Cumru Township (pronounced "KOOM-roo") is a

township 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, ...

Berks County Berks County (Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River, ...

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, ...

. The population was 15,638 at the 2020 census. Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center, a Pennsylvania state park, is in Cumru Township.

History

The township was so named by

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

settlers, after ''

Cymru Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 2 ...

'', meaning

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it h ...

. In 1863, Cumru Township was the birthplace of William G. Leininger, creator of

the Railroad Sock The Railroad Sock, Inc. is an American sock manufacturer, established in 1901. Its logo depicts an illustration of a locomotive. As of 2022, the socks continue to be manufactured in the United States. Until the late 1990s, the company manufactur ...

. Ridgewood Farm was listed on 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 1992.

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 township has a total area of , of which is land and (1.15%) is water. It is drained by the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It f ...

, which forms its natural northeastern boundary. Adjacent townships * Lower Alsace Township (northeast) * Exeter Township (northeast) * Robeson Township (east) * Brecknock Township (south) * Spring Township (west) Adjacent city and boroughs *

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...

(north) *

Wyomissing Wyomissing is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough was established on July 2, 1906. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,114, compared to 10,461 at the 2010 census. The growth was significantly larger betwe ...

(north) * Shillington (north) * Kenhorst (north) * Mohnton (surrounded) Its unincorporated communities include Angelica, Clover Park, Colonial Hills, Farview, Flying Hills, Freemanville, Gouglersville, Grill, Pennwyn, Ridge Park, and Ridgewood.

Demographics

At the 2000 census, there were 13,816 people, 5,941 households, and 3,808 families in the township. The population density was 668.0 people per square mile (257.9/km). There were 6,127 housing units at an average density of 296.3/sq mi (114.4/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the township was 93.84% White, 1.92% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.27% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.82%. There were 5,941 households, 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 28.8% of households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.81. The age distribution was 19.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. The median household income was $50,103 and the median family income was $58,161. Males had a median income of $42,108 versus $27,701 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,996. About 1.4% of families and 4.4% 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 ...

, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The township's numbered routes are

Pennsylvania Route 10 Pennsylvania Route 10 (PA 10) is a state route in southeastern Pennsylvania. Its southern terminus is at PA 472 in Oxford. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 222 Business (US 222 Bus.) in Reading. PA 10 is mostly a two-lane undivided road ...

, Interstate 176,

U.S. Route 222 U.S. Route 222 (US 222) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur of US 22 in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. It runs for from US 1 in Conowingo, Maryland, north to Interstate 78 (I-78)/Pennsylvania Route 309 (PA 309) in Dorneyville, Pennsylv ...

, U.S. Route 222 Business (Lancaster Pike),

U.S. Route 422 U.S. Route 422 (US 422) is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western segment of US 422 runs from downtown Cleveland, Ohio, east to Ebensburg, Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Route 625 Pennsylvania Route 625 (PA 625) is a state route in east central Pennsylvania, United States. The southern terminus is at PA 23 in East Earl Township. The northern terminus is U.S. Route 222 Business (US 222 Bus.) in Reading. PA 625 is a two-l ...

, and

Pennsylvania Route 724 Pennsylvania Route 724 (PA 724) is a road in the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania that runs from U.S. Route 422 (US 422) in Sinking Spring southeast to PA 23 near Phoenixville. PA 724 travels through Berks and Chester counties. The route runs ...

Recreation

The Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center is located near the center of the township, along the west side of

Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 324 The Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 324 are Pennsylvania State Game Lands in Berks County in Pennsylvania in the United States providing hunting, bird watching, and other activities. Geography Game Lands Number 324 is an island in the Schu ...

is located on an island in the

near Angelica Park.https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/advanced-viewer/ The National Map, retrieved 2 November 2018Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 324
retrieved 2 November 2018

References

External links

Cumru Township
{{authority control Townships in Berks County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania