County in Pennsylvania, United States
County in Pennsylvania
Washington County is acounty in theCommonwealth ofPennsylvania , United States. As of the2020 census , the population was 209,349.[ 1] county seat isWashington .[ 2] Greater Pittsburgh region of the state.[ a] Washington County Airport , three miles (4.8 km) southwest of Washington.
The county was created on March 28, 1781, from part ofWestmoreland County . The city and county were both named afterAmerican Revolutionary War leaderGeorge Washington , who eventually became the first President of the United States. The town ofCharleroi got its name from the Belgian city ofCharleroi . There lived manyBelgian immigrants in the Monongahela area at the end of the 19th century, some of whom were glass makers.[ 3] [ 4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 861 square miles (2,230 km2 ), of which 857 square miles (2,220 km2 ) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2 ) (0.5%) is water.[ 5] Appalachian Regional Commission ,[ 6] American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America [ 7]
Surrounding counties [ edit ] The flag of Washington County, Pennsylvania consists of a light blue background with the county's seal in the middle. The seal consists of the county courthouse, a covered bridge, an Indigenous American, and an early settler. This montage has the words "Historical Washington County" and "1781" inside a circle.
Washington County has a hot-summerhumid continental climate (Köppen Dfa ), with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Precipitation is highest in the summer months, with an annual average of 38.87 in (987 mm). Snow usually falls between November and April, with an average of 37.8 in (96 cm).
Climate data for Washington, Pennsylvania (3mi NE) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1975–present) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °F (°C) 70 75 82 90 94 93 100 96 95 87 80 76 100 Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 36.8 39.7 49.1 62.1 71.6 79.2 83.0 82.0 75.8 63.8 51.6 41.2 61.3 Daily mean °F (°C) 28.6 30.7 38.9 50.6 60.4 68.4 72.4 71.2 64.6 53.0 42.1 33.4 51.2 Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 20.3 21.7 28.6 39.1 49.2 57.7 61.8 60.3 53.5 42.1 32.7 25.6 41.1 Record low °F (°C) −25 −20 −1 9 20 32 38 29 30 18 −4 −16 −25 Averageprecipitation inches (mm) 2.87 2.47 3.25 3.11 4.16 3.91 3.94 3.19 3.28 2.46 3.37 2.97 38.87 Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.5 9.3 6.6 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 2.1 7.9 37.8 Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) 16 14 14 14 15 12 12 11 11 13 14 15 162 Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) 12 10 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 38 Source 1: NOAA[ 8] Source 2: PRISM[ 9]
Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1790 23,892 — 1800 28,298 18.4% 1810 36,289 28.2% 1820 40,038 10.3% 1830 42,784 6.9% 1840 41,279 −3.5% 1850 44,939 8.9% 1860 46,805 4.2% 1870 48,483 3.6% 1880 55,418 14.3% 1890 71,155 28.4% 1900 92,181 29.5% 1910 143,680 55.9% 1920 188,992 31.5% 1930 204,802 8.4% 1940 210,852 3.0% 1950 209,628 −0.6% 1960 217,271 3.6% 1970 210,876 −2.9% 1980 217,074 2.9% 1990 204,584 −5.8% 2000 202,897 −0.8% 2010 207,820 2.4% 2020 209,349 0.7% U.S. Decennial Census[ 10] [ 11] [ 12] [ 13] [ 14] [ 15]
Government and politics [ edit ] United States presidential election results for Washington County, Pennsylvania[ 17] Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies) No. % No. % No. % 2024 75,929 62.26% 44,910 36.82% 1,117 0.92% 2020 72,080 60.70% 45,088 37.97% 1,588 1.34% 2016 61,386 60.03% 36,322 35.52% 4,559 4.46% 2012 53,230 56.04% 40,345 42.48% 1,403 1.48% 2008 50,752 51.52% 46,122 46.82% 1,642 1.67% 2004 47,673 49.57% 48,225 50.14% 279 0.29% 2000 37,339 44.22% 44,961 53.25% 2,141 2.54% 1996 27,777 35.73% 40,952 52.67% 9,016 11.60% 1992 21,977 26.05% 46,143 54.70% 16,244 19.25% 1988 28,651 37.43% 47,527 62.08% 375 0.49% 1984 34,782 40.47% 50,911 59.24% 244 0.28% 1980 32,532 39.66% 45,295 55.23% 4,191 5.11% 1976 32,827 39.43% 49,317 59.24% 1,107 1.33% 1972 42,587 54.00% 34,781 44.10% 