Editing Meadville, Pennsylvania

{{short description|City in Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Other uses|Meadville (disambiguation){{!}}Meadville}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{more citations needed|date = December 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Meadville, Pennsylvania
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Pennsylvania|City]]
| image_skyline      = Crawford County Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
| imagesize          =
| image_caption      = Crawford County Courthouse, [[Meadville Downtown Historic District]]
| image_flag         = Flag of Meadville, Pennsylvania.svg
| flag_size          =
| image_seal         = Seal of Meadville.png
| seal_size          =
| nickname           = Tool City
| motto              =
| image_map          = File:Crawford County Pennsylvania Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Meadville Highlighted.svg
| map_caption        = Location of Meadville in [[Crawford County, Pennsylvania]]
| pushpin_map        = Pennsylvania#USA
| pushpin_label      = Meadville
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Pennsylvania##Location in the United States
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|39|N|80|9|W|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_type2  = County
| subdivision_name1  = Pennsylvania
| subdivision_name2  = [[Crawford County, Pennsylvania|Crawford]]
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = {{start date and age|1788|05|12}}
| named_for          = David Mead, founder<ref>{{cite book|last=Gannett|first=Henry|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|year=1905|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n203 204]}}</ref>
| founder            =
| government_type    =
| leader_party       =
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Jamie Kinder  ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayor |url=https://www.cityofmeadville.org/index.asp?SEC=E525F6BA-E721-414E-80AC-0DFBD1562F49&Type=B_BASIC |website=Meadville, Pennsylvania |publisher=City of Meadville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania |access-date=June 29, 2022}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = Mayor
| leader_name1       =
| unit_pref          = Imperial
<!-- Metric -->| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='42'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 4.37
| area_land_sq_mi    = 4.36
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01
| area_water_percent = <!-- elevation -->
| area_total_km2     = 11.31
| area_land_km2      = 11.30
| area_water_km2     = 0.01
| elevation_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_m        =
| elevation_ft       = 1,400
| elevation_point    = <!-- for denoting the measurement point -->
| population_total   = 13050
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_density_sq_mi = 2991.75
| population_density_km2 = 1155.16
| population_urban   =
| population_metro   =
| population_demonym =
| timezone1          = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset1        = -5
| timezone1_DST      = [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = -4
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 16335, 16388
| area_code          = [[Area code 814|814]]
| area_code_type     =
| iso_code           =
| website            = {{URL|www.cityofmeadville.org}}
| footnotes          = {{designation list|embed=yes|designation1=Pennsylvania|designation1_date=November 1, 1946<ref name="PAHMDB">{{cite web|url=http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_historical_marker_program/2539/search_for_historical_markers|title=PHMC Historical Markers Search|work=Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission |publisher=Commonwealth of Pennsylvania|format=Searchable database|access-date=January 25, 2014}}</ref>}}
| pop_est_as_of      = 2023
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="QuickFacts">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts Meadville city, Pennsylvania |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/meadvillecitypennsylvania/PST045222 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 23, 2023}}</ref>
| population_est     = 12361
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 42-48360
}}

'''Meadville''' is a city in [[Crawford County, Pennsylvania]], United States, and its [[county seat]].<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> The population was 13,050 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The first permanent settlement in [[Northwestern Pennsylvania]], Meadville is within {{Convert|40|mi|km|abbr=}} of [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]] and within {{Convert|90|mi|km|abbr=}} of [[Pittsburgh]]. It is the principal city of the  [[Meadville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area|Meadville micropolitan area]], as well as part of the larger [[Erie–Meadville combined statistical area]].

