Collingdale, Pennsylvania
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Collingdale is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,908 at the 2020 census.
Local governance
[edit]The Borough of Collingdale follows a council-manager form of governance.
The Borough Council is composed of seven at-large council members, led by council president Ryan Hastings. Other members include Stacey Calhoun (council vice-president), Stephen Zane, Nancy Cotton, David Lee Robinson, Felicia Coffee (former mayor), and Keisha Williams.
Donna Matteo-Spadea is the current mayor of Collingdale, and oversees certain aspects of the Collingdale Police Department's operations (as defined by the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes).
C. Michael Robinson was appointed as borough manager on July 17, 2024, and serves as the chief administrative officer of municipal services. Robinson is the first Black LGBTQ person to hold the position in the borough's history.
Frank Kelly served twelve consecutive four-year terms as Mayor of Collingdale until his passing in November 2018. He served over 47 consecutive years as Mayor of Collingdale. This was the longest consecutive mayoral term in the history of Pennsylvania. Template:Citation needed The borough council appointed Joseph Ciavarelli to fill the vacancy in the office of Mayor after Kelly's death. Ciavarelli lost the 2019 special mayoral election to the last mayor, Felecia Coffee. Making history, Felecia Coffee was the first African-American, the first female, and the first Democrat to ever be elected as mayor in the borough. Coffee was mayor for just months before the city shut down across Philadelphia area amidst COVID-19 pandemic. In a close race, Coffee lost the 2021 election to the current mayor, Donna Matteo-Spadea.
Recent developments
[edit]In 2024, C. Michael Robinson was appointed as the borough manager of Collingdale, becoming the first openly HIV-positive public official in Pennsylvania history. Since his appointment, Robinson has led several transformative initiatives that aim to modernize the borough's infrastructure and governance.
In December 2024, Robinson introduced and secured the adoption of a $10.1 million budget for fiscal fear 2025. The budget prioritizes long-neglected infrastructure upgrades, including stormwater system improvements, renovations to borough parks, and road resurfacing. Public safety was also a key focus, with the hiring of a new chief of police, Shanee Mitchell, and the establishment of a parking enforcement officer role to increase compliance and pedestrian safety.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In April 2025, the borough received a Strategic Management Planning Program (STMP) award through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The grant enables Collingdale to partner with Keystone Municipal Solutions for long-term strategic planning, financial oversight, and operational improvements. The STMP program is expected to position the borough for greater fiscal health and administrative stability over the coming decade.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Under Robinson’s leadership, the borough has also launched capital improvements such as plans to redevelop Pusey Avenue Park with new amenities, a long-needed replacement of the roof at the Collingdale Community Center Complex, as well as investments in stormwater infrastructure and traffic-calming interventions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In popular culture
[edit]- Southern rock group 38 Special used the Collingdale Police force in making the video for their song "Back Where You Belong". In the video the Collingdale chief of police Robert Morris began the video with an homage to the TV show "Hill Street Blues". After giving a short speech, he told the officers: "Let's be careful out there", a signature line from the TV show.Template:Citation needed. Part of the video was filmed in neighboring Philadelphia under the Walt Whitman Bridge.
- The YouTube weather docuseries Storm Sliders is filmed in Collingdale. First started in 2016, the fourth season has been on hiatus since late 2019.
Geography
[edit]Collingdale is located at Template:Coord (39.913889, -75.278647).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.
Demographics
[edit]2020
[edit]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 7,924 | 4,823 | 2,820 | 91.46% | 54.89% | 31.66% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 386 | 3,115 | 4,855 | 4.46% | 35.45% | 54.50% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 24 | 22 | 30 | 0.28% | 0.25% | 0.34% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 140 | 248 | 295 | 1.62% | 2.82% | 3.31% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 10 | 19 | 75 | 0.12% | 0.22% | 0.84% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 102 | 284 | 390 | 1.18% | 3.23% | 4.38% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 77 | 274 | 443 | 0.89% | 3.12% | 4.97% |
| Total | 8,664 | 8,786 | 8,908 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of 2010 census, the racial makeup of the borough was 55.9% White, 36.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population [1]Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore.
As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 8,664 people, 3,188 households, and 2,183 families residing in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,404 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the borough was 49.36% White, 51.274% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.
There were 3,188 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $40,207, and the median income for a family was $47,288. Males had a median income of $38,015 versus $27,955 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $16,751. About 6.9% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
[edit]Students are in the Southeast Delco School District.<ref>Template:Cite web - Compare to the school district zoning maps.</ref> Most K-8 school residents in Collingdale are zoned to the Harris School, while a few are zoned to Darby Township School.<ref>Template:Cite web - Compare with borough maps.</ref> All residents of the school district are zoned to Academy Park High School.
Harris School teaches 771 students from 1st-8th grades in the Southeast Delco School District.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia formerly operated St. Joseph School in Collingdale, which closed in 2010. There were 140 prospective children for the 2010–2011 school year that did not happen when the archdiocese wanted 200. Schools taking former St. Joseph's children were Our Lady of Fatima in Secane, St. Eugene in Primos, and St. Gabriel in Norwood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Transportation
[edit]Template:Stack As of 2013 there were Template:Convert of public roads in Collingdale, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Template:Convert were maintained by the borough.<ref name=PennDOTmap>Template:Cite web</ref>
U.S. Route 13 crosses the eastern corner of the borough. MacDade Boulevard (running approximately northeast-southwest), Clifton Avenue, and Woodlawn Avenue (both northwest-southeast) are the principal streets.
The SEPTA Media–Sharon Hill Line light rail line passes through the borough, with four stops in it. The bus route 113 passes thru on Macdade Blvd. The SEPTA Media/Wawa Line regional rail line passes nearby to the north; the closest stations are Clifton-Aldan and Primos.<ref>Google Maps, Collingdale, PA; accessed 2014.04.09.</ref>
Landmarks
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A significant portion of Collingdale's area is made up of four cemeteries, three of which are active. Eden Cemetery is an African-American cemetery, where many notable persons are buried, including singer Marian Anderson, physician Rebecca Cole, and civil rights activist Octavius Catto. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.<ref name="nris">Template:NRISref</ref> Har Zion Cemetery and Mt. Lebanon Cemetery are Jewish cemeteries. The fourth, an American Civil War–era cemetery, has been maintained by a local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.Template:Citation needed
References
[edit]<references /> Template:Commons category Template:Delaware County, Pennsylvania Template:Authority control