Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania | |
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 Upper Merion Township municipal building and public library | |
 Flag  Seal | |
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  Upper Merion Township Location of Upper Merion Township in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Upper Merion Township Upper Merion Township (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:40°05′00″N75°20′59″W / 40.08333°N 75.34972°W /40.08333; -75.34972 | |
| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Montgomery |
| Incorporated | 1713 |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.27 sq mi (44.74 km2) |
| • Land | 16.95 sq mi (43.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.32 sq mi (0.82 km2) |
| Elevation | 171 ft (52 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 33,613 |
• Estimate (2016)[2] | 28,640 |
| • Density | 1,689.1/sq mi (652.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area codes | 610 and 484 |
| FIPS code | 42-091-79136 |
| Website | www |
Upper Merion Township is atownship inMontgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 33,613 at the 2020 U.S. Census. Located 16 miles (26 km) fromPhiladelphia, it consists of the villages ofGulph Mills,King of Prussia,Swedeland,Swedesburg, and portions ofRadnor, andWayne.
The westernmost part of the township comprises the largest part of the 1,300-acre (5 km2)Valley Forge National Historical Park. The township is the home of theKing of Prussia mall,the third-largest shopping mall in the United States in terms ofgross leasable area. King of Prussia also contains a major office park hosting firms such asLockheed Martin andGlaxoSmithKline.
The name Merion originates with thecounty of Merioneth in north Wales.Merioneth is an English-language translation of the WelshMeirionnydd, itself named afterMeirchion (orMeirion), grandson ofCunedda Wledig (b. ca. 380 A.D.), King of North Wales.[3]
The township's incorporation dates to 1713 when the King of Prussia Inn, the Bird-In-Hand Inn in Gulph Mills, and later the Swedes Ford Inn were required to pay 6 shillings to the Pennsylvania legislature for licenses. TheKing of Prussia Inn, built in 1719, captures the historical flavor of the township. It was named in honor ofFrederick the Great, but became known during theRevolutionary War as a center of food and drink. An alternate story says the Inn, first called Berry's Tavern, got its name to lure in Prussian mercenaries who spent freely.
Upper Merion Township is a township of the second class under Pennsylvania state statutes. A five-member Board of Supervisors, elected at large for staggered six-year terms, governs it. The Board passes legislation and sets overall policy for the Township. A professional township manager runs the day-to-day operations overseeing the activities of 250 full and part-time employees.
TheKing of Prussia Inn,Poplar Lane, theWashington Memorial Chapel,Hanging Rock andGulph Mills Bridge are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 17.2 square miles (44.7 km2), of which 16.9 square miles (43.7 km2) is land and 0.4 square mile (1.0 km2) (2.20%) is water. Upper Merion has a hot-summerhumid continental climate (Dfa) and thehardiness zone is 7a. It is drained by theSchuylkill River which forms its natural northern and eastern boundary.
| Climate data for King of Prussia, Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) | 75 (24) | 83 (28) | 98 (37) | 98 (37) | 100 (38) | 108 (42) | 106 (41) | 102 (39) | 90 (32) | 85 (29) | 76 (24) | 108 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40 (4) | 44 (7) | 53 (12) | 64 (18) | 74 (23) | 83 (28) | 87 (31) | 86 (30) | 78 (26) | 67 (19) | 57 (14) | 45 (7) | 65 (18) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22 (−6) | 24 (−4) | 31 (−1) | 41 (5) | 51 (11) | 61 (16) | 66 (19) | 64 (18) | 56 (13) | 44 (7) | 35 (2) | 27 (−3) | 44 (6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12 (−24) | −5 (−21) | 8 (−13) | 15 (−9) | 29 (−2) | 28 (−2) | 48 (9) | 40 (4) | 35 (2) | 26 (−3) | 14 (−10) | −10 (−23) | −12 (−24) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.40 (86) | 3.17 (81) | 4.00 (102) | 4.03 (102) | 4.21 (107) | 3.98 (101) | 4.76 (121) | 4.37 (111) | 4.87 (124) | 3.73 (95) | 3.80 (97) | 4.17 (106) | 48.49 (1,233) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[5] | |||||||||||||
Upper Merion Township is home toValley Forge National Historical Park, which consists of the site whereGeneral George Washington and theContinental Army made their encampment atValley Forge during the winter of 1777–78 in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[6]King of Prussia, which is the third largest mall in the United States in terms of leasable space with over 450 stores, is located in Upper Merion Township.[7] Other points of interest in Upper Merion Township include theValley Forge Casino Resort, theKing of Prussia Town Center and theKing of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company 9/11 Memorial.[8][9]
Old Swedes Church (Christ Church) was dedicated June 25, 1760, in Swedesburg, replacing a simple log cabin dating to 1735. The original church had served as both a church and school until Christ Church was built. The stained glass windows tell the story of the history of the Swedish colony ofNew Sweden.
