Uniontown, Pennsylvania | |
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 Location of Uniontown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. | |
  Uniontown Location of Uniontown within Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Uniontown Uniontown (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:39°54′0″N79°43′28″W / 39.90000°N 79.72444°W /39.90000; -79.72444 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Fayette |
| Established | July 4, 1776 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bill Gerke[citation needed] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.05 sq mi (5.32 km2) |
| • Land | 2.05 sq mi (5.32 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 999 ft (304 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,984 |
| • Density | 4,732.5/sq mi (1,827.24/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 15401 |
| Area codes | 724,878 |
| FIPS code | 42-78528 |
| Website | uniontowncity |
Uniontown is the largestcity inFayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, and itscounty seat.[2] The population was 9,554 at the 2024 census.[3] It is part of thePittsburgh metropolitan area, 40 miles (64 km) southeast ofPittsburgh.
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10 miles (16 km) southeast of Uniontown isFort Necessity, built byGeorge Washington during theFrench and Indian War (part of the internationalSeven Years' War) as well as the site of theBattle of Jumonville Glen, where the North American branch of the war began.
Uniontown lies within the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains at an elevation of 999 feet (304 meters) above sea level. The city rests at the base of Chestnut Ridge, the westernmost ridge of the Appalachian Mountains.
Founded in 1776, Uniontown was known as "the Town of Union" by Henry Beeson, aQuaker born inVirginia in 1743 who had settled in the area in 1768, buying tracts of land and running asawmill.[4] On July 4 (coincidentally, the same day theUnited States Declaration of Independence was adopted),[5][6] Beeson published aplat of quarter-acre plots near his mill to be allocated bylottery on July 20 to purchasers prepared to build houses on them.[7]
In early years, the town was sometimes unofficially called "Beesonstown", though not by Beeson.[8] In 1783, Fayette County was erected and divided intotownships, of which Union Township contained the namesake town.[9] The town wasincorporated as aborough in 1796 under the name Uniontown and separated from Union Township,[10] which was split in 1851 into theNorth Union andSouth Union townships.[citation needed]
TheNational Road, also known as theCumberland Road, was routed through Uniontown in the early 19th century, and the town grew along with the road (nowUS 40). Uniontown's role in theUnderground Railroad in the antebellum years is commemorated by a marker on the corner of East Main Street and Baker Alley.[11] Residents helpedslaves escaping from the South to freedom.
In the late nineteenth century, the town grew based on the development of coal mines and the steel industry. Uniontown was the site of violent clashes between striking coal miners and guards at the localcoke works during thebituminous coal miners' strike of 1894. Fifteen guards armed with carbines and machine guns held off an attack by 1,500 strikers, killing five and wounding eight.[12]
TheColumbia Rolling Mill, an iron and steel works, was located in Uniontown from 1887 to 1895. The mill was the town's top industry at that time. During the Coal Boom of the early part of the 20th century, Uniontown was home to at least 13 millionaires, the most (per capita) of any city in the United States. "Coal barons" andCarl Laemmle, the president ofUniversal Films, sponsored the famousUniontown Speedway board track from 1916 to 1922. It was a mile and a quarter raceway.
As with most ofWestern Pennsylvania, Uniontown's economy waned during the region'sdeindustrialization of the late 20th century, when the steel industry restructured and many jobs went elsewhere, including offshore. This decline continued into the 21st century, and the population is about half its peak of 1940.
The only United States Navy ship named for the city wasUSS Uniontown, aTacoma-class frigate renamed fromChattanooga on August 16, 1944.
