Centre County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers 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 A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

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 158,172. Its

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 Bellefonte. Centre County comprises the State College, PA

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

The lands of the future Centre County were first recorded by James Potter in 1764. Potter, having reached the top of

Nittany Mountain Mount Nittany is the common name for Nittany Mountain, a prominent geographic feature in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. The mountain is part of a ridge that separates Nittany Valley from Penns Valley, with the enclosed Sugar Valley be ...

, and "....seeing the prairies and noble forest beneath him, cried out to his attendant, 'By heavens, Thompson, I have discovered an empire!'" After the American Revolutionary War, Centre County was created on February 13, 1800, from parts of

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

, Lycoming, Mifflin, and

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

counties; it was named for its central location in the state.

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 (0.3%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Pennsylvania by area and uses

area code 814 Area codes 814 and 582 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the northwestern and central portions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Cities served by the area code include Altoona, Bradford, DuBois, Erie, M ...

. Centre 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 ...

which is warm-summer (''Dfb'') except near the Bald Eagle Creek from

Wingate Wingate may refer to: Places New Zealand * Wingate, New Zealand, a suburb of Lower Hutt United Kingdom * Wingate, County Durham * Wingate Quarry, a Site of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham * Old Wingate, County Durham * Wingates ...

downstream where it is hot-summer (''Dfa''). Average temperatures in downtown State College range from in January to in July, while in Milesburg they range from in January to in July and in Snow Shoe they range from in January to in July.

Features

Bald Eagle Valley Bald Eagle Valley is a low-lying area in Pennsylvania that drains into Bald Eagle Creek between the Allegheny Front and Bald Eagle Mountain, south of the West Branch Susquehanna River, in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. The valley is located s ...

Bald Eagle Mountain Bald Eagle Mountain – once known locally as Muncy Mountain – is a stratigraphic ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians of central Pennsylvania, United States, running east of the Allegheny Front and northwest of Mount Nittany. It lies alon ...

Nittany Valley Nittany Valley is an eroded anticlinal valley located in Centre County, Pennsylvania. It is separated from the Bald Eagle Valley by Bald Eagle Mountain and from Penns Valley by Mount Nittany. The valley is closed to the north by a high plateau t ...

Mount Nittany Mount Nittany is the common name for Nittany Mountain, a prominent geographic feature in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. The mountain is part of a ridge that separates Nittany Valley from Penns Valley, with the enclosed Sugar Valley be ...

Penns Valley Penns Valley is an eroded anticlinal valley of the Pennsylvania ridge and valley geologic region of the Appalachian Mountain range. The valley is located in southern Centre County, Pennsylvania. Along with the Nittany Valley to the north and e ...

Tussey Mountain Tussey Mountain is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, trending east of the Bald Eagle, Brush, Dunning and Evitts Mountain ridges. Its southern foot just crosses the Mason–Dixon line near Flintstone, Maryland, running ...

Adjacent counties

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York **Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, s ...

(north) * Union County (east) *

Mifflin County Mifflin County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,143. Its county seat is Lewistown. The county was created on September 19, 1789, from parts of Cumberland County and Northumberlan ...

(southeast) *

Huntingdon County Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by John, King of England, King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cr ...

(south) * Blair County (south) *

Clearfield County Clearfield County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 80,562. The county seat is Clearfield, and the largest city is DuBois. The county was created in 1804 and later organized in 1822. C ...

(west)

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 153,990 people, 57,573 households, and 31,256 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 139 people per square mile (54/km²). There were 63,297 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.4%

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 on ...

, 3.0%

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 have o ...

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 5.2%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.7% 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 1.5% from two or more races. 2.4% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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. There were 57,573 households, out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.7% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91. In the county, the population was spread out, with 15.9% under the age of 18, 28.9% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 107.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.1 males.

2020 Census

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The

United States Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, pol ...

has designated Centre County as the State College, PA

(MSA). As of the

2010 U.S. Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

the metropolitan area ranked 13th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 259th most populous in the United States with a population of 155,403. Centre County is also a part of the larger State College-DuBois, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Centre County as well as

to the west. The

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

ranked ninth in the State of Pennsylvania and 123rd most populous in the United States with a population of 236,577.

