Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
 Giant Sequoia atJohn J. Tyler Arboretum | |
 Logo | |
| Motto: "Where all trails lead" | |
 Location inDelaware County and the state ofPennsylvania. | |
.svg) Location of Pennsylvania in the United States | |
| Coordinates:39°54′11″N75°25′41″W / 39.90306°N 75.42806°W /39.90306; -75.42806 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Delaware |
| Founded | 1686 |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.47 sq mi (34.88 km2) |
| • Land | 13.47 sq mi (34.88 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 161 ft (49 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 15,807 |
• Estimate (2016)[2] | 15,984 |
| • Density | 1,186.8/sq mi (458.21/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code | 610 |
| FIPS code | 42-045-49136 |
| Website | www |
Middletown Township is atownship inDelaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,807 at the 2010 census.[3] ThePennsylvania State University has an undergraduate satellite campus calledPenn State Brandywine located in the north-central portion of the township. Located outside ofPhiladelphia, it constitutes part of theDelaware Valley (i.e. the Philadelphia metro area).
Originally established in 1686, Middletown Township adopted aHome Rule Charter in 1978. The township is governed by the council-manager system, a representative form of government in which the seven elected officials set policy for the township and the manager oversees the delivery of all public services and programs.
Middletown Township was probably established as a township in 1686, but it is first mentioned in 1687 when John Martin was established as constable. The name of the township is believed to be derived from its position in the middle or center ofChester County[4] where it resided until 1789, when Delaware County was created from the eastern portion of Chester County.[5] Delaware County played an important role in the anti-slavery movement. Not only did residents advocate for manumission, noted local families such as theVan Leers bought and sold lots to free black tradesmen or only to people who were supportive of the free black community. The location is now known as Van Leer Avenue. The local community grew with support from local neighbors.[6][7]
TheJohn J. Tyler Arboretum andRidley Creek State Park are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Middletown Township is in central Delaware County, west ofMedia, thecounty seat, and northwest ofChester. Thecensus-designated place ofLima occupies the north-central part of the township. Other unincorporated communities in the township includeElwyn andBortondale in the east,Riddlewood near the center,Glen Riddle south of the center,Lenni andWawa in the southwest.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 13.5 square miles (34.9 km2), all land.[3]Ridley Creek forms the eastern border of the township, andChester Creek is the western border. Both creeks flow southeast toward theDelaware River.
Middletown Township straddles the boundary between a hot-summerhumid continental climate (Dfa) and ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa.) Thehardiness zone is 7a.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 4,728 | — | |
| 1940 | 5,078 | 7.4% | |
| 1950 | 6,038 | 18.9% | |
| 1960 | 11,256 | 86.4% | |
| 1970 | 12,878 | 14.4% | |
| 1980 | 12,463 | −3.2% | |
| 1990 | 14,130 | 13.4% | |
| 2000 | 16,064 | 13.7% | |
| 2010 | 15,807 | −1.6% | |
| 2020 | 16,373 | 3.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8][9] | |||
As of Census 2010, the racial makeup of the township was 92.3%White, 3.4%African American, 0.1%Native American, 2.8%Asian, 0.6% fromother races, and 0.9% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.6% of the population[1].
As of thecensus[10] of 2000, there were 16,064 people, 5,524 households, and 3,756 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,192.6 inhabitants per square mile (460.5/km2). There were 5,641 housing units at an average density of 418.8 per square mile (161.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 94.28%White, 3.08%African American, 0.03%Native American, 1.71%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.16% fromother races, and 0.72% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 5,524 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% weremarried couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the township the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $62,949, and the median income for a family was $77,649. Males had a median income of $54,495 versus $39,792 for females. Theper capita income for the township was $29,418. About 1.1% of families and 2.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Wawa Food Markets has its main dairy plant and "Corporate University" in Middletown,[11] while its headquarters are inChester Heights, just to the south of the township.[12][13][14]
Elwyn Inc., a facility caring for the needs of the developmentally disabled and disadvantaged, is located in Middletown Township.
An enclosedshopping mall called theGranite Run Mall was located in Middletown Township. The mall closed in 2015 and was demolished for a mixed-use development consisting of residential, retail, and entertainment called thePromenade at Granite Run, which opened in 2018.
Middletown Township lies within theRose Tree Media School District. It was created by a merger between the Media Borough and Rose Tree Union School Districts in 1966.
Public school students residing within township boundaries attend either Glenwood Elementary School, Indian Lane Elementary School (housed in the old Indian Lane Junior High School), Media Elementary School (housed in the old Media Borough High School), or Rose Tree Elementary School for grades K-5, depending on where they live.[15] Springton Lake Middle School serves students in grades 6–8, andPenncrest High School, which is in the township limits,[16] serves students in grades 9–12.
The Middletown Friends School is the only private school located within township boundaries.
For higher education, the township is home toPenn State Brandywine andWilliamson College of the Trades.[17]
The township is served by the Middletown Free Library.
_from_the_overpass_for_Pennsylvania_State_Route_352_(Middletown_Road)_in_Middletown_Township%2c_Delaware_County%2c_Pennsylvania.jpg)
As of 2019, there were 82.78 miles (133.22 km) of public roads in Middletown Township, of which 24.88 miles (40.04 km) were maintained byPennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 57.90 miles (93.18 km) were maintained by the township.[18]
U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Pike) passes through the township from southwest to northeast, whilePennsylvania Route 352 crosses it from northwest to southeast.Pennsylvania Route 452 begins at PA 352 in the center of Lima and runs south. The township is 15 miles (24 km) west ofPhiladelphia'sCenter City.[14]
Middletown Township is served bySEPTA Regional Rail'sMedia/Wawa Line atWawa Station, which opened on August 21, 2022, with a 600 car garage, andElwyn station, providing train service toPhiladelphia.SEPTA providesSuburban Bus service to Middletown Township alongRoute 110, which runs betweenPenn State Brandywine and the69th Street Transportation Center,Route 111, which runs betweenChadds Ford and the 69th Street Transportation Center,Route 114, which runs between Wawa Station and theDarby Transit Center, andRoute 117, which runs between Penn State Brandywine and the I-95 Industrial Park.[19]
Middletown Township is served by two fire companies, Middletown Fire Company No. 1 and Rocky Run Fire Company. Middletown Fire Company has been in existence since 1922, while Rocky Run Fire Company was chartered in 2013 following a merger between Lima and Lenni Heights Fire Companies.[20] Middletown Fire Company is the designated Rescue company[21] of the Township.
Police protection is handled by thePennsylvania State Police. Emergency medical services are handled by Riddle Memorial Hospital's Paramedic Units. Furthermore, Rocky Run Fire Company possesses an ambulance to serve the township. Brookhaven Fire Company AMB-52a-b also commonly takes medical alarms within the township.
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Municipalities and communities ofDelaware County, Pennsylvania,United States | ||
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| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
