Slippery Rock 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 Ag ...

in Butler 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 was 3,081 at the 2020 census. Slippery Rock is included in the

Greater Pittsburgh Region Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, ...

. It is home to

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock University, formally Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (The Rock or SRU), is a public university in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. SRU is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The university ...

, attended by nearly 9,000 students as a member of the

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that oversees 10 state-owned universities. Collectively, it is the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. All ...

. The post office for Slippery Rock Township was established in 1826 in the Ginger Hill area. The town of Ginger Hill was incorporated as a borough under the name Centreville in 1841, later changing its name to Slippery Rock in 1896.

Geography

Slippery Rock is located in northwest Butler County at (41.063746, -80.055007). 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 the ...

, the borough has a total area of , all land.

Slippery Rock Creek Slippery Rock Creek is a stream in western Pennsylvania, a tributary of Connoquenessing Creek. Course and history From its source in Hilliards in Butler County, it flows through McConnells Mill State Park before flowing into the Connoquene ...

, the borough's namesake, runs through a valley south of the borough. The terrain around Slippery Rock is hilly, and the

strip mining Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which ...

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

has been a prominent commercial activity in the surrounding area, which is largely agricultural.

Climate

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 3,068 people, 977 households, and 387 families residing 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 1,820.4 people per square mile (700.9/km²). There were 1,039 housing units at an average density of 616.5 per square mile (237.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.30%

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 ...

, 3.26%

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 ...

, 0.20% Native American, 3.29%

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 ...

, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.68% 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 1.21% 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 ...

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 1.11% of the population. There were 977 households, out of which 15.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% 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, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 60.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.71. In the borough the population was spread out, with 8.5% under the age of 18, 55.9% from 18 to 24, 15.0% from 25 to 44, 10.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.8 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $24,554, and the median income for a family was $42,450. Males had a median income of $37,188 versus $30,104 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 $13,538. About 10.1% of families and 42.6% 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 11.0% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Political affiliation

Slippery Rock's outer regions generally support towards the Republican Party, and in the

2020 Presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 January: **C ...

, GOP incumbent president

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

won with 1,261 votes, equating to 60% of the surrounding areas. Additionally, the Republican Party represents the borough in the House of Representatives, with Slippery Rock currently being represented by Scott Perry. However, the inner regions of Slippery Rock are supporters of the Democrats, albeit by a smaller margin than Republican support in the outer regions, as evidenced by Joe Biden's 53% vote share as compared to the 45% who voted for Trump in the 2020 election within the inner regions.

Sports

The university has many sports events and venues located in the borough. The Rock football team plays their games at Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium, while the baseball team has their games at Jack Critchfield Park.

Transport

Since the 1960s, Slippery Rock has been served by the Interstate Highway system as Interstate 79 (north-south) and

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 o ...

(east-west) cross to the north. The closest access to I-79 is to the west on

Pennsylvania Route 108 Pennsylvania Route 108 (PA 108) is a highway in Western Pennsylvania that runs for from the Ohio state line near SNPJ to PA 8 in Adams Corner. PA 108 intersects Interstate 376 (I-376) near New Castle and U.S. Route 19 (US 19) near Ha ...

. PA 258 (North Main Street) leads northwest to I-79. Public transport is provided to students of Slippery Rock University through the Student Government Association's "Happy Bus" service. No airports are located within the borough itself, with general aviation's closest links to the city being at Grove City Airport.

Pittsburgh International Airport Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, is a civil–military international airport in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Located about 10 miles (15 km) west of downtown Pittsbur ...

is the closest airport with commercial service.

References

External links

Borough of Slippery Rock official website

Slippery Rock visitors website
{{authority control Populated places established in 1841 Pittsburgh metropolitan area Boroughs in Butler County, Pennsylvania 1841 establishments in Pennsylvania