==History==
===Settlement and establishment===
The Meadville area was the ancestral land of the Eriechronon people until the [[Iroquois|Iroquois Confederacy]] forced them out.<ref>{{Cite web | publisher = The library of Congress |title= No Connections Available|url= https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchCode=LCCN&searchArg=61014871&searchType=1&permalink=y|access-date=November 4, 2021|website=Catalog |archive-date=November 4, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211104004327/https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchCode=LCCN&searchArg=61014871&searchType=1&permalink=y|url-status=live}}</ref> Having been displaced from their ancestral lands in what is now Eastern Pennsylvania, the [[Lenape]] moved into the now unoccupied region. They formed an alliance with the neighboring [[Seneca people|Seneca]], one of the five tribes that made up the [[Iroquois]] Confederacy, and other displaced Lenape. Under the leadership of Chief [[Custaloga]], they founded the settlement of Cussewago. Custaloga's name first appeared in western Pennsylvania's history in George Washington's journal of 1754.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=etas|title=The Journal of Major George Washington (1754)|last=Royster}}</ref> When Washington arrived in the village of Venango (Fort Machault), Custaloga was in charge of the wampum of his nation. This wampum was a message that was sent to the Six Nations if the French refused to leave the land. Custaloga was the chief of the Munsee or Wolf Clan of Delawares and he also ruled over the Delawares at the town of Cussewago, at the present site of Meadville.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://frenchandindianwarfoundation.org/washingtons-journal-1753-1754/|title=Washington's 2 Journals 1753-1754|website=frenchandindianwarfoundation.org|access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref>

After Cussewago was abandoned, Meadville was laid out by [[William McArthur Sr.]] and settled on May 12, 1788, by a party of settlers led by [[David Mead (military general)|David Mead]]. Its location at the confluence of [[Cussewago Creek]] and [[French Creek (Allegheny River)|French Creek]] was only a day's travel by boat to the safety of [[Franklin, Pennsylvania|Fort Franklin]]. The neighboring [[Iroquois]] and [[Lenape]] befriended the isolated settlement, but their enemies, including the [[Wyandot people|Wyandot]]s, were not so amiable. The threat of their attacks caused the settlement to be evacuated for a time in 1791.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} Around 1800, many of the settlers to the Meadville area came after receiving land bounties for service in the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Allegheny College was founded in April 1815 by [[Timothy Alden]].<ref name=tws71>{{cite news | first = Anne W. | last = Stewart | title = Nothing New Under the Sun | work = The Wall Street Journal | date = February 7, 2003 | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1044579789897852013
| access-date = August 26, 2009 | archive-date = December 23, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151223052031/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1044579789897852013 | url-status = live}}</ref> Meadville became an important transportation center after the construction of the [[French Creek Feeder Canal]] in 1837 and of the [[Beaver and Erie Canal]] it connected to at [[Conneaut Lake]] and subsequent railroad development.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Meadville played a small part in the Underground Railroad helping escaping slaves to freedom. An event in September 1880 led to the end of segregation by race in the state's public schools. At the South Ward schools, Elias Allen tried unsuccessfully to enroll his two children. He appealed to the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas, and Judge Pearson Church declared unconstitutional the 1854 state law mandating separate schools for Negro children. This law was amended, effective July 4, 1881, to prohibit such segregation.<ref>HistoricalMarkers.com [http://www.historicmarkers.com/Pennsylvania/Crawford_County_Pennsylvania/Desegregation_of_Pennsylvania_Schools_PA430] Retrieved on December 14, 2008.</ref>

===Industrial growth===
[[File:The Market House.png|thumb|alt=This Image shows another establishment of Meadville that animals would be auctioned off until it turned into a breakfast place|Meadville Market House]]
The [[League of Friendship, Mechanical Order of the Sun]], a fraternal beneficiary labor organization was formed at Meadville in April 1868, and dissolved in October, with the establishment of the [[Ancient Order of United Workmen]] as the succeeding organization.<ref name="Preuss1924">{{cite book |last1=Preuss |first1=Arthur |title=A Dictionary of Secret and Other Societies ... |date=1924 |publisher=B. Herder Book Company |page=231 |chapter=League of Friendship of the (Supreme) Mechanical Order of the Sun |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tK82AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA231 |access-date=October 26, 2024 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>

By the late 19th century, Meadville's economy was also driven by logging, agriculture, and iron production. The [[Talon Corporation]], headquartered in Meadville, played a major role in the development of the [[zipper]]. Since the clothing industry was largely unaffected by the [[Great Depression]], the community saw a population boom at that time. During [[World War II]], the nearby Keystone Ordnance plant brought additional jobs to the area.

