Armstrong County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,558. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Kittanning. The county was organized on March 12, 1800, from parts of Allegheny, Westmoreland and Lycoming Counties. It was named in honor of John Armstrong, who represented Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress and served as a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

during the Revolutionary War. Armstrong County is included in the

Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, ...

History

Little is known of the pre-Columbian history of the area that is today called Armstrong County, but the often cited starting point begins with the civilization known colloquially as the

Mound Builders A number of pre-Columbian cultures are collectively termed "Mound Builders". The term does not refer to a specific people or archaeological culture, but refers to the characteristic mound earthworks erected for an extended period of more than 5 ...

. Many 19th-20th century famers throughout the county have unearthed artifacts from this time period, such as arrowheads. Unfortunately, several of the prominent earthen works characteristic of this culture have been removed for agricultural and settlement purposes. One prominent mound was located between present-day Kittanning and Ford City and was believed to have been an earthen fortification used to defend against other tribal peoples. Other mounds were found in Boggs, South Buffalo, and Washington townships. The aboriginal inhabitants were given the name "Allegewi" by the tribes that drove them out sometime between the 15th and 17th centuries. Historical accounts describe the tribes that conquered the Allegewi as primarily the Lenni-Lenape or "Delaware" tribes, as well as bands of Mohawk, Oneidas, Cayugas, Onondagas, and Seneca. The Lenni-Lenape and Delaware tribes made semi-permanent and permanent settlements in and around present-day Kittanning, and much of the area functioned as their hunting and agricultural lands. Blockhouses built by the Lenni-Lenape, not unlike the early European settler dwellings, were commonly seen around Ford City, Kittanning, South Buffalo, Brady's Bend, and Red Bank. The Lenni-Lenape were the primary inhabitants of the area and were the primary points of contact for European settlers in this area at the turn of the 18th century. With the arrival of European settlers also came the competing claims to the territory, primarily between the French and British empires, who were engaged in what became known as the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...

. As the global conflict between the two empires expanded into the "New World," both sides attempted to court the many Native American tribes. Several tribes in the Allegheny River Valley, including the Lenni-Lenape, sided with the French during this time period, as their friendship appeared to be more advantageous to their own territorial claims against the British-friendly Iroquois Nations. In exchange for furs, freedom of movement in Lenni-Lenape territory, and guerilla raids on British troops and settlers, the French supplied weapons and other European goods and offered military protection to the friendly tribes. This agreement and similar alliances with other tribes allowed the French to become more well dug-in along the Allegheny River, most prominently at

Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne (, ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort French colonization of the Americas, established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny River, Allegheny and Monongahela River, Monongahela rivers. It was lat ...

in present-day Pittsburgh. Several military engagements in the Ohio country ( that would later become western Pennsylvania) were part of the greater conflict called the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, so dubbed by the Anglo-American settlers in the region, a term still in use today. One of the minor battles that erupted during the French and Indian War occurred at the present site of the Armstrong County seat, Kittanning, or Kit-hane-ink, as it was referred to by the Lenape, meaning "settlement by the main river." Although the

Battle of Kittanning The Kittanning Expedition, also known as the Armstrong Expedition or the Battle of Kittanning, was a raid during the French and Indian War that led to the destruction of the American Indian village of Kittanning, which had served as a staging p ...

was inconsequential to the greater conflict with the French and Indian tribes, it is an integral part of Armstrong County's history. The expedition, led by Lieutenant Colonel John Armstrong, brought about the destruction of the Lenape village of Kittanning, which had served as a staging point for attacks by Lenape (Delaware) warriors against colonists in the British Province of Pennsylvania. Deep into hostile territory, the raid on Kittanning was the only major expedition carried out by Pennsylvania Provincial troops during the brutal backcountry war. It is often thought of by local historians as a type of pre-World War II

Doolittle Raid The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first American air operation to strike the Japa ...

