Happy Valley State College, PA MSA Centre Region Council of Governments | |
|---|---|
 .JPG)   Clockwise from top left: DowntownState College at Allen Street,Nittany Lion Shrine,Beaver Stadium, andHUB-Robeson Center atPennsylvania State University | |
 Map ofCentre County with Happy Valley in red | |
 Map ofPennsylvania withCentre County in red | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| Principal cities | State College,College,Ferguson,Halfmoon,Harris, andPatton |
| Elevation | 1,152 ft (351 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Metro | MSA:158,742 (US:257th) CSA: 236,577 (US:124th)[1] |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EST) |
Happy Valley is a region inCentre County, Pennsylvania,United States. The region contains the borough ofState College, and five townships,College,Halfmoon,Harris,Patton, andFerguson. The region is part of the largerNittany Valley, and is bounded byPenns Valley to the east,Bald Eagle Valley to the north and west, andHuntingdon County to the south. These municipalities comprise the Centre Region Council of Governments,[2] and are part of theState College Area School District,[3] theState College Metropolitan Statistical Area, and theState College–DuBois, PA Combined Statistical Area.
TheDelaware,Iroquois,Mingo, andShawnee were some of the first native inhabitants who began establishing settlements, farms, and trails throughout the valley and its water gaps.[4][5]
TheHouserville archeological site is a prehistoric stone workshop found inPuddintown, while the adjacentTudek Site is a prehistoric quarry. They are both listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[6][7]
Many of the early villages in Happy Valley grew asrailway towns along theBellefonte Central Railroad and theLewisburg and Tyrone Railroad includingLemont,Struble,Scotia,Fairbrook, andWaddle.[8]
The name Happy Valley was coined in the 1950s by Harold "Pat" O'Brien, a Penn State graduate and WWII veteran. When Pat moved to State College to complete his Ph.D. in speech communications, he and his wife, Harriet, began using the term 'Happy Valley' to describe the area, inspired by its peacefulness and natural beauty. The phrase was popularized by their friends and local newspaper columnists, Ross and Katey Lehman, who began regularly using the term 'Happy Valley' in their dailyOpen House column in theCentre Daily Times in 1954, continuing through 1980.[9][10][11][12]
Another theory on the name origin comes from theGreat Depression-era of the 1930s since it was generally not hit hard financially by the depression because of the presence ofPennsylvania State University.[13]
Happy Valley is enclosed byTussey Mountain andBald Eagle Mountain.Skytop is awind gap between that connects Happy Valley to theBald Eagle Valley.Mount Nittany is a prominent natural landmark in Happy Valley.[14]
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by theU.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.
The culture of Happy Valley is largely dominated byPenn State University. The activities that occur in this region largely surround the student activities, such as student arrivals, football Saturdays, Homecoming, and graduation.[15] Though the region is also home to theState College Spikes, a minor league baseball team, the area is most known for thePenn State Nittany Lions football team.
During the summer session, the student population returns to their home towns, thus reducing the local population significantly. During this time, theCentral Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts,[16] usually referred to as "Arts Fest", is held for five days and draws many visitors to town during what would otherwise be a quiet period. Streets are closed off and lined with booths where people can buy paintings, pottery, jewelry, and other hand-made goods. There are also numerous musical performances and plays to take in, and food vendors selling everything fromfunnel cakes to Indian cuisine.
ThePenn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, commonly referred to as THON, is a 46-hour Dance Marathon that takes place every February on theUniversity Park campus with the purpose of raising money for the Four Diamonds Foundation.[17] A number of events throughout the year pave the way to February's THON weekend. The Borough of State College changes its name during the 46-hour event to City of THON even though the event takes place in College Township and not State College.[18]
Blue-White Football Weekend occurs in April and includes a carnival, fireworks, food vendors, the student entertainment stage, live music, a parade, and more.[19] On game day, an autograph session with the football student-athletes is held inBeaver Stadium, prior to kickoff of the Blue-White football intrasquad scrimmage game.
| Age Range | Percentage of Population |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 16.9% |
| Ages 20-34 | 34.3% |
| Ages 35-49 | 16.3% |
| Ages 50-64 | 16.4% |
| Ages 65+ | 12.3% |
| Race | Percentage of Population |
|---|---|
| White | 89.4% |
| Asian | 5.2% |
| Black/African American | 3.0% |
| American Indian/Alaskan native | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.0% |
| Hispanic/Latino Origin | 2.4% |
Penn State is the largest employer in Happy Valley.[20]
| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University | 27,029 |
| 2 | Mount Nittany Medical Center | 2,365 |
| 3 | State College Area School District | 1,792 |
| 4 | Government of Pennsylvania | 1,704 |
| 5 | Walmart | 732 |
| 6 | Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. (construction) | 700 |
| 7 | HRI Inc. (asphalt contractor) | 692 |
| 8 | Weis Markets | 631 |
| 9 | Centre County Government | 586 |
| 10 | Geisinger Medical Group | 563 |
Thehealthcare andeducation industry employs 42% of the valley.[21]
Highways include:
Happy Valley is entirely in the State College Area School District.[3]
40°48′13″N77°51′32″W / 40.8037°N 77.8589°W /40.8037; -77.8589