1,494 1.89% 1968 28,023 32.98% 47,805 56.26% 9,140 10.76% 1964 24,127 27.49% 63,482 72.34% 147 0.17% 1960 38,348 41.59% 53,729 58.28% 120 0.13% 1956 39,465 45.04% 48,052 54.84% 98 0.11% 1952 36,041 39.16% 55,725 60.55% 270 0.29% 1948 26,860 35.73% 46,327 61.63% 1,979 2.63% 1944 27,615 37.30% 46,023 62.17% 392 0.53% 1940 29,026 36.21% 50,829 63.42% 296 0.37% 1936 23,342 30.25% 52,878 68.52% 948 1.23% 1932 21,447 40.82% 28,934 55.07% 2,155 4.10% 1928 31,099 63.61% 17,149 35.07% 645 1.32% 1924 22,315 60.64% 6,706 18.22% 7,776 21.13% 1920 18,514 62.49% 8,827 29.80% 2,284 7.71% 1916 10,367 52.39% 7,747 39.15% 1,674 8.46% 1912 4,297 22.98% 5,563 29.75% 8,837 47.26% 1908 11,430 56.31% 7,018 34.57% 1,850 9.11% 1904 11,530 66.01% 4,886 27.97% 1,051 6.02% 1900 10,408 59.40% 6,380 36.41% 733 4.18% 1896 10,798 57.93% 7,384 39.61% 458 2.46% 1892 8,060 51.24% 6,847 43.53% 822 5.23% 1888 7,801 54.83% 5,847 41.10% 579 4.07% 1884 6,699 50.21% 5,849 43.84% 793 5.94% 1880 6,451 51.04% 5,850 46.29% 338 2.67%
The Democratic Party has been historically dominant in county-level politics and national politics between 1932 and 2004, only voting Republican for president in Richard Nixon's 1972 landslide victory over George McGovern.However, like much ofAppalachian coal country , Washington has trended strongly Republican in recent years. In 2000, DemocratAl Gore won 53% of the vote and RepublicanGeorge W. Bush won 44%. In 2004, DemocratJohn Kerry received 50.14% of the vote and Bush received 49.57% a difference of 552 votes. In 2008, RepublicanJohn McCain won 51% to DemocratBarack Obama 's 46% and each of the three state row office winners carried Washington County.
As of January 8, 2024, there are 142,146 registered voters in Washington county. RegisteredRepublicans have a plurality of 68,164 registered voters, compared to 56,044 registeredDemocrats , 13,943 registerednon-affiliated voters, and 3,995 voters registered toother parties .[ 19]
County Commissioners [ edit ] Washington County Courthouse Washington County is administered by a three-member publicly elected commission. Each commissioner serves in four-year terms. Elections occur in the odd-numbered years that precede U.S. presidential elections. All three Commissioners are chosen in the same election, and voters may vote for no more than two of the candidates. By state law, the commission must have a minority party guaranteeing a political split on the commission. The Commissioners are responsible for the management of the fiscal and administrative functions of the county.
Maggi was the Democratic nominee forPennsylvania's 18th congressional district against Republican incumbentTim Murphy in 2012. Maggi lost to Murphy and earned only 36 percent of the vote. Irey Vaughan was the Republican candidate forPennsylvania's 12th congressional district and lost to the late Democratic incumbentJohn Murtha in the 2006 election.
On November 7, 2023, Nick Sherman and Lawrence Maggi were reelected as county commissioners. Electra Janis won her first term as county commissioner.[ 20]
[ 21] [ edit ] United States House of Representatives [ edit ] United States Senate [ edit ] Landmarks and events [ edit ] F. Julius LeMoyne House inWashington , headquarters of the Washington County Historical SocietyPony League baseball was founded in Washington County in 1951 for 13 and 14 year old boys and its headquarters are located here. As of 2016, more than a half-million youth in the U.S. and 40 other nations participate. The televised Pony League World Series held annually in August at Washington's Lew Hays Pony Field attracts teenage teams from around the world.[ 22]
Washington County is home of thePennsylvania Trolley Museum .[ 23] Meadowcroft Rock Shelter atMeadowcroft Village , which are one of the best preserved and oldestPre-Clovis Native American dwellings in the country.[ 24] covered bridges still standing.[ 25]
TheWhiskey Rebellion culminated in Washington. The home ofDavid Bradford , one of the rebellion leaders, is located in Washington and is a national landmark.[ 26] F. Julius LeMoyne House , which serves as the headquarters of the Washington County Historical Society.