Law and government

County Commissioners

*Michael Pipe, Chairman (Democrat) *Mark Higgins, Vice-chair (Democrat) *Steven G. Dershem, Commissioner (Republican)

Other county offices

* Clerk of Courts and

Prothonotary The word prothonotary is recorded in English since 1447, as "principal clerk of a court," from L.L. ''prothonotarius'' ( c. 400), from Greek ''protonotarios'' "first scribe," originally the chief of the college of recorders of the court of the B ...

, Jeremy Breon, Democrat *

Controller Controller may refer to: Occupations * Controller or financial controller, or in government accounting comptroller, a senior accounting position * Controller, someone who performs agent handling in espionage * Air traffic controller, a person ...

, Jason Moser, Democrat *

Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

, Scott Sayers, Democrat *

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

, Bernie Cantorna, Democrat *

Recorder of Deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...

, Joe Davidson, Republican *Register of Wills, Christine Millinder, Republican *

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

, Bryan Sampsel, Republican *

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

, Colleen Kennedy, Democrat *Jury Commissioner, Laura Shadle, Democrat

State Senate

Jake Corman Jacob Doyle Corman III (born September 9, 1964) is an American politician and former President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Senate 1999 to 2022, holding the same seat his father, Doyle Corman, prev ...

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 34th Senatorial District

State House of Representatives

Stephanie Borowicz Stephanie Paige Borowicz is an American politician currently serving as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 76th district since January 1, 2019. She is the first woman to represent the 76th district. Early l ...

Pennsylvania's 76th Representative District The 76th Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is located in central Pennsylvania and has been represented by Stephanie Borowicz since 2019. District profile The 76th District encompasses part of Union County, Pennsylvania, Union County ...

Scott Conklin Harry Scott Conklin (born October 7, 1958) is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 77th legislative district. He was first elected in 2006. Conklin is a Rush Township resident ...

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Pennsylvania's 77th Representative District * Rich Irvin,

, Pennsylvania's 81st Representative District *

Kerry Benninghoff Kerry A. Benninghoff is an American politician and coroner serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 171st district. Elected in November 1996, he assumed office on January 7, 1997. Early life and education Benn ...

Pennsylvania's 171st Representative District The 171st Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is located in Centre County and Mifflin County and includes the following areas: * Centre County ** Bellefonte ** Centre Hall ** College Township ** Ferguson Township (PART) *** Distri ...

United States House of Representatives

* Fred Keller,

Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, which includes Pittsburgh and much of Allegheny County. It has been represented since January 3, 2023 by Summer Lee. Prior to 2018, the 12th district was locate ...

* Glenn "G.T." Thompson,

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, ...

United States Senate

Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey Jr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator for Pennsylvania since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms as the U.S. representat ...

Bob Casey, Jr. Robert Patrick Casey Jr. (born April 13, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Pennsylvania, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, Casey previously served as Penn ...

Politics

As of August 29 2022, there were 105,240 registered voters in Centre County. * Democratic: 44,034 (41.84%) *

: 42,325 (40.22%) * No party affiliation: 14,289 (13.58%) * Other: 4,592 (4.36%) Centre County had for many years been a strongly Republican county, like most of rural Pennsylvania. In the early 21st century, however, it has been more competitive. In 2000

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

defeated

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...

with 52% of the vote to Gore's 43%. In 2004 Bush won the county by a much smaller margin. Bush won 51% to Kerry's 47%, a margin of only 4%. In 2006, Governor

Ed Rendell Edward Gene Rendell (; born January 5, 1944) is an American lawyer, prosecutor, politician, and author. He served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011, as chair of the national Democratic Party, and as the 96th Mayor of Philade ...

and

Bob Casey Jr. Robert Patrick Casey Jr. (born April 13, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Pennsylvania, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, Casey previously served as Penn ...

both carried Centre, and Democrat

decisively won the State House seat left open by the retirement of Republican Lynn Herman in the 77th district. In 2008, Democrats captured the countywide registration edge,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

carried the county with 55% of the vote to McCain's 44%, and Democratic statewide winners (

Rob McCord Robert Maxwell McCord (born March 5, 1959) is an American former politician and convicted felon. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the Treasurer of Pennsylvania from 2009 to 2015. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic n ...

for Treasurer and Jack Wagner for Auditor General also carried Centre). In 2012, Barack Obama won the county in his reelection campaign by a very narrow margin, 48.9% to 48.65%, a difference of just 175 votes. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Republican nominee Donald Trump 47.76% to 45.86%. In that same election, incumbent Republican Senator

beat Democratic opponent Katie McGinty 47.91% to 46.2% in the county.

