The county borders Lehigh County to its north and its east, Schuylkill County to its north, Lebanon and Lancaster counties to its west, and Chester County to its south. The county is approximately 26 miles (42km) southwest of Allentown, the state's third-largest city, and 64 miles (103km) northwest of Philadelphia, the state's largest city.
It was named after the English county in which William Penn's family home lay, Berkshire, which is often abbreviated to Berks. Berks County began much larger than it is today. The northwestern parts of the county went to the founding of Northumberland County in 1772 and Schuylkill County in 1811, when it reached its current size.
In 2005, Berks County was added to the Delaware Valley Planning Area due to a fast-growing population and close proximity to the other communities.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 866 square miles (2,240km2), 857 square miles (2,220km2) of which is land and 9.2 square miles (24km2) (1.1%) of which is water.[5]
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010–2019[2]
As of the 2010 census, the county was 76.9% White non-Hispanic, 4.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian, and 2.5% were two or more races. 16.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[10] Historically there is a large Pennsylvania Dutch population. It is known as part of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. More recently there is a large Puerto Rican population centered in the city of Reading. There were 411,442 people, 154,356 households, and 106,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 479 inhabitants per square mile (185/km2). There were 164,827 housing units at an average density of 191.9 per square mile (74.1/km2).
According to Muninet Guide's 2010 analysis, the median household income for Berks County is $54,105.
There were 154,356 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.
Berks County is home to an Old Order Mennonite community consisting of about 160 families, located in the East Penn Valley near Kutztown and Fleetwood.[11] The Old Order Mennonites first bought land in the area in 1949.[12] In 2012, Old Order Mennonites bought two large farms in the Oley Valley. The Old Order Mennonites in the area belong to the Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church and use the horse and buggy as transportation. There are several farms in the area belonging to the Old Order Mennonite community and meetinghouses are located near Kutztown and Fleetwood.[13]
As of 2023, the Republican Party maintained a total registration edge over Democrats in Berks County. At the top of the Pennsylvania ticket in November 2022, Berks County split its votes, supporting DemocratJosh Shapiro for governor and Republican Mehmet Oz for U.S. Senate.
United States presidential election results for Berks County, Pennsylvania[19]
The first time since 1964 that a Democrat carried Berks in a Presidential election occurred in 2008, with Barack Obama receiving 53.9% of the vote to John McCain's 44.7%. The other three statewide winners (Rob McCord for treasurer, Jack Wagner for auditor general, and Tom Corbett for attorney general) also carried it.[20] While Republicans have controlled the commissioner majority most of the time and continue to control most county row offices, Democrats have become more competitive in Berks in recent years. In the 2012 Presidential election, Mitt Romney carried the county by approximately a one-percent margin, 49.6% to 48.6%, however, in 2016, Donald Trump carried Berks by a much larger margin of 52.9% to 42.7%.[21]
The Old Morlatton Village in Douglassville is maintained by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County. The village is composed of four historic structures: White Horse Inn, George Douglass Mansion, Bridge keeper's House, and the Mouns Jones House, constructed in 1716, which is the oldest recorded building in the county.[24]
West Reading in home to the annual Art on the Avenue, which reached its 25th year in 2019.[25]
Media
Berks County is home to several media outlets, including:
WRFY-FM (102.5 FM "Y102"), a commercial radio station licensed to serve Reading
Communities
Map of Berks County with municipal labels showing cities and boroughs (in red), townships (in white), and census-designated places (in blue)
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Berks County:
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.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.
↑ "PHMC Historical Markers Search". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original(Searchable database) on March 21, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
↑ The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682-1809, 18 vols. (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Wm. Stanley Ray, 1898), vol. 5 1744-1759, pages 133-140, 502-503, Chapter CCCXCII, "An Act for Erecting Part of the Counties Of Philadelphia, Chester and Lancaster into a Separate County," March 11, 1752, confirmed by the King in Council, May 10, 1753, creation of Berks County, digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org: July 26, 2018).
