Carbon County, Pennsylvania

For counties with a similar name, see Carbon County.

Carbon County
County
Clockwise from top left: Beltzville State Park, Beltzville Lake, Bowmanstown, and Packerton
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°55′N75°42′W / 40.92°N 75.7°W / 40.92; -75.7
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	March 13, 1843 (Divided from Northampton County)
Named for	Coal deposits
Seat	Jim Thorpe
Largest borough	Palmerton
Area
• Total	387 sq mi (1,000 km2)
• Land	381 sq mi (990 km2)
• Water	5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  2%
Population
• Estimate  (2020)	64,749
• Density	170/sq mi (70/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	carboncounty.com
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated	June 13, 1982 [1]

Carbon County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,749. ^[2] The county is part of the Northeast Pennsylvania region of the state. ^[a]

The county borders Lehigh and Northampton counties in the state's Lehigh Valley region to its south, Monroe County to its east, Luzerne County to its north, and Schuylkill County to its west. The county is approximately 33 miles (53 km) northwest of Allentown, the state's third-largest city, and 117 miles (188 km) west of New York City, the nation's largest city.

The county seat is Jim Thorpe, ^[3] which was founded in 1818 as Mauch Chunk. The Lehigh River, a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River, flows through Carbon County.

History

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Carbon County, Pennsylvania

Moravian settlement

In 1745, the first colonial settlement in Carbon County was established by a Moravian mission in Gnadenhutten, in present-day Lehighton. By 1752, increased hostility between colonialists and Native Americans put Gnadenhutten at risk for attack; in 1755, the community was attacked by Native Americans. ^[4]

In the late 1780s, the county's settlement at Lehigh Gap failed, and colonizers did not return for a decade, in the late 1780s. ^[5]

Coal

In 1791, a homesteader, Phillip Ginter, hunting on Sharp Mountain along Pisgah Mountain ^[6] discovered a black tone coal outcropping, and conveyed a chunk of it to Weissport.

Industrialization

Further information: Industrial Revolution in the United States

Corporate headquarters of Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company in Mauch Chunk, now Jim Thorpe; the company, which was founded in 1822 and dissolved in 1985, spearheaded the American Industrial Revolution, was founded in 1822 and dissolved in 1986.

Lehigh Coal Mine Company (LCMC) operations had managed to open up the mouth area of the Nesquehoning Creek by 1800. This area became known as Lausanne, or Lausanne Landing, after the inn and tavern built there called Landing Tavern. An Amerindian trail crossed the stream near the confluence with Jean's Run ^[7] and the camp grounds of their boat builders, climbing northwestwards along a traverse to the next water gap west, eroded into the southern flank of Broad Mountain in the Lehigh Valley. It connected across a barrier ridge whose waters originated in the saddle-pass where Hazleton was built. The trail became the Lehigh and Susquehanna Turnpike in 1804. PA Route 93 follows this route with the exception of where modern road building capabilities allowed improved positioning. This road cut 90–100 miles (140–160 km) off a trip from Philadelphia to the Wyoming Valley and the northern sections of the Coal Region.

Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company

Main article: Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company

In 1827, Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, based in present-day Jim Thorpe, launched the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, the nation's second operating railroad. ^{[5] [8]} The Beaver Meadow Railroad and Coal Company, also located in Carbon County, was the first railway to operate steam locomotives as traction engines and prime movers in the United States. The Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway connected mines west of Beaver Meadows and Weatherly to the Lehigh Canal opposite Lehighton.

County's founding

A state historical marker in Jim Thorpe

Carbon County was created on March 13, 1843, from parts of Northampton and Monroe counties and was named for the extensive deposits of anthracite coal in the region, where it was first discovered in 1791. Early attempts were made to exploit the deposits by Lehigh Coal Mine Company (1792), whose expeditions broke trail and pioneered river bank sites using mule powered technology to log, saw, and build arks to carry bags of coal to Philadelphia with only scant success.

Molly Maguires

Main article: Molly Maguires

In the 19th century, Carbon County was the location of trials and executions of the Molly Maguires, an Irish secret society that had been accused of terrorizing the region.

Geography

The Lehigh River flowing through Riverview Park in Palmerton in March 2010

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 387 square miles (1,000 km²), of which 381 square miles (990 km²) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km²) (1.5%) is water. ^[9] Blue Mountain forms the southern boundary of Carbon County. The northeast area of the county is located in the Pocono Mountains and the northwest area includes portions of Broad and Spring mountains.