Washington County is the home of the firstcrematory in the United States.[ 27] [ 28]
In 1981, thePennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission installed ahistorical marker noting the historic importance of the county.[ 29]
Colleges and universities [ edit ] Public school districts [ edit ] Map of Washington County, Pennsylvania School Districts Served by Intermediate Unit 1 – Coal Center Mon Valley Career and Technology Center – Charleroi Western Area Career and Technology Center – Canonsburg Calvary Chapel Christian School – Fredericktown Central Christian Academy – Houston Children's School of Washington Cornerstone Mennonite School – Burgettstown Faith Christian School of Washington – Washington First Love Christian Academy High – Washington Goddard School – Venetia Gwens Montessori School Inc – Washington Hickory Christian School – Hickory Huntington Learning Center – McMurray John F Kennedy School – Washington Kinder Care Learning Centers Lakeview Christian Academy – Bridgeville Madonna Catholic Regional School – Monongahela Mel Blount Leadership Academy – Claysville NHS School – Ellsworth Rainbows End Learning Center – Washington St Francis Children's School – Beallsville Tri-State Christian School – Burgettstown Citizens Library inWashington Avella Area Library Center Bentleyville Public Library Burgettstown Community Library California Public Library Chartiers-Houston Community Library Citizens Library – Washington Donora Public Library Frank Sarris Public Library – Canonsburg Fredericktown Area Public Library Heritage Public Library – McDonald John K Tener Library – Charleroi Marianna Community Public Library Monongahela Area Library Peters Township Public Library Washington County Library System Map of Washington County, Pennsylvania with municipal labels showing cities and boroughs (red), townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue). Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:cities ,boroughs ,townships , and, in at most two cases,towns . The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Washington County:
Census-designated places [ edit ] 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.
Unincorporated communities [ edit ] Allen Township[ 32] Bethlehem Township East Pike Run Township Granville Pike Run Pike Run Township Smallwood South Canonsburg (annexed to Canonsburg in 1911)The population ranking of the following table is based on the2010 census of Washington County.[ 33]
† county seat
Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census) 1 † Washington City 13,663 2 Canonsburg Borough 8,992 3 California Borough 6,795 4 Donora Borough 4,781 5 McMurray CDP 4,647 6 Monongahela City 4,300 7 Charleroi Borough 4,120 8 Thompsonville CDP 3,520 9 Centerville Borough 3,263 10 Wolfdale CDP 2,888 11 Gastonville CDP 2,818 12 McGovern CDP 2,742 13 Bentleyville Borough 2,581 14 Muse CDP 2,504 15 Cecil-Bishop CDP 2,476 16 East Washington Borough 2,234 17 New Eagle Borough 2,184 18 McDonald partially inAllegheny County )Borough 2,149 19 Wickerham Manor-Fisher CDP 1,728 20 Baidland CDP 1,563 21 Burgettstown Borough 1,388 22 North Charleroi Borough 1,313 23 Houston Borough 1,296 24 Speers Borough 1,154 25 Ellsworth Borough 1,027 26 West Brownsville Borough 992 27 Midway Borough 913 28 Claysville Borough 829 29 Meadowlands CDP 822 30 Roscoe Borough 812 31 Avella CDP 804 32 Hickory CDP 740 33 Paris CDP 732 34 Deemston Borough 722 35 Langeloth CDP 717 36 Millsboro CDP 666 37 Eighty Four CDP 657 38 Cokeburg Borough 630 39 West Alexander CDP 604 40 Slovan CDP 555 41 Lawrence CDP 540 42 Allenport Borough 537 43 Joffre CDP 536 44 Stockdale Borough 502 45 Marianna Borough 494 46 Beallsville Borough 466 47 Finleyville Borough 461 48 Long Branch Borough 447 49 Bulger CDP 407 50 Fredericktown CDP 403 51 Atlasburg CDP 401 52 Wylandville CDP 391 53 Dunlevy Borough 381 54 Hendersonville CDP 325 55 Elco Borough 323 56 Elrama CDP 307 57 Southview CDP 276 58 Aaronsburg CDP 259 59 Twilight Borough 233 60 Taylorstown CDP 217 61 Westland CDP 167 62 Van Voorhis CDP 166 T-63 Coal Center Borough 139 T-63 West Middletown Borough 139 64 Cross Creek CDP 137 65 Green Hills Borough 29