Education

Colleges and universities

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

Community, junior, and technical colleges

*South Hills School of Business & Technology *

Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology is a regional vocational technical training school serving local public schools and adult learners. The school was established in 1969 by the Centre County public school districts. The School ...

, public Vo Tech in Pleasant Gap

Public school districts

Map of Centre County Pennsylvania School Districts

Bald Eagle Area School District The Bald Eagle Area School District is a midsized, suburban/rural public school district located in Centre County, Pennsylvania. The district serves the Boroughs of Howard, Milesburg, Port Matilda, Snow Shoe and Unionville and Boggs Township, ...

* Bellefonte Area School District *

Keystone Central School District The Keystone Central School District (KCSD) is a midsized rural, public school district based in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania that includes public schools in Clinton County, and that serves students in Clinton County, Centre County, and Potter Cou ...

(also in Clinton County) *

Penns Valley Area School District The Penns Valley Area School District is a small rural, public school district serving the south-eastern portions of Centre County, Pennsylvania. It encompasses the boroughs of Centre Hall and Millheim, Pennsylvania, as well as the townships of ...

Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District The Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District is a public school district serving the portions of Centre County, Pennsylvania and Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. It encompasses the Centre County municipalities of Phillipsburg Boro and Rush To ...

(also in Clearfield County) *

State College Area School District The State College Area School District (SCASD) is a large, suburban and rural public school district based in State College, Pennsylvania that serves students and includes public schools in the Borough of State College, Pennsylvania, and the sur ...

Tyrone Area School District The Tyrone Area School District is a public school district with coverage areas in Blair County, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania and Taylor Township in Centre County, Pennsylvania. It serves the borough of Tyrone and the townsh ...

(also in Blair County and Huntingdon County)

Public charter schools

*Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School *Centre Learning Community Charter School *Nittany Valley Charter School *There are 13 public cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania that are available for free statewide, to children K-12. See:

Education in Pennsylvania There are numerous elementary, secondary, and higher institutions of learning in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which is home to 500 public school districts, thousands of private schools, many publicly funded colleges and universities, and over ...

Private schools

As reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Education 2010. *Bower Hollow Parochial School - Woodward * Centre County Christian Academy - Bellefonte *Elk Creek School - Rebersburg *Faith Christian Academy - Philipsburg *Grace Prep - State College *Hill Side School - Rebersburg *Hubler Ridge School - Bellefonte *Kramer Gap School - Spring Mills *Little Nittany Amish Parochial School - Howard *Mountain View School - Rebersburg *Nittany Christian School - State College *Our Lady of Victory School - State College *Peach Lane Amish School - Madisonburg *Penns Valley Amish Paroch School - Woodward *Rockville School - Rebersburg *Spring Bank School - Rebersburg *St John Evangelist School - Bellefonte *St. Joseph's Academy - Boalsburg *State College Friends School - State College *Sunny Meadow Parochial School - Howard *Sunset View School - Howard *Sunset View School - Rebersburg *Windy Poplars School - Centre Hall *Woodside Amish School - Spring Mills

Libraries

*Centre County Libraries **Centre County Library & Historical Museum - Bellefonte **Centre Hall Area Branch Library - Centre Hall **Holt Memorial Library - Philipsburg **Centre County Bookmobile *American Philatelic Research Library *Schlow Centre Region Library

Pennsylvania State University libraries

* Pattee Library *

Paterno Library The Penn State University Libraries consists of 36 libraries at 22 locations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The two main buildings on Penn State's University Park campus are the Pattee and Paterno libraries. History The library's first p ...

* Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library * Earth and Mineral Sciences Library * Engineering Library * Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library

Transportation

University Park Airport University Park Airport is a public airport in Benner Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, serving State College and Bellefonte. The airport covers 1,091 acres (442 ha) and has one active runway. The airport is owned by The Pennsylvania S ...

operates daily commercial and general aviation flights.

