Williamsport is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It recorded a population of 27,754 at the 2020 Census. It is the principal city of the Williamsport

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

, which has a population of about 114,000. Williamsport is the larger principal city of the Williamsport-Lock Haven, PA Combined Statistical Area, which includes Lycoming and Clinton Counties. The city is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Central Pennsylvania. It is from

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 ...

, from

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 ...

and from

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in ...

. It is known for its sports, arts scene and food. Williamsport was settled by Americans in the late 18th century, and began to prosper due to its lumber industry. By the early 20th century, it reached the height of its prosperity. The population has since declined by approximately 40 percent from its peak of around 45,000 in 1950. As county seat, Williamsport has the county courthouse, county prison, sheriff's office headquarters and federal courthouse, all downtown. It is also home to two institutions of higher learning, the

Pennsylvania College of Technology Pennsylvania College of Technology (Penn College) is a public college in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It is affiliated with, but a self-governing entity of, Pennsylvania State University. As an applied technology college (known by the locals and ...

and Lycoming College. Williamsport is the birthplace of

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationSouth Williamsport, a town nearby, is the headquarters of Little League Baseball and annually hosts the

Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...

in late summer. Other points of interest include the Hiawatha riverboat, Millionaires' Row,

Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum The Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum—formally the World of Little League: Peter J. McGovern Museum and Official Store—is located on the Little League International Complex on Route 15 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States. T ...

, the Community Arts Center, the Genetti Hotel, the Susquehanna Riverwalk and The Gallery at Penn College. Williamsport is located northwest of Allentown and north of

History

Early history

In 1763 the

Battle of Muncy Hills A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...

took place during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

. It was a clash between the Native Americans and colonists seeking homestead sites in Native American territory.Welcome to Historic Williamsport: Books by Robin Van Auken
In 1768, at the

Treaty of Fort Stanwix The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was a treaty signed between representatives from the Iroquois and Great Britain (accompanied by negotiators from New Jersey, Virginia and Pennsylvania) in 1768 at Fort Stanwix. It was negotiated between Sir William ...

, the British purchased the land that became Lycoming County from the Iroquois Nation who controlled the lands. In March 1796 the first house was built in Williamsport. James Russell built his inn on what is now the northeastern corner of East Third and Mulberry Streets in downtown. On April 13, 1795 Lycoming County was formed from Northumberland County. It encompassed all the lands of Northumberland County situated west of Muncy Hills and was a domain of , comprising most of north central Pennsylvania. In 1796 the first recorded childbirth in Williamsport was James Russell, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Russell and grandson of James Russell of the Russell Inn, and the first school was built as a one-room log addition to the building that would eventually become the first Lycoming County Courthouse. In 1798 the first brick house in Williamsport was erected on Front Street, between Market and Mulberry, by Andrew Tulloh, a lawyer. The bricks were made on the banks of Grafius Run where that stream crossed Hepburn Street. PostcardWilliamsportPABizSectionAerial1919

PostcardWilliamsportPABizSectionAerial1919

In 1799, a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...

opened at the corner of Third and State Streets in what is now downtown, and the following year, a jail was constructed at the northeast corner of William and Third Streets. The post office was later converted to a saloon. In 1801 the town's first store was opened by William Winter on Third Street. In 1831 Jacob L. Mussina established the Repasz Band, the oldest brass band in America still in existence. On Oct. 15 1834 The West Branch Canal opened and the first boat to pass through the canal en route to Jersey Shore was that of George Aughenbaugh. The first freight carried into town was iron for the foundry of John B. Hall. The same year the enactment of the common school law by Pennsylvania Legislature led to public education here. In May 1835, the first public schools opened in Williamsport and also the town's first bank, the West Branch National Bank. The