John Alexander Anderson , born in Washington County,United States Congressman fromKansas [ 34] Kurt Angle (born 1968), resided in Canonsburg, Olympicgold medalist andProfessional wrestler William Patterson Bane , claimant to tallest soldier in the American Civil War (1843–1912)[ 35] James G. Blaine (1830–1893), native of West Brownsville,United States Secretary of State ,Speaker of the House of Representatives , and 1884Republican presidential nomineeDavid Bradford , born in Maryland 1760 and resided in Washington, early deputy attorney-general for Washington County, became a leader in the Whiskey Rebellion challenging the nascent United States federal government[ 36] William J. Carson (1840–1913), Civil War Medal of Honor recipient, 1863[ 37] [ 38] Alexander Clark (1826–1891), born in Washington County, "The Colored Orator of the West", Minister to Liberia 1890–1891[ 39] [ 40] Perry Como (1912–2001), native of Canonsburg, recording artist and television performerMitch Daniels (born 1949), native of Monongahela, former Governor of Indiana, current president ofPurdue University James K. L. Duncan (1845–1913), Union Navy sailor awarded the Medal of Honor[ 41] William C. Farabee (1865–1925), anthropologist, was born and died in Washington CountyKen Griffey Jr. (born 1969), native of Donora,Major League Baseball playerKen Griffey Sr. (born 1950), native of Donora, Major League Baseball playerJohn Guzik (1936–2012), football playerJoseph Hardy (1923-2023), former resident of Eighty Four, philanthropist, former CEO and founder of84 Lumber Pete Henry (1897–1952), NFL player/coach, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame.iJustine (born 1984), YouTube personality and actressShirley Jones (born 1934), native ofCharleroi , best known for her role as the mother of thePartridge Family and winning anAcademy Award .Francis Julius LeMoyne (1798–1879)abolitionist and pioneer ofcremation in the United States.Jonathan Letterman (1824–1872), native of Canonsburg, Father of Battlefield Medicine andCivil War surgeonWilliam Henry Letterman (1832–1881), native of Canonsburg, co-founder of thePhi Kappa Psi fraternity, surgeon, and brother of Jonathan LettermanMarvin Lewis (born 1958), native of McDonald, National Football League player, coachJay Livingston (1915–2001), native of McDonald, Oscar-winning songwriterWilliam Holmes McGuffey (1800–1873), native of the western side of the county, famous educator and writer ofMcGuffey's Eclectic Readers – one of America's first text booksJohn F. McJunkin (1830–1883), Iowa Attorney GeneralJohn H. Mitchell (1835–1905), United States Senator, participant in original dispute in landmark Supreme Court casePennoyer v. Neff Joe Montana (born 1956), native of Monongahela,National Football League playerStan Musial (1920–2013), native of Donora, Major League Baseball playerDave Pahanish (born 1971), Peters Township,Songwriter ,Songwriter , Country Music songwriter for Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, and Jimmy WayneDeborah Jeane Palfrey (1956–2008), native of Charleroi, "The D.C. Madam"Christopher Rankin (1788-1826), member of theU.S. House of Representatives forMississippi 's at-large district, namesake ofRankin County John Walker Rankin (1823–1869), Iowa state senatorDavid Redick (died 1805),Vice-President (Lt. Governor ) of Pennsylvania for three weeks in 1788;surveyor —laid out the town of Washington.Kurt Schottenheimer (born 1949), native of McDonald, National Football League coachMarty Schottenheimer (1943–2021), native of McDonald, National Football League player, coachPaul Shannon (1909–1990), radio and television personalityBobby Vinton (born 1935), native of Canonsburg, recording artistBob West (born 1956), native of Finleyville, voice actor best known forBarney & Friends Joseph Ruggles Wilson (1822–1903), graduate of Jefferson College (subsequentlyW&J ), Presbyterian minister, father of Pres.Woodrow Wilson Bud Yorkin (1926–2015), American film and television producer, director, writer and actor.^ Includes Allegheny, Washington, Butler, Beaver, Lawrence and Armstrong Counties ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Washington County, Pennsylvania" .United States Census Bureau . RetrievedDecember 18, 2022 .^ "Find a County" . National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe original on May 31, 2011. RetrievedJune 7, 2011 .^ Pennsylvania Heritage, Volumes 34-36 - Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 2008. Pg. 5 ^ "Pennsylvania Heritage" . Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. April 9, 2008 – via Google Books.