Plainfield Township 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, Ca ...
in
Northampton 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, ...
. The population of Plainfield Township was 6,138 at the 2010 census. The township is part of the
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th-most populous
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
in the U.S. as of the 2020 census.
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 , or 0.16%, is water. It is in the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
watershed and drained by
Bushkill Creek
Bushkill Creek (Dutch for "bushy" or "forest creek") 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.Gertler, E ...
and Martins Creek. Its natural northern boundary is
Blue Mountain. Its villages include
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, Delabole, Edelman, Kesslersville, Miller, West Bangor, and West Pen Argyl.
Neighboring municipalities
*
Bushkill Township (west)
*
Upper Nazareth Township (southwest)
*
Stockertown
Stockertown is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The borough's population was 927 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th most populous metropolitan ...
(southwest)
*
Forks Township (south)
*
Lower Mount Bethel Township (southeast)
*
Washington Township (east)
*
Hamilton Township, Monroe County (north)
*
Ross Township, Monroe County (northwest)
Plainfield Township surrounds
Pen Argyl
Pen Argyl (; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Kleiberg'') is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The borough's population was 3,510 as of the 2020 census.
Pen Argyl is located north of Allentown. It is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area ...
in the northeast and nearly surrounds
Wind Gap
A wind gap (or air gap) is a gap through which a waterway once flowed that is now dry as a result of stream capture. A water gap is a similar feature, but one in which a waterway still flows. Water gaps and wind gaps often provide routes which ...
in the northwest.
Transportation
As of 2015, there were of public roads in Plainfield Township, of which were maintained by the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Yassmin Gramian. Presently, Pe ...
(PennDOT) and were maintained by the township.
Pennsylvania Route 33
Pennsylvania Route 33 (PA 33) is a limited-access state highway in eastern Pennsylvania. The highway runs from its interchange with Interstate 78 (I-78) south of Easton in the Lehigh Valley to I-80 and PA 611 west of Stroudsburg.
Until 2002 ...
is the most prominent highway serving Plainfield Township. It follows a north-south alignment across the western portion of the township.
Pennsylvania Route 191
Pennsylvania Route 191 (PA 191) is a -long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route, a major non-freeway corridor connecting the Lehigh Valley to The Poconos in eastern Pennsylvania, is designated from U.S. Route 22 (US 22) in ...
follows a southwest-northeast alignment through the southern and eastern portions of the township.
Pennsylvania Route 512
Pennsylvania Route 512 (PA 512) is a state route in Northampton County in the Lehigh Valley region in eastern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 22 (US 22) north of Bethlehem in Hanover Township. The northern terminus is at ...
also follows a southwest-northeast alignment, but through the northern and western parts of the township.
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 2000, there were 5,668 people, 2,130 households, and 1,637 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 2,191 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 98.85%
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 ...
, 0.37%
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 ...
, 0.02%
Native American, 0.28%
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 ...
, 0.14% 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 0.34% from two or more races.
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 ...
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 0.67% of the population.
There were 2,130 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% 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, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $49,019, and the median income for a family was $54,856. Males had a median income of $39,334 versus $25,145 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 $20,639. About 1.7% of families and 3.7% 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 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Public education
The township is served by the
Pen Argyl Area School District
Pen Argyl Area School District is a public school district located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It serves the boroughs of Pen Argyl and Wind Gap and Plainfield Township.
As of the 2020 ...
. Students in grades nine through 12 attend
Pen Argyl Area High School
Pen Argyl Area High School is a four-year public high school located in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is the only high school in the Pen Argyl Area School District. As of the 2021-22 school year, ...
in
Pen Argyl
Pen Argyl (; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Kleiberg'') is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The borough's population was 3,510 as of the 2020 census.
Pen Argyl is located north of Allentown. It is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area ...
.
References
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Townships in Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Townships in Pennsylvania