The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a

geographic Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern

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, ...

. It is a component valley of the

Great Appalachian Valley The Great Appalachian Valley, also called The Great Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough—a chain of valley lowlands—and the central feature of the Appalachian M ...

bound to the north by Blue Mountain, to the south by South Mountain, to the west by Lebanon Valley, and to the east by the Delaware River on Pennsylvania's eastern border with

Warren County, New Jersey Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 109,632, representing an increase of 940 (0.9%) from the 108,692 residents counted at the 2010 census. The county bord ...

. The Valley is about long and wide. The Lehigh Valley's largest city is

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 ...

, the third largest city in Pennsylvania 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 st ...

of Lehigh County, with a population of 125,845 residents as of the 2020 census. The Allentown-

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 ...

- Easton metropolitan area, which includes the Lehigh Valley, is currently Pennsylvania's third most populous metropolitan area after those 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 ...

and

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, and the nation's 68th largest metropolitan area with a population of 861,889 residents as of 2020. Lehigh County is among Pennsylvania's fastest-growing counties, and the Lehigh Valley leads Pennsylvania in terms of population growth in the 18-to-34 year old demographic. The region's core population centers are located in southern and central Lehigh and Northampton counties along

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

Interstate 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 Route 309 Pennsylvania Route 309 (PA 309) is a state highway that runs for 134 miles (216 km) through eastern Pennsylvania. The route runs from an interchange between PA 611 and Cheltenham Avenue on the border of Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township n ...

, and

U.S. Route 22 U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 in the Newark Airport Intercha ...

. The Lehigh Valley has played a sizable and influential role in the country's founding and history. On June 21, 1774, patriots in the region were among the first to organize in opposition to British colonial governance, demanding formation of the First Continental Congress and establishing one of the colonies' first patriot militias that drove

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

out of the region and provided early resistance to British colonial governance."Revolution roused Valley"
''The Morning Call'', July 3, 2001 The Lehigh Valley helped inspire and then supported the Revolutionary War, establishing one of the first hospitals for treatment of wounded Continental Army troops at the Allentown location now occupied by the

Farr Building Farr Building is a historical building located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The building opened in 1907, and today is used as retail and residential space. History Prior to the Farr Building's construction, the site on which it was built had bee ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

and his commanders established two POW camps in Allentown, one at 8th and Hamilton Streets and another on Gordon Street, to house

Hessian mercenaries Hessians ( or ) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states ...

captured at the Battle of Trenton,"History's headlines: Allentown's POW camps,"
WFMZ, September 1, 2015 and Washington visited the region following the Battle of Trenton and several additional times during and following the Revolution.
WFMZ, February 21, 2012 Allentown also played a historical role in protecting the Liberty Bell from British capture following the September 26, 1777

fall of Philadelphia The Fall of Philadelphia marked the fall of Philadelphia, the last independent Christian Greek settlement in western Asia Minor, to the Muslim Ottomans of the Ottoman Sultanate. Ironically, the besieging army included a contingent from the By ...

to the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, concealing the bell for nine months from September 1777 to June 1778 under floor boards in Allentown's Zion Reformed Church, an act that was later commemorated in 1962 with the establishment of the

Liberty Bell Museum The Liberty Bell Museum (also the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum) is a non-profit organization and museum located in Zion's United Church of Christ (formerly Zion's Reformed Church) in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern P ...

inside this Allentown church. In the 19th century, significant numbers of Lehigh Valley volunteers contributed to the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

's preservation during 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 ...

. In the war's first days, following the April 13, 1861 fall of Fort Sumpter, the Allen Infantry, a militia of volunteers from Allentown and its surrounding communities, responded to Lincoln's April 15, 1861 proclamation by deploying in defense of the national capital of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

"Snyder, Laurie. ''47th Pennsylvania Volunteers: One Civil War Regiment's Story'', 2014."
/ref> Four months later, in August 1861, the Allen Infantry and other large numbers of Allentown-area volunteers played a key role in the formation of the Pennsylvania's 47th Regiment, which bolstered the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

's strength, helping lead the Union's military victories in the

Battle of St. Johns Bluff The Battle of St. John's Bluff was fought from October 1–3, 1862, between Union and Confederate forces in Duval County, Florida, during the American Civil War. The battle resulted in a significant Union victory, helping secure their control o ...

, and later participated in daring raids against

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

positions in the Deep South, including in the 1864 Red River campaign in the Trans-Mississippi theater. Throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, the Lehigh Valley's leadership in

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 ...

and

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

mining and then in its 20th century leadership in steel and other heavy manufacturing proved central to the nation's industrialisation, contributing sizably to the

American Industrial Revolution The technological and industrial history of the United States describes the United States' emergence as one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world. The availability of land and literate labor, the absence of a landed arist ...

and the nation's rise as a global manufacturing and economic superpower.

Lehigh Canal The Lehigh Canal, or the Lehigh Navigation Canal, is a navigable canal that begins at the mouth of Nesquehoning Creek on the Lehigh River in eastern Pennsylvania. It was built in two sections over a span of twenty years, beginning in 1818. The low ...

, whose construction began in 1818, permitted the Lehigh Valley to begin transporting mined coal and iron and ultimately steel components and products through the Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River for which the Valley is named, to the nation's largest markets in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, and elsewhere. Many Lehigh Valley companies contributed to the region's development as a global industrial leader, including

Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succe ...

, which grew to become one of the world's largest and most prominent manufacturers of steel in the 20th century. But the company later experienced a rapid downfall beginning in the early 1980s that included major layoffs and production cutbacks that worsened steadily, forcing the company into bankruptcy protection in 2001 and dissolution in 2003. As of 2020, the Lehigh Valley's total

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is oft ...

(GDP) is $42.9 billion, driven by diverse industry sector contributions, including from its finance, manufacturing, health care and education, and information industry sectors, compared to its heavy manufacturing focus of the 20th century. The Valley is one of Pennsylvania's largest and fastest growing economies, experiencing 5% GDP growth between 2016 and 2017 alone. The region's primary commercial airport is

Lehigh Valley International Airport Lehigh Valley International Airport (formerly Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton International Airport) is a domestic airport located in Hanover Township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Lehigh Valley International Airport is located in the center ...

; the airport's air traffic has grown considerably in the 21st century fueled by considerable increases in air cargo traffic, which exceeded 210 million pounds in 2016. The Lehigh Valley is located within the U.S. Northeast megalopolis with ease of access and close proximity to many of the nation's largest population centers, airports, terminals, railways, and seaports, including New York City, which is to its east, and Philadelphia, which is to its southeast. The region is located geographically within a one-day drive to over a third of the U.S. population and over half of Canada's population, which has proven a helpful factor behind the region's 21st emergence as a national leader in

warehousing A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, tow ...

logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

, and

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations * Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...