D.B. Brunner, The Indians of Berks County, Pa., Being a Summary of all the Tangible Records of the Aborigines of Berks County, with Cuts and Descriptions of the Varieties of Relics Found within the County. Reading, PA: Eagle Book Print, 1897.
Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia and Allegheny counties.
Schuylkill County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the heart of Pennsylvania's Coal Region and is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 143,049. The county seat is Pottsville.
Chester County, colloquially referred to as Chesco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the Delaware Valley region, located in the southeastern part of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 545,823(As of 2022), increasing by 7.1% from 498,886 in 2010. The county seat is the Borough of West Chester. The most populous of its 73 municipalities is Tredyffrin Township. The most populous boroughs are West Chester and Phoenixville. Coatesville is the only municipality in the County organized under the City form of government, a technical rather than demographic distinction. Chester County was one of the three original Pennsylvania counties created by William Penn in 1682. It was named for Chester, England.
Cumru Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,638 at the 2020 census. Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center, a Pennsylvania state park, is in Cumru Township.
Exeter Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,500 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous municipality in Berks County after the city of Reading and Spring Township. Daniel Boone Homestead is within its borders. This formerly rural township is now made up of mostly sprawl-oriented developments along U.S. Route 422 and Route 562 Its school district also contains the adjacent borough of St. Lawrence.
Fleetwood, also called Schlegelschteddel in Pennsylvania Dutch, is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,049 at the 2020 census. It was home to the Fleetwood Metal Body company, an automobile coachbuilder purchased by Fisher Body and integrated into General Motors in 1931. The name lived on in the Cadillac Fleetwood automobile.
Hereford Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the easternmost municipality within Berks County. Its population was 2,969 at the 2020 census. It is in Upper Perkiomen School District.
Kutztown is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Allentown and 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Reading. As of the 2020 census, the borough had a population of 4,162. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is located just outside the borough limits to the southwest.
Leesport is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,954 at the 2020 census.
Maxatawny Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,906 at the 2010 census.
Muhlenberg Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 21,915 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous township in Berks County after Spring Township and Exeter Township.
Oley Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township had a population of 3,620. Oley Township was originally formed in 1740 as a part of Philadelphia County, before Berks County was formed in 1752. The entire township was listed as a historic district by the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Oley is a Native American name purported to mean "a hollow". Daniel Boone was born in Oley Township November 2, 1734.
Reading is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown. Reading is located in the southeastern part of the state and is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area, which had 420,152 residents in 2020.
Upper Hanover Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,464 at the 2010 census.
Upper Pottsgrove Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,315 at the 2010 census.
The Delaware Valley, sometimes referred to as Greater Philadelphia or the Philadelphia metropolitan area, is a metropolitan region in the Northeast United States that centers around Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-most populous city, and spans parts of four U.S. states: southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, northern Delaware, and the northern Eastern Shore of Maryland. With a core metropolitan statistical area population of 6.288 million residents and a combined statistical area population of 7.366 million as of the 2020 census, the Delaware Valley is the eighth-largest metropolitan region in the nation and North America, and the 68th-largest metropolitan region in the world.
U.S. Route 222 Business is a 12.17-mile (19.59 km) business route of US 222 in Reading, Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at US 222 in Cumru Township. Its northern terminus is at US 222 in Ontelaunee Township. The route begins at the US 222 freeway and heads through the southwestern suburbs of Reading as Lancaster Avenue, intersecting Pennsylvania Route 724 in Shillington. US 222 Bus. continues into Reading on Lancaster Avenue and intersects the northern termini of PA 625 and PA 10 before reaching an interchange with the US 422 freeway.
Pennsylvania State Senate District 11 includes parts of Berks County. It is currently represented by Democrat Judy Schwank.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on April 26.
The Reading Company used two passenger railway stations in or near Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad built a station on its Main Line in Exeter Township, on the opposite side of the Schuylkill River from Birdsboro. The Wilmington and Northern Railroad established a freight line to Birdsboro in 1870, but it was not until after its merger with the Reading Company that its passenger station was built in the borough.
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