. With the surrender of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

Fort Necessity Fort Necessity National Battlefield is a National Battlefield in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, which preserves the site of the Battle of Fort Necessity. The battle, which took place on July 3, 1754, was an early battle of the ...

in 1754 and Braddock's defeat in 1755, the settlers on the Pennsylvania frontier were without professional military protection, and scrambled to organize a defense. The French-allied Indians who had defeated General Edward Braddock at the Monongahela were primarily from the Great Lakes region to the north. The local Indians, mostly Lenape and Shawnee who had migrated to the area after white colonists had settled their lands to the east, had waited to see who would win the contest—they could not risk siding with the loser. With Fort Duquesne now secured, the victorious French encouraged the Lenape and Shawnee to "take up the hatchet" against those who had taken their land. Beginning about October 1755, Lenape and Shawnee war parties, often with French cooperation, began raiding settlements in Pennsylvania. Although European-Americans also waged war with cruelty, they found Indian warfare particularly brutal and frightening. Notable among the Indian raiders were the Lenape war leaders

Shingas Shingas (fl. 17401763), was a Lenape chief and warrior who participated in military activities in Ohio Country during the French and Indian War. Allied with the French, Shingas led numerous raids on Anglo-American settlements during the war, for wh ...

and

Captain Jacobs Tewea, better known by his English name Captain Jacobs, (d. September 8, 1756) was a Lenape chief during the French and Indian War. Jacobs received his English name from a Pennsylvanian settler named Arthur Buchanan, who thought the chief resembled ...

, both of whom lived at Kittanning. The colonial governments of Pennsylvania and Virginia offered rewards for their scalps. Captain Jacobs was on an expedition led by Louis Coulon de Villiers that descended on Fort Granville (near present-day Lewistown) on the morning of August 2, 1756. The attackers were held off, but the garrison commander was killed, and his second in command surrendered the garrison, including the women and children, the next morning. The commander's brother, Lieutenant Colonel John Armstrong, immediately organized an expedition of 300 men against Kittanning in response. Early on September 8, 1756, they launched a surprise attack on the Indian village. Many of the Kittanning residents fled, but Captain Jacobs put up a defense, holing up with his wife and family inside their home. When he refused to surrender, his house and others were set on fire, touching off gunpowder that had been stored inside. Captain Jacobs was killed and scalped after jumping from his home in an attempt to escape the flames. The battle ended when the entire village was engulfed in flames. The destruction of Kittanning was hailed as a victory in Pennsylvania, and Armstrong was known afterwards as the "Hero of Kittanning". He and his men collected the "scalp bounty" that had been placed on Captain Jacobs. However, the victory had limitations: the attackers suffered more casualties than they inflicted, and most of the villagers escaped, taking with them almost all of the prisoners that had been held in the village. The expedition also probably aggravated the frontier war; subsequent Indian raids that autumn were fiercer than ever. The Kittanning raid revealed to the village's inhabitants their vulnerability, and many moved to more secure areas. A peace faction led by Shingas's brother Tamaqua soon came to the forefront. Tamaqua eventually made peace with Pennsylvania in the Treaty of Easton, which enabled the British under General John Forbes to successfully mount an expedition in 1758 that drove the French from Fort Duquesne. Reenactments of the Battle of Kittanning have become a favorite pastime of the local inhabitants of present-day Armstrong County. John Armstrong later served as a brigadier general in the Continental Army and as a major general in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War. He was also a delegate to the Continental Congress for Pennsylvania. Armstrong County, formed on March 12, 1800, from parts of Allegheny, Westmoreland and Lycoming Counties was named in the general's honor. In the early 1800s, most people in Armstrong County were "old stock Americans" of Scotch-Irish and English ancestry, whose ancestors had settled in the area prior to the American Revolution. In the decades following the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, and in particular between 1890 and 1910, immigrants arrived in large numbers from Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Poland. As the county seat, Kittanning became the governmental, financial, and commercial hub for the county. In the 1890s, Water Street (sometimes called "Millionaire Row") in Kittanning boasted more millionaire residents than anywhere else in Pennsylvania. Booming industries in the county such as coal, natural gas, plate glass, brick, ceramics, and iron created a strong local economy. Gradual population decline, via economic downturns, began in the 1970s and 1980s, and while there are still many coal mines and natural gas wells in operation throughout the county, the decline of the fossil fuel industry, due to government regulation and subsidizing of other sources of energy, has severely limited the economy of Kittanning . Recently, revitalization efforts have led to a beautification of Market Street in Kittanning in an effort to attract new businesses and people. Three miles upriver from Kittanning is Ford City. Incorporated in 1887, Ford City was a company town for

John Baptiste Ford Captain John Baptiste Ford (November 17, 1811 – May 1, 1903) was an American industrialist and founder of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, now known as PPG Industries, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Early life Born in a l ...

