Quakertown 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
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...
, United States. As of 2020, it had a population of 9,359.
The borough is south of
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 ...
and
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
and north of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, making Quakertown a border town of both the
Delaware Valley and
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 areas.
Quakertown is considered part of the United States Census Bureau's
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
−
Camden−
Wilmington (PA−NJ−DE-MD)
MSA and the
Delaware Valley. Quakertown is surrounded by
Richland Township.
Quakertown is located south of
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 ...
and northwest of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
.
History
![Liberty Hall Quakertown PA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Liberty_Hall_Quakertown_PA.jpg)
Quaker settlement
Quakertown was originally settled by members of the
Religious Society of Friends
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
, or Quakers. The settlement was not officially known as Quakertown until its first post office opened in 1803.
Liberty Bell moved
On September 18, 1777, during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, a convoy of wagons carrying the
Liberty Bell from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
to
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 ...
, under the command of Col.
Thomas Polk
Thomas Polk (c. 1732–January 25, 1794) was a planter, military officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1781, and a politician who served in the North Carolina House of Commons, North Carolina Provinci ...
of
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, stopped in Quakertown. The Liberty Bell was stored overnight behind the home of Evan Foulke (1237 West Broad Street), and the entourage stayed at the Red Lion Inn. The
John Fries' Rebellion
Fries's Rebellion (), also called House Tax Rebellion, the Home Tax Rebellion and, in Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania German, the Heesses-Wasser Uffschtand, was an armed tax revolt among Pennsylvania Dutch farmers between 1799 and 1800. ...
was also started in the Red Lion Inn in 1799.
1800s growth
In 1854, Quakertown elected its first Burgess. The
North Pennsylvania Railroad
The North Pennsylvania Railroad was a railroad company which served Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bucks County and Northampton County in Pennsylvania. It was formed in 1852 and began operation in 1855. The Philadelphia and Reading Railway, ...
facilitated access to the area, which brought about a great increase in population, and by 1880, the population of Quakertown had almost reached 1,800.
Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall ( ga, Halla na Saoirse), in Dublin, Ireland, is the headquarters of the Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union (SIPTU). Designed by Desmond Rea O'Kelly, it was completed in 1965. It was for a time the tallest b ...
,
Quakertown Historic District
The Quakertown Historic District is a historic district which includes most of Quakertown, Pennsylvania. It encompasses, 386 acres and 2,197 contributing buildings.
History and architectural features
Quakertown has a significant number of pre- ...
,
Quakertown Passenger and Freight Station
The Quakertown Passenger and Freight Station is a historic train station and freight depot located at Quakertown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The two buildings were designed by Wilson Bros. & Company in 1889 and built by Cramp and Co. for the ...
, and
Enoch Roberts House
Enoch Roberts House, also known as the Trainer Mansion, is a historic home located at Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Quakertown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was built about 1814, and is a -story, five-bay, plastered fieldstone dwelling in a vernac ...
are 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 ...
.
[
]
Industry and population
The
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, along with national economic expansion, changed Quakertown from a tiny village to a commercial manufacturing center. In the nineteenth century, local industrial establishments included
cigar and
cigar box
A cigar box is a box container for cigar packaging. Traditionally cigar boxes have been made of wood, cardboard or paper. Spanish cedar has been described as the "best" kind of wood for cigar boxes because of its beautiful grain, fine textu ...
factories, silk mills, harness factories, and stove foundries. Until 1969, Quakertown generated its own
electrical power
Electric power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt, one joule per second. Standard prefixes apply to watts as with other SI units: thousands, millions and billions o ...
. As of 2022, Quakertown has extensive mall development along Pennsylvania Route 309 that includes many restaurants, businesses, and retail outlets. The population of Quakertown in 1900 was 3,014; it rose to 3,801 in 1910. By 1940, the population had reached 5,150 people. At the 2010 census, the borough's population was 8,979.
Interurban to Allentown and Philadelphia
From 1901 to 1951, Quakertown was an hourly stop on the
Lehigh Valley Transit Company
The Lehigh Valley Transit Company (LVT) was a regional transport company, headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that began operations in 1901 as an urban trolley and interurban rail transport company. It operated successfully into the 1930s, ...
