Clearfield County | |
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 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofPennsylvania | |
 Pennsylvania's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:41°00′N78°28′W / 41°N 78.47°W /41; -78.47 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| Founded | January 29, 1822 |
| Seat | Clearfield |
| Largest city | DuBois |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,154 sq mi (2,990 km2) |
| • Land | 1,145 sq mi (2,970 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 80,562 |
• Estimate (2024)[1] | 78,132 |
| • Density | 68.2/sq mi (26.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 15th |
| Website | www |
| Designated | September 17, 1982[2] |
Clearfield County is acounty in theCommonwealth ofPennsylvania. As of the2020 census, the population was 80,562.[3] Thecounty seat isClearfield,[4] and the largest city isDuBois. The county was created in 1804 and later organized in 1822.[5]
Clearfield County comprises the DuBois, PAMicropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in theState College–DuBois, PA Combined Statistical Area. The county is part of theNorth Central region of the commonwealth.[a]
Clearfield County was formed by the Act of Assembly by the secondGovernor of Pennsylvania at the time,Thomas McKean on March 26, 1804. The county was created from parts of the already created counties ofHuntingdon andLycoming. The name for the county was most likely derived from the many cleared fields of the valleys surroundingClearfield Creek andWest Branch of the Susquehanna River, formed by thebison herds and also by old corn fields of priorNative Americans tribes.
The firstboard of county commissioners to the county were Roland Curtin, James Fleming and James Smith, all appointed by Governor McKean in 1805. The first act the commissioners did was to create a local government or seat of the newly created county. They came upon land owned at the time by Abraham Witmer at a village known asChincleclamousche, named after the Native American chief of theCornplanter's tribe ofSenecas. Clearfield became the new name of the old village.
The two major industries of the county from the mid-1800s until the early 1900s were lumber and coal. Lumber was still being floated down the West Branch of the Susquehanna up until 1917. Coal mining significantly shaped the economy of Clearfield County, with companies like theClearfield Bituminous Coal Corporation operating mines and establishing mining communities within the region.[6]Coal remains the main industry of the county to this day. Founded in 1955, theHepburnia Coal Company mines and ships coal in addition to several other lines of business.[7]
No case tried in the county has caused as much comment as the union conspiracy trials. In all there were fifty-six persons, primarily miners in theHoutzdale region, who were charged with conspiracy as organized strikers.
The first case, against John Maloney and fifty-three others, was tried in 1875, before a jury with Judge Orvis presiding. All were found guilty, although they seem to have been solely peacefully picketing.[8] Four were sentenced to one year's imprisonment and eight, to six months; the others' sentences were suspended. As every organized labor society in the United States was interested in the result, the events of the trial and verdict were telegraphed throughout the country[9]
This proceeding was followed by the trial of the remaining two offenders, who were union representatives,John Siney and Xingo Parks. Siney was then the President of theMiners' National Association (MNA); he had come to Houtzdale and delivered an address of support for the union strike, for which he was arrested. Parks was an able organizer for the MNA. Federal SenatorMatthew H. Carpenter of Wisconsin defended both men. At trial, Siney was acquitted; Parks was found guilty of inciting unlawful assembly and sentenced to one year's imprisonment, but pardoned within a month from the time sentence was pronounced.[10]
These cases led in the next year to a liberalization of the Pennsylvania conspiracy law, through amendment providing that only "force, threat, or menace of harm to person or property" would be illegal.[11]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,154 square miles (2,990 km2), of which 1,145 square miles (2,970 km2) is land and 9.2 square miles (24 km2) (0.8%) is water.[12] It is the third-largest county in Pennsylvania by land area and fourth-largest by total area. TheWest Branch Susquehanna River flows through the county, bisecting thecounty seat along the way. Clearfield County is one of the 423 counties served by theAppalachian Regional Commission,[13] and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his bookAmerican Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.[14]
The mountainous terrain of the county made traffic difficult for early settlers. Various Native American paths and trails crossing the area were used intermittently by settlers, invading armies, and escaped slaves travelling north along theUnderground Railroad. A major feature located inBloom Township, within the county, is known asBilger's rocks and exhibits fine examples of exposedsandstonebedrock that was created during the formation of theAppalachian Mountains.
The county has a warm-summerhumid continental climate (Dfb). Average monthly temperatures in DuBois range from 24.6 °F in January to 68.6 °F in July, while in Clearfield borough they range from 23.8 °F in January to 69.3 °F in July and in Osceola Mills they range from 24.4 °F in January to 69.1 °F in July.[15]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 875 | — | |
| 1820 | 2,342 | 167.7% | |
| 1830 | 4,803 | 105.1% | |
| 1840 | 7,834 | 63.1% | |
| 1850 | 12,586 | 60.7% | |
| 1860 | 18,759 | 49.0% | |
| 1870 | 25,741 | 37.2% | |
| 1880 | 43,408 | 68.6% | |
| 1890 | 69,565 | 60.3% | |
| 1900 | 80,614 | 15.9% | |
| 1910 | 93,768 | 16.3% | |
| 1920 | 103,236 | 10.1% | |
| 1930 | 86,727 | −16.0% | |
| 1940 | 92,094 | 6.2% | |
| 1950 | 85,957 | −6.7% | |
| 1960 | 81,534 | −5.1% | |
| 1970 | 74,619 | −8.5% | |
| 1980 | 83,578 | 12.0% | |
| 1990 | 78,097 | −6.6% | |
| 2000 | 83,380 | 6.8% | |
| 2010 | 81,642 | −2.1% | |
| 2020 | 80,562 | −1.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 78,132 | −3.0% | |
| [16] | |||
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 83,382 people, 32,785 households, and 22,916 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 73 people per square mile (28 people/km2). There were 37,855 housing units at an average density of 33 units per square mile (13/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.40%White, 1.49%Black orAfrican American, 0.12%Native American, 0.26%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.26% fromother races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 22.9% were ofGerman, 13.6%American, 10.2%English, 9.9%Irish, 9.1%Italian and 6.0%Polish ancestry.
There were 32,785 households, out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% weremarried couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 73,338 | 91% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,760 | 2.2% |
| Native American (NH) | 78 | 0.1% |
| Asian (NH) | 450 | 0.56% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 0 | 0% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 2,299 | 2.9% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 2,637 | 3.27% |
TheUnited States Office of Management and Budget[19] has designated Clearfield County as theDuBois, PAMicropolitan Statistical Area (μSA). As of the2010 census[20] the micropolitan area ranked sixth most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the65th most populous in the United States, with a population of 81,642. Clearfield County is also a part of theState College–DuBois, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of both Clearfield and Centre County areas, along with theState College area. Thecombined statistical area ranked the ninth most populous in Pennsylvania and125th most populous in the U.S. with a population of 235,632.
