Radnor | |
|---|---|
 TheRadnor train station building | |
| Motto: "The Best Place to Live, Work and Do Business on the Main Line" | |
  Radnor Location of Radnor in Pennsylvania | |
| Coordinates:40°02′46″N75°21′36″W / 40.04611°N 75.36000°W /40.04611; -75.36000 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Montgomery,Delaware |
| Township | Upper Merion,Radnor Township |
| Elevation | 433 ft (132 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 19087 |
| Area codes | |
Radnor is a community which straddlesMontgomery andDelaware Counties,Pennsylvania, United States. It is located approximately 13 miles west ofPhiladelphia, in theMain Line suburbs. The community was named after Radnor, inWales.[1]
Radnor is home toCabrini University and a large office complex by thetrain station. The southern portion, by Lancaster Avenue, was rapidly commercialized in the 1980s, and it is currently one of suburban Philadelphia's premier office destinations.[2][3]
The community of Radnor was founded in 1686 at theRadnor Friends Meetinghouse, which was located on Conestoga Road, a bypass of Lancaster Avenue connectingDevon andBryn Mawr. During the Revolutionary War, the meetinghouse was used as an outpost for General George Washington's Continental Army.[4] In 1872, thePennsylvania Railroad's Main Line was constructed, which briefly passed through the southern section of Radnor. Astation serving the town was established at King of Prussia Road, approximately one mile south of the Meetinghouse.
For much of its history, Radnor was primarily a farming community, and relatively undeveloped, even pastWorld War II. Its town center, around the Meetinghouse, remained quaint and secluded from denser development seen in the nearby communities of Wayne and Bryn Mawr. However, starting in the 1980s, Radnor started to see great residential and commercial development, mostly stemming from suburban development forPhiladelphia. Additionally, office parks began to spring up in the southern portion of the community, by the train station, primarily due to safety concerns in Center City. Some big name firms, such asLincoln National Corporation, moved their headquarters from Center City to Radnor, and currently the community is best known for its financial hub around the train station.
In the 1970s, highway planners envisioned theBlue Route expressway passing through Radnor, approximately .3 mile east of the Meetinghouse. The project faced severe backlash from the Radnor community, as what was initially known as a quiet, rural feeling town would have a lot more noise. Despite attempts to quell the project, the community eventually lost, and the Blue Route opened in the 1990s on the initial alignment.
Radnor is where the SEPTAPaoli/Thorndale Line andNorristown High Speed Line intersect. However, the stations are not located at the intersection requiring a small bus ride to transfer. There are plans to build a transfer station where the two lines intersect. A shopping district is also planned here. Work is expected to commence in 2022.[5]
Like many Main Line communities, Radnor straddlesMontgomery andDelaware Counties. The Delaware County portion is very affluent, and was developed prior to World War II. However, both the Montgomery County portion and the extreme southern portion (south of the train line), were developed much later.
Radnor does not have a traditional developed town center, though there are a couple shops and restaurants immediately north of the train station on King of Prussia road. The nearby communities ofWayne,Bryn Mawr, andKing of Prussia offer shopping and entertainment.
Radnor is bounded to the west byWayne, to the south byVillanova, to the east byGladwyne, and to the northeast byGulph Mills.
The community is served by thePaoli/Thorndale Line ofSEPTA Regional Rail, as well asLancaster Avenue andInterstate 476. It is also not too far fromInterstate 76, providing access toKing of Prussia andCenter City Philadelphia.
Radnor has ahumid continental climate with hot summers, bordering ahumid subtropical climate. It is considerably cooler than Center City Philadelphia due to a relatively higher elevation and theurban heat island effect.
Radnor Township Demographics include White 76%, Asian. 9%, Hispanic. 6%, African American. 5%, Two or more races. 4%, Other race. 0%.The population of the township is 31875
Radnor contains the largest commercial business district on the Main Line. Located immediately around the town'strain station are several suburban office complexes. Among the companies based in Radnor are real estate companyBrandywine Realty Trust, energy companyPenn Virginia, insurerLincoln National, wholesalerVWR, technology companyQlik, and financial company Mondrian Investment Partners.
Radnor's town center around the Meetinghouse isn't well developed, but the nearby communities ofWayne andBryn Mawr offer several shops and restaurants. Radnor is also easily accessible toKing of Prussia.
Public education in Radnor is administered byRadnor Township School District.[6]
Closest universities includeCabrini University,Eastern University, andVillanova University.
Radnor is identified in the script as the setting forPhilip Barry's playThe Philadelphia Story.
Radnor is also the setting ofJudy Blume's young adult novel,Blubber.
Radnor High School was the model for Rydell High School inGrease; the director,Randal Kleiser, is a member of the Class of 1964.
Municipalities and communities ofDelaware 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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