In 1967, Uniontown was the birthplace of the McDonald'sBig Mac sandwich.[13][14] In 2007, the Big Mac Museum was opened inNorth Huntingdon Township in Westmoreland County, to the disappointment of some Uniontown residents.[15] According to a McDonald's spokesperson, the decision was based onlogistics and access, but Uniontown residents complained in an article that was published inThe Herald-Standard.[16]
TheUniontown Downtown Historic District,Gallatin School,John S. Douglas House,John P. Conn House, andAdam Clarke Nutt Mansion are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[17]
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Uniontown is located slightly west of the center of Fayette County at 39°54'0"North, 79°43'28"West (39.900040, −79.724478).[18] It is located 12 miles (19 km) north of theWest Virginia state line.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.04 square miles (5.29 km2), all land.[19] The city is 999 feet (304 m) above sea level and rests at the base ofChestnut Ridge, the westernmost ridge of theAppalachian Mountains to the east. The National Pike or Cumberland Road crossed over the mountains and passed through the area which became the center of Uniontown. The route is now Business Route 40, as the mainline of US 40 bypasses the city center to the south and west as a freeway loop called the George Marshall Parkway.
Uniontown is located in a transition between ahumid continental climate (KöppenDfa) and ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) with cold and snowy (sometimes bitter cold) to mild winters, owing its location near Chestnut Ridge with average daytime temperatures running in the 30s to 40s °F (0–10 °C) and warm to hot and humid summers with average daytime temperatures running in the 70s to 80s °F (20–30 °C).
| Climate data for Uniontown, Pennsylvania (1991–2020; extremes 1974–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) | 77 (25) | 88 (31) | 93 (34) | 93 (34) | 97 (36) | 102 (39) | 102 (39) | 99 (37) | 95 (35) | 88 (31) | 77 (25) | 102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39 (4) | 42 (6) | 51 (11) | 63 (17) | 72 (22) | 80 (27) | 84 (29) | 83 (28) | 76 (24) | 65 (18) | 54 (12) | 42 (6) | 63 (17) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 31 (−1) | 33 (1) | 42 (6) | 53 (12) | 62 (17) | 70 (21) | 73 (23) | 72 (22) | 65 (18) | 54 (12) | 45 (7) | 35 (2) | 53 (12) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20 (−7) | 22 (−6) | 28 (−2) | 37 (3) | 46 (8) | 56 (13) | 60 (16) | 59 (15) | 51 (11) | 40 (4) | 32 (0) | 24 (−4) | 40 (4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) | −16 (−27) | −3 (−19) | 15 (−9) | 23 (−5) | 33 (1) | 37 (3) | 34 (1) | 29 (−2) | 16 (−9) | −1 (−18) | −14 (−26) | −22 (−30) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.10 (79) | 2.79 (71) | 3.67 (93) | 3.68 (93) | 4.46 (113) | 4.26 (108) | 4.57 (116) | 3.52 (89) | 3.35 (85) | 2.98 (76) | 3.66 (93) | 3.07 (78) | 43.11 (1,094) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.4 (21) | 7.2 (18) | 4.6 (12) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.9 (2.3) | 4.4 (11) | 25.9 (65.3) |
| Source:NWS Pittsburgh - NOWData / XMACIS | |||||||||||||
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Uniontown's government is composed of a mayor and a five-member city council. The current mayor is Bill Gerke.
Uniontown is inPennsylvania's 14th congressional district and is currently represented in theUnited States House of Representatives by RepublicanGuy Reschenthaler and in theUnited States Senate by DemocratJohn Fetterman and RepublicanDave McCormick.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 624 | — | |
| 1810 | 999 | 60.1% | |
| 1820 | 1,058 | 5.9% | |
| 1840 | 1,710 | — | |
| 1850 | 2,333 | 36.4% | |
| 1870 | 2,503 | — | |
| 1880 | 3,265 | 30.4% | |
| 1890 | 6,359 | 94.8% | |
| 1900 | 7,344 | 15.5% | |
| 1910 | 13,344 | 81.7% | |
| 1920 | 15,692 | 17.6% | |
| 1930 | 19,544 | 24.5% | |
| 1940 | 21,819 | 11.6% | |
| 1950 | 20,471 | −6.2% | |
| 1960 | 17,942 | −12.4% | |
| 1970 | 16,282 | −9.3% | |
| 1980 | 14,510 | −10.9% | |
| 1990 | 12,034 | −17.1% | |
| 2000 | 12,422 | 3.2% | |
| 2010 | 10,372 | −16.5% | |
| 2020 | 9,984 | −3.7% | |
| Sources:[20][21][22][19] | |||
As of the2010 census,[22] there were 10,372 people, 5,423 households, and 3,031 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,136 inhabitants per square mile (1,983/km2). There were 6,320 housing units at an average density of 3,103.0 per square mile (1,198.1/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 75.16% White, 18.90% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 3.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.59% of the population.
