West Mifflin 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
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County () is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, following Philadelphia Co ...
, United States, located southeast of downtown
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
. The population was 20,313 at the
2010 census.
It is named after
Thomas Mifflin
Thomas Mifflin (January 10, 1744January 20, 1800) was an American merchant, soldier, and politician from Pennsylvania, who is regarded as a Founding Father of the United States for his roles during and after the American Revolution. Mifflin wa ...
, 1st
Governor of Pennsylvania
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, signer of the
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...
, and 1st
Quartermaster General of the United States Army
The Quartermaster General of the United States Army is a general officer who is responsible for the Quartermaster Corps, the Quartermaster branch of the U.S. Army. The Quartermaster General does not command Quartermaster units, but is primarily ...
.
Although the borough is heavily residential, it is home to one of America's oldest traditional amusement parks,
Kennywood Park
Kennywood is an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just southeast of Pittsburgh. The park opened on May 30, 1899, as a trolley park attraction at the end of the Mellon family's Monongahela Street Railway. It was purchased in 1 ...
. Other employers include advanced naval nuclear propulsion technology research and development facility,
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is a U.S. Government-owned research and development facility in the Pittsburgh suburb of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, that works exclusively on the design and development of nuclear power for the U.S. Navy. It was one ...
; monorail manufacturer
Bombardier;
US Steel
United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...
's
Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant The Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant is a steel processing plant operated by U.S. Steel and historically a "hot strip mill" (sometimes referred to as a "steel mill") in the Pittsburgh suburb of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The site consists of 650 ac ...
;
Community College of Allegheny County
Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is a public community college in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. With four campuses and four centers, the college offers associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas.
History
The Pennsylvania legis ...
's South Campus; and the
Allegheny County Airport
Allegheny County Airport is in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. It is the fifth-busiest airport in Pennsylvania following Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Harrisburg. The airport is owned by t ...
.
Geography
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 , of which is land and , or 1.80%, is water. The landscape is largely hilly and wooded, and the borough's eastern boundary is contiguous with the
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River ( , )—often referred to locally as the Mon ()—is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in North Cen ...
three separate times. Much of the original landscape has been altered as a result of the historic dumping of
steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...
byproducts such as
slag
Slag is a by-product of smelting (pyrometallurgical) ores and used metals. Broadly, it can be classified as ferrous (by-products of processing iron and steel), ferroalloy (by-product of ferroalloy production) or non-ferrous/base metals (by-prod ...
and
fly ash
Fly ash, flue ash, coal ash, or pulverised fuel ash (in the UK) plurale tantum: coal combustion residuals (CCRs)is a coal combustion product that is composed of the particulates (fine particles of burned fuel) that are driven out of coal-fired ...
.
Environmental monitoring
Coal mining has also affected the flow and water quality of small streams. Land developers have produced more level ground by clean-filling ravines and other small parcels of land to improve the land usage.
Toxic waste
Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm (e.g. by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin). Mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemi ...
dump areas are monitored with water quality improvement with
bioremediation
Bioremediation broadly refers to any process wherein a biological system (typically bacteria, microalgae, fungi, and plants), living or dead, is employed for removing environmental pollutants from air, water, soil, flue gasses, industrial effluent ...
successfully implemented. West Mifflin operates its own
sewage treatment
Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding envir ...
facility. The Environmental Protection agency regulates 78 facilities for environmental compliance. Asbestos waste and radioactive waste and controls were addressed in 1991.
Surrounding and adjacent neighborhoods
West Mifflin has ten land borders, including the
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
neighborhoods of
Lincoln Place and
Hays as well as
Munhall and
Whitaker
Whitaker (also Whittaker) is a surname of English and Scottish origin, meaning the white acre, also spelled "Whittaker" and " Whitacre." Notable people with the surname include:
People with the name
* The Whitaker iron family - a family important ...
, to the north,
Duquesne to the east,
Dravosburg to the southeast,
Jefferson Hills and
Pleasant Hills to the south,
Baldwin to the west and also a short border with Clairton to the south.
Three segments of West Mifflin run along the Monongahela River. Adjacent to these areas across the river are
Braddock,
North Braddock
North Braddock is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. North Braddock was organized from a part of Braddock Township in 1897. The borough prides itself in being the "Birth Place of Steel" as the home of Andrew Carnegie's ...
,
McKeesport
McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela River, Monongahela and Youghiogheny River, Youghiogheny rivers and within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population ...
and
Glassport.