's renowned plate-glass industry, known today as Pittsburgh Plate Glass PPG Industries, a Fortune 500 Company. Eljer also operated a production facility along the river in Ford City that made ceramic toilets. The two companies employed nearly 10,000 people at the height of Armstrong County's economy. Today, Ford City is a struggling, yet proud community that finds ways to keep its economy and heritage alive through creative businesses and lively festivals. In addition, Ford City is the future site of the Armstrong campus of Butler County Community College (BC3) - consistently ranked the Best Community College in Pennsylvania. Armstrong County is home to the City of Parker, an incorporated third-class city, which was an oil boom town with a population rumored to be approximately 20,000 in 1873, but now is the "Smallest City in America" with a population of just under 800. Parker is located in the extreme northwest portion of the county. Iron was made in the Brady's Bend area of the county twenty years before there was a foundry in Pittsburgh doing so. Elderton, whose name is derived from the famous resident of the area, Sara Elder, is a small community, home to the former Elderton Jr/Sr High School. In 1869, Leechburg was the first place in the United States to use natural gas for metallurgical purposes. Natural gas was found while drilling for oil, and eventually introduced into the boilers and furnaces of Siberian Iron Works. Freeport, Leechburg, and Apollo were communities built along the Pennsylvania Canal, which passed through on the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers, at the southern border of the county. Worthington is the county's primary agricultural hub and lies just west of Kittanning along Route 422.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.6%) is water.

Streams

The Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers; Buffalo, Crooked, Cowanshannock,

Redbank Redbank may refer to: Places ;In Australia *Redbank, Queensland, a suburb in Ipswich *Redbank, Victoria *Redbanks, South Australia ;In the United States *Redbank Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania *Redbank Township, Clarion County, Pennsylv ...

, and Mahoning creeks; and Carnahan Run, among others, have watersheds within the county. The Murphy,

Nicholson Nicholson may refer to: People *Nicholson (name), a surname, and a list of people with the name Places Australia * Nicholson, Victoria * Nicholson, Queensland * Nicholson County, New South Wales * Nicholson River (disambiguation) * Nicholson ...

, Ross, and Cogley islands are in the Allegheny in Armstrong County.

Scrubgrass Creek

Scrubgrass Creek arises in Wayne Township and flows through Boggs Township, passing Goheenville, to Pine Township where it empties into the Mahoning Creek at Mahoning Station.

Sugar Creek

Sugar Creek flows through Bradys Bend Township where it empties into the Allegheny River. Its tributaries include Cove Run, Hart Run, Holder Run, Long Run, Pine Run, and Whiskey Run.

Adjacent counties

* Clarion County (north) * Jefferson County (northeast) * Indiana County (east) * Westmoreland County (south) * Allegheny County (southwest) * Butler County (west) * Venango County (northwest)

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Climate

Armstrong has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(''Dfa''/''Dfb''). Average monthly temperatures in Kittanning range from 27.3 °F in January to 72.6 °F in July

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 72,392 people, 29,005 households, and 20,535 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 111 people per square mile (43/km²). There were 32,387 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.32%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.82%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.13% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.50% from two or more races. 0.43% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. 34.6% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 10.8%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, 9.3%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 8.7% American, 7.4%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and 5.7%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

ancestry. There were 29,005 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 25.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. The distribution of the age of the population in the county was 22.90% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

2020 Census

Government and politics

Voter registration

there were 42,690 registered voters in the county. The Republican Party accounts for a majority of the voters. There were 25,612 registered Republicans, 12,173 registered Democrats, 3,179 not affiliated voters and 1,726 voters registered to other parties.