's electric interurban trolley line from Allentown and Coopersburg through Quakertown then south through Perkasie, Sellersville, Souderton, Lansdale, and Norristown to Philadelphia. With car use limited during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
due to gasoline rationing, the trolley line moved a very large number of passengers. After the war, as was the case with many other railways, its business collapsed, and it ceased operation in 1951. The LVT station at the northwestern corner of Main and Broad streets, across from the Red Lion Inn, still stands and is marked on one wall for that history. It ran in the center of Main Street as it progressed southbound to Perkasie.
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 borough has a total area of , all land.
Licking Run begins in passes through Quakertown from the west to the east and drains into the Tohickon Creek.
Tohickon Creek
Tohickon 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. Located entirely in Bucks County, in southeastern Pennsylvania, it r ...
, which drains into the
Delaware River, flows past the northeastern edge of the borough.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Quakertown has a Hot-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 freezing ...
(''Dfa''). ''Dfa'' climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ , at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ , at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are slightly humid in Quakertown, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with
heat index
The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the shade. The result is als ...
values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on July 22, 2011, and the highest daily average mean
dew point
The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor, assuming constant air pressure and water content. When cooled below the dew point, moisture capacity is reduced and airborne water vapor will cond ...
was on August 1, 2006. The average wettest month is July which corresponds with the annual peak in
thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are some ...
activity. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was on September 30, 2010. During the winter months, the average annual extreme minimum air temperature is .
Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was on January 22, 1984. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with
wind chill values < . The average annual snowfall (Nov-Apr) is between and .
Ice storm
An ice storm, also known as a glaze event or a silver storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least of ice on e ...
s and large snowstorms depositing ≥ of snow occur once every few years, particularly during
nor’easter
A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use of ...
s from December through February.
Ecology
According to the
A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 1907–1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system in widespread use in the United States. Some of this database has bec ...
U.S.
potential natural vegetation
In ecology, potential natural vegetation (PNV), also known as Kuchler potential vegetation, is the vegetation that would be expected given environmental constraints (climate, geomorphology, geology) without human intervention or a hazard event ...
types, Quakertown has a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
(''104'') with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern
Hardwood Forest (''25'').
The
plant 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 6b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of .
The spring bloom typically begins by April 12 and fall color usually peaks by October 28.
Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 9,359 people living in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 88.3%
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 ...
, 5.3%
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 ...
, 2.0%
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 ...
, 2.7% 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 ...
, 0%
pacific islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0%
American Indian or
Alaska Native, and 2.9% 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 5.4% of the population.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 8,931 people, 3,421 households, and 2,251 families living in the borough. 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 4,424.7 people per square mile (1,707.1/km²). There were 3,631 housing units at an average density of 1,798.9 per square mile (694.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.46%
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 ...
, 1.20%
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 ...
, 0.13%
Native American, 1.51%
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 ...
, 0.06%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.58% 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 1.06% 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 2.88% of the population.
There were 3,421 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were
married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,942, and the median income for a family was $51,194. Males had a median income of $33,697 versus $26,988 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 $20,562. About 3.7% of families and 5.9% 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 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Quakertown has a
council-manager system of government. The borough has a seven-member Borough Council elected at-large to four-year terms. The council appoints a
Borough Manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the Administration (government), administrative Management, manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" Council–manager government, council–manager form of city government. Local officials ...
who manages the daily operations of the borough. As of 2017, the members of Borough Council are President James Shapley, Vice President Donald E. Rosenberger, Jon Roth, Michael Johnson, Douglas Propst, Lisa J. Gaier, Esq., and Jann Paulovitz.
Legislators
*State Representative
Craig Staats
Craig Staats is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 145th House district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Staats is a former Richland Township Supervisor, having served from 2006 to 2014. He succeeded Represen ...
, Republican,
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 145
The 145th Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is located in Southeastern Pennsylvania and has been represented since 2015 by Craig Staats.
District profile
The 145th Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is located in Bucks ...
*State Senator
Bob Mensch, Republican,
Pennsylvania Senate, District 24
Pennsylvania State Senate District 24 includes parts of Berks County and Montgomery County. It is currently represented by Republican Bob Mensch.