^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files" . United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. RetrievedMarch 11, 2015 .^ "About the Appalachian Region" . Appalachian Regional Commission. RetrievedJune 20, 2024 .^ Woodard, Colin (July 30, 2018)."The Maps That Show That City vs. Country Is Not Our Political Fault Line" .New York Times . RetrievedJuly 30, 2018 . ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data" .National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Archived fromthe original on July 5, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 13, 2020 .^ "PRISM Group at Oregon State University" .Oregon State University . RetrievedMay 31, 2025 .^ "U.S. Decennial Census" . United States Census Bureau. RetrievedMarch 11, 2015 .^ "Historical Census Browser" . University of Virginia Library. RetrievedMarch 11, 2015 .^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995)."Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990" . United States Census Bureau. RetrievedMarch 11, 2015 . ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF) . United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001.Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. RetrievedMarch 11, 2015 .^ "State & County QuickFacts" . United States Census Bureau. Archived fromthe original on August 13, 2011. RetrievedNovember 22, 2013 .^ "Census 2020" .^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Washington County, Pennsylvania" .^ Leip, David."Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections" .uselectionatlas.org . RetrievedNovember 29, 2018 . ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)" .Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by county . November 5, 2024. RetrievedDecember 5, 2024 .^ Pennsylvania Department of State (May 15, 2023)."Voter registration statistics by county" .dos.pa.gov . RetrievedSeptember 29, 2023 . ^ "Check out Washington County's election results here" .WTAE . November 8, 2023. RetrievedNovember 9, 2023 .^a b Center, Legislativate Data Processing."Find Your Legislator" .The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly . RetrievedApril 21, 2017 . ^ Crawley, Dave."Teens Flock To Play Ball In Pony League World Series (August 5, 2016)" .KDKA-TV . RetrievedAugust 16, 2017 . ^ [1] Archived December 10, 2008, at theWayback Machine ^ [2] Archived July 17, 2008, at theWayback Machine ^ "Welcome to Washington County, Pennsylvania" . Archived fromthe original on October 25, 2008. RetrievedOctober 25, 2008 .^ Welcome! Archived December 28, 2008, at theWayback Machine . Bradfordhouse.org. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.^ "The LeMoyne Crematory" . Archived fromthe original on July 10, 2009. RetrievedMarch 7, 2009 .^ "An Unceremonious Rite; Cremation of Mrs. Ben Pitman" (PDF) .The New York Times Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. RetrievedMarch 7, 2009 .^ "Mingo Creek Church – PHMC Historical Markers" .Historical Marker Database . Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived fromthe original on December 7, 2013. RetrievedDecember 9, 2013 .^ "Homepage" .www.waynesburg.edu . Archived fromthe original on April 2, 2015.^ "Monongahela Valley Hospital Joins Penn Highlands Healthcare" .^ "Allen Township, Washington County, PA" .freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com . RetrievedNovember 29, 2018 .^ CNMP, US Census Bureau."This site has been redesigned and relocated. - U.S. Census Bureau" .www.census.gov . RetrievedNovember 29, 2018 . ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896 . Marquis Who's Who. 1967.^ Tucker, Neely (February 18, 2025)."Big Pat Bane, Tallest Soldier in the Civil War?" .Library of Congress Archived from the original on March 10, 2025.^ Welcome! . Bradfordhouse.org. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.^ History, U.S. Army Center of Military."Medal of Honor Recipients - Civil War (A-L)" .www.history.army.mil . Archived fromthe original on August 2, 2008. RetrievedNovember 29, 2018 . ^ "CMOHS.org - Musician CARSON, WILLIAM J., U.S. Army" .www.cmohs.org . RetrievedNovember 29, 2018 .^ Alexander Clark of Muscatine, Iowa | HOME . Alexanderclark.org. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.^ [3] [dead link ^ "James K. L Duncan" .cmohs.org . RetrievedJanuary 25, 2025 .
Places adjacent to Washington County, Pennsylvania
Counties
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