After crossing the Schuylkill River at Swedesford on December 13, 1777, General George Washington and his troops visited Old Swedes Church and encamped there before going on to Valley Forge.[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 5,889 | — | |
| 1940 | 6,143 | 4.3% | |
| 1950 | 6,404 | 4.2% | |
| 1960 | 17,096 | 167.0% | |
| 1970 | 23,743 | 38.9% | |
| 1980 | 26,138 | 10.1% | |
| 1990 | 25,722 | −1.6% | |
| 2000 | 26,863 | 4.4% | |
| 2010 | 28,395 | 5.7% | |
| 2020 | 33,613 | 18.4% | |
| [11][12] | |||
As of the 2020 census, the township was 69.1% White, 6.5% Black or African American, 0.0% Native American, 19.6% Asian, and 3.5% were two or more races. 4.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry[1].
As of the 2000 census,[13] there were 26,863 people, 11,575 households, and 7,141 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,593.3 inhabitants per square mile (615.2/km2). There were 12,151 housing units at an average density of 720.7 per square mile (278.3/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 84.75%White, 4.63%African American, 0.13%Native American, 8.45%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.66% fromother races, and 1.32% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.79% of the population.
There were 11,575 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% weremarried couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $65,636, and the median income for a family was $78,690. Males had a median income of $51,247 versus $38,166 for females. Theper capita income for the township was $34,961. About 1.3% of families and 2.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Upper Merion Township is run by an elected five person Board of Supervisors, each of whom serve staggered six year terms. The current supervisors are Chairperson Tina Garzillo (D), Vice Chairperson Bill Jenaway (D), Greg Waks (D), Greg Philips (D) and Carole Kenney (D). Other than Garzillo, who was appointed in June 2018 to finish the term of Erika Spott (D), there has not been a change in the composition of the Board of Supervisors since January 2012 and each of the current Supervisors (other than Garzillo) was re-elected by a significantly greater margin than originally elected. The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are elected every year in January by their fellow Supervisors.
The recent Chairs of the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors:2022: Carole Kenney;2021: Bill Jenaway;2020: Bill Jenaway;2019: Greg Waks;2018: Greg Philips;2017: Bill Jenaway;2016: Bill Jenaway;2015: Greg Philips (from January–April); Erika Spott (from May–December);2014: Greg Waks;2013: Greg Waks;2012: Erika Spott;2011: Ed McBride (R);2010: Joe Bartlett (R);2009: Scott Sibley (R);2008: Scott Sibley (R)
Municipal general election results from 2001–Present:
| Year | Name and Vote Total | Name and Vote Total | Name and Vote Total | Name and Vote Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Anthony "Chuck" Volpi (R) 3294 | Sal Sonsino (D) 2138 | N/A | N/A |
| 2003 | Barbara Frailey (R) 2880 | Scott Sibley (R) 2693 | Bill Wall, Jr. (D) 2243 | Ronald Hartley, Jr. (D) 2184 |
| 2005 | Joseph Bartlett (R) 2190 | Edward McBride (R) 2015 | Kenneth Forman (D) 1644 | Sandy Moskowitz (D) 1357 |
| 2007 | Erika Spott (D) 2747 | Anthony "Chuck" Volpi (R) 2681 | N/A | N/A |
| 2009 | Greg Waks (D) 2537 | William Jenaway (R) 2424 | Carole Kenney (D) 2334 | Scott Sibley (R) 2291 |
| 2011 | Carole Kenney (D) 3185 | Greg Philips (D) 3048 | Edward McBride (R) 2978 | Scott Sibley (R) 2930 |
| 2013 | Erika Spott (D) 2564 | Marianne Hooper (R) 2272 | N/A | N/A |
| 2015 | Greg Waks (D) 3602 | William Jenaway (D) 3446 | Dave Furman (R) 2330 | Bruce Fegan (R) 2240 |
| 2017 | Carole Kenney (D) 3485 | Greg Philips (D) 3450 | Mark A. Volpi (R) 2459 | Joseph J. White, Jr. (R) 2376 |
| 2019 | Tina Garzillo (D) 4445 | Mike Napolitan (R) 2806 | N/A | N/A |
| 2021 | Greg Waks (D) 4698 | William Jenaway (D) 4324 | Keith Kline (R) 3184 | Julia Valenti (R) 3024 |
All township business meetings are televised by Upper Merion Government Access Television (UMGA-TV). The elected Tax Collector is Evelyn Ankers (D). The elected Board of Auditors are Rhonda Cohen (D), Steve Ciavarri (D) and Kevin Snow (D). The Supervisors hire a township manager to run the operations of the township. The township manager is Anthony Hamaday.