The high demand for zippers created favorable conditions for the Talon Company, and so became Meadville's most crucial industry. The company encountered significant difficulties after it was absorbed by [[Textron]] industries in 1968, eventually ending up bankrupt. However, as a result of the need for close tolerances and [[tool and die maker]]s, a [[cottage industry]] of tool and die shops was established which resulted in Meadville, earning the city the nickname Tool City with more tool shops per capita than any place else in the United States.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

In 1886, a [[blacksmith]] from [[Evansburg, Pennsylvania]], George B. DeArment, began hand-forging [[farrier]]'s tools and selling them from town to town out of the back of a wagon. The business eventually became known as the Champion Bolt and Clipper Company. In 1904, now named [[Channellock]], the company moved to a {{convert|12000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} facility in Meadville and added nippers, pinchers, and open-end wrenches to its product line. George B. DeArment's two sons, Almon W. and J. Howard DeArment became partners in the company in 1911 and expanded the product line again to include hammers. In 1923, the company moved again to a {{convert|33000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} facility at its current location. Four years later, the name of the company was changed to the Champion–DeArment Tool Company.<ref name="history">{{cite web |author= Channellock, Inc. |title= Company history|url=http://www.channellock.com/company/history.htm |accessdate= September 28, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526060517/http://www.channellock.com/company/history.htm|archivedate=May 26, 2010}}</ref>

Talon remained a major employer, along with the [[Erie Railroad]], [[American Viscose Corporation]] (later known as Avtex Fibers), Channellock tools, and [[Dad's Pet Food]]. The area actually saw an increase in population during the Great Depression and the economy continued to grow past World War II.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crawfordcountypa.net/Pages/Complete-History-of-Crawford-County.aspx|title=Complete History of Crawford County|website=www.crawfordcountypa.net|access-date=April 9, 2019}}</ref> By the early 1990s, Channellock and Dad's were the only large companies operating in Meadville. This blow to the local economy was softened by a subsequent surge in light industry, mainly tool and die machine shops. The song "Bittersweet Motel" by Vermont jam band, [[Phish]], was inspired when keyboardist Page McConnell left a wedding in Meadville and drove to the Pittsburgh Airport.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

In addition to the [[Meadville Downtown Historic District]], several buildings are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]: [[Baldwin-Reynolds House]], [[Bentley Hall]] (Allegheny College), [[Independent Congregational Church]], [[Dr. J. R. Mosier Office]], [[Roueche House]], [[Ruter Hall]] (Allegheny College), and [[Judge Henry Shippen House]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==
Meadville is located at {{coord|41|39|N|80|9|W|type:city}} (41.642, −80.147).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|4.4|sqmi|km2}}, all  land.

===Climate===
According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Meadville has a [[warm-summer humid continental climate]], abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Meadville was {{convert|104|F|C|1}} on July 9, 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-23|F|C|1}} on January 31, 1948.<ref name = NOWData/>

{{Weather box
|location = [[Port Meadville Airport]], Pennsylvania, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1928–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 72
|Feb record high F = 73
|Mar record high F = 82
|Apr record high F = 92
|May record high F = 94
|Jun record high F = 99
|Jul record high F = 104
|Aug record high F = 98
|Sep record high F = 98
|Oct record high F = 88
|Nov record high F = 81
|Dec record high F = 72

