| population_density_sq_mi = 711.04
<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -->| postal_code_type         = 
| postal_code              = 17034, 17057, 17111, 17036
| area_code                = [[Area code 717|717]]
| website                  = {{URL|www.lowerswatara.org}}
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 2023
| pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2020-2023"/>
| population_est           = 9797
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 42-043-45120
}}

'''Lower Swatara Township''' is a [[Township (Pennsylvania)|township]] in [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin County]], [[Pennsylvania]], United States. The population was 9,528 at the 2020 census.<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2023"/> [[Harrisburg International Airport]] and [[Penn State Harrisburg]] are located within the township.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=06000US4204345120&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606043311/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=06000US4204345120&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=saff&_lang=en&_sse=on |archive-date=2011-06-06 |access-date=19 Jun 2023 |website=factfinder.census.gov |publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]}}</ref> It shares a [[ZIP Code]] with the nearby borough of [[Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Middletown]], and all locations in the township have Middletown addresses.

==History==
Lower Swatara Township is bordered by the [[Susquehanna River]] on the south and [[Swatara Creek]] to the east. The township name is derived from a Native American language. The word is thought to be from a [[Susquehannock language|Susquehannock]] word meaning "Where we fed on eels."<ref>{{cite book|last=Kelker|first=Luther Reily|title=History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|year=1907|publisher=Lewis Publishing|location=New York|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j3NWAAAAYAAJ&q=Swahadowry&pg=PA14|access-date=2023-01-12|page=14}}</ref> The Native Americans established a network of pathways through the area. [[Presbyterian]] settlers from [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]] were followed by settlers from the [[German Palatinate]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lowerswatara.org/history.php|title=Lower Swatara Township|date=n.d.|website=Lower Swatara Township|access-date=February 4, 2019}}</ref> The first settlers erected their log homes along the banks of the Susquehanna and Swatara.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.lowerswatara.org/history.php |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306003653/https://www.lowerswatara.org/history.php |archive-date=2013-03-06 |access-date=19 Jun 2023 |website=lowerswatara.org}}</ref>

In 1729, Paxtang Township of [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Lancaster County]] was established. The spelling "Paxtang" is from the original Native name ''Peshtank'', which meant "standing water".<ref name="peshtank">{{cite web |url=http://www.susquehannatwp.com/About.asp |title=About |accessdate=2013-05-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213112332/http://www.susquehannatwp.com/About.asp |archivedate=2012-12-13 }}</ref>

On March 4, 1785, Dauphin County was formed from Lancaster County, named for the [[Dauphin of France]], heir apparent to the French throne, whose country the area government wanted to honor for its assistance in the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. In August 1787, the legislature separated Paxtang Township into [[Upper Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Upper Paxtang]], [[Middle Paxton Township, Pennsylvania|Middle Paxtang]] and [[Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania|Lower Paxtang]] townships.<ref name="midpax">{{cite web|url=http://middlepaxtontwp.org/community/history/ |title=History &#124; Middle Paxton Township |accessdate=2013-01-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130014407/http://middlepaxtontwp.org/community/history/ |archivedate=2013-01-30 }}</ref>

Lower Paxtang Township embraced the areas now occupied by Lower Swatara, [[Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Swatara]], [[Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania|Lower Paxton]], [[Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Derry]] and [[Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Susquehanna]] townships.

Lower Swatara Township was incorporated from Swatara Township on November 7, 1961, as a first class township. Within Lower Swatara is the [[Conrad and Margaret Allerman House]], listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> The township formerly housed the [[Star Barn Complex]], which moved to neighboring Lancaster County in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thestarbarn.com/history/|title=History – The Star Barn|website=thestarbarn.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-14}}</ref>

==Geography==
Lower Swatara Township is in southern Dauphin County, bordered by [[York County, Pennsylvania|York County]] to the southwest across the [[Susquehanna River]], by the boroughs of [[Highspire, Pennsylvania|Highspire]] and [[Steelton, Pennsylvania|Steelton]] to the west, by Swatara Township to the northwest and north, by Derry Township to the northeast across Swatara Creek, and by Londonderry Township and the borough of Middletown to the southeast. Unincorporated communities in Lower Swatara Township include [[Ebenezer, Pennsylvania|Ebenezer]] in the north, Freys Grove in the east along Swatara Creek, Greenwood Hills near the center, and Meade Heights and [[Jednota, Pennsylvania|Jednota]] in the south. [[Harrisburg International Airport]] occupies the southernmost land in the township, along the Susquehanna River.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|38.3|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{Convert|31.9|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|6.4|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 16.79%, is water. Most of the water area is in the Susquehanna River.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2000= 8149
|2010= 8268
|2020= 9528
|estyear=2023
|estimate=9797
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2023"/>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 8,149 people, 3,003 households, and 2,201 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|672.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 3,124 housing units at an average density of {{convert|257.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 93.70% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.07% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.05% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.53% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.58% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.06% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.91% of the population.

There were 3,003 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the township, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $48,940, and the median income for a family was $58,203. Males had a median income of $39,980 versus $29,436 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $23,271.  About 3.0% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
The [[US Airways]] subsidiary [[Allegheny Airlines]] had its headquarters on the grounds of [[Harrisburg International Airport]] in the township.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 2004 |title=Directory: world airlines |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2004/2004-09%20-%200085.html?search=%22aviacsa%22 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305060354/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2004/2004-09%20-%200085.html?search=%22aviacsa%22 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |access-date=19 Jun 2023 |website=Flightglobal/Archive |format=PDF}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://lowerswatara.org/ Lower Swatara Township official website]

{{Dauphin County, Pennsylvania}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|40|14|N|76|45|W|type:city_region:US-PA_source:GNIS-enwiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Populated places established in 1717]]
[[Category:Townships in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:1717 establishments in Pennsylvania]]