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

, used by enslaved African-Americans to obtain their freedom in the 30 years before the Civil War (1860–1865) included routes from states in the South, which supported slavery, to "free" states in the North and Canada. From 1830 until 1865, the underground railroad, a system of safe houses and routes for slaves escaping to freedom, operated in Lycoming County; many local abolitionists, including Daniel Hughes, served as conductors and agents. Based on the oral history of Mamie Sweeting Diggs (1933–2011), fourth generation descent and great-granddaughter, Hughes, was a river raftsman on the Susquehanna river who had migrated from Oswego, New York. He lived on the Muncy Indian Reservation until he acquired land off Freedom Road. During his trips transporting logs to Maryland, he brought escaped slaves back on foot from Baltimore, over Bald Eagle Mountain and hid them at his home and in the caves on Freedom Road. Mamie's grandfather, Robert, helped his father, Daniel Hughes, hide escaped slaves in the caves behind their home on Freedom Road. They fed them, nursed the sick back to health and delivered them safely to the next "station", The Apker House in Trout Run. The Apker House was the home of Robert Fairies, abolitionist and president of the Williamsport-Elmira Railroad. The railroad ran through his property where escaped slaves were hidden in the barn and house and then loaded into railway baggage cars for the trip to Elmira, NY, the next "station." Mamie's grandfather, Robert passed the stories to his children, including Mamie's mother, Marion. Marion tended the family homestead, maintained Freedom Road Cemetery (where nine black Civil War vets are buried) and passed Daniel's stories down to her children. Williamsport pre 1921 postcard3

In 1849 the Market Street Bridge was built over the West Branch Susquehanna River. It was opened as a toll bridge to cover the state's costs of $23,797. In 1854, a

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...

opened. The brewery was sold to Henry Flock in 1865. This brewery was run by the Flock family until the 1940s. The Flocks' business survived

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholi ...

by converting to a

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

. In 1875, the first tower clock in the United States to sound the Cambridge Quarters (Westminster Chime) was installed at Trinity Episcopal Church, a gift of Peter Herdic with bells given by the Honorable Judge J. W. Maynard. The following year, the Williamsport Hospital opened its first facility April 1 at Elmira and Edwin Streets. In 1881, a state law ended racial segregation in Pennsylvania schools. By 1948, all schools in this area were integrated. In 1895,

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American Escapology, escape artist, Magic (illusion), magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his Escapology, escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to ...

appeared in one of his earliest performances, at the Old Fair Grounds with The Welch Brothers Circus. Williamsport was the birthplace of the national newspaper '' Grit'' in 1882. Williamsport purportedly once had more millionaires per-capita than anywhere else in the world. For this reason, the area's local high school, the Williamsport Area High School, uses "Millionaires" as its team mascot.

Modern history

The Flood of March 17–18, 1936 caused the river to crest at 33.9'. Flood waters reached High Street. It was known locally as the Hello, Al flood because Al Glaes, operating a short-wave radio station from his home on High Street, kept the city in touch with the rest of the world after the flood disrupted electricity and telephone service. WilliamsportA

On June 6, 1939 the first Little League Baseball game was played on a sandlot outside Bowman Field in Williamsport. Carl Stotz conceived the idea of a Little League, and he and Bert and George Bebble managed the first three teams. In 1941 the U.S. entered

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Williamsport native Joe Lockard, stationed on Oahu, gave warning of the impending attack based on radar readings. His readings were dismissed as American B17 bombers coming in from the mainland. Also in 1941 the Williamsport School Board created the Williamsport Technical Institute for high school and post-high school students. It grew into the Williamsport Area Community College, and later became

Geography and climate

Looking to Downtown Williamsport (10054849105)

Geography

Physical geography and area landscape

Williamsport is located at (41.244428, −77.018738), and is bordered by the West Branch Susquehanna River to the south (with Armstrong Township, South Williamsport, Duboistown and Susquehanna Township south of the river), Loyalsock Township to the east and north, Old Lycoming Township to the north and Woodward Township to the west. As the crow flies, Lycoming County is about northwest of Philadelphia and east-northeast of

Historical places and neighborhoods

The Peter Herdic House, Hart Building, Millionaire's Row Historic District,

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

, Williamsport Armory, and Old City Hall 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 ...