|Jan avg record high F = 56.6
|Feb avg record high F = 56.9
|Mar avg record high F = 68.4
|Apr avg record high F = 78.5
|May avg record high F = 84.2
|Jun avg record high F = 87.8
|Jul avg record high F = 89.6
|Aug avg record high F = 87.5
|Sep avg record high F = 85.2
|Oct avg record high F = 77.3
|Nov avg record high F = 66.8
|Dec avg record high F = 57.3
|year avg record high F = 90.5

|Jan high F = 32.5
|Feb high F = 35.1
|Mar high F = 43.8
|Apr high F = 57.6
|May high F = 68.6
|Jun high F = 75.8
|Jul high F = 80.4
|Aug high F = 78.3
|Sep high F = 71.5
|Oct high F = 59.9
|Nov high F = 47.5
|Dec high F = 37.0
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 25.4
|Feb mean F = 27.2
|Mar mean F = 35.2
|Apr mean F = 47.4
|May mean F = 58.2
|Jun mean F = 66.1
|Jul mean F = 70.5
|Aug mean F = 68.8
|Sep mean F = 62.2
|Oct mean F = 51.1
|Nov mean F = 40.3
|Dec mean F = 30.9
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 18.4
|Feb low F = 19.3
|Mar low F = 26.5
|Apr low F = 37.2
|May low F = 47.8
|Jun low F = 56.4
|Jul low F = 60.5
|Aug low F = 59.3
|Sep low F = 52.8
|Oct low F = 42.3
|Nov low F = 33.1
|Dec low F = 24.8
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -0.6
|Feb avg record low F = 1.7
|Mar avg record low F = 7.5
|Apr avg record low F = 23.4
|May avg record low F = 33.4
|Jun avg record low F = 42.2
|Jul avg record low F = 50.1
|Aug avg record low F = 48.2
|Sep avg record low F = 40.1
|Oct avg record low F = 30.3
|Nov avg record low F = 19.4
|Dec avg record low F = 8.2
|year avg record low F = -3.6

|Jan record low F = -23
|Feb record low F = -22
|Mar record low F = -12
|Apr record low F = 5
|May record low F = 21
|Jun record low F = 29
|Jul record low F = 38
|Aug record low F = 33
|Sep record low F = 26
|Oct record low F = 17
|Nov record low F = -1
|Dec record low F = -19

|precipitation color = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.52
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.96
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.90
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.81
|May precipitation inch = 3.73
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.39
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.91
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.73
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.16
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.74
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.98
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.59
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 14.2
|Feb precipitation days = 13.5
|Mar precipitation days = 13.7
|Apr precipitation days = 14.9
|May precipitation days = 14.6
|Jun precipitation days = 13.6
|Jul precipitation days = 13.8
|Aug precipitation days = 12.6
|Sep precipitation days = 12.1
|Oct precipitation days = 15.3
|Nov precipitation days = 14.5
|Dec precipitation days = 15.6

|Jan snow inch =
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|unit snow days = 0.1 in
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|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00004843&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Port Meadville AP, PA
|access-date = July 24, 2024
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=cle
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Cleveland
|access-date = July 24, 2024
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1810= 457
|1820= 649
|1830= 1076
|1840= 1319
|1850= 2578
|1860= 3702
|1870= 7103
|1880= 8860
|1890= 9520
|1900= 10291
|1910= 12780
|1920= 14568
|1930= 16698
|1940= 18919
|1950= 18972
|1960= 16671
|1970= 16573
|1980= 15544
|1990= 14318
|2000= 13685
|2010= 13388
|2020= 13050
|estyear=2023
|estimate=12361
|estref=<ref name="QuickFacts"/>
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR2" /><ref name="Census1960">{{cite web|title=Number of Inhabitants: Pennsylvania|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/17216604v1p40ch02.pdf|work=18th Census of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Census1990">{{cite web|title=Pennsylvania: Population and Housing Unit Counts|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-40.pdf|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="CensusPopEst">{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=November 25, 2013|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:42&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
As of the census of 2020, there were 13,050 people living in the city, for a population density of 2,991.75 people per square mile (1,155.16/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 6,009 housing units. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|racial makeup]] of the city was 93.3% White, 6.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 6.7% from two or more races. 3.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name="2020 census">{{cite web |title=Meadville city, Pennsylvania - Census Bureau Profile |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Meadville_city,_Pennsylvania?g=160XX00US4248360 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 28, 2023}}</ref>

