Clarion is a
borough
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 ...
in and 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 ...
of
Clarion County,
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, ...
, United States.
It is located north-northeast of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
and is part of the
Pittsburgh DMA. Clarion was settled in 1839 and incorporated in 1841. In the past, the surrounding area produced natural gas, oil, lumber and coal. The population was 2,004 in 1900, 2,864 in 1910, and 3,931 at the 2020 census,
down from 5,276 at the 2010 census.
It is home to the annual
Autumn Leaf Festival and
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Western University, Clarion, also known as PennWest Clarion, is a public university campus in Clarion, Pennsylvania. Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the institution was founded in 1867 and offers ...
. The
county courthouse
A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...
was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1979.
Geography
Clarion is located slightly northeast of the center of Clarion County at (41.211791, -79.384005),
in the
Allegheny Plateau
The Allegheny Plateau , in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York (state), New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Oh ...
region of western Pennsylvania. The main part of the borough sits at an elevation of above sea level, overlooking the valley of the
Clarion River, a tributary of the
Allegheny River.
U.S. Route 322
U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was concurrent with ...
passes through the borough as Main Street, leading northwest to
Franklin and southeast to
Brookville.
Pennsylvania Route 68
Pennsylvania Route 68 (PA 68) is a east–west state highway located in western Pennsylvania in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the Ohio state line west of Glasgow, where PA 68 continues into Ohio as State Route ...
(Fifth Avenue) leads south from the center of Clarion, to Exit 62 of
Interstate 80 and to
Sligo.
According to the
United States 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 t ...
, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.70%, is water.
Climate
Clarion 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 ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Dfb''), with warm summers and cold to very cold, snowy winters. Precipitation is highest in the summer months, with an annual average of . Snow usually falls between October and April.
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 6,185 people, 2,000 households, and 718 families residing in the borough. 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 4,142.8 people per square mile (1,602.7/km
2). There were 2,192 housing units at an average density of 1,468.2 per square mile (568.0/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.55%
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 ...
, 3.48%
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 ...
, 0.08%
Native American, 0.99%
Asian, 0.15% 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 0.76% from two or more races.
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 ...
or
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 were 0.82% of the population.
![Clarion, Pennsylvania (4091833585)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Clarion%2C_Pennsylvania_%284091833585%29.jpg)
There were 2,000 households, out of which 15.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.3% were
married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.1% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.75. versus $20,214 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the borough was $10,832. About 18.8% of families and 41.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Borough council
![Clarion, Pennsylvania (4091834537)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Clarion%2C_Pennsylvania_%284091834537%29.jpg)
Clarion is governed by an elected, seven member Borough Council. Current council members include President Carol Lapinto, Vice President Benjamin Aaron, Brenda Sanders Dede, President Pro Tem Rachel Roberts, Rose Logue, Zachary Garbarino, and Keaton MacBeth. Jennifer Fulmer Vinson is Mayor. Notable funeral director and former United States Marine, William Keatley is also from Clarion and wants people to know his bedroom at his childhood home was in the basement.
Notable people
*
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
, American Olympic Gold Medalist - Clarion University graduate heavyweight wrestler
*
Clara Rankin Coblentz
Clara Rankin Coblentz (, Rankin; August 19, 1863 – March 6, 1933) was an American temperance reformer and clubwoman. Coblentz held leadership positions in a number of organizations including president of the Non-Partisan National Women's Christi ...
, social reformer
*
Emmet Heidrick
R. Emmet "Snags" Heidrick (July 29, 1876 – January 20, 1916) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1908. He played for the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Cardinals, and St. Louis Browns. He was known as a good defensive player w ...
, baseball player
*
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United Stat ...
, Football Hall of Fame Inductee 2002 - Professional quarterback for the Buffalo Bills
*
Chris Kirkpatrick
Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick (born October 17, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, and occasional actor, who is best known for his work as the founding member of the pop group NSYNC, in which he sang countertenor. He al ...
,
NSYNC singer
*
Ernest M. Skinner,
pipe organ builder
References
External links
Clarion Borough official websiteClarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry
{{Authority control
County seats in Pennsylvania
Populated places established in 1839
Boroughs in Clarion County, Pennsylvania
1839 establishments in Pennsylvania