. Gains in these and other industry sectors in the Valley have helped offset the significant losses the region experienced from its late 20th century decline in heavy manufacturing. Since its settlement in the 1700s, the Lehigh Valley has been the birthplace or home to several notable Americans who have proven influential across a broad range of fields, including academia, art and music, business, government and politics, the military, professional and

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

-level athletics, and other fields.

History

The Lehigh Valley was settled in the first half of the 1700s by predominantly

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

immigrants fleeing war and religious oppression. Prior to their arrival, the region was inhabited by Lenape Indian tribes who hunted, fished, and quarried

jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...

in the region. Sons of provincial Pennsylvania founder

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

acquired much of the Lehigh Valley in the

Walking Purchase The Walking Purchase (or Walking Treaty) was a 1737 agreement between the Penn family, the original proprietors of the Province of Pennsylvania, later the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Lenape native Indians (also known as the Delaware In ...

in 1737 during the colonial period. Lenape Indians subsequently retaliated with raids against European settlers throughout the 1750s and early 1760s but were moved out of the region by the mid-1760s. The region was initially established in 1682 as part of

Bucks County 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 ...

. In 1752, the region became part of Northampton County, and Lehigh County was later separated from Northampton County and formally established in 1812.

Shelter House Shelter House is a historic home located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1734, it is believed to be the oldest continuously occupied building structure in both Lehigh County and the Lehigh Valley and among the oldest still-standing bui ...

Emmaus Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...

, constructed in 1734 by Pennsylvania German settlers, is the oldest still-standing building structure in the Lehigh Valley and believed to be one of the oldest in the state.

American Revolutionary War

and its surrounding communities played an important and historic role in the emergence of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. Some of the first resistance to

British colonialism The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts est ...

began in Allentown and surrounding Lehigh County communities in the Lehigh Valley. As early as June 21, 1774, patriot forces in Allentown began meeting to formulate resistance plans to British colonial governance. On December 21, 1774, a Committee of Observation was formally established by Allentown-area patriot militias. Following the signing of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

, the Colonial British government in Allentown began dissolving and these patriot militias ceased control, pressuring

Tories A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

out of the region.

and his Continental Army staff passed through Allentown following their victory at the Battle of Trenton, traveling up Lehigh Street, which was then called Water Street. Washington and his staff stopped at the foot of Lehigh Street at a large spring on what today is the property occupied by Wire Mill. They rested there, watered their horses, and then proceeded to their post of duty. Allentown supported the Revolution, establishing the first hospitals for treatment of wounded Continental Army troops at various city locations, including at the current location of the

at 739 Hamilton Street. Washington and his commanders also chose to establish two POW camps in Allentown, one at 8th and Hamilton Streets and another on Gordon Street, to house

captured at the Battle of Trenton. In addition to visiting Allentown after his victory at the Battle of Trenton, Washington returned to the city and region several additional times during and following the Revolution. Allentown also played a historical role in protecting the Liberty Bell from British capture following the September 26, 1777

to the

, concealing the Liberty Bell for nine months from September 1777 to June 1778 under floor boards in Allentown's Zion Reformed Church. After Washington and the Continental Army's defeat at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, the revolutionary capital of

was left defenseless and Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council, anticipating Philadelphia's fall, ordered that eleven Philadelphia bells, including the Liberty Bell (then known as the State House Bell), be taken down and moved to present day Allentown (then called Northampton Towne). Once arriving in Allentown, the Liberty Bell and other bells were hidden under floor boards at Zion Reformed Church on West Hamilton Street to protect them from being seized and melted down by the British Army for use as munitions. In 1962, inside this still-standing church at 622 West Hamilton Street in Allentown, the

was opened to commemorate this successful concealment of the Liberty Bell in Allentown during the American Revolution.

American Civil War

The region again proved influential in the

. Following the

's defeat at the Battle of Fort Sumter and Lincoln's April 15, 1861 proclamation calling for state militia to provide 75,000 volunteers to defend the national capital in

, Allentown immediately deployed its Allen Infantry, which defended Washington, D.C. from

attack following Fort Sumter's fall. Also known as the Allen Guards, the Allen Infantry mustered in for duty on April 18, 1861. During the late summer and early fall of 1861, members of this unit and other volunteers from within and beyond the Lehigh Valley came together to form the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, which was established on August 5 and later proved influential in expanding the Union Army's reach into the Deep South, permitting it to launch successful attacks against

positions in the

in 1862 and throughout the Red River campaign in the Trans-Mississippi theater and Sheridan's Shenadoah Valley campaign across Virginia in 1864. These victories helped to tip the Civil War in the Union's favor. On October 19, 1899, a monument in honor of the Lehigh Valley men killed in their volunteer service to the

's preservation, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, was erected at Seventh and Hamilton Streets in Center City Allentown, where it still stands.

Industrial Revolution

The opening of the

in 1827 contributed significantly to transforming Allentown and the Lehigh Valley from a rural agricultural area dominated by

-speaking people into one of the nation's first urbanized industrialized areas. The Lehigh Valley underwent significant industrialization throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries and was a major manufacturing hub in the

. The Lehigh Valley is named for the Lehigh River, which runs through the region. It owes much of its development and history to anthracite coal,

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

, and

ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...

that was only commercially possible with the development of the Lehigh Canal and the Lehigh Valley's extensive railway infrastructure that permitted these minerals and later the region's manufactured steel to be transported for sale in major national and overseas markets. The Lehigh Canal operated into the Great Depression, feeding ports up and down the Delaware River, the Pennsylvania Canal, and transoceanic demand, and was integral to the industrialization of the greater Delaware Valley region. The

Morris Canal The Morris Canal (1829–1924) was a common carrier anthracite coal canal across northern New Jersey that connected the two industrial canals at Easton, Pennsylvania across the Delaware River from its western terminus at Phillipsburg, New Jers ...

, the anthracite coal feeder of the

Delaware and Raritan Canal The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelp ...

. and locks at New Hope on the

Delaware Canal The Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal, more commonly called the Delaware Canal, runs for parallel to the right bank of the Delaware River from the entry locks near the mouth of the Lehigh River and terminal end of the Lehigh Canal at ...

were built to fuel anthracite energy needs of Trenton,

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

, Jersey City, and

. In 1899,

was formed in

in the Lehigh Valley. The company developed into the nation's second largest manufacturer of steel, and its steel was used in developing many of the nation's earliest and largest infrastructure and building projects, including the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, and

Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...

in New York City,

Merchandise Mart The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it was opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, with of floor space. The Art Deco structure is locate ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, the

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

, Verrazzano, and

Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...