There were 5,058 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 21.7% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 36.0% had a female householder with no spouse present. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25, and the average family size was 2.90.<ref name="2020 census"/>

19.9% of the city's population were under the age of 18, 64.2% were 18 to 64, and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.3. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males.<ref name="2020 census"/>

According to the U.S. Census [[American Community Survey]], for the period 2016-2020 the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $40,694, and the median income for a family was $52,255. About 19.6% of the population were living below the [[poverty line]], including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those 65 or over. About 49.2% of the population were employed, and 24.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher.<ref name="2020 census"/>

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2010, there were 13,338 people, 5,376 households, and 2,891 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|3,060.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|adj=off}}. There were 5,985 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,375.5|/sqmi|/km2|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 87.5% (11,487) &nbsp;[[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 5.28% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.18% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.4% (320) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.34% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.2% (420) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.4% (5) of the population.

There were 5,376 households, out of which 17.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 20.0% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. There are currently 6,171 males (46.6%) while there are currently 7,067 females (53.4%).

The median income for a household in the city was $33,848, and the median income for a family was $54,069. Males had a median income of $32,813 versus $22,579 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,290. About 13.7% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/meadvillecitypennsylvania,US/PST045218|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Meadville city, Pennsylvania; UNITED STATES|website=www.census.gov|language=en|access-date=April 9, 2019}}</ref>

==Arts and culture==
A replica of founder David Mead's log cabin, the first permanent settlement in northwestern Pennsylvania, is located at Bicentennial Park along the banks of French Creek.  The replica was built as a part of Meadville's Bicentennial celebration in 1988. The cabin is used as an educational resource for school tours and the general public.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rs.locationshub.com/location_detail.aspx?id=043-10082062|title=David Mead Log Cabin, Meadville - LocationsHub|website=rs.locationshub.com|language=en|access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref>

The Market House is a prominent historical building located in downtown Meadville.  It is the oldest continuously run market structure in the state of Pennsylvania, and still serves as a hub for local farmers. Farmers markets are still held on Saturdays.<ref name="History - Meadville"/>

The [[Baldwin-Reynolds House]], managed by the Crawford County Historical Society, is a [[house museum]] in town. The building was constructed in 1843 by [[Henry Baldwin (judge)|Heney Baldwin]], an [[associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court]], a few months before his death in 1844.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://baldwinreynolds.org/|title=The Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum|website=The Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum|publisher=Crawford County Historical Society}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uncoveringpa.com/visiting-baldwin-reynolds-house-museum-meadville|title=Visiting the Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum in Meadville|last=Cheney|first=Jim|date=August 26, 2016|website=UncoveringPA|language=en-US|access-date=November 5, 2023}}</ref>

==Parks and recreation==
Diamond Park is Meadville's central park and has been used for a variety of different purposes for over two centuries. In the 19th century, the park was used as militia drill grounds leading up to and during the Civil War. After the Civil War was over, Diamond Park became more open to the public with grass, statues, monuments and a gazebo. It is now used as a recreational park for the community.<ref name="History - Meadville">{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/a/allegheny.edu/meadville/history|title=History - Meadville|website=sites.google.com|access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Bentley Hall.jpg|thumb|Bentley Hall on the campus of [[Allegheny College]]]]