The township is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented byRep. Madeleine Dean-D), the 149th State House District (represented byRep. Tim Briggs-D) and the 17th State Senate District (represented bySen. Amanda Cappelletti-D).
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 35.4%6,830 | 63.1%12,166 |
| 2020 | 33.9%6,348 | 64.9%12,151 |
| 2016 | 35.3%5,098 | 60.7%8,765 |
| 2012 | 41.2%5,772 | 57.6%8,065 |
| 2008 | 40.1%5,694 | 59.1%8,791 |
| 2004 | 43.1%6,380 | 56.5%8,375 |
| 2000 | 43.5%5,455 | 54.2%6,801 |
| 1996 | 40.8%4,231 | 48.8%5,062 |
| 1992 | 32.3%5,099 | 42.6%5,528 |
According to Upper Merion Township's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[15] the top employers in the township are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees | % of Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lockheed Martin | 2,757 | 5.7% |
| 2 | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | 1,146 | 2.4% |
| 3 | FedEx Ground Package System | 1,131 | 2.3% |
| 4 | United States Liability Ins Co. | 1,027 | 2.1% |
| 5 | GlaxoSmithKline | 989 | 2.0% |
| 6 | Valley Forge Casino Resort | 889 | 1.8% |
| 7 | CSL Behring LLC | 873 | 1.8% |
| 8 | Vertex Inc | 819 | 1.7% |
| 9 | UHS of Delaware Inc. | 812 | 1.7% |
| 10 | Arkema | 673 | 1.4% |
Public school students in Upper Merion Township attend schools in theUpper Merion Area School District.
Upper Merion Township also has a private school, Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School.[16] It formed in 2012 by the merger of Mother of Divine Providence in King of Prussia and St. Teresa of Avila inNorristown.[17]
Armenian Sisters Academy, anArmenian school, is in Upper Merion Township, with aRadnor postal address.[18][19]
TheRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia previously maintained Holy Trinity Elementary School, which had a lower school inSwedesburg and an upper school inBridgeport.[20] It served as the parish school for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Augustine, and Sacred Heart churches.[21] The first two churches are in Bridgeport and previously had a joint St. Augustine-Our Lady of Mount Carmel School.[22][23] Sacred Heart is a Polish church in Swedesburg.[24] 102 children were scheduled to attend in September 2005. Instead it closed in June 2005.[21]
ThePenn State Great Valley campus was located in the King of Prussia section of Upper Merion from 1963 to 1978 before relocating toRadnor. In 1982, the campus returned to Upper Merion, staying there until 1987, when it was relocated to its current location inGreat Valley.[25]
TheAmerican College of Financial Services operates out of the King of Prussia section of the township.
_from_the_overpass_for_Goddard_Boulevard_in_Upper_Merion_Township%2c_Montgomery_County%2c_Pennsylvania.jpg)
As of 2018, there were 131.70 miles (211.95 km) of public roads in Upper Merion Township, of which 5.20 miles (8.37 km) were maintained by thePennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), 41.29 miles (66.45 km) were maintained by thePennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 85.21 miles (137.13 km) were maintained by the township.[26]
Upper Merion Township is the location of several major highway junctions serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The most prominent of these is the interchange of thePennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) and the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76). The east-west Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) traverses the central portion of the township on a southwest-northeast alignment. The Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) junctions with the turnpike at the west edge of the township and heads southeastward across the southern portion of the township, while also having another major highway junction withU.S. Route 202. U.S. Route 202 traverses the township almost parallel to the turnpike, but does veer north further east and crosses the turnpike without an interchange. Aside from its interchange with the Schuylkill, US 202 also interchanges with the eastern terminus ofU.S. Route 422 near the west edge of the township. In addition to these major highways,Pennsylvania Route 23 andPennsylvania Route 320 traverse Upper Merion Township from east to west and north to south respectively, with PA 320 having its northern terminus at PA 23 in the township. Finally, the northernmost segment ofPennsylvania Route 252 enters the far western edge of the township near its terminus at PA 23.
SEPTA providesSuburban Bus service to Upper Merion Township along bus routes92,95,99,123,124,125, and139. SEPTA also operates theM line between69th Street Transit Center andNorristown Transit Center through Upper Merion Township with stops located atGulph Mills andHughes Park.[27] The Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association operates The Rambler as a community shuttle around Upper Merion Township Monday through Saturday, serving residential areas, shopping centers, the King of Prussia mall, medical facilities, the Upper Merion Senior Center, and the Upper Merion Township Municipal Building.[28][29]
440 Upper Gulph Road | Radnor, PA 19087
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