County government

County Commissioners: * Donald Myers (Republican), Chairman * Jason Renshaw (Republican), Vice-Chairman * Pat Fabian (Democrat), Secretary District Attorney: * Katie Charlton (Republican) Sheriff: * Bill Rupert (Democrat) Coroner: *Brian Myers (Republican) Controller: * Myra "Tammy" Miller (Republican) Treasurer: * Amanda Hiles (Republican) Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds: * Marianne Hileman (Republican) Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts: * Brenda C. George (Republican) Judges: * Kenneth G. Valasek, Senior Judge (Democrat) * James Panchik, President Judge (Democrat) * Joseph A. Nickleach Sr. Senior Judge (Democrat) * Chase McClister, Judge (Democrat)

State Senate

* Joseph A. Pittman, Republican, Pennsylvania's 41st Senatorial District

State House Of Representatives

* Joseph A. Petrarca, Democrat,

Pennsylvania's 55th Representative District The 55th Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is located in southwest Pennsylvania and has been represented by Jill N. Cooper since 2023. District profile The 55th District is located in Westmoreland County and includes the following ...

* Abby Major, Republican, Pennsylvania's 60th Representative District *

Donna Oberlander Donna Oberlander is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected to her first term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in November 2008. She serves as the majority whip. She has been appointed to the Rules ...

, Republican,

Pennsylvania's 63rd Representative District The 63rd Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is in Western Pennsylvania and has been represented by Donna Oberlander since 2009. District Profile The 63rd District encompasses parts of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Armstrong County ...

United States House of Representatives

* Glenn Thompson,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district has been located in western Pennsylvania since February 2018. The district includes all of Warren County, McKean County, Forest County, Venango County, Elk County, Cameron County, Clarion County, ...

Education

Colleges and universities

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public research university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. As of fall 2021, the university enrolled 7,044 undergraduates and 1,865 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 9,009 students. The univ ...

Northpointe - South Buffalo Township

Public school districts

Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District (ACVSD) is a small, rural, public school district in western Pennsylvania. It spans portions of four counties and is the only Pennsylvania public school district to do so. The district is one of the 5 ...

(part) * Apollo-Ridge School District * Armstrong School District (part, 2 high schools) *

Freeport Area School District Freeport Area School District (FASD) in Pennsylvania, United States is home to the Yellowjackets and Buffalo Elementary School, South Buffalo Elementary School, Freeport Area Middle School, and Freeport Area High School. Buffalo Elementary Sc ...

(part) *

Karns City Area School District Karn City Area School District is a public school district in Butler County, Clarion County, and Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. The district serves the boroughs of Chicora, Fairview, Karns City, Petrolia, and Bruin and the townships of Pa ...

* Kiski Area School District (part) * Leechburg Area School District (part) * Redbank Valley School District (part)

Technology school

* Lenape Technical School - Ford City

Private schools

As reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Education - EdNA. April 2012. * Adelphoi Village Miller Home - Apollo * Divine Redeemer School - Ford City * Dry Knob Amish School - Smicksburg * Evangelical Lutheran School - Worthington * Grace Christian School - Kittanning * Meadow View School - Dayton * Model Education Program - Kittanning * New Bethlehem Wesleyan Methodist School - New Bethlehem * Orchard Hills Christian Academy - Apollo * Owl Hollow Amish School - Smicksburg * Shady Lane Amish School - Smicksburg * Shady Run Amish School - Smicksburg * Stony Acres Amish School - Smicksburg * Stony Flat Amish School - Smicksburg * United Cerebral Palsy Of Western Pennsylvania - Spring Church * Whippoorwill School - Smicksburg * Worthington Baptist Christian School - Worthington

Libraries

There are six public libraries in Armstrong County: * Apollo Memorial Library - Apollo, PA * Ford City Public Library - Ford City, PA * Freeport Area Library - Freeport, PA * Kittanning Public Library - Kittanning, PA * Leechburg Public Library - Leechburg, PA * Worthington West Franklin Community Library - Worthington, PA

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:

cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

, and, in at most two cases,

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Armstrong County:

City

* Parker

Boroughs

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...

* Applewold * Atwood *

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

* Elderton * Ford City * Ford Cliff * Freeport * Kittanning (county seat) * Leechburg * Manorville * North Apollo * Rural Valley * South Bethlehem * West Kittanning * Worthington

Townships

* Bethel *

Boggs Boggs may refer to: Places * Boggs Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania * Boggs Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania * Boggs Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania * Boggs, West Virginia * Boggs Island, on the Ohio River, West Virginia ...