As of February 6, 2024, there were 47,456 registered voters in Clearfield County.[21]
The county trends Republican in statewide and federal elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county wasLyndon B. Johnson in 1964, whileJimmy Carter andBill Clinton winning pluralities in the county, with the former by 88 votes. In 2006, DemocratBob Casey Jr. received 55% of its vote when he unseated incumbent Republican US SenatorRick Santorum andEd Rendell received 50.2% of the vote againstLynn Swann. Each of the three row-office statewide winners carried Clearfield in 2008.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 30,481 | 75.23% | 9,647 | 23.81% | 387 | 0.96% |
| 2020 | 29,203 | 73.94% | 9,673 | 24.49% | 620 | 1.57% |
| 2016 | 24,932 | 72.16% | 8,200 | 23.73% | 1,418 | 4.10% |
| 2012 | 20,347 | 63.34% | 11,121 | 34.62% | 654 | 2.04% |
| 2008 | 18,662 | 54.85% | 14,555 | 42.78% | 805 | 2.37% |
| 2004 | 20,533 | 59.98% | 13,518 | 39.49% | 182 | 0.53% |
| 2000 | 18,019 | 58.82% | 11,718 | 38.25% | 896 | 2.92% |
| 1996 | 12,987 | 44.85% | 11,991 | 41.41% | 3,977 | 13.74% |
| 1992 | 11,553 | 37.45% | 12,247 | 39.70% | 7,047 | 22.85% |
| 1988 | 14,296 | 53.52% | 12,235 | 45.80% | 182 | 0.68% |
| 1984 | 18,653 | 60.62% | 11,963 | 38.88% | 153 | 0.50% |
| 1980 | 15,299 | 54.27% | 11,647 | 41.31% | 1,246 | 4.42% |
| 1976 | 13,626 | 49.22% | 13,714 | 49.54% | 345 | 1.25% |
| 1972 | 16,780 | 63.54% | 9,246 | 35.01% | 383 | 1.45% |
| 1968 | 14,471 | 49.62% | 12,369 | 42.41% | 2,323 | 7.97% |
| 1964 | 11,338 | 36.99% | 19,211 | 62.67% | 103 | 0.34% |
| 1960 | 18,911 | 56.97% | 14,212 | 42.81% | 72 | 0.22% |
| 1956 | 17,519 | 57.51% | 12,852 | 42.19% | 89 | 0.29% |
| 1952 | 16,045 | 54.25% | 13,376 | 45.22% | 156 | 0.53% |
| 1948 | 11,810 | 49.95% | 11,347 | 47.99% | 487 | 2.06% |
| 1944 | 13,986 | 50.24% | 13,617 | 48.92% | 233 | 0.84% |
| 1940 | 15,407 | 46.30% | 17,705 | 53.21% | 163 | 0.49% |
| 1936 | 14,531 | 40.31% | 20,799 | 57.69% | 720 | 2.00% |
| 1932 | 10,500 | 46.47% | 11,209 | 49.60% | 888 | 3.93% |
| 1928 | 16,719 | 67.26% | 7,870 | 31.66% | 270 | 1.09% |
| 1924 | 13,745 | 60.32% | 5,027 | 22.06% | 4,015 | 17.62% |
| 1920 | 9,615 | 52.28% | 5,987 | 32.55% | 2,791 | 15.17% |
| 1916 | 5,676 | 42.68% | 6,180 | 46.47% | 1,443 | 10.85% |
| 1912 | 1,523 | 11.81% | 4,670 | 36.20% | 6,707 | 51.99% |
| 1908 | 7,726 | 51.68% | 5,954 | 39.82% | 1,271 | 8.50% |
| 1904 | 9,541 | 64.12% | 4,291 | 28.84% | 1,047 | 7.04% |
| 1900 | 7,955 | 53.55% | 6,066 | 40.84% | 833 | 5.61% |
| 1896 | 7,395 | 50.97% | 6,460 | 44.53% | 653 | 4.50% |
| 1892 | 4,765 | 40.72% | 6,108 | 52.20% | 829 | 7.08% |
| 1888 | 5,297 | 44.51% | 6,266 | 52.66% | 337 | 2.83% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 29,063 | 72.27% | 10,111 | 25.14% | 1,038 | 2.58% |
| Commissioners | Party | First Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Glass | Democratic | 2019 |
| Tim J. Winters | Republican | 2023 |
| John Sobel | Republican | 2007 |
| Office | Official | Party | First Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | Robert Edwards | Republican | 2021 |
| Coroner | Kim Shaffer Snyder | Republican | 2017 (appointed) |
| District Attorney | Ryan P. Sayers | Republican | 2019 |
| Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts | Brian K. Spencer | Republican | 2013 |
| Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds | Heather Olson-Desmott | Republican | 2023 |
| Sheriff | Michael Churner | Republican | 2017 |
| Treasurer | Jay Siegel | Republican | 2023 |
| District | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | Dallas Kephart | Republican |
| 75 | Mike Armanini | Republican |
State Senate
District 35 Wayne Langerholc Republican
| District | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Glenn "G.T." Thompson | Republican |
| Senator | Party |
|---|---|
| John Fetterman | Democrat |
| Dave McCormick | Republican |
There are twoPennsylvania state parks in Clearfield County.