===Colleges===
Meadville is the home of [[Allegheny College]], a [[liberal arts college]] with approximately 1,700 students. Allegheny was founded in April 1815<ref name=tws212>{{cite news
| first = Anne W.  | last = Stewart
| title = Nothing New Under the Sun
| work=The Wall Street Journal
| date = February 7, 2003
| url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1044579789897852013?mod=googlewsj
| access-date = August 26, 2009
}}</ref> by the [[Timothy Alden|Reverend Timothy Alden]], a graduate of Harvard's [[Harvard Divinity School|School of Divinity]]. The college was historically affiliated with the [[United Methodist Church]] after 1833, although it is currently non-sectarian. The first class, consisting of four male students, began their studies on July 4, 1816, without any formal academic buildings. Within six years, Alden accumulated sufficient funds to begin building a campus. The first building erected, the library, was designed by Alden himself, and is a notable example of early American architecture. [[Bentley Hall]] is named in honor of Dr. [[William Bentley]], who donated his private library to the college, a collection of considerable value and significance. In 1824, [[Thomas Jefferson]] wrote to Alden, expressing the hope that his [[University of Virginia]] could someday possess the richness of Allegheny's library.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Haskins
| first = Charles H.
| first2= William I. | last2=Hull
| title = A History of Education in Pennsylvania
| publisher=Washington Government Printing Office
| year = 1902
| page = 10
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XuwTAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA10
}}</ref> Alden served as president of the college until 1831, when financial and enrollment difficulties forced his resignation. [[Ruter Hall]] was built in 1853.<ref name="arch">{{cite web|url=https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp |title=National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania |publisher=CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System |format=Searchable database }} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web|url=https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H001243_01H.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Ruter Hall |author=John P. Davis |date=December 1977 |url-status = dead|access-date=June 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205091042/https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce_imagery/phmc_scans/H001243_01H.pdf |archive-date=December 5, 2014 }}</ref>

[[Meadville Theological School]] was established in 1844 by a wealthy businessman and [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] named Harm Jan Huidekoper. It moved to [[Chicago]] in 1926.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://uudb.org/articles/harmjanhuidekoper.html|title=Harm Jan Huidekoper, Dictionary of Unitarian & Universalist Biography}}</ref>

===Primary and secondary===
Public schools, all part of the [[Crawford Central School District]],<!--UNI 07080--> which covers the city:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st42_pa/schooldistrict_maps/c42039_crawford/DC20SD_C42039.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Crawford County, PA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 18, 2024}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st42_pa/schooldistrict_maps/c42039_crawford/DC20SD_C42039_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>
{{Div col}}
* [[Meadville Area Senior High School]] (grades 9–12)
* Meadville Middle School (grades 7–8)
* First District Elementary School (grades K-6)
* Neason Hill Elementary School (grades K-6)
* Second District Elementary School (grades K-6)
* West End Elementary School (grades K-6)
{{Div col end}}

Private/charter schools:
{{Div col}}
* Crawford Christian Academy (grades K-12)
* Seton Catholic School (grades K-8)
* The Learning Center K-8 Independent School (grades K-8)
{{Div col end}}