* Bradys Bend * Burrell * Cadogan * Cowanshannock * East Franklin * Gilpin * Hovey * Kiskiminetas * Kittanning *

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

* Mahoning * Manor * North Buffalo * Parks *

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

Pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

* Plumcreek * Rayburn *

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

* South Buffalo * Sugarcreek *

Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

* Wayne * West Franklin

Census-designated places

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

s are geographical areas designated by the

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. * Kiskimere * Lenape Heights * North Vandergrift * Orchard Hills * Pleasant View * Templeton * West Hills

Unincorporated community

Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the mai ...

* Belknap *

Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Their traditional territory was in the Southeastern United States of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as well in southwestern Kentucky. Their language is classif ...

* Climax * Clinton *

Cowansville Cowansville is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada, located on Lac Davignon north of the U.S. border. It is the seat of Brome-Missisquoi, a regional county municipality. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 15,234. In recent yea ...

* Craigsville * Deanville * Dee * Distant *

Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...

* Eddyville * Frogtown * Goheenville *

Gosford Gosford is the city and administrative centre of the Central Coast Council local government area in the heart of the Central Coast region, about north of Sydney and about south of Newcastle. The city centre is situated at the northern extr ...

* Greendale * Hooks *

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

* Kellersburg * Mahoning Furnace * Maysville * McCrea Furnace * McGrann *

McGregor McGregor may refer to: People * McGregor (surname) * Clan MacGregor, a Scottish highland clan * McGregor W. Scott (born 1962), U.S. attorney Characters * Mr. McGregor, a fictional character from Peter Rabbit Places in Canada: * McGregor Lake ...

* McVille * McWilliams * Milton * Mosgrove *

Mount Tabor Mount Tabor ( he, הר תבור) (Har Tavor) is located in Lower Galilee, Israel, at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, west of the Sea of Galilee. In the Hebrew Bible (Joshua, Judges), Mount Tabor is the site of the Battle of Mount Tabo ...

* Muff * New Salem * Nu Mine * Oak Ridge *

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

* Pine Furnace * Putneyville * Rimer * Sagamore * Schenley *

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

* Shady Plain * Slabtown * Spring Church *

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

* West Valley * Widnoon * Yatesboro

Former communities

* Adams *

Barnard Barnard is a version of the surname Bernard, which is a French and West Germanic masculine given name and surname. The surname means as tough as a bear, Bar(Bear)+nard/hard(hardy/tough) __NOTOC__ People Some of the people bearing the surname Ba ...

* Johnetta

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Armstrong County. † ''county seat''

Notable people

Politics

John Armstrong Sr. - namesake of Armstrong County, civil engineer, American military general, Battle of Kittanning William F. Johnston - Armstrong County Bar Association, abolitionist, 11th Governor of Pennsylvania 1848-1852, namesake of Johnston Ave. in Kittanning Joseph Buffington - Judge, US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, US Circuit Courts for the Third Circuit, and US District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania John R. Phillips, Leechburg native, U.S. Ambassador to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Andrew Jackson Faulk Andrew Jackson Faulk (November 26, 1814 – September 4, 1898) was an American politician. He served as the third Governor of Dakota Territory. Early life Faulk was born at Milford, Pike County, Pennsylvania, the son of John Faulk and his wife ...

- born in Kittanning, third Governor of the

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of N ...

George L. Shoup, First governor of

, United States senator US Congress: Samuel S. Harrison, Joseph Buffington Sr., Darwin Phelps, David Barclay, Joseph Grant Beale

Daniel Brodhead Heiner Daniel Brodhead Heiner (December 30, 1854 – February 14, 1944) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a two-term Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1893 to 1897. Biography Daniel Brodhead ...

Jason Altmire Jason Altmire (born March 7, 1968) is an American businessman, author, lobbyist and politician. He is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 until 2013. He is a fellow of the European Institute for International Law and Internati ...