The largest white ethnic groups in Uniontown: 15.4% German, 13.4% Irish, 9% Italian, 6% Dutch, 5.6% English, 5.5% Polish.
There were 5,423 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18.2 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.1% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 75 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.791.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
In 2012 the median income for a household in the city was $31,760, and the median income for a family was $37,841. Theper capita income for the city was $22,457.
Uniontown is part of theUniontown Area School District, which includes Lafayette Elementary School (grades K–5), Menallen Elementary School (grades K–6), Ben Franklin Elementary/Middle School (grades K–8), Layafette Middle School (grades 6–8), andUniontown Area High School (grades 9–12) within the city.[24] Students are also served by theFayette County Career and Technical Institute for education in the trades.Laurel Highlands School District serves outlying areas immediately surrounding the city. Private schools include St. John the Evangelist Regional Catholic School and Chestnut Ridge Christian Academy.
Higher education in Uniontown includes theWestmoreland County Community College Uniontown Education Center,Penn State Fayette, Laurel Business Institute and United Career Institute. The city was formerly home toMadison College, operated by theMethodist Episcopal Church, from 1827 to 1857.
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Uniontown Hospital, the larger of two hospitals in the county, is the city's and Fayette County's largest employer.
The City of Uniontown operates a full-time police department. The city police station houses a booking center used by all police agencies within Fayette County, including the Pennsylvania State Police.
The City of Uniontown Bureau of Fire is a combination career/volunteer department operating out of three stations (two staffed and one reserve), and provides services including fire suppression, fire prevention, various aspects of rescue operations, pre fire and disaster planning, fire safety consultation services, disaster response along with city Emergency Management personnel, and a number of other public services. EMS service is provided by Fayette EMS, which replaced the former Uniontown Fireman's Ambulance in July 2013.
The bureau has four engines (pumping apparatus), two Trucks (aerial apparatus), a heavy rescue unit, a squad truck, and a command S.U.V.
Station 1 or, Central Station, is located downtown on North Beeson Boulevard at Penn Street. Central Station houses Engine #1, Engine #4, Truck #1, Rescue, Squad, Command Unit, and provides housing for two Fayette EMS units as well. Station 2, or the East End Station, is located on Connellsville Street near Lincoln Street. The East End Station houses Engine #3 and Truck "A". The 3rd station, the Union Hose Building, located on East Main Street near Grant Street, houses the city's Emergency Management Agency and Emergency Operations Center, and provides housing for the fire bureau's reserve pumper, Engine #5.
The department has three accredited PA Fire Academy Local Level Instructors and a number of professional qualifications board testing evaluators.
Uniontown is an important crossroads in Fayette County. The main route around town is a stretch of freeway bypass, the George Marshall Parkway, which is composed of parts of US 40 andUS 119. US 119 enters the area as a two-lane route fromMorgantown, West Virginia, and provides the northern half of the bypass before becoming a four-lane route to Connellsville. US 40 enters the region as a two-lane route fromBrownsville. It serves as the southern half of the freeway before becoming a mountainous route through rural parts of the county and enters Maryland and reachesInterstate 68. The old portions of US 40, now signed as Business 40, serve the downtown area.
PA 51, a main four-lane route to Pittsburgh, andPA 21, which connects Fayette County withGreene County andWaynesburg, both terminate in Uniontown.PA 43, part of theMon–Fayette Expressway project to connect Pittsburgh withMorgantown, West Virginia, is complete around the Uniontown area.
Local bus service is provided byFayette Area Coordinated Transportation.
Municipalities and communities ofFayette County, Pennsylvania,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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