Bridges, and

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster ...

s and other military equipment that proved essential in American-led victories in both World Wars. The company's ascent during the 20th century was very prominently associated with the emergence of the U.S. as both a world leader in global manufacturing and as the world's largest economy, and its demise has sometimes been pointed to as one of the nation's most prominent first stumbling points in the face of foreign competition and other economic challenges that emerged in the late 20th century and contributed to the nation's emergence of its

Rust Belt The Rust Belt is a region of the United States that experienced industrial decline starting in the 1950s. The U.S. manufacturing sector as a percentage of the U.S. GDP peaked in 1953 and has been in decline since, impacting certain regions an ...

. Following nearly a century of global leadership, growth, and profitability in steel manufacturing, Bethlehem Steel abruptly reported operating losses of $1.5 billion in 1982, citing foreign competition from Asian economies and costly U.S. governmental regulations and labor costs for the losses. The company abruptly reduced operations, resulting in considerable Lehigh Valley layoffs and a dramatic related economic downturn in the region. The company continued functioning on a vastly reduced scale for a period, but ultimately ceased steel manufacturing entirely at its primary Bethlehem manufacturing plant in 1995. In 2001, the company filed for bankruptcy protection and, in 2003, the company was dissolved. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the downturn and ultimate demise of Bethlehem Steel, once one of the most iconic and prominent symbols of American global economic power and leadership, emerged as an example cited by those who believe American global economic leadership is now in either gradual or even rapid descent.

Geography

The Lehigh Valley is

geologically Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other E ...

and geographically part of the

, a geographic region made up of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

that stretches along the eastern edge of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

. The Lehigh Valley is so named because it is located geographically within an actual

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

formed by the Lehigh River that lies between two mountain ridges, Blue Mountain in the Valley's north and South Mountain in the Valley's south. The Lehigh Valley is the lower part of the

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

of the Lehigh River.

Cities and location

2017 - Hamilton Street Christmas Skyline - Allentown PA

The Lehigh Valley has three principal cities:

, and Easton. The region is located between two of the nation's largest population centers, west of

, the nation's

largest Large means of great size. Large may also refer to: Mathematics * Arbitrarily large, a phrase in mathematics * Large cardinal, a property of certain transfinite numbers * Large category, a category with a proper class of objects and morphisms (o ...

and world's 30th largest city, and north of

, the nation's sixth largest and world's 67th largest city. The region borders Carbon County and the

Coal Region The Coal Region is a region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is known for being home to the largest known deposits of anthracite coal in the world with an estimated reserve of seven billion short tons. The region is typically defined as compri ...

to its north, the Delaware River and

to its east, Bucks and Montgomery Counties in suburban

to its south, and Berks and Schuylkill Counties to its west.

Cities

(125,845) *

(75,781) * Easton (28,127)

Municipalities with more than 10,000 people

* Bethlehem Township (23,730) *

(11,652) * Forks Township (14,721) * Hanover Township (Northampton) (10,866) * Lehigh Township (10,526) * Lower Macungie Township (31,964) * Lower Saucon Township (10,772) * Northampton (10,395) * North Whitehall Township (15,655) * Palmer Township (20,691) * Salisbury Township (13,505) * South Whitehall Township (19,180) * Upper Macungie Township (26,377) * Upper Saucon Township (14,808) * Whitehall Township (26,738)

Municipalities with fewer than 10,000 but more than 5,000 people

* Ancient Oaks * Bangor * Breinigsville * Bushkill Township * Catasauqua * Chestnut Hill * Hellertown * Lower Nazareth Township * Moore Township * Nazareth * Plainfield Township * Upper Milford Township * Upper Mount Bethel * Upper Nazareth Township * Washington Township (Lehigh) * Washington Township (Northampton) * Williams Township * Wilson

Municipalities with fewer than 5,000 people

* Alburtis * Allen Township * Bath * Chapman * Coopersburg * Coplay * East Allen Township * East Bangor * Fountain Hill * Freemansburg * Glendon * Hanover Township (Lehigh) * Heidelberg Township * Lower Milford Township * Lower Mount Bethel Township * Lowhill Township * Lynn Township * Macungie * North Catasauqua *

Pen Argyl Pen Argyl (; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Kleiberg'') is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The borough's population was 3,510 as of the 2020 census. Pen Argyl is located north of Allentown. It is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

* Roseto * Slatington * Stockertown * Tatamy * Walnutport * Weisenberg Township * West Easton *

Wind Gap A wind gap (or air gap) is a gap through which a waterway once flowed that is now dry as a result of stream capture. A water gap is a similar feature, but one in which a waterway still flows. Water gaps and wind gaps often provide routes which ...

Census-designated places and villages

* Ackermanville * Balliettsville * Beersville *

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

* Berlinsville * Best Station * Butztown * Cementon * Center Valley * Cetronia *

Cherryville Cherryville may refer to one of the following places: * Cherryville, British Columbia * Cherryville, Missouri * Cherryville, New Jersey * Cherryville, North Carolina * Cherryville, Oregon * Cherryville, Pennsylvania * Cherryville, South Australi ...

* Chickentown * Christian Springs * Colesville * Danielsville *

DeSales University DeSales University (DSU) is a private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The university offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Named for St. Francis de Sales, the u ...

* Dorneyville * Eagle Point * Eastlawn Gardens *

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region cons ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

* Emanuelsville * Emerald * Flicksville * Fogelsville * Franks Corner * Friedensville * Fullerton * Gauff Hill * Germansville * Hanoverville * Hensingersville * Hokendauqua * Hollo * Hosensack * Ironton *

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

* Katellen * Klecknersville * Kuhnsville *

Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...

* Laurys Station * Limeport *

Locust Valley Locust Valley is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 3,406 at the 2010 census. History The rollin ...

* Lynnport * Martin's Creek * Mickleys * Middletown * Moorestown *

Morgan Hill Morgan Hill is a city in Santa Clara County, California, at the southern tip of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Morgan Hill is an affluent residential community, the seat of several high-tech companies, and a dining, entertainmen ...

* Mount Bethel * Neffs * Newburg * New Smithville * New Tripoli * Old Orchard * Old Zionsville * Orefield * Palmer Heights * Pleasant Corners * Powder Valley * Raubsville * Scherersville * Schnecksville * Schoenersville * Seidersville * Shimerville *

Sigmund In Norse mythology, Sigmund ( non, Sigmundr , ang, Sigemund) is a hero whose story is told in the Völsunga saga. He and his sister, Signý, are the children of Völsung and his wife Hljod. Sigmund is best known as the father of Sigurð the d ...

* Slatedale *

Slateford Slateford ( gd, Àth na Sglèata) is an area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of the Water of Leith. The former village of Slateford lies on the Lanark Road where it crosses the Water of Leith, south west of Slateford Sta ...

* Stiles * Summit Lawn * Trexlertown * Treichlers * Vera Cruz * Walbert * Wanamakers * Wassergass * Werleys Corner * Wescosville * West Catasauqua * Zionsville * Zucksville

Metropolitan and Combined Statistical Areas

The Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area is a

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 ...

that includes Carbon County in the

, Lehigh and Northampton counties in eastern

, and

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

in the Skylands region of northwest

. As of the 2020 census, it is the 68th largest metropolitan area in the nation with a population of 861,889.www.whitehouse.gov
/ref>

Climate

The Lehigh Valley has four distinct seasons, which typically include hot and humid summers, cold winters, and short and mild springs and falls. It has a

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''/''Dfb'') and the hardiness zone ranges from 5b in higher elevation locations in northern Carbon County to 6b (the principal zone in Lehigh, Northampton, and southern

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...

Counties). The 1991-2020 hardiness zone for the airport and lower elevations is 7b.

Demographics

The Lehigh Valley has a total population of 861,889 residents as of the

2020 U.S. census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, making it the third largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and 68th largest metropolitan area in the nation. A 2018 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 87.1% of the Lehigh Valley's population was

White American White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...

, 4.6% was

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 ...

or African American, 0.1% was American Indian, 2.3% was Asian American, 0.1% was

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawa ...

, 0.1% were Pacific Islander Americans, 4.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% belonged to two or more races.

Hispanics 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 ...

and Latinos of any race made up 11.3% of the population and represent the Lehigh Valley's fastest-growing demographic. Lehigh County is in the top 1% of all U.S. counties for inward migration from international locations, according to Select USA, a

U.S. Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for busin ...

program. The Lehigh Valley as a whole leads Pennsylvania in terms of population growth in the 18-to-34 year old demographic, according to 2020 census data. The Lehigh Valley's population growth is partly a result of a growing influx of residents from

and New York seeking to take advantage of the region's lower cost of living, its employment opportunities, and its close proximity to two of the largest cities in the country,

and

. The Valley's population is expected to increase by 227,000 people by 2040, making it one of the fastest-growing areas in the state and nation. Median household income for the region increased from $57,288 to $62,507 between 2015 and 2019.

Economy

The Lehigh Valley's economy has been known historically and globally for its leadership throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in heavy manufacturing. Beginning in the 1980s, however, the region's manufacturing sector declined rapidly as a result of foreign competition, trade practices, operational costs, regulations, and other factors. The most prominent example was the plight of

, once the nation's second largest manufacturer of steel. Headquartered in

, Bethlehem Steel suspended most of its operations in the early 1980s and ultimately declared bankruptcy in 2001 and was dissolved in 2003. Since the late 20th century, the Lehigh Valley has begun to recover from the loss of its once powerful manufacturing base and other industry sectors have emerged in the region, providing a more diversified regional economy. As of 2020, the Valley's top five industries were: 1.) finance, 2.) manufacturing, 3.) health care and education, 4.) professional and business services, and 5.) information. Other major industry sectors in the area include transportation, retail trade, and restaurants and hospitality. As of 2020, the Lehigh Valley's total

was $42.9 billion.

Bethlehem Steel

The Lehigh Valley is known historically for its production of steel,

Portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th ...

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

, and apparel.

, founded in 1899 and based in

, was a foundation of the Lehigh Valley's economy for nearly a century from 1899 through the early 1980s. At the pinnacle of its success, Bethlehem Steel was the nation's second largest and one of the world's largest steel manufacturers. Bethlehem Steel was instrumental in the development of many of the nation's most prominent 20th century infrastructure projects. Its steel was used to build 28 Liberty Street,

Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...

, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden,

, and the Waldorf Astoria hotel in

and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Among major bridges, the company's steel was used to construct the

George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey, with Manhattan in New York City. The bridge is named after George Washington, the first president of the United S ...

and

Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge ( ) is a suspension bridge connecting the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn. It spans the Narrows, a body of water linking the relatively enclosed New York Harbor with Lower New York Bay and t ...

in New York City, the Golden Gate Bridge in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, and the

Peace Bridge The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in the United States to Fort Er ...

between Buffalo and Fort Erie, Ontario. The Roosevelt administration relied heavily on Bethlehem Steel 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 opposing ...

, utilizing the company to produce the steel necessary for shipbuilding, ammunition, and other military equipment that proved essential to the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

' ability to prevail in these conflicts. In the late 20th century, however, a variety of factors, including the practices of foreign competitors, began eroding Bethlehem Steel's once historical global leadership in

steelmaking Steelmaking is the process of producing steel from iron ore and carbon/or scrap. In steelmaking, impurities such as nitrogen, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur and excess carbon (the most important impurity) are removed from the sourced iron, and alloy ...

. In 1982, the company announced it was discontinuing most of its operations. In 2001, the company declared bankruptcy. In 2003, it was dissolved. Throughout the late 20th century, other heavy manufacturing companies in the Lehigh Valley that once served as backbones for the region's economy suffered similarly, either downsizing significantly or dissolving, which destabilized the region considerably. In the early 2000s, seeking to replace the heavy manufacturing companies that had been the region's foundation for decades, the Lehigh Valley began developing other economic sectors, including financial services, health care, life sciences, and technology. The Lehigh Valley also began emerging as a national warehouse and distribution hub, largely due to its proximity to many of the largest U.S. markets and relatively lower operating costs compared to other Northeast U.S. regions. More recently, a movement to reestablish manufacturing activities in the U.S., driven by customer demand for American-made products, faster product delivery, increased overseas wages, and inflated costs and extended timeframes for shipping has led to some renewed growth in the Valley's manufacturing sector. Several large companies from China and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

have invested tens of millions of dollars into developing significant operations in the Lehigh Valley, which has generated thousands of new jobs in the region.

Largest employers

As of 2019, the Lehigh Valley's top five employers are: 1.)

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 ...

, 2.) St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network, 3.)

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

, 4.) Lehigh Valley Physician Group, and 5.)

Mack Trucks Mack Trucks, Inc., is an American truck manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. Founded in 1900 as the Mack Brothers Company, it manufactured its first truck in 1905 and adopted its present name in 1922. Mack ...