Neighborhoods of Williamsport include: * Downtown, between Hepburn Street and Basin Street, south of Little League Blvd * Grampian Hills, the area around and north of Grampian Blvd. * Millionaire's Row, along W. 4th Street * Newberry, west of Lycoming Creek * Park Avenue, south of Williamsport Hospital * Vallamont, the area north of Rural Ave and west of Market St. * East End, the area south of Grampian Blvd. and east of Market St. * West Hills, the hillside and hilltop north of Dewey and west of Round Hill Road. 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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (6.92%) is water.

Climate

Under 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, nota ...

, Williamsport falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate (''Dfa'') if the isotherm is used or a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa'') if the isotherm is used. Williamsport has four distinct seasons, and lies in USDA

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 ...

6b, with areas away from the West Branch Susquehanna River falling in zone 6a. Winters are cold and comparatively dry but typically bring a mix of rain, sleet, and snow with occasional heavy snowfall and icing. January is the coldest month with an average mean temperature of , with temperatures on average dropping to or below on 2.8 days and staying at or below freezing on 29 days per year. Snowfall averages per season. The snowiest month on record was in January 1987, while winter snowfall amounts have ranged from in 1995–96 to in 1988–89. Summers are typically very warm and humid with temperatures exceeding on 15 days per year on average; the annual count has been as high as 42 days in 1988, while only 1907 and 1979 did not reach that mark. July is the warmest month with an average mean temperature of . The all-time record high temperature in Williamsport of was established on July 9, 1936, which occurred during the

Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) a ...

, and the all-time record low temperature of was set on January 21, 1994. The first and last freezes of the season on average fall on October 16 and April 30, respectively, allowing a growing season of 168 days. The normal annual mean temperature is . Normal yearly

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

based on the 30-year average from 1981–2010 is , falling on an average 133 days. Monthly precipitation has ranged from in June 1972 (due to heavy rainfall from

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, from the Caribbean to Canada, ...

) to in September 1943, while for annual precipitation the historical range is in 2011 to in 1930.

Demographics

Former USPO now City Hall Williamsport from north

Williamsport is the larger principal city of the Williamsport-Lock Haven, PA

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...

, which includes the Williamsport metropolitan area (Lycoming County) and the Lock Haven micropolitan area (

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York **Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, s ...

) and had a combined population of 157,958 at the 2000 census. As of the census of 2000, there were 30,706 people, 12,219 households, and 6,732 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,456.3 people per square mile (1,335.1/km²). There were 13,524 housing units at an average density of 1,522.3 per square mile (588.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.1%

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 ...

, 12.7%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0%

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 ...

, 0.5% from other races, and 1.7% 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 1.1% of the population. There were 12,219 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 18.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,946, and the median income for a family was $33,844. Males had a median income of $26,668 versus $20,196 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 city was $14,707. About 13.7% of families and 21.5% 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 24.0% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

Government

Williamsport operates on a " Strong Mayor" form of government, meaning the mayor is given almost total administrative authority and a clear, wide range of political independence with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads without council approval and little need for public input. The mayor is Derek Slaughter. Williamsport is located in Pennsylvania's 23rd senatorial District, Pennsylvania's 83rd House District, and

Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, which includes Pittsburgh and much of Allegheny County. It has been represented since January 3, 2023 by Summer Lee. Prior to 2018, the 12th district was locate ...

Economy

Williamsport's top ten employers are UPMC Susquehanna, the Pennsylvania State Government, the

, Williamsport Area School District, Brodart Company, Springs Window Fashions, Weis Markets, West Pharmaceuticals, Shop Vac Corporation, and Textron Lycoming Engines. Williamsport is noted for the Lycoming aircraft engines which is a division of

Avco Corporation Avco Corporation is a subsidiary of Textron which operates Textron Systems Corporation and Lycoming. History The Aviation Corporation was formed on March 2, 1929, to prevent a takeover of CAM-24 airmail service operator Embry-Riddle Compa ...

and a subsidiary of

Textron Textron Inc. is an American industrial conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Textron Aviation (which itself includes the Beechcraft, and Cessna brands), and Lycoming Engines. ...