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 22,464 people, 9,509 households, and 6,475 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 1,586.2 people per square mile (612.5/km
2). There were 9,966 housing units at an average density of 703.7 per square mile (271.7/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 89.64%
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 ...
, 8.85%
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 ...
, 0.12%
Native American, 0.25%
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 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 ...
, 0.25% 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 0.84% 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 0.57% of the population.
There were 9,509 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% 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, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $36,130, and the median income for a family was $46,192. Males had a median income of $36,984 versus $26,529 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 $18,140. About 8.8% of families and 10.2% 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 16.6% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over. The unemployment rate is just over 6%.
Government and politics
Schools
Seven schools exist in West Mifflin: 4 public schools and 3 private schools. West Mifflin public schools belong to one district-
West Mifflin Area School District
West Mifflin Area School District is a suburban, public school district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the south hills of Allegheny County. It serves the boroughs of West Mifflin
West Mifflin is a borough in Alleghen ...
. School students in the neighboring boroughs of
Whitaker
Whitaker (also Whittaker) is a surname of English and Scottish origin, meaning the white acre, also spelled "Whittaker" and " Whitacre." Notable people with the surname include:
People with the name
* The Whitaker iron family - a family important ...
and
Duquesne also attend school in the West Mifflin School District.
There are 2 West Mifflin elementary schools, 1 West Mifflin middle school, 1 West Mifflin High School, and 13 West Mifflin preschools.
New England Elementary has been closed since June 2012.
Saint Agnes School has been closed since June 2019.
New Emerson has been closed since 2020.
Prior to July 2016,
Wilson Christian Academy existed at 1900 Clairton Road. It was merged into Cornerstone Christian Preparatory Academy which is currently at that location.
West Mifflin school administrators' use of school credit cards for meals has been called into question. The West Mifflin School District charges tuition for nearby Duquesne students to attend.
All-State Career School has a campus in West Mifflin. Class A CDL licenses have been in-demand in the area with the rise of fracking.
Community College of Allegheny County also has its South Campus in the borough at 1750 Clairton Road.
Transportation and infrastructure
West Mifflin is accessible primarily by road, though no
Interstate highways
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
pass through the area. The main road passing through most of the area is
Pennsylvania Route 885
Pennsylvania Route 885 (PA 885) is a long north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It runs from Pennsylvania Route 837 in Clairton north to Interstate 579 in Pittsburgh. The route is entirely within Allegheny County and se ...
, which intersects with
Pennsylvania Route 51
Pennsylvania Route 51 (PA 51) is a major state highway in Western Pennsylvania. It runs for from Uniontown to the Ohio state line near Darlington, where it connects with Ohio State Route 14. PA 51 is the termination point for Pennsylvania ...
nearby in the borough of
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...
.
West Mifflin is the location of
Allegheny County Airport
Allegheny County Airport is in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. It is the fifth-busiest airport in Pennsylvania following Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Harrisburg. The airport is owned by t ...
, a
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; as a result, most of West Mifflin is in
Class D airspace
The world's navigable airspace is divided into three-dimensional segments, each of which is assigned to a specific class. Most nations adhere to the classification specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and described be ...
. The nearest airports with commercial service are
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 ...
and
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, two miles (3 km) southwest of Latrobe and about southeast of Pittsburgh. It was formerly Westmoreland County Airport; it was renamed in September 1999 ...
.
In Media
In one episode of the skit Monster Chiller Horror Theatre with Count Floyd on the Canadian TV comedy series
Second City Television
''Second City Television'', commonly shortened to ''SCTV'' and later known as ''SCTV Network'' and ''SCTV Channel'', is a Canadian television sketch comedy show that ran intermittently between 1976 and 1984. It was created as an offshoot from To ...
, the Count talks about a fictional horror film called Blood Sucking Monkeys from West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
References
Further reading
* D. R. Connors, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, letter to R. L Pearson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, "Update of Idaho Naval Reactor Facilities Miscellaneous Waste Inventory for the 1992 Integrated Data Base Report," dated May 5, 1992.
External links
Borough of West Mifflin official websiteWest Mifflin Borough on FacebookWest Mifflin Borough Recreation official website
West Mifflin Borough Recreation on FacebookWest Mifflin Borough Police Department official website
West Mifflin Borough Police Department on FacebookWest Mifflin Community WebsiteWest Mifflin Area School DistrictWest Mifflin Sanitary Sewer Municipal Authority
{{S-end
Populated places established in 1788
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Boroughs in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania populated places on the Monongahela River
Superfund sites in Pennsylvania
1942 establishments in Pennsylvania