Business and economic environment

The Lehigh Valley is one of the fastest-growing and largest economies in

with a total

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...

of $43.8 billion that saw a five percent increase between 2016 and 2017 alone driven by strong manufacturing, financial, health care, and professional services industry segments. It is centrally located in the Northeast megalopolis with ease of access and close proximity to several of the largest U.S. markets, population centers, airports, terminals, railways, and seaports, including the

and

metropolitan areas. The Lehigh Valley is within a one-day drive to over a third of the U.S. population and to over half the population of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

.Lehigh Valley job forecast good
''Morning Call'' (2012-11-26). Retrieved on 2013-07-23. The Valley has a lower cost of living, more affordable real estate, lower taxes, and a larger and more affordable labor pool than many other Northeastern U.S. metropolitan regions. These attributes and others, including sizable investments in business development incentive programs and a friendlier regulatory environment, provide the area with a comparatively favorable business climate compared to surrounding metropolitan areas.Allentown: Chemical material producer Avantor moves headquarters from New Jersey to Center Valley
''Morning Call'' Due in large part to this comparably favorable business climate and mature business support programs, the Lehigh Valley has been very successful in luring established businesses as well as new

startup companies A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses that never intend t ...

from higher cost areas such as New York and New Jersey, generating thousands of new jobs and significant new investments in the region. Large companies such as

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econo ...

have praised the Lehigh Valley for its commitment to business support, infrastructure investment, and incentive programs, citing these as major reasons for their continuing expansions and increased hiring in the region and

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...

, a low-cost budget airline, opened a new flight base at the

in February 2020, noting the area's rapid growth, lower operational business costs, and its proximity to popular destinations as significant reasons for expanding their Lehigh Valley International Airport flights. Other large national and international companies either based in the Lehigh Valley or with significant operations there include

Broadcom Corporation Broadcom Corporation is an American fabless semiconductor company that makes products for the wireless and broadband communication industry. It was acquired by Avago Technologies in 2016 and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the merged ...

(in Allentown), Avantor Performance Materials (in Allentown), Air Products (in Trexlertown),

Crayola Crayola LLC, formerly the Binney & Smith Company, is an American manufacturing company specializing in art supplies. It is known for its brand ''Crayola'' and best known for its crayons. The company is headquartered in Forks Township, Pennsylva ...

(in Easton),

Buckeye Partners Buckeye Partners, formerly known as the Buckeye Pipeline Company, is a distributor of petroleum in the East and Midwest areas of the United States. A direct descendant of Standard Oil, the company is considered one of the largest independent oil ...

(in

HeidelbergCement HeidelbergCement is a German multinational building materials company headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany. It is a DAX corporation and is one of the largest building materials companies in the world. On 1 July 2016, HeidelbergCement AG complet ...

(in Fogelsville),

Just Born Just Born, Inc. is a family-owned Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based candy company that manufactures and markets a number of candies including Goldenberg's Peanut Chews, Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike, Peeps, Teenee Beanee jelly beans, and Zours. Advert ...

(in Bethlehem, maker of

Peeps Peeps are a marshmallow confection marketed since 1953 in the United States and Canada in the shape of chicks, bunnies and other animals as well as holiday shapes — by Pennsylvania-headquartered Just Born Quality Confections. Originally ...

candies),

(in Allentown), Martin Guitar (in Nazareth), Olympus Corporation (in Center Valley), OraSure Technologies (in Bethlehem),

PPL Corporation PPL Corporation is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. History Pennsylvania Power & Light was founded in 1 ...

(in Allentown),

Wind Creek Bethlehem The Wind Creek Bethlehem (formerly Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem) is a casino hotel located in the Bethlehem Works development site in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is owned and operated by Wind ...

(in Bethlehem), Dun & Bradstreet (in Center Valley),

Victaulic Victaulic is a developer and manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining systems, and the originator of the grooved pipe couplings joining system. The firm is a global company with 15 major manufacturing facilities, 28 branches, and over 3600 emplo ...

(in Easton), and others. The Lehigh Valley was recognized by business publication '' Site Selection Magazine'' in 2014, 2017, 2018, and again in 2019 as being the second-best performing region of its size for economic development in the nation and the best performing region in the entire Northeast U.S.. It was ranked by '' Fortune'' in 2015 as one of the top 10 best places in the U.S. to locate corporate finance and

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...

operations, including call and IT support centers. Allentown, the Lehigh Valley's largest city, was cited as a "national success story" in April 2016 by the

Urban Land Institute The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a nonprofit research and education organization with regional offices in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London. ULI advocates progressive development, conducting research, and education in topics such as ...

for its downtown redevelopment and transformation that has led to $1 billion worth of new development projects there between 2015 and 2019, one of only six communities nationally to achieve this distinction. The Lehigh Valley is one of the leading areas on the East Coast for

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...

s and

distribution center A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products (goods) to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to co ...

s. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as the nation's "second Inland Empire" for freight. Large national companies that own and operate warehouses and distribution centers in the Lehigh Valley include

, B. Braun, Boston Beer Company (brewer of

Samuel Adams Samuel Adams ( – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, an ...

brand beer), BMW, Bridgestone, FedEx SmartPost,

FedEx Ground FedEx Ground, a subsidiary of the FedEx Corporation, is an American ground package delivery company headquartered in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The company began as Roadway Package System (RPS), founded in 1985 by t ...

Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement r ...

, J. C. Penney, Nestlé Purina, ShopRite,

Stitch Fix Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service in the United States and United Kingdom. It uses recommendation algorithms and data science to personalize clothing items based on size, budget and style. The company was founded in 2011 and had a ...

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrup ...

, Ocean Spray, Phillips Pet Food and Supplies,

True Value In statistics, as opposed to its general use in mathematics, a parameter is any measured quantity of a statistical population that summarises or describes an aspect of the population, such as a mean or a standard deviation. If a population exa ...

Uline Uline is a privately held American company which offers shipping and other business supplies. It was founded in 1980 by Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. It has more than 8,000 employees and is headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. It has ...

Zulily Zulily, LLC is an American e-commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington and owned by Qurate Retail Group. Its target audience is young mothers interested in brand-name goods for their children. It holds no inventory, instead consolida ...