. Brodart, a library supplies company, is also based in Williamsport. Shop-Vac is headquartered in the Newberry section of Williamsport and manufactures wet/dry vacuums and accessories for consumer, industrial, commercial and contractor uses. Overhead Garage Door is also located in Newberry. Bethlehem Wire Rope, a manufacturing complex in Williamsport, with over under roof, is the single largest wire rope manufacturing facility in North America. Recently, interest has grown in extracting

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...

in the Williamsport area. Williamsport has become a key area in the Marcellus Shale drilling.

Lonza Group Lonza Group is a Swiss multinational manufacturing company for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nutrition sectors, headquartered in Basel, with major facilities in Europe, North America and South Asia. Lonza was established under that name ...

, a Swiss biotechnology and pharmaceutical company, has a large manufacturing site on the western fringes of the city, where a number of specialty chemicals are made that go into a wide array of oilfield, nutritional, personal care, and industrial applications. The Williamsport Downtown Gateway Revitalization Project began in 2004 in order to attract more people (both citizens of the Williamsport community and visitors) to the downtown Williamsport area. The construction on the Carl E. Stotz Memorial Little League Bridge, the first of many projects, began in June 2004 and was completed in 2008.

Education

Williamsport is the home of Lycoming College and

, The Commonwealth Medical College.There is also a continuing education center of Pennsylvania State University located in Williamsport. Williamsport Area School District consists of: * Cochran Primary School * Hepburn Lycoming Primary School * Jackson Primary School * Stevens Primary School * Curtin Intermediate School * Lycoming Valley Intermediate School * Williamsport Area Middle School * Williamsport Area High School Williamsport Area School District has a renowned music program, frequently ranked in the top schools in the country each year according to the Namm Foundation. Private schools in the area include West Branch School, Mountain View Christian School and Williamsport Christian School and several Catholic schools in Lycoming County are run by Saint John Neumann Regional Academy.

Libraries

The James V. Brown Library is Williamsport's public library. The library has a staff of nearly 50 full and part-time employees, and offers volunteer opportunities for youth and adults. With a collection of nearly 150,000 units it offers books, DVDs, CDs, and other resources, while the library offers wireless Internet access, local history archives, and premium online reference resources. As the headquarters for the county library system, the Brown Library serves almost 87,000 patrons, some years circulating upwards of 550,000 books both in-house and through its traveling Storymobile. The James V. Brown offers preschool and early learning opportunities, as well as programs for teens and adults. The library, led by local retired physician Dr. William R. Somers, constructed a children's wing in 2009 to target educational and social resources to young people from birth through the second grade. The library has since been able to bolster its school-age programming to include teen and tween populations, offering a variety of after-school gaming clubs, arts and crafts programs, and social events that occur on a regular basis. The library's after-school café also provides reading and study incentives for young students. The Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Bureau of Library Development funds the statewide online resource "Ask Here PA", a free chat service that provides Williamsport and other Pennsylvania library patrons with access to 24/7 reference support. Lycoming College's Snowden Library and the

's Madigan Library are also located in Williamsport.

Hospitals

UPMC Susquehanna is a six hospital integrated health system including: * UPMC Susquehanna Williamsport * UPMC Susquehanna Divine Providence *UPMC Susquehanna Muncy (located east of Williamsport in Muncy) *UPMC Susquehanna Soldiers & Sailors ( Wellsboro, Pennsylvania) *UPMC Susquehanna Lock Haven ( Lock Haven, Pennsylvania) *UPMC Susquehanna Sunbury ( Sunbury, Pennsylvania) UPMC Susquehanna Williamsport was recognized as one of the 2011

Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters Corporation ( ) is a Canadian multinational media conglomerate. The company was founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where it is headquartered at the Bay Adelaide Centre. Thomson Reuters was created by the Thomson Corp ...

50 Top Heart Hospitals in the nation.

Transportation

Williamsport Regional Airport (IPT), located several miles east of the city in the borough of Montoursville, has two flights daily to Charlotte via American Eagle (as of October 2020).

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 daily long distance bus service from a station in the downtown to

Elmira, New York Elmira () is a city and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 censu ...

, New York City, and

. Local bus service within Williamsport and to other places in Lycoming County is offered by River Valley Transit. Williamsport is served by several major highways, including Interstate 180, U.S. Route 15, and U.S. Route 220. I-180 and US 220 run together northeast/southwest through Williamsport, and US 15 joins (in the opposite direction) for two miles. Once completed, Interstate 99 will enter Williamsport from the southwest on US 220 and continue north on US 15, joining only one at a time. There is no passenger rail service, but, until the mid-20th century, Williamsport was a major transfer point between the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

(PRR), Reading Railroad (to Jersey City and Philadelphia), and

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mi ...

(to Lyons, NY via Corning). (Albeit, the NYC and the Reading were at one station; and the PRR was at another station, a mile away.) The longest enduring were PRR passenger services to New York City, Buffalo, Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia (the ''

Buffalo Day Express The ''Buffalo Day Express'' was a long-distance north–south Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train from Washington, D.C. to Buffalo, New York. It had a second branch that originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and at times, from New York, New ...

'' and the ''Dominion Express'' to the north and the ''Washington Express'' and ''Dominion Express'' to the south); and to Erie (''Northern Express'' bound west, and ''Southern Express'' bound south and east). Freight rail service (west to Avis and east to Muncy) is provided by the

Lycoming Valley Railroad The Lycoming Valley Railroad is a short line that operates of track in Lycoming and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. It is part of the North Shore Railroad System. The line runs generally west between Muncy (in L ...

, which has its main yard in the Newberry section of Williamsport, and offers connections to the Norfolk Southern and

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

railroads. The West Branch Susquehanna River is not navigable, but a dam at Hepburn Street provides a large lake for recreational boating, including outings on the mock paddlewheeler ''Hiawatha'' from Susquehanna State Park.

Sports

Little League World Series and Lamade Stadium

The Williamsport Crosscutters, a

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

team of the MLB Draft League, play their home games at Bowman Field. Each year, the field also hosts the MLB Little League Classic. The

is held annually on the south side of the West Branch Susquehanna River in South Williamsport, where

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Williamsport Sun Gazette The ''Williamsport Sun-Gazette'' is a morning newspaper published seven days a week in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in Lycoming County. Its earliest antecedents date to 1801. As of January 1, 2016, the daily circulation of the paper was listed as ...

, Webb Weekly and The Williamsport Guardian. The local news/talk radio stations are WRAK/ WRKK (1400/1200 kHz), WWPA 1340 kHz and WXPI Community Radio 88.5 FM. Williamsport has an all-sports station,

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

(AM) (1500 kHz). Williamsport is ranked #260 by

Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging ...

in terms of its radio market. TV stations in Williamsport are served by the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre market. A new multiplex

movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...

on West 4th Street, opened May 2, 2008.

Points of interest

* Clyde Peeling's Reptiland * Little League Museum * Genetti Hotel * Historic Bowman Field * Peter Herdic Transportation Museum * Thomas T. Taber Museum & Lycoming County Historical Society * Lycoming Mall * Millionaires Row * Candy Cane Lane * Downtown Williamsport *River Walk

Notable people

Butch Alberts Francis Burt Alberts (born May 4, 1950) is an American former professional baseball designated hitter, who played for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1978. Biography Alberts was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United S ...

, former

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by t ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

, played for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

* James Milton Black, composer of hymns, choir leader and Sunday school teacher * Gary Brown, football player, running backs coach for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

Ernest Callenbach Ernest Callenbach (April 3, 1929 – April 16, 2012) was an American author, film critic, editor, and simple living adherent. He became famous due to his internationally successful semi-utopian novel ''Ecotopia'' (1975). Life and work Born ...

, writer *

Michael Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo (born May 1, 1957) is an American journalist and author best known for his ''New York Times''-bestselling nonfiction books ''The Murder Room'' and '' Close to Shore'' He was formerly a reporter with the '' Miami Herald'' and the ...

, journalist and author * Julia C. Collins, one of the earliest published Black female novelists *

Henry Cosgrove Henry Cosgrove (December 19, 1834 – December 23, 1906) was a late 19th-century and early 20th-century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the second bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport, Diocese of Davenpor ...

, Roman Catholic bishop * Alexander Cummings, third governor of the Territory of Colorado * Allen Ertel, U.S. congressman *

Joanna Hayes Joanna Dove Hayes (born December 23, 1976, Williamsport, Pennsylvania) is an American hurdler, who won the gold medal in the 100 metres hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She originally specialized in the 400 metres hurdles. She won the silver ...

, athlete, Olympic gold medalist * Daniel Hughes, abolitionist and conductor on the Underground Railroad * James Hall Huling, U.S. congressman *

Alize Johnson Alize DeShawn Johnson (born April 22, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Missouri State Bears of the Missouri Valley Conference. Johnson was sel ...

, basketball player, Chicago Bulls * Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each c ...

, former director of the

Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics is a research center at Harvard University. The center seeks "to advance teaching and research on ethical issues in public life." It is named for Edmond J. Safra and has been supported by Lily Safra and ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

, and

candidate A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * ...

for the Democratic Party's nomination for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

in the 2016 U.S. presidential election * Harry J. Lincoln, early 1900s music publisher and composer * Joseph Lockard (October 30, 1922 - November 2, 2012), U.S. soldier and SCR-270 radar staffer/initial, primary source of the

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War. The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...

's impending

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

* Jack Losch, football player *

George Luks George Benjamin Luks (August 13, 1867 – October 29, 1933) was an American artist, identified with the aggressively realistic Ashcan School of American painting. After travelling and studying in Europe, Luks worked as a newspaper illustrator a ...

, Ashcan School painter * Henry J. Lutcher, businessman * Tom Marino, U.S. congressman, U.S. Attorney, District Attorney * Jamie McAndrew, MLB player for the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

* Malcolm Muir, United States district judge noted for the

R. Budd Dwyer Robert Budd Dwyer (November 21, 1939 – January 22, 1987) was an American politician. He served from 1965 to 1971 as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and from 1971 to 1981 as a member of the Pennsylvania S ...

case * Mike Mussina,

member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of the

National Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

Bob Pellegrini Robert Francis Pellegrini (November 13, 1934 – April 11, 2008) was an American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at University of Maryland, Co ...

, American football player * H. Beam Piper, science-fiction author *

Bill Reifsnyder William P. Reifsnyder (born April 13, 1962, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania) is a retired American long-distance runner, who twice (1989 and 1991) won the American national title in the men's marathon race. In 1991 he was ranked the second road rac ...

, two-time U.S. national marathon champion *

Severin Roesen Severin Roesen (c. 1815 in Boppard – c. 1872) was a Prussian-American painter known for his abundant fruit and flower still lifes, and is today recognized as one of the major American painters in that genre from the nineteenth century. Lif ...

(1815? – 1872), still-life painter * Sal Rosato, football player * Tina Russell, adult film actress *

William Schreyer William Allen Schreyer (January 13, 1928 – January 22, 2011) was chairman emeritus and former CEO of Merrill Lynch & Co., where he worked for 45 years total, eight of them as chairman and CEO. He was also a noted philanthropist and se ...

, financier * H. Paul Shuch, SETI scientist *

Trisha Rae Stahl Trisha Rae Stahl (born August 10, 1973) is an American actress. Personal life Stahl is originally from Williamsport, Pennsylvania. She holds a degree in theatrical performance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts in teach ...

, actress *

Carl Stotz Carl E. Stotz (February 20, 1910 – June 4, 1992) was the American founder of Little League Baseball. Stotz was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He was the fourth of five children of Lulu Fisk Stotz the third child of a German immigrant (18 ...

, founder of Little League Baseball * Mary Szybist, poet, winner of the National Book Award for Poetry, 2013 * Mike Taylor, basketball coach * Martha Dewing Woodward, artist and art teacher in Paris, Miami, and New York *

Weldon Wyckoff John Weldon Wyckoff (February 19, 1893 – May 8, 1961) was a professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics (1913–16) and Boston Red Sox (1917-18). Wyckoff batted and ...

, baseball player

References

Notes References Further reading * *

External links

City of Williamsport

Williamsport, PA City Portal
{{authority control Pennsylvania populated places on the Susquehanna River County seats in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1769 Cities in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Cities in Pennsylvania 1769 establishments in Pennsylvania