PA State Senators: Eben Kelley, Donald C. White, Albert Pechan PA State Legislature: John S. Rhey, J. Alexander Fulton, John K. Calhoun, Franklin Mechling, Samuel B. Cochran, Timothy Pesci, Jeff Pyle, Abby Major PA Supreme Court: James Thompson John Gilpin - PA Constitutional Convention of 1873; namesake for Gilpin Township John F. Hunter, Ohio state legislature

Military

Donald R. Lobaugh, Freeport native, U.S. Army soldier and Medal of Honor recipient in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Raymond Harvey Raymond G. Harvey (March 1, 1920 – November 18, 1996) was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army who served during World War II and the Korean War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on March 9, 1951. Military service Harv ...

, Ford City native,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipient in

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

Science

David Alter - Freeport, PA medical doctor; scientist; inventor of spectrum analysis, the idea that every element has its own emission spectrum: a breakthrough development in spectroscopy. The published article was: ''On Certain Physical Properties of Light Produced by the Combustion of Different Metals in an Electric Spark Refracted by a Prism'' published 1854

Sports

Ed Hobaugh - Kittanning native,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

baseball player from Kittanning; right-hand pitcher for Washington Senators 1961-63

Mickey Morandini Michael Robert "Mickey" Morandini (born April 22, 1966), is an American former professional baseball second baseman and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays. His car ...

, Leechburg an MLB second baseman and coach, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays. His career highlights include selection as a 1995 National League (NL) All-Star, playing for the Phillies in the 1993 NL Championship Series and World Series, and appearing for the Cubs in the 1998 NL Division Series. Also played for USA baseball in the 1988

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...

Dick Starr Richard Eugene Starr (March 2, 1921 – January 18, 2017) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Listed at , , he batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. New York Yankees Starr signed with the New York Yankees in 19 ...

, major league pitcher, 1947-1951,

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

, Washington Senators

Red Bowser James Harvey "Red" Bowser (September 20, 1881 – May 22, 1943) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox.

, Freeport native, outfielder in Major League Baseball Broc Hepler - Kittanning native, professional motorcross racing

Ryan Hemphill Ryan Hemphill (born December 30, 1981) is a former NASCAR driver from Apollo, Pennsylvania. Racing career Hemphill, a second generation racer, started his racing career at the age of 12, when his father put him behind the wheel of a go-kart. He ...

, Apollo native, NASCAR driver Alex Kroll, professional football player for New York Titans (later Jets) and CEO of

Young & Rubicam VMLY&R is an American marketing and communications company specializing in advertising, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the merger of VML, founded in 1992, and Young & Rubica ...

Jack Lambert -

American Football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

4-time Superbowl champion All-Pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers Eric Ravotti, former NFL (Steeler) linebacker Mitch Frerotte - an American professional football player who played as a guard for four seasons with the Buffalo Bills.

Gus Frerotte Gustave Joseph Frerotte (; born July 31, 1971) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa. Frerotte, who was selected to ...

- former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulsa.

Bud Carson Leon H. "Bud" Carson (April 28, 1930 – December 7, 2005) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1967 to 1971, compiling a record of 27–27. Carson then co ...

, former NFL coach, Steelers Defensive Coordinator for first two Superbowl wins, helped develop the "Steel Curtain" Greg Christy, played at Freeport High School, American football player, Buffalo Bills Jeff Christy, played at Freeport High School, American football player, center for the Arizona Cardinals, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1992-2003 Nick Bowers, NFL tight end for the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West div ...

, Kittanning native

Tim Levcik Tim Levcik (born April 27, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played two seasons with the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Robert Morris University and attended Ford City High ...

, American football player Zigmund "Red" Mihalik, Hall of Fame basketball official

Other

Teri Hope, actress Ralph Patt, jazz guitarist Don Taylor, actor and director

Nellie Bly Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran; May 5, 1864 – January 27, 1922), better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, was an American journalist, industrialist, inventor, and charity worker who was widely known for her record-breaki ...

, Apollo native, journalist and adventurer, widely known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days and investigative journalism

David Coulter David Coulter may refer to: * David Coulter (banker) (born 1949), director of Warburg Pincus *David Coulter (politician), Democratic Party politician and county executive of Oakland County * David Coulter (minister) (born 1957), Church of Scotland ...

, banker

References

External links

Armstrong County Chamber of Commerce

Armstrong County Public Libraries
{{Coord, 40.81, -79.46, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-PA_source:UScensus1990 1800 establishments in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1800 Pittsburgh metropolitan area Counties of Appalachia