, and others. Most of these warehouses and distribution centers are located along the Valley's southern

, and

corridors, which provide direct access to numerous major markets throughout the Northeast U.S. and beyond. In 2018, due to this direct access and proximity to major markets,

constructed their largest distribution hub in the country in the Lehigh Valley near Lehigh Valley International Airport. This new hub can process up to 45,000 packages per hour and currently employs over 2,000 people. By 2030, it is expected to have a total size of square feet and employ over 3,000 people. It opened in September 2018 at a cost of $335 million to build. The Boston Beer Company operates its largest U.S. production brewery facility in Breinigsville in the Lehigh Valley, which produces over 2/3rds of all Samuel Adams beer globally. The company continues to upgrade and expand operations at this facility and has cited the location as central to its overall corporate success. Additionally, Ocean Spray, a popular maker of juice drinks and other fruit products, produces 40 percent of its total national beverage volume at its Lehigh Valley plant in Breinigsville. Due to Pennsylvania's lack of an excise tax on cigars and the Lehigh Valley's close proximity to major markets, the region is home to some of the nation's largest cigar distributors and retailers.

Retail shopping

The Lehigh Valley has several retail establishments. The largest is the

Pennsylvania Route 145 Pennsylvania Route 145 (PA 145) is a long north–south state highway in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania. It connects Interstate 78 (I-78) and PA 309 in Lanark, Lehigh County to PA 248 in Lehigh Gap, Northampton County. PA 145 ...

/MacArthur Road Corridor, just north of Allentown, which is anchored by

Lehigh Valley Mall Lehigh Valley Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in Fullerton in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. With 146 stores, it is the largest shopping mall in the Lehigh Valley an ...

and

Whitehall Mall Whitehall Mall is a shopping mall located in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. It is anchored by Kohl's. Whitehall Mall was one of the Lehigh Valley's first malls and is located across from the Lehigh Valley Mall. History 1966-1997 Land for the mall () w ...

. Other Lehigh Valley malls include Palmer Park Mall in Easton, South Mall in South Whitehall Township, and Westgate Mall in Bethlehem. In October 2006, an additional Lehigh Valley mall,

The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley is a lifestyle center located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. Major stores include American Eagle Outfitters, Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, Brooks Brothers, Fresh Market, Old Navy, and AMC Theatres with 16 ...

. located off Route 309 in Upper Saucon Township within the Lehigh Valley opened. The Promenade is roughly half the size of the Lehigh Valley Mall but features higher end stores not available in Lehigh Valley Mall. In 2011,

The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem (formerly The Shoppes at Sands and The Outlets at Sands Bethlehem) is an indoor shopping mall located inside the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It opened on November 1, 2011 and ...

opened at

in Bethlehem, becoming the first outlet mall in the Lehigh Valley. Yocco's Hot Dogs, the regionally-famous fast food establishment founded in 1922 and known for their

hot dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

s and

cheesesteak A cheesesteak (also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak sandwich, cheese steak, or steak and cheese) is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular ...

s, maintains four Lehigh Valley locations, including two in Allentown, one in Fogelsville, and one in Trexlertown.

Media

Television

The Lehigh Valley is part of the

television market, the nation's fourth largest television market, and also receives television stations from the

and

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 secon ...

television markets. Lehigh Valley-based stations include

WBPH-TV WBPH-TV, virtual channel 60 ( VHF digital channel 9), is a religious independent television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is licensed to Bethlehem. The station is owned by Sonshine Family Television. WBPH-TV's studios are located in ...

(a Christian television licensed to

with studios in

WFMZ-TV WFMZ-TV (channel 69) is an independent television station in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Locally-based Maranatha Broadcasting Company owns the station and Wilmington, Delaware–licensed MeTV affiliate WDPN-TV. Both stations share studios on Eas ...

(an independent commercial television station atop South Mountain in Allentown), and

WLVT-TV WLVT-TV, virtual channel 39 (VHF digital channel 9), is a PBS member television station licensed to Allentown, Pennsylvania. Owned by the Lehigh Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation, it is a sister station to Philadelphia-licensed PBS ...

(the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

station licensed to Allentown with studios in Bethlehem).

Radio

The Lehigh Valley is home to over 35 radio stations, including both English and Spanish-language stations and a range of formats, including

all-news All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to the discussion and broadcast of news. All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried on both major US satellite radio networks. All-news stations can run the ...

sports radio Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often- boisterous on ...

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...

, and

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

. Lehigh Valley station music formats include

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...

, hip hop,

rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as ...

, polka, soft rock,

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...

, hard rock, and several campus radio stations.

Newspapers

Lehigh Valley-based daily newspapers include ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after '' The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its ...

'' and ''

The Express-Times ''The Express-Times'' is a daily newspaper based in Easton, Pennsylvania. The newspaper provides national news and extensive local news coverage of the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855, ''The Express-Times'' is the lon ...

'', both of which have been media sources in the Lehigh Valley dating back to the mid-1800s. Two magazines cover the region: ''Lehigh Valley Style'' is a regional lifestyle publication based in Easton. ''Lehigh Valley Magazine'', based in

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 Pe ...

, is the region's oldest lifestyle publication.

Film

Multiple movies have been fully or partially filmed in the Lehigh Valley, including M. Night Shyamalan's ''

Glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling ( quenching ...

'' in 2019, indie dark-comedy ''Getting Grace'' starring

Daniel Roebuck Daniel James Roebuck (born March 4, 1963) is an American actor and writer. His best known roles include Deputy Marshal Robert Biggs in ''The Fugitive'' and its spinoff film ''U.S. Marshals'', Jay Leno in ''The Late Shift'', and Dr. Leslie Arz ...

Taylor A. Purdee Taylor Armstrong Purdee is an American director, actor, screenwriter, and songwriter. He is best known for creating the musical film ''Killian & the Comeback Kids'', as well as for his work preserving the documentary films of Academy Award wi ...

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...

musical ''

Killian & the Comeback Kids ''Killian & the Comeback Kids'' is a 2020 American folk-rock musical film written and directed by Taylor A. Purdee. The film stars Purdee, John Donchak, Nathan Purdee, and Kassie DePaiva along with an ensemble cast that features Maddi Jane and ...

'', and others.

Education

Colleges and universities

Seven colleges and universities are based in the Lehigh Valley: *

Cedar Crest College Cedar Crest College is a private liberal arts women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At the start of the 2015-2016 academic year, the college had 1,301 undergraduates (628 traditional age, 673 adult) and 203 graduate students. Men may pu ...

(in

) *

(in Center Valley) *

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

(in Easton) *

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epi ...

(in

) * Moravian University (in Bethlehem) *

Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German patriarch of Luthe ...

(in Allentown) *

Penn State Lehigh Valley Penn State Lehigh Valley is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Center Valley, outside of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. History In 1912, Penn State opened its first permanent branch school ...

(in Center Valley) The Lehigh Valley has two two-year colleges: *

Lehigh Carbon Community College Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC), often pronounced "L-tri-C," is a public community college in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The school serves as the primary granter of associate degre ...

