Kidder Township is a township in Carbon 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, ...

. It is part of

Northeastern Pennsylvania Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) is a geographic region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains, and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton, Nanticoke, and Car ...

. The population was 1,935 at the 2010 census, up from 1,185 at the 2000 census.

History

On October 10, 1888, a train wreck known as the Mud Run Disaster occurred on the

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, ...

which runs through the township. 66 people were killed, most members of the Total Abstinence Union returning from a rally.

Geography

Kidder Township occupies the northern end of Carbon County and is bordered by

Luzerne County Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

to the north and west and by

Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: *Monroe County, Alabama * Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida *Monroe County, Georgia * Monroe County, Illinois * Monroe County, Indi ...

to the east. It is drained by the

Lehigh River The Lehigh River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Delaware River in eastern Pennsylvania. The river flows in a generally southward pat ...

, which separates it from Luzerne County.

Tobyhanna Creek Tobyhanna Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Lehigh River in the Pocono Mountains of eastern Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertle ...

, a tributary of the Lehigh, forms the northern half of the township's eastern border. Its villages include Albrightsville (also in Penn Forest Township), Hickory Run,

Lake Harmony Lake Harmony is a glacial lake in Kidder Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The lake is drained by the Tobyhanna Creek, which flows northwest into the Lehigh River. It shares its name with an adjacent village, which has a ...

, Lehigh Tannery, Leonardsville/Pocono Mountain Lake Estates, and Split Rock. Albrightsville is a

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, suc ...

as is Holiday Pocono within Kidder. 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 , or 1.04%, is water.

Hickory Run State Park Hickory Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Kidder and Penn Forest Townships in Carbon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is spread across the Pocono Mountains. The park is easily accessible from Interstate 476 and ...

occupies nearly in the southern half of the township. Kidder's numbered roads include

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...

and the parallel

Pennsylvania Route 940 Pennsylvania Route 940 (PA 940) is a Pennsylvania highway located in the Pocono Mountains. It runs from PA 309 in Hazleton east to PA 191 in Paradise Valley. Large segments of PA 940 are located in densely forested areas. The route heads nort ...

east-to-west and

Interstate 476 Interstate 476 (I-476) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway of I-76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The highway runs from I-95 near Chester north to I-81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor throu ...

, which is north-to-south and has the Pocono Interchange in the township with the former two. Route 903 crosses the southeast portion of Kidder on its way between

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native ...

and Route 115 just beyond the Monroe County line. Route 534 intersects 903 in Albrightsville and proceeds northwest to meet 80 and 940. Kidder has one more important road, which connects 903 and 940 via Lake Harmony and Split Rock. The portion between Split Rock and 940, Mosey Wood Road, is a private toll road operated by Vacation Charters Limited, and the portion south to 903 is Lake Drive.

Neighboring municipalities

* Penn Forest Township (south) * Lehigh Township (southwest) * Foster Township, Luzerne County (west) * White Haven, Luzerne County (west) * East Side (west) * Dennison Township, Luzerne County (west) * Bear Creek Township, Luzerne County (northwest) * Buck Township, Luzerne County (north) * Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County (northeast) * Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County (east)

Climate

The township has a warm-summer

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 freez ...

(''Dfb'') and the

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

is mostly 5b except for a little 6a along Mud Run and the Lehigh River. The average monthly temperatures at the Pocono interchange of the Turnpike range from 22.9 °F in January to 68.3 °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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,185 people, 498 households, and 347 families residing in the township. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 17.2 people per square mile (6.6/km²). There were 2,197 housing units at an average density of 31.8/sq mi (12.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 93.25%

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 ...

, 2.36%

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, 0.17% Asian, 1.35% 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 2.78% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 4.56% of the population. There were 498 households, out of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% 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 ...

living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.69. In the township, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males. The median income for a household in the township was $32,583, and the median income for a family was $37,404. Males had a median income of $30,714 versus $26,250 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 township was $18,719. About 9.5% of families and 10.1% 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 9.8% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Kidder Township is served by two Interstate highways.

(

Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...

Northeast Extension) passes north–south through the township while

passes east–west through the township. The two highways meet at the Pocono interchange. State highways serving Kidder Township include Pennsylvania Route 534, which passes east–west through the southern portion of the township; Pennsylvania Route 903, which passes through the southeast corner of the township; and

, which passes east–west through the northern portion of the township parallel to I-80 and connects to I-80 and I-476 at the Pocono interchange. The

Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad , sometimes shortened to Reading and Northern Railroad, is a regional railroad in eastern Pennsylvania. Its headquarters is in Port Clinton. The RBMN provides freight service on of track. Its mainl ...

's Lehigh Division line pass through the western portion of Kidder Township.

Martz Trailways Martz Group is a bus company headquartered in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, operating intercity commuter buses, charter buses, and tours. The company operates Martz Trailways, which is a part of the Trailways Transportation System. Martz Trailways ...

has a stop in Kidder Township near the Pocono interchange of Interstate 476 for service between

Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...

Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...

Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: *Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California *Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County *Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Taze ...

, Quakertown, and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

. This is an

Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, trans ...

route, connecting to

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

trains at

30th Street Station 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

in Philadelphia. Martz also operates casino bus routes to

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

from the stop.

References

External links

Kidder Township official websiteKidder Township Volunteer Fire CompanyLake Harmony Rescue Squad Ambulance
{{Carbon County, Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1849 Townships in Carbon County, Pennsylvania 1849 establishments in Pennsylvania