Clearfield County is also home to the largest wild area in Pennsylvania, theQuehanna Wild Area. A culturally and historically significant natural formation of massivesandstonemegaliths can be found atBilger's rocks.
Lodging/Camping[24]
| Campground # | Name | Location | Campsites | Swimming | Fishing | Hunting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2515 | Woodland Campground | Woodland | 70 | yes | yes | yes |
Hunting[25]
| SGL# | Location | Hunting Area | Acreage | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Medix Run | Benezette,Covington,Girard,Goshen Townships | 8,000 | bear, deer, turkey |
| 77 | Clear Run | Sandy Township | 3,038 | bear, deer, rabbit, squirrel |
| 78 | Bigler | Bradford &Graham Townships | 721 | bear, deer, turkey |
| 87 | Irishtown | Bell &Penn Townships | 10,422 | deer, grouse, turkey |
| 90 | Goshen | Goshen &Lawrence Townships | 3,958 | bear, deer, turkey |
| 93 | Sabula | Union &Huston Townships | 4,876 | bear, deer, turkey |
| 94 | Lecontes Mills | Goshen &Lawrence Townships | 2,108 | bear, deer, turkey |
| 98 | Blue Ball (West Decatur) | Boggs &Decatur Townships | 1,172 | deer, rabbit, turkey |
Fishing
Golf
| Course # | Name | Location | Holes | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3133 | Chetremon Golf Course | 2 miles north ofCherry Tree inBurnside TownshipClearfield County | 10 | https://web.archive.org/web/20111117163225/http://www.chetremon.com/ |
| 3274 | Grandview Golf Club | 1 mile south ofLumber City | 18 | http://www.golfnow.com/course-directory/pennsylvania-golf-courses/curwensville-golf-courses/grandview-golf-club |
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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 Clearfield County:
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. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
Unincorporated areas are region of land that are not parts of any incorporated boroughs, cities, or towns.
The population ranking of the following table is based on the2010 census of Clearfield County.[20]
†county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Population (2010 Census) | Municipal type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DuBois | 7,794 | City |
| 2 | †Clearfield | 6,215 | Borough |
| 3 | Treasure Lake | 3,861 | CDP |
| 4 | Curwensville | 2,542 | Borough |
| 5 | Sandy | 1,429 | CDP |
| 6 | Hyde | 1,399 | CDP |
| 7 | Osceola Mills | 1,141 | Borough |
| 8 | Falls Creek (mostly in Jefferson County) | 1,037 | Borough |
| 9 | Plymptonville | 981 | CDP |
| 10 | Chester Hill | 883 | Borough |
| 11 | Houtzdale | 797 | Borough |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 782 | CDP |
| 13 | Morrisdale | 754 | CDP |
| 14 | Irvona | 647 | Borough |
| 15 | Hawk Run | 534 | CDP |
| 16 | West Decatur | 533 | CDP |
| 17 | Coalport | 523 | Borough |
| 18 | Grassflat | 511 | CDP |
| 19 | Ramey | 451 | Borough |
| 20 | Brisbin | 411 | Borough |
| 21 | Bigler | 398 | CDP |
| 22 | Westover | 390 | Borough |
| 23 | Mahaffey | 368 | Borough |
| 24 | Grampian | 356 | Borough |
| 25 | Kylertown | 340 | CDP |
| 26 | Wallaceton | 313 | Borough |
| 27 | Allport | 264 | CDP |
| 28 | Troutville | 243 | Borough |
| 29 | Burnside | 234 | Borough |
| 30 | Glen Hope | 142 | Borough |
| 31 | Newburg | 92 | Borough |
| 32 | New Washington | 59 | Borough |
Municipalities and communities ofClearfield County, Pennsylvania,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Boroughs | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