(with campuses in Allentown, Carbon County and Schnecksville) *

Northampton Community College Northampton Community College is a public community college in Pennsylvania with campuses in Bethlehem in Northampton County and Tannersville in Monroe County. The college, founded in 1967, also has satellite locations in the south side of Be ...

(with campuses in Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township and

Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe: * Monroe County, Alabama *Monroe County, Arkansas * Monroe County, Florida * Monroe County, Georgia *Monroe County, Illinois *Monroe County, Indian ...

)

High school education

Liberty High School, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

The Lehigh Valley is the third most populous metropolitan region in Pennsylvania and served by multiple large school districts, public and private high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, including: The largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley and

The Poconos The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos , are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania. They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, W ...

(18 in all) compete athletically in the

Eastern Pennsylvania Conference The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (known informally as EPC, EPC18 and East Penn Conference) is an athletic conference consisting of 18 large high schools from Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Pike counties in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono ...

. Smaller Lehigh Valley high schools compete in the

Colonial League The Colonial League is an athletic conference consisting of 14 high schools mostly from the Lehigh Valley portion of eastern Pennsylvania. It is part of PIAA District 11, District XI of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The C ...

Sports

1955 - Allentown School District Stadium

Cyclists on the valley preferred cycling center track 2

Football

College football

The Lehigh Valley is home to the nation's longest-standing college football rivalry in the nation. Known simply as " The Rivalry,"

in Easton and

have played each other 157 times since 1884, making it the most-played rivalry in college football history. Two other Lehigh Valley colleges, Moravian University in Bethlehem and

, have competitive collegiate football programs; Muhlenberg plays their home football games at Scotty Wood Stadium on the Muhlenberg campus in Allentown.

National Football League

From 1996 until 2012, the Lehigh Valley hosted the pre-season

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...

for the NFL's

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

, which was held each summer on

Goodman Stadium Goodman Stadium is Lehigh University's 16,000-seat stadium located on its Goodman Campus in Lower Saucon Township. It opened in 1988, replacing Taylor Stadium, which stood in the main academic campus from 1914 until 1987. The former Taylor Stad ...

and other the football fields at

in Bethlehem. On August 5, 2012, Garrett Reid, the 29-year-old son of then Eagles head coach

Andy Reid Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...

, was found dead in his Lehigh University dorm room during training camp from a heroin overdose. The following year, in 2013, following the Garrett Reid overdose and the hiring of new head coach

Chip Kelly Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins. He came to prominence as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, whom he led to four consecutive BCS bowl ga ...

, the Eagles chose to move their training camp to the NovaCare Complex in

South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center, or Parkettes for short, is a gymnastics club located in Allentown, Pennsylvania that had its beginnings in the early 1960s with a middle school gymnastics program in Allentown that gradually grew into ...

in Allentown has been the training ground for numerous

and U.S. national gymnastics champions. In 2003,

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

aired a highly critical documentary on the center, '' Achieving the Perfect 10'', which depicted its as a hugely demanding and excessively competitive training program.

High school athletics

The 18 largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountain regions compete athletically in the

(EPC), one of the nation's premier athletic divisions. An additional 14 Lehigh Valley high schools too small to compete in the EPC belong to the

. The EPC has produced numerous professional and

athletes, including

MLB 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 (AL), ...

, the NBA, and the NFL professional athletes. The EPC's football,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...

, and

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

teams are often ranked among the nation's best. In high school field hockey,

Emmaus High School Emmaus High School is a large public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. The school serves grades nine through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Emmaus High School is loca ...

has won 33 consecutive EPC championships as of 2021. The Lehigh Valley's high school wrestling programs have been described as "among the nation’s best in the sport for nearly three decades" and ''WIN'' magazine has ranked the region's wrestling programs best in the nation.

Professional baseball

In 2008,

Coca-Cola Park Coca-Cola Park is an 8,278-seat baseball park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is the home field for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A level Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Coca-Cola Park accommodates 10,17 ...

, an 8,278-seat Minor League baseball stadium, opened in east-side Allentown. The stadium is the home field for the

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...

, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies of

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 (AL), ...

. The team previously played as the

Ottawa Lynx The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal ...

from 1993 until moving to Allentown in 2008. The club's move to the Lehigh Valley brought the franchise closer to

and the Phillies' large Lehigh Valley fan base. The team's name is a reference to pig iron, which is used in

for which the Lehigh Valley area is known worldwide. Groundbreaking ceremonies for Coca-Cola Park were held September 6, 2006, and construction was completed in December 2007. The stadium's first game was March 30, 2008, featuring the Phillies major league team playing the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Professional ice hockey

On September 10, 2014, the PPL Center, an 8,500-seat arena in Center City Allentown, was opened as the new home arena for the

Lehigh Valley Phantoms The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The team competes in the American Hockey League (AHL) and serves as the primary development team for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey L ...

, the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

affiliate of the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...

, and for other sporting and entertainment events. The Phantoms began play at PPL Center with their 2014–15 season. The arena takes up the entire block between Seventh and Eighth Streets and Hamilton Boulevard and Linden Street.

Roller derby

Lehigh Valley Roller Derby (LVRG) is a

Women's Flat Track Derby Association The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is the international governing body for the sport of women's flat track roller derby, and association of leagues around the world. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Co ...

league based at Bethlehem Municipal Ice Rink in Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley. The league's teams compete nationally and internationally.

Running events

The Lehigh Valley Health Network Via Marathon, sponsored by

, features a certified marathon, five-person team relay, a training run, and 5K walk annually in September. The course follows the Lehigh River Canal Towpath from Allentown to Easton. The marathon came under scrutiny in 2015 when Mike Rossi achieved viral fame after allegedly cheating in the marathon to qualify for the Boston Marathon. In response, Via Marathon organizers added timing mats and video surveillance on the course.

's Paul Short Run is held annually at the Goodman Cross Country Course; participation has climbed to over 5,000 runners spread throughout 14 college and high school races. The Emmaus 5K race is held annually in mid-October, coinciding with

' annual Halloween parade.

Track cycling

The Lehigh Valley is home to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, a

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...

in Breinigsville that hosts professional and amateur cycling competitions, including

Union Cycliste Internationale The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues raci ...

-sponsored competitions. Valley Preferred Cycling Center has given rise to several Olympian cycling medal winners.

Culture

The

Allentown Art Museum The Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley is an art museum located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1934 by a group organized by noted Pennsylvania impressionist painter, Walter Emerson Baum. With its collection of over 19,000 ...