==Notable people==
<!--Please keep these listed in alphabetical order by last name.-->
{{col div}}
* [[Roger Alden]], early settler, Holland Land Company resident agent 1795-1804
* [[Meghan Allen]], ''Playboy'' model
* [[Henry Baldwin (judge)|Henry Baldwin]], Supreme Court justice, lone dissenter in the ''Amistad'' case
* [[John Joseph Bittner]], [[geneticist]] and [[cancer]] biologist, who studied the genetics of [[breast cancer]]
* [[Journey Brown]], [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]] running back and [[Cotton Bowl Classic]] MVP
* [[Mary Ann Day Brown]] (1816-1884), wife of abolitionist [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]]
* [[Sal Campfield]], Major League baseball player
* [[Cameron Carpenter]], Grammy-nominated organistabe 
* [[Annie W. Clark]] (1843-1907), temperance leader
* [[James Clark (Jesuit)|James Clark]], Jesuit and president of the [[College of the Holy Cross]]
* [[Ernestine Cobern Beyer]], poet and children's author
* [[George Washington Cullum]] U.S. Army general from the Civil War
* [[John Dick (politician)|John Dick]], U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania
* [[Samuel Bernard Dick]], U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania
* [[Lavantia Densmore Douglass]] (1827–1899), social reformer
* [[Jack Dunn (baseball)|Jack Dunn]], Major League pitcher and Minor League Baseball team owner
* [[R. Budd Dwyer]], former PA State Treasurer
* [[Todd Erdos]], Major League Baseball player
* [[John Wilson Farrelly]], U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 22nd congressional district from 1847 to 1849
* [[Patrick Farrelly]], U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district from 1823 to 1826
* [[Randy Fichtner]],  former Offensive Coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, graduate of Meadville Area Senior High
* [[Charles Homer Haskins]], historian, advisor to President Woodrow Wilson
* [[Todd Holland]], television and film director and producer
* [[Carl Hovde]] (1926–2009), professor and dean during the [[Columbia University protests of 1968]]<ref>Hevesi, Dennis. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/nyregion/11hovde.html "Carl F. Hovde, Former Columbia Dean, Dies at 82"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 10, 2009, Accessed September 11, 2009.</ref>
* [[Harm Jan Huidekoper]], Holland Land Company resident agent, 1804-1836, land developer, Unitarian leader
* [[Henry Shippen Huidekoper]], Lieutenant Colonel of the 150th PA Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Awarded the Medal of Honor for meritorious service on July 1, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg
* [[Emma Hunter (telegrapher)|Emma Hunter]], 19th-century telegraph operator
* [[Lynn Jones]], former Major League Baseball player
* [[Robert F. Kent]], former state representative and state treasurer
* [[Virginia Kirkus]], creator of ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]''
* [[Wade Manning]], former National Football League player
* [[Alexander S. McDill]], [[United States House of Representatives|congressman]] from Wisconsin
* [[Ross A. McGinnis]], US Army soldier who was killed in the Iraq War December 4, 2006, and was posthumously awarded the United States' highest decoration for bravery, the [[Medal of Honor]].
* [[Jack Michaels]], National Hockey League radio and television announcer with the [[Edmonton Oilers]].
* [[Tammy Pescatelli]], comedian
* [[Branch Rickey]], Baseball executive
* [[Raymond P. Shafer]], former governor of Pennsylvania
* [[Michael S. Smith (drummer)|Michael S. Smith]], jazz drummer and percussionist
* [[Gladys Marie Stein]], author and composer
* [[Sharon Stone]] (1958-), actress
* [[Gideon Sundback]], member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work on the development of the zipper
* [[Jay Tessmer]], former Major League Baseball player
* [[Brenna Thummler]], graphic novelist
* [[Vicki Van Meter]], record-setting child pilot
* [[John K. Williams]], Wisconsin state legislator
* [[Andrew J. Yorty]], Wisconsin state legislator
{{col div end}}

==See also==
* [[Meadville Medical Center Foundation]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.cityofmeadville.org City website]
* [http://www.crawfordcopa.com/history/1850/chronology.html Alfred Huidekoper's 1850 chronology]
* {{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Meadville, Pa.|short=x}}

{{Geographic Location (8-way)
| Centre    = Meadville
| North     = [[File:I-79.svg|20px]] [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]]
| Northeast = [[File:PA-77.svg|20px]] [[Spartansburg, Pennsylvania|Spartansburg]]
| East      = [[File:PA-27.svg|20px]] [[Titusville, Pennsylvania|Titusville]]
| Southeast = [[File:US 322.svg|20px]] [[Franklin, Pennsylvania|Franklin]]
| South     = [[File:I-79.svg|20px]] [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]]
| Southwest =
| West      = [[File:US 322.svg|20px]] [[Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania|Conneaut Lake]]
| Northwest =
| image     =
}}

{{Crawford County, Pennsylvania}}
{{County Seats of Pennsylvania}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Meadville, Pennsylvania| ]]
[[Category:County seats in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1788]]
[[Category:Cities in Crawford County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Cities in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:1788 establishments in Pennsylvania]]