Major highways

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

Recreation

There are six Pennsylvania state parks in Centre County. *

Bald Eagle State Park Bald Eagle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Howard, Liberty, and Marion townships in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir, formed by damming Bald Eagle Creek and ot ...

is the largest state park in Centre County with 5,900-acres (2,388 ha). It is on

Pennsylvania Route 150 Pennsylvania Route 150 (PA 150) is a highway in Central Pennsylvania. Its southern terminus is at PA 26 in Dale Summit, Pennsylvania near State College, at the location of the Nittany Mall. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 220 (US 220) in ...

between Milesburg and

Lock Haven Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven Micropolitan Statistical Area, ...

. *

Black Moshannon State Park Black Moshannon State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Rush Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It surrounds Black Moshannon Lake, formed by a dam on Black Moshannon Creek, which has given its name to the lake and park. T ...

west of State College has a

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

with three species of

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryot ...

s and 17

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

varieties. *

McCalls Dam State Park McCalls Dam State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Miles Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is in the easternmost tip of Centre County, south of Clinton County and north of Union County. McCalls Dam Stat ...

is a small park on a dirt road in the extreme eastern tip of the county. *

Penn-Roosevelt State Park Penn-Roosevelt State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Rothrock State Forest. Penn-Roosevelt State Park is from U.S. Route 322 on either Crowfield ...

is the site of a former segregated

CCC CCC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canada's Capital Cappies, the Critics and Awards Program in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada * ''Capcom Classics Collection'', a 2005 compilation of arcade games for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox * CCC, the pro ...

camp for African American men. *

Poe Paddy State Park Poe Paddy State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrou ...

is at the confluence of Big Poe Creek and

Penns Creek Penns Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Keyst ...

. *

Poe Valley State Park Poe Valley State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Penn Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest. Poe Paddy State Park is to the east. The forests of the park surround th ...

is in an isolated valley surrounding 25 acre Poe Lake.

Media

Centre County's main daily newspaper is the ''

Centre Daily Times The ''Centre Daily Times'' is a daily newspaper located in State College, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is the hometown newspaper for State College and the Pennsylvania State University, one of the best-known and largest universities in ...

'' (part of the

McClatchy Company The McClatchy Company, commonly referred to as simply McClatchy, is an American publishing company incorporated under Delaware's General Corporation Law and based in Sacramento, California. It operates 29 daily newspapers in fourteen states and ...

chain). Alternative newspapers include the ''Centre County Gazette'' and ''State College City Guide''. Newspapers of

's main campus include the student-run ''

Daily Collegian The ''Daily Collegian'' is a student-produced news outlet, with a newspaper and website, that is published independently at the Pennsylvania State University. The newspaper is printed twice a week during the fall and spring semesters, and once ...

''. Numerous magazines are also published including ''Town & Gown'', ''State College Magazine'', ''Good Life in Happy Valley'', ''Blue White Illustrated'', ''Pennsylvania Business Central'', and ''Voices of Central Pennsylvania''. The radio market of Centre County is ranked #257 in the nation. Some of the more popular stations include WPSU,

WKPS WKPS (90.7 FM, The LION 90.7fm) is a college radio station owned by Penn State University. The station runs on a full-time, multi-format schedule featuring a wide variety of programming. "The LION 90.7fm" transmits to a potential audience of o ...

, WMAJ, WQWK, WFGE,

WBHV WBHV-FM (94.5 MHz) is a radio station licensed to serve State College, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Kristin Cantrell's Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle, LLC. The Program Director is Angela Steco. History In 1987, W ...

, WZWW, WRSC,

WAPY WAPY (103.1 FM) is a classic hits station in State College, Pennsylvania operating with a power of 370 watts. Programming Until May 20, 2015, WAPY carried many nationally syndicated shows such as, Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, America i ...

, and WBUS. Centre County is part of the Johnstown/Altoona/State College television market, which is currently ranked #99 in the nation. Television stations broadcasting out of State College include WPSU (

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

) and

WHVL-LD WHVL-LD (channel 29) is a Low-power broadcasting#Television, low-power television station in State College, Pennsylvania, United States. Owned by Channel Communications, the station has studios on East College Avenue near the Nittany Mall, and its ...

(

MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyTV, MyNet, MNT or MNTV, and sometimes referred to as My Network) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its ...

