Lower Merion Lower Merion Township | |
|---|---|
 The Lower Merion Township building inArdmore in April 2022 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "A First-Class Township" | |
 Location of Lower Merion Township inMontgomery County, Pennsylvania | |
  Lower Merion Location of Lower Merion Township inPennsylvania | |
| Coordinates:39°59′00″N75°15′59″W / 39.98333°N 75.26639°W /39.98333; -75.26639 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Montgomery |
| Settled | 1682 |
| Incorporated | 1713 |
| Government | |
| • Township Manager | Ernie McNeely |
| • Board President | Todd Sinai (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 23.83 sq mi (61.73 km2) |
| • Land | 23.61 sq mi (61.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.22 sq mi (0.57 km2) |
| Elevation | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 63,633 |
• Estimate (2021)[2] | 64,148 |
| • Density | 2,700/sq mi (1,040/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code | 610 and 484 |
| FIPS code | 42-091-44976 |
| Website | www |
Lower Merion Township is atownship inMontgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of thePhiladelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county ofMerioneth in northWales. Merioneth is an English-languagetranscription of the WelshMeirionnydd.
A number of Main Line suburbs are located in Lower Merion, west ofPhiladelphia, the sixth largest city in the United States as of 2020. With a population of 63,633, Lower Merion Township isthe ninth-most populous municipality in Pennsylvania as of the2020 U.S. census.[3]
The center of Lower Merion Township is located 11.9 miles (19.2 km) northwest of centralPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania's largest city-county, and parts of Lower Merion border this section of the city.
Lower Merion Township was first settled in 1682 by WelshQuakers, who were granted a tract of land, theWelsh Tract, byWilliam Penn. In 1713, Lower Merion was established as an independent Township with about 52 landholders and tenants. In 1900, the Township was incorporated as a Township of the First Class. Lower Merion is home to the oldest continuously used place of worship in the United States, the Merion Friends Meeting House, used continuously since 1695.
On April 4, 1991, U.S. SenatorJohn Heinz died while as a passenger in aPiper Aerostar propeller aircraft when it collided with aBell 412 helicopter over the Merion Elementary School in theMerion air disaster. The other four people in both aircraft also died, and the falling debris from the aircraft also caused the death of two elementary students and injured five others.[4]
TheMill Creek Historic District, andSeville Theatre are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[5] Green Hill Farms was added in 2011.
In 2010, the township received national media attention when a student filed a lawsuit,Robbins v. Lower Merion School District, after a school administrator used the webcam of a school-issued laptop to spy on the student while the student was in his home. TheElectronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed an amicus brief in support of the student.
In 2012, theFederal Highway Administration modified theManual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in a way that would have required the replacement of Lower Merion Township's historic street signs, some of which date back to the early 1910s. After some campaigning by local residents and by SenatorPat Toomey, the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners declared, via an ordinance, the entire Lower Merion as a historic district and received a waiver from Secretary of TransportationRay LaHood.[6][7][8]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.9 square miles (61.8 km2), of which 23.7 square miles (61.4 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.4 km2) (0.67%) is water.
The township is bounded by Wynnefield Heights, Belmont Village, Wynnefield, and Overbrook in the city/county ofPhiladelphia; the boroughs ofConshohocken andWest Conshohocken; the townships ofUpper Merion;Whitemarsh;Haverford; andRadnor. The borough ofNarberth, a separate political entity of one-half square mile, is completely surrounded by the township.
Forming the township's southern border isCity Avenue, known to many locals as "City Line", a very busy major artery in this part of the metro area that also separates Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. City Avenue begins at the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), where it also becomes U.S. Route 1, and between this area south toBala Cynwyd is sometimes referred to as the Golden Mile.[9][10] Many buildings, including the radio and television studios of Philadelphia's NBC and ABC affiliates, PCOM, and the Fox and Germantown Savings Bank towers, line the avenue beside newer office complexes, shopping centers, and restaurants. Situated behind a lot of these spaces are condos and townhomes; several well-known residences are 191 Presidential, Corinthian Condominium and Sutton Terrace. The township's eastern border is along theSchuylkill River.
Before European settlement, Lower Merion's dense forest was home to bears, cougars, wolves, rattlesnakes, otters, beavers, weasels, turkeys, grouses, woodland bison, trout, and bald eagles. When Europeans arrived, they began cutting down the forests, chasing away much of the wildlife. AfterWorld War II, Lower Merion transformed from a farming township to a suburban area, and wildlife changed accordingly. Today, red foxes, white-footed mice, horned owls, skunks, raccoons, crayfish, songbirds, butterflies, and white-tailed deer populate the township.[11]
Lower Merion straddles the boundary between a hot-summerhumid continental climate (Dfa) and ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa). Thehardiness zone is 7b. Average monthly temperatures in Gladwyne range from 31.7 °F in January to 76.5 °F in July, in Bryn Mawr they range from 31.4 °F in January to 76.4 °F in July, and at the former location ofNBC 10 studios in Bala Cynwyd they range from 32.6 °F in January to 77.4 °F in July.[12]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 13,271 | — | |
| 1910 | 17,671 | 33.2% | |
| 1920 | 23,866 | 35.1% | |
| 1930 | 35,166 | 47.3% | |
| 1940 | 39,566 | 12.5% | |
| 1950 | 48,745 | 23.2% | |
| 1960 | 59,420 | 21.9% | |
| 1970 | 63,594 | 7.0% | |
| 1980 | 59,635 | −6.2% | |
| 1990 | 58,003 | −2.7% | |
| 2000 | 59,850 | 3.2% | |
| 2010 | 57,825 | −3.4% | |
| 2020 | 63,633 | 10.0% | |
| [13][14][15] | |||
As of the 2010 census, the township was 85.7% White, 5.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 6.0% Asian, and 1.9% were two or more races. 3.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[16]
As of the 2020 census, there were 63,633 people, 22,868 households, and 15,024 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,670.29 inhabitants per square mile (1,031.00/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 76.11%White, 9.03%Asian, 6.54%African American, 0.14%Native American, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 1.61% fromother races and 6.55% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.70% of the population.[17]
According to the 2000 census, there were 22,868 households, 29.4% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% weremarried couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64 and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 women aged 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $86,373, and the median income for a family was $115,694 (these figures had risen to $114,608 and $148,123 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[18]). Men had a median income of $77,692 versus $43,793 for women. Theper capita income for the township was $55,526. About 1.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 22.9%9,761 | 76.2%32,462 |
| 2020 | 20.7%8,662 | 78.6%32,838 |
| 2016 | 21.2%7,841 | 75.5%27,906 |
| 2012 | 33.4%11,945 | 65.7%23,516 |
| 2008 | 29.1%10,747 | 70.4%26,006 |
| 2004 | 33.0%11,990 | 66.7%24,262 |
| 2000 | 32.0%10,657 | 65.9%21,946 |
| 1996 | 35.1%10,774 | 59.1%18,178 |
| 1992 | 35.6%12,249 | 54.7%18,814 |
Lower Merion is a first-class township with 14 commissioners elected by ward.[19]
The township is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented byRep. Madeleine Dean), the Fifth Congressional District (represented byRep. Mary Gay Scanlon), the 149th State House District (represented byRep. Tim Briggs), the 148th State House District (represented byRep. Mary Jo Daley), and the 17th State Senate District (represented bySen. Amanda Cappelletti).