The county is drained by the Lehigh River except for a small area in western Packer Township and the borough of Lansford that are drained by the Still Creek and Panther Creek, respectively, into the Little Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River, and the Audenried area in the northwest corner that drains into the Susquehanna River via the Catawissa Creek. The Lehigh River cuts a gorge between Jim Thorpe and White Haven, which hosts the Lehigh Gorge State Park.

Climate

Carbon County has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and is mostly in hardiness zone 6b except for the NE part of the county and higher NW areas where it is 6a. Average monthly temperatures at Jake Arner Memorial Airport range from 27.8 °F in January to 72.5 °F in July, while at the Pocono interchange of the Turnpike they range from 22.9 °F in January to 68.3 °F in July. ^[10]

Adjacent counties

• Luzerne County (north)
• Monroe County (east)
• Northampton County (southeast)
• Lehigh County (south)
• Schuylkill County (southwest)

Transportation

Major highways

I-476/Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension southbound in Carbon County

• I-80
• I-476  / Penna Turnpike NE Extension
• US 209
• PA 54
• PA 93
• PA 248
• PA 309
• PA 443
• PA 534
• PA 895
• PA 902
• PA 903
• PA 940

Buses

Carbon Transit fixed-route bus service consists of Route 701 (Coaldale-Palmerton) and Route 702 (Nesquehoning-Palmerton), both connecting to the LANta Route 325 bus in Palmerton. Carbon Transit also operates CT Flex service in Jim Thorpe, Penn Forest Township, and Kidder Township. Also, Hazleton Public Transit (HPT) bus route 30 serves northwestern Carbon County via Beaver Meadows and Junedale to Weatherly. Audenried is served by HPT route 20 (Hazleton-McAdoo/Kelayres).

Fullington Trailways provides intercity service to Carbon County with stops in Lehighton and Jim Thorpe. Martz Trailways has a stop in Kidder Township near the Pocono interchange of Interstate 476 for service between Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, Quakertown, and Philadelphia. This is an Amtrak Thruway route, connecting to Amtrak trains at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Martz also operates casino bus routes to Atlantic City from the stop.

Airports

Jake Arner Memorial Airport in Lehighton provides general aviation. The nearest commercial passenger service is at Lehigh Valley International Airport or Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	15,686		—
1860	21,033		34.1%
1870	28,144		33.8%
1880	31,923		13.4%
1890	38,624		21.0%
1900	44,510		15.2%
1910	52,846		18.7%
1920	62,565		18.4%
1930	63,380		1.3%
1940	61,735		−2.6%
1950	57,558		−6.8%
1960	52,889		−8.1%
1970	50,573		−4.4%
1980	53,285		5.4%
1990	56,846		6.7%
2000	58,802		3.4%
2010	65,249		11.0%
2020	64,749		−0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [11] 1790-1960 [12] 1900-1990 [13] 1990-2000 [14] 2010-2017 [15]

As of the 2000 census, ^[16] there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile (59 people/km²). There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 units per square mile (31/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.82% White, 0.60% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.4% were of German, 10.1% Irish, 9.2% Italian, 7.9% American, 6.6% Slovak, 6.0% Polish and 5.8% Ukrainian ancestry.

There were 23,701 households, out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% 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 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.20% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.

2020 census

Carbon County Racial Composition ^[17]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	57,439	88.71%
Black or African American (NH)	1,070	1.65%
Native American (NH)	95	0.15%
Asian (NH)	327	0.51%
Pacific Islander (NH)	14	0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH)	2,162	3.33%
Hispanic or Latino	3,642	5.6%