) as well as C-NET, Centre County's Government and Education Access Television Network, which broadcasts on two channels: CGTV (Government Access TV) and CETV (Educational Access TV). Johnstown-based

WJAC-TV WJAC-TV (channel 6) is a television station licensed to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States, serving the Johnstown– Altoona– State College market as an affiliate of NBC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which provi ...

(

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

) and Altoona-based

WTAJ-TV WTAJ-TV (channel 10) is a television station licensed to Altoona, Pennsylvania, United States, serving the Johnstown–Altoona– State College market as an affiliate of CBS. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios on 6th Ave ...

(

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

) also maintain satellite studios and offices here.

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are five 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 ...

, home rule municipalities,

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 Ag ...

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, Ca ...

, 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 municipalities, boroughs and townships are in Centre County:

Home rule municipalities

* Ferguson Township ( Happy Valley) *

State College State College is a city in central Pennsylvania, United States. State College may also refer to: Related to State College, Pennsylvania * State College Area School District, a school district serving State College * State College Area High School ...

( Happy Valley)

Boroughs

* Bellefonte (county seat) *

Centre Hall Centre Hall is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Penns Valley and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,265 at the 2010 census, which is a 17.2% incre ...

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

* Milesburg *

Millheim Millheim is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 904 at the 2010 census. The Millheim Historic District, which includes 176 cont ...

* Philipsburg * Port Matilda *

Snow Shoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

* Unionville

Townships

* Benner *

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 ...

* Burnside *

College A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

( Happy Valley) * Curtin * Ferguson ( Happy Valley) * Gregg * Haines *

Halfmoon The halfmoon (''Medialuna californiensis''), also known as the blue perch, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the subfamily Scorpidinae, part of the family Kyphosidae. It is native to the coasts of the eastern Pacific Ocean ...

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...

( Happy Valley) *

* Huston *

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

Miles The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a General (United States), general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, Mediterranean Theater ...

( Happy Valley) * Penn *

Potter A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US * Potter, Arkansas *Potter, Nebraska * Potters, New Je ...

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

Spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) **List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Plac ...

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

* Worth

Census-designated places

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

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. * Aaronsburg * Baileyville *

Blanchard Blanchard is a French family name. It is also used as a given name. It derives from the Old French word ''blanchart'' which meant "whitish, bordering upon white". It is also an obsolete term for a white horse. Geographical distribution As of 2014, ...

* Boalsburg *

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...

* Coburn * Continental Courts * Eagle Creek * Eagleville * Holters Crossing * Houserville * Hublersburg *

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

* Julian * Lemont * Madisonburg * Mingoville *

Monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

* Moose Run * Moshannon * Mount Eagle * Nittany * North Philipsburg * Orviston * Park Forest Village *

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

* Pine Glen * Pine Grove Mills * Pleasant Gap * Potters Mills * Ramblewood * Rebersburg * Runville * Sandy Ridge * Snydertown * South Philipsburg * Spring Mills * Stormstown *

Toftrees Toftrees is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Dunton, in the North Norfolk district, in the county of Norfolk, England. The hamlet is 2.3 miles south west of Fakenham, 27.3 miles north west of Norwich and 113 miles north n ...

* Woodward * Yarnell *

Zion Zion ( he, צִיּוֹן ''Ṣīyyōn'', LXX , also variously transliterated ''Sion'', ''Tzion'', ''Tsion'', ''Tsiyyon'') is a placename in the Hebrew Bible used as a synonym for Jerusalem as well as for the Land of Israel as a whole (see Names ...

Other communities

* Axemann * Colyer * Graysdale * Gum Stump * Ingleby (ghost town) * Martha Furnace * Struble * Tusseyville * University Park *

Waddle Waddle may refer to: * Waddle, Pennsylvania, United States * Waddle (surname) Waddle is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alan Waddle (born 1954), English footballer * Bryan Waddle (21st century), New Zealand broadcaster * C ...

Population ranking

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

References

External links

Official site

Centre Daily Times
Local Newspaper
Interactive Web Mapping Application for Centre County

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) Historical Marker SearchOpen Access edition of ''The History of Centre and Clinton counties, Pennsylvania'' (1883) by John Blair Linn at the Penn State University Library website
{{coord, 40.91, -77.82, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-PA_source:UScensus1990 1800 establishments in Pennsylvania Counties of Appalachia Populated places established in 1800