_from_the_overpass_for_Manayunk_Bridge_Trail_in_Lower_Merion_Township%2c_Montgomery_County%2c_Pennsylvania.jpg)
As of 2018, there were 240.08 miles (386.37 km) of public roads in Lower Merion Township, of which 35.14 miles (56.55 km) were maintained by thePennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 204.94 miles (329.82 km) were maintained by the township.[35]
Several major highways traverse Lower Merion Township, including the Schuylkill Expressway (Interstate 76), the "Blue Route" (Interstate 476),U.S. Route 1,U.S. Route 30,Pennsylvania Route 320, andPennsylvania Route 23. I-76 follows a northwest-southeast route along the northeastern border of the township, adjacent to its namesake river, while I-476 and PA 320 both clip the far northwest corner of the township. US 1 follows City Avenue along the southeastern border of the township, while US 30 follows Lancaster Avenue across southern portions of the township. Finally, PA 23 follows Conshohocken State Road through the heart of Lower Merion Township.
Lower Merion Township is the heart of the affluentPhiladelphia Main Line series of suburban communities, named after the "Main Line" of the formerPennsylvania Railroad that runs through the township. Now known asSEPTA Regional Rail'sPaoli/Thorndale Line, the rail line has station stops in Lower Merion in the following communities within the township:
SEPTA Regional Rail'sCynwyd Line, with weekday service, has stops at:
SEPTA operates theNorristown High Speed Line betweenNorristown Transportation Center and69th Street Transportation Center through the western part of Lower Merion Township with stops located atMatsonford andCounty Line, with additional stops located just outside the township in Delaware County. SEPTA provides bus service to Lower Merion Township alongCity Bus routes1,44,52,63, and65 andSuburban Bus routes103,105, and106, serving points of interest in the township and offering connections toPhiladelphia and other suburbs.[36]
According to a Lower Merion Township bond document, the top employers in 2018 were:[37]
| # | Employer | # of Employees | Community |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main Line Health (Lankenau Medical Center andBryn Mawr Hospital) | 4,168 | Wynnewood andBryn Mawr |
| 2 | Lower Merion School District | 1,779 | Ardmore |
| 3 | Susquehanna International Group | 1,270 | Bala Cynwyd |
| 4 | Bryn Mawr College | 1,112 | Bryn Mawr |
| 5 | Maxim Healthcare Services | 723 | Bala Cynwyd |
| 6 | Saint Joseph's University | 603 | Merion |
| 7 | Great Valley Health | 584 | Bryn Mawr |
| 8 | Maguire Insurance Agency | 482 | Bala Cynwyd |
| 9 | Township of Lower Merion | 474 | Ardmore |
| 10 | 365 Health Services, LLC | 435 | Bala Cynwyd |
Pupils living in the Lower Merion Township attend schools in theLower Merion School District unless they go to a private school. The educational roots of the township stretch back to the Lower Merion Academy, one of the first public schools in the country.
There are six elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools,Lower Merion andHarriton High School. Students are split between schools depending on location of residence.
Rosemont School of the Holy Child, located in Rosemont and in Lower Merion Township, is affiliated with but not governed by theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school is adjacent to Rosemont College.
Other private schools in the township includeThe Shipley School,The Baldwin School,Waldron Mercy Academy,The Haverford School,Friends Central School,French International School of Philadelphia,Kohelet Yeshiva High School, The Mesivta High School, and Caskey Torah Academy.
Bryn Mawr College,Harcum College, andRosemont College are located in Lower Merion Township. The campus ofSaint Joseph's University straddles the city line between Lower Merion and Philadelphia,[38] whileHaverford College straddles the lines between Lower Merion and Haverford Townships.[39][40]
The Japanese Language School of Philadelphia, asupplementary Japanese school, holds its classes at theFriends Central School (FCS) inWynnewood and in Lower Merion Township.[41][42] It was established in 1972.[43]
Residents are also serviced by theLower Merion Library System.
Saint Joseph's Univ
Haverford College
Haverford Colg
| Preceded by | Bordering communities ofPhiladelphia | Succeeded by |
Places adjacent to Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Counties |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Major cities | ||
| Cities and towns 50k–99k | ||
| Cities and towns 30k–50k | ||
| See also | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