District profile
The district includes the following areas:
Berks County
* Amity Township
* Ba ...
*US Representative
Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican,
Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district
Pennsylvania's first congressional district includes all of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Bucks County and a sliver of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania. It has been represented by Brian Fitzpatrick (Am ...
Infrastructure
Transportation
Quakertown is directly served by four state highways.
PA 309 passes through the western part of Quakertown as West End Boulevard and runs north to
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 ...
and south to
Montgomeryville and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
.
PA 313 begins at PA 309 in Quakertown and passes through the town on Broad Street, heading southeast to
Doylestown.
PA 663 heads west from Quakertown at the PA 309/PA 313 intersection and interchanges with
I-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 ...
(
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 w ...
Northeast Extension) at the Quakertown interchange before heading southwest to
Pottstown.
PA 212 heads northeast from PA 313 in Quakertown and provides access to
Riegelsville.
Quakertown has intercity bus service provided by multiple carriers.
Trans-Bridge Lines
Trans-Bridge Lines is an interstate bus transportation company operating based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It operates in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and offers daily service from the Lehigh Valley to both New York City and Philadelphia ...
provides service from a stop on Broad Street in downtown to
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, Doylestown, and the
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 buse ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Fullington Trailways
The Trailways Transportation System is an American network of approximately 70 independent bus companies that have entered into a brand licensing agreement. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.
History
The predecessor to Trailwa ...
provides service from the park and ride lot on PA 663 to the
Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal,
Hazleton Hazleton may refer to:
Places
* Hazleton, British Columbia, Canada
* Hazleton, Gloucestershire, a village in Gloucestershire, England
** Hazleton long barrows, Neolithic burial mounds at Hazleton, Gloucestershire, England
** Hazleton Abbey, a medi ...
,
Williamsport, and several other places in northern Pennsylvania.
Martz Trailways provides service from the park and ride lot on PA 663 to
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 ...
,
White Haven, Allentown, and Philadelphia. This is an
Amtrak Thruway
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, transi ...
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 in Philadelphia.
OurBus
OurBus Inc. is is a broker for motor carriers of passengers, and arranges for the transportation of passengers. The company offers intercity and commuter bus routes serving cities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virgini ...
provides service from a stop at a park and ride lot on PA 663 west of the borough near the interchange with the Northeast Extension to
Camden, New Jersey, Philadelphia,
Wescosville, Allentown, and Bethlehem.
Quakertown had passenger rail service from the
Quakertown station along the
Bethlehem Line
The Bethlehem Line was a SEPTA Regional Rail service on the former Reading Company Bethlehem Branch between Lansdale and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Some trains continued over the electrified Lansdale/Doylestown Line to the Reading Terminal in Phil ...
to Bethlehem and Philadelphia until July 27, 1981, when
SEPTA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five c ...
ended service on all its intercity
diesel-powered lines. Due to the numerous industrial complexes in Quakertown, the borough currently has freight rail service provided by a branch of the
East Penn Railroad along the former SEPTA tracks.
Quakertown has a public
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...
, simply named
Quakertown Airport. The airport is not located in the Quakertown borough itself, but in neighboring
Milford Township.
Utilities
Quakertown provides various utility services to businesses and residents. The Borough of Quakertown Electric Department provides electricity to the borough. The borough has operated its own electric department since the early 1890s and generated its own electricity until 1969, with electricity now purchased wholesale. The Borough of Quakertown Water Department provides water to the borough, operating ten wells and three storage facilities. The Borough of Quakertown Sewer Department provides sewer service to the borough, operating a wastewater treatment plant. Natural gas service in Quakertown is provided by
UGI Utilities
UGI Corporation (formerly United Gas Improvement Corp.) is a natural gas and electric power distribution company headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with extensive operations in the United States and Europe.
UGI owns AmeriGas, the la ...
. The Borough of Quakertown Sanitation Department provides trash and recycling collection.
Health care
St. Luke's University Health Network operates St. Luke's Upper Bucks Campus hospital outside the borough in Milford Township, serving the northern portion of Bucks County. The hospital was opened as Quakertown Community Hospital, located within the borough of Quakertown, on June 5, 1930, and was acquired by St. Luke's University Health Network in August 1995. St. Luke's Quakertown Campus was replaced by St. Luke's Upper Bucks Campus on December 14, 2019. St. Luke's Upper Bucks Campus offers an
emergency room and various inpatient and outpatient services including women's health services, surgical services, heart and vascular services, radiology services, and wound care. Grand View Health and
Lehigh Valley Health Network
Lehigh Valley Health Network is a healthcare network based in the Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The healthcare network serves eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania. Its flagship hospital is Lehigh Va ...
jointly operate the Health Center at Quakertown, which offers various outpatient services such as laboratory services, X-rays, and cardiac testing along with physician offices focusing on cardiology, orthopedics, primary care, specialty care, and pediatrics.
Police and fire
![Quakertown PA West End Fire Co](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Quakertown_PA_West_End_Fire_Co.jpg)
Police services in the borough are provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by the Quakertown Borough Police Department, which consists of a Chief, Detective Lieutenant, Administrative Sergeant, two Patrol Sergeants, two Detectives, twelve Patrol Officers, and three support staff. Fire protection in Quakertown and surrounding areas is provided by the Quakertown Fire Department, a volunteer fire department which operates the Quakertown Fire Company #1-Station 17 on West Broad Street and the West End Fire Company-Station 18 on Park Avenue.
Education
Quakertown Community School District
Quakertown Community School District is a public school district located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The Quakertown Community School District covers 72 square miles serves public school students in the borough.
Quakertown Elementary School, a historic school, and Neidig Elementary School, both located within borough limits, serve students in grades K-5 based on where they live. The Sixth Grade Center serves borough students in sixth grade, Strayer Middle School serves grades 7-8, and Quakertown Community High School serves grades 9-12.
The
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well a ...
operates St. Isidore school, located within borough limits, for many parochial school students. The borough is also home to the United Friends School.
Notable people
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Megan Angelo
Megan Angelo (born ca. 1985) is a journalist and the author of the 2020 novel ''Followers''.
Early life and education
Angelo grew up in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and has two younger brothers. She attended St. Isidore Elementary School and Quake ...
, journalist and author
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Diane Bracalente
Diana Renee Bracalente (born July 29, 1963 in Quakertown, Pennsylvania) is a former field hockey player from the United States, who finished in eighth position with ''Team USA'' in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially k ...
, U.S.
1988 Summer Olympic field hockey player
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Sabrina Carpenter, singer and actress
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Katlyn Chookagian
Katlyn Chookagian (born December 28, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. She has formerly competed in the Bantamweight division and currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As o ...
,
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
Fighter
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Tim Lewis, former professional football player for the
Green Bay Packers
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Bill Mensch
William David Mensch, Jr. (born February 9, 1945) is an American electrical engineer born in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. He was a major contributor to the design of the Motorola 6800 8-bit microprocessor and was part of the team led by Chuck Pedd ...
, microcomputer pioneer
*
Louis Riddick Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ...
, former professional football player for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
and ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, A ...
'' analyst
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Ken Schroy
Kenneth Michael Schroy (born September 22, 1952 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania) is a former American football safety who played eight seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets.
Schroy played high school football at Quakertown Community Senior H ...
, former professional football player for the
New York Jets
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Jan Shepard
Jan Shepard (born Josephine Angela Sorbello) is a retired American actress.
Early years
Josephine Angela Sorbello was born in Quakertown, Pennsylvania in 1928 to parents of Sicilian descent, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sorbello. She was valedictorian of h ...
, film and television actress
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Hampton S. Thomas
Hampton Sidney Thomas (November 3, 1837 – May 21, 1899) was a United States soldier who fought with the Union Army as a major in the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry during the American Civil War. He received his country's highest award for valor, the Me ...
,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...
recipient in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
.
*
Neil Vipond
Neil Chester Vipond (December 24, 1929 – July 15, 2022) was an American-based Canadian actor and stage director.
Life and career
Neil Vipond, the son of a salesman and a former performer on the vaudeville circuit, was born and grew up in Toron ...
, Canadian-American actor
References
External links
Quakertown official websiteQuakertown Alive! Official Website
{{authority control
1700 establishments in Pennsylvania
Boroughs in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Populated places established in 1700