Law and government

United States presidential election results for Carbon County, Pennsylvania ^{[18] [19]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	23,708	66.90%	11,394	32.15%	334	0.94%
2020	21,984	65.26%	11,212	33.28%	493	1.46%
2016	18,743	64.65%	8,936	30.82%	1,314	4.53%
2012	13,504	52.56%	11,580	45.07%	610	2.37%
2008	12,957	47.90%	13,464	49.77%	629	2.33%
2004	12,519	49.99%	12,223	48.81%	301	1.20%
2000	9,717	45.67%	10,668	50.14%	892	4.19%
1996	7,193	36.28%	9,457	47.69%	3,179	16.03%
1992	7,243	33.44%	9,072	41.89%	5,344	24.67%
1988	10,232	52.35%	9,104	46.57%	211	1.08%
1984	10,701	54.41%	8,836	44.93%	131	0.67%
1980	10,042	51.95%	8,009	41.44%	1,278	6.61%
1976	8,883	44.48%	10,791	54.03%	299	1.50%
1972	11,639	59.05%	7,774	39.44%	299	1.52%
1968	9,954	46.13%	10,634	49.28%	991	4.59%
1964	7,309	32.00%	15,416	67.49%	116	0.51%
1960	12,586	50.28%	12,391	49.50%	55	0.22%
1956	13,150	57.27%	9,722	42.34%	89	0.39%
1952	12,283	53.43%	10,571	45.98%	134	0.58%
1948	9,744	49.77%	9,438	48.21%	396	2.02%
1944	9,837	46.91%	11,060	52.74%	73	0.35%
1940	10,618	45.27%	12,777	54.47%	60	0.26%
1936	11,298	43.77%	14,179	54.93%	334	1.29%
1932	9,918	48.52%	9,874	48.30%	649	3.17%
1928	15,047	64.98%	8,010	34.59%	98	0.42%
1924	10,236	55.55%	5,150	27.95%	3,041	16.50%
1920	7,900	59.19%	5,030	37.69%	416	3.12%
1916	4,275	49.18%	4,099	47.15%	319	3.67%
1912	1,246	13.95%	3,652	40.88%	4,036	45.18%
1908	4,486	49.23%	3,890	42.69%	737	8.09%
1904	4,505	53.93%	2,998	35.89%	850	10.18%
1900	4,222	48.81%	4,149	47.97%	278	3.21%
1896	4,534	53.93%	3,609	42.93%	264	3.14%
1892	3,179	45.68%	3,541	50.88%	239	3.43%
1888	3,279	45.69%	3,665	51.07%	233	3.25%

Carbon County has long been considered a bellwether county for Pennsylvania statewide elections. In gubernatorial elections, it was perfect from 1952 to 2014. ^{[20] [21] [22]}

At the presidential level, Carbon County has also been a bellwether for Pennsylvania until recently with only one miss (the 1960 presidential election) between 1916 presidential election and the 2000 presidential election, and with a margin within 3.5 points of the statewide margin in every election from 1940 to 2000 except 1964 (5.3% more Democratic) and 1976 (6.9% more Democratic). Al Gore carried the county in 2000. George W. Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry 49.99% to 48.81%, or a margin of 296 votes, in 2004. ^[23]

Since then, Carbon County has trended Republican relative to the state as a whole; in the 2008 presidential election, John McCain outperformed in Carbon County by 8.5% relative to the state. In the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney outperformed by 12.9% relative to the state.

In the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump won the county overwhelmingly with 65.4% of the vote, the largest presidential victory in the county of any presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson's landslide in 1964 presidential election. ^[18]

Voter registration

As of February 7, 2024, there were 43,217 registered voters in the county. There are 21,871 (50.61%) registered Republicans, 14,592 (33.76%) registered Democrats, 4,723 (10.93%) voters registered non-affiliated voters, and 2,031 (4.70%) voters registered to other parties. ^[24]

Chart of Voter Registration

   Republican (50.61%)

   Democratic (33.76%)

   Independent (10.93%)

   Other Parties (4.70%)

County commissioners

• Wayne Nothstein, Republican
• Mike Sofranko, chairman
• Rocky Ahner, Democratic ^[25]

State Senate

• John Yudichak, Independent, Pennsylvania's 14th Senatorial District
• Dave Argall, Republican, Pennsylvania's 29th Senatorial District

State House of Representatives

• Doyle Heffley, Republican, Pennsylvania's 122nd Representative District

United States House of Representatives

• Susan Wild, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district

United States Senate

• John Fetterman, Democrat
• Dave McCormick, Republican

Education

Community, junior and technical colleges

Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville in May 2014

• Lehigh Carbon Community College – Carbon Campus, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

Public school districts

School districts include: ^[26]

• Hazleton Area School District (also in Luzerne County and Schuylkill County)
• Jim Thorpe Area School District
• Lehighton Area School District
• Palmerton Area School District
• Panther Valley School District (also in Schuylkill County)
• Weatherly Area School District

Career technical school

Carbon Career and Technical Institute, public school located in Jim Thorpe

Intermediate Unit

The public and private K-12 schools in Carbon County are served by Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21. ^[27]

Recreation

Lehigh Gorge State Park in Carbon County in October 2006

Mauch Chunk Lake is a county-run park that offers swimming, camping, hiking and cross country skiing in the winter. There are three Pennsylvania state parks in Carbon County:

• Beltzville State Park
• Hickory Run State Park
• Lehigh Gorge State Park stretches along the Lehigh River in Luzerne County and into Carbon County.

Municipalities

Map of Carbon County

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in the case of Bloomsburg, a town. The following boroughs and townships are located in Carbon County:

Boroughs

• Beaver Meadows
• Bowmanstown
• East Side
• Jim Thorpe (county seat)
• Lansford
• Lehighton
• Nesquehoning
• Palmerton
• Parryville
• Summit Hill
• Weatherly
• Weissport

Townships

• Banks
• East Penn
• Franklin
• Kidder
• Lausanne
• Lehigh
• Lower Towamensing
• Mahoning
• Packer
• Penn Forest
• Towamensing

Census-designated places

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.

• Albrightsville
• Holiday Pocono
• Indian Mountain Lake
• Towamensing Trails
• Tresckow
• Weissport East

Former communities

• Big Creek Valley
• East Mauch Chunk, now an eastern part of Jim Thorpe
• East Penn Township, Pennsylvania, the far eastern part of today's Jim Thorpe at the other end of Bear Mountain (Lehigh Valley)
• Lausanne Landing, the original settlement above the Lehigh Gap at the mouth of the Nesquehoning Creek; terminus of the Lehigh & Susquehanna Turnpike founded in 1804

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Carbon County. ^[28]

†county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	Lehighton	Borough	5,500
2	Palmerton	Borough	5,414
3	† Jim Thorpe	Borough	4,781
4	Indian Mountain Lake (partially in Monroe County)	CDP	4,372
5	Lansford	Borough	3,941
6	Nesquehoning	Borough	3,349
7	Summit Hill	Borough	3,034
8	Weatherly	Borough	2,525
9	Towamensing Trails	CDP	2,292
10	Weissport East	CDP	1,624
11	Bowmanstown	Borough	937
12	Tresckow	CDP	880
13	Beaver Meadows	Borough	869
14	Parryville	Borough	525
15	Holiday Pocono	CDP	476
16	Weissport	Borough	412
17	East Side	Borough	317
18	Albrightsville	CDP	202

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Carbon County, Pennsylvania
• Quakake Tunnel

References

1. Includes Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe, Schuylkill, Carbon, Pike, Bradford, Wayne, Susquehanna, Wyoming and Sullivan Counties

1. "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.
2. "Census - Geography Profile: Carbon County, Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved April 24, 2022.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. Rabenold-Finsel, Rebecca (2004). Carbon County. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 9–15. ISBN   978-0-7385-3613-2.
5. Fred Brenckman, Official Commonwealth Historian (1884). HISTORY OF CARBON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA (2nd (1913) ed.). Harrisburg, Pa., J.J. Nungesser.
6. The "reasonably local Sharp Mountain of today is the same ridge, but is geographically limited by modern USGS conventions to the part west of the Little Schuylkill River's water gap. The Sharp Mountain SUMMIT, was a peak near Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, now leveled by mining activity."
7. Jean's Run is the first left bank tributary of Nesquehoning Creek, upstream from Nesquehoning Creek's mouth on the Lehigh River. It has three falls and steep ravine sides, so was not a valley congenial to wagon travel, nor likely friendly to climbing with pack mules without great care and persuasion. The toll house for the turnpike was located nearby opposite the mouth of Jean's Run, and PA Route 93 crosses today from an elevated bridge, so the Turnpike climbed from Jean's Run across the slope to the same level as the Broad Mountain side of today's bridge.
8. Bartholomew, Ann M.; Metz, Lance E.; Kneis, Michael (1989). DELAWARE and LEHIGH CANALS (First ed.). Oak Printing Company, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Center for Canal History and Technology, Hugh Moore Historical Park and Museum, Inc., Easton, Pennsylvania. p. 4. ISBN   0930973097. LCCN   89-25150.
9. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
10. "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University". prism.oregonstate.edu.
11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
13. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
14. "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. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
15. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
16. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
17. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Carbon County, Pennsylvania".
18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
19. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 3,549 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 428 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 57 votes, and Socialist Labor candidate Arthur Reimer received 2 votes.
20. "Carbon County New Bellwether for Governor". Pittsburgh Press. Press Harrisburg Bureau. November 6, 1978. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
21. "The bellwethers: What do voters in eastern PA know that the rest don't?". PennLive. November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
22. "2014 General Election Official Returns". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
23. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - State Data".
24. Pennsylvania Department of State (February 5, 2024). "Voter registration statistics by county". dos.pa.gov. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
25. "Carbon County Commissioners" . Retrieved August 14, 2016.
26. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Carbon County, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved October 14, 2024. - Text list
27. PDE (2016). "MAP OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND INTERMEDIATE UNITS".
28. "2010 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved February 10, 2013.

External links

• Official county website

40°55′N75°42′W / 40.92°N 75.70°W / 40.92; -75.70