, located in Center City Allentown, is the Lehigh Valley's largest museum with over 11,000 works of art. Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center and

's smaller Williams Center for the Arts host a variety of plays, concerts, and performances throughout the year. The Allentown Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Diane Wittry since 1995, performs at Allentown's historic

Miller Symphony Hall Miller Symphony Hall is a 1,100-seat performing arts facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania that hosts the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. The hall was previously known as Central Market (1896), Lyric Theater (1899), and Allentown Symphony Hall (1959). ...

. The Banana Factory, located in South Bethlehem, has several art studios and galleries open to the public.

Recreation

Amusement park

The Lehigh Valley is home to

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located between Allentown and Emmaus, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The park features 64 rides, including six roller coasters, other ad ...

, a popular amusement and

water park A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other baref ...

, located in South Whitehall Township. Dorney Park is known nationally for its elaborate roller coasters and water rides.

Casino

In 2009, Sands Casino Resort, an $879 million casino, hotel and apartment complex then owned by the

Las Vegas Sands Las Vegas Sands Corporation is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Its corporate mission is to create "Integrated Resorts" which feature a combination of gambling, accommodation, ...

opened in

, bringing legalized table and sports gambling to the Lehigh Valley for the first time. In 2018, the casino was renamed

following its $1.3 billion sale to Wind Creek Hospitality. Wind Creek Bethlehem is one of only 13 authorized gaming sites in Pennsylvania.

Festivals

Several large festivals are held annually in the Lehigh Valley. The Great Allentown Fair, first held in 1852, is held annually in late August through early September at the

Allentown Fairgrounds Allentown Fairgrounds is located at 302 North 17th Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It hosts the Great Allentown Fair annually in late August and early September. The fairgrounds was established in 1889 and comprises 46 acres and is owned ...

Musikfest ''Musikfest'' is an American music festival that has been held annually since 1984 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is the nation's largest non-gated free music festival. The festival begins on ...

, a large, 10-day music festival, is held annually in

each August. Das Awkscht Fescht, an antique car festival, is held annually the beginning of August in Macungie's Memorial Park. Blues, Brews, and Barbeque, launched in 2014, is held annually in May in Center City Allentown. Mayfair, a three-day arts festival, is held annually the end of May on the campus of

in Allentown.

Golf and skiing

The Valley's multiple golf courses include Saucon Valley Country Club in Upper Saucon Township, which hosted the

2009 U.S. Women's Open The 2009 U.S. Women's Open was the 64th U.S. Women's Open. Held July 9–12, it was the first U.S. Women's Open to be played at the Old Course of the Saucon Valley Country Club in Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania. Eun-Hee Ji won her only ma ...

. Others include Allentown Municipal Golf Course, Brookside Country Club in Macungie, Green Pond Country Club in Bethlehem, Lehigh Country Club on Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown, Olde Homestead Golf Club in New Tripoli, Riverview Country Club in Easton, Shepherd Hills Golf Club in Wescosville, Steel Club in Hellertown, Southmoore Golf Course in Bath, Wedgewood Golf Course in Coopersburg, Willow Brook Golf Course in Northampton, and others.

Ice sports and skiing

The region's primary

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...

Bear Creek Mountain Resort Bear Creek is a ski resort near the borough of Macungie, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. The resort opened in 1967 and was known as the Doe Mountain until 1999. It is a year-round resort on more than that features a va ...

, a 23 slope resort in Macungie. Three Lehigh Valley locations exist for

ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

, figure skating, and speed skating. Steel Ice Center is on East 1st Street in Bethlehem, The Rink Ice Arena is in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, and the City of Bethlehem maintains a covered 23,000-square-foot outdoor ice rink from November through March. Bethlehem Skateplaza on Steel Avenue in Bethlehem is a city park for skateboarding and freestyle BMX.

Parks and zoo

The Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville is a zoo open year-round. The Lehigh Valley has List of city parks and recreation facilities of Allentown, Pennsylvania, a number of public parks, including the Lehigh Parkway along the Lehigh River in Allentown and the Trexler Nature Preserve in Schnecksville.

Transportation

Air transportation

The Lehigh Valley's primary commercial airport is

in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Hanover Township in the Lehigh Valley, roughly north-northeast of

, northwest of

, and west-southwest of Easton. The airport was utilized by 851,000 passengers in 2020.

recently completed a significant expansion at the airport. The Valley is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport, a two-runway general aviation facility located off Allentown's Lehigh Street, used predominantly by private aviation. Other general-aviation airports include Braden Airpark (also owned by the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority) in Easton, Hackettstown Airport in eastern

, and Jake Arner Memorial Airport in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, Lehighton.

Bus transportation

Public bus service in Lehigh Valley is available through the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, known as LANta. In New Jersey, bus service is provided by NJ Transit, including to Centre Square in Easton. The Lehigh Valley has several commercial bus services, including Greyhound Lines, Klein Transportation, and Trailways Transportation System, Trailways, and others, that provide transportation to and from

, Reading, Pennsylvania, Reading,

and other regional destinations throughout the day. Additionally, OurBus provides service to and from Philadelphia, Martz Group, Martz Trailways provides transport from the region to

via Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre. It also provides service to Philadelphia as an Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach route that connects to Amtrak at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Chinatown bus lines operates multiple roundtrip bus lines daily between Manhattan and

in Bethlehem; as of 2014, more than 3,000 passengers daily utilized Chinatown bus lines' service from Manhattan to Wind Creek Bethlehem.

Commercial rail

The Lehigh Valley is a major national thruway for commercial rail transport with roughly 65 commercial trains passing through the Valley daily. The region's largest freight rail operator is Norfolk Southern Railway, which uses two former rail lines, Lehigh Valley Railroad's Lehigh Line (Norfolk Southern), Lehigh Line and Reading Company, Reading Railroad's Reading Line. Norfolk Southern Railway has major classification rail yards in both Allentown and Bethlehem.

Passenger rail

Passenger train service in the Valley is available just outside the Lehigh Valley at Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Doylestown ( southeast), at Annandale, New Jersey (roughly east), and at Hackettstown station in Hackettstown, New Jersey ( northeast). The Valley's closest Amtrak station is Bryn Mawr station (SEPTA Regional Rail), Bryn Mawr SEPTA, miles south of the Valley. Two major passenger rail hubs, 30th Street Station in

and Pennsylvania Station (Newark), Newark Penn Station in

, are roughly southeast and west, respectively.

Roads

The Lehigh Valley is accessible from four major highways: *

, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, is a toll highway that runs from Chester, Pennsylvania, Chester in the south to

and

region in the north. *

is a major east–west highway that runs through the southern part of the Valley and is duplexed with

. I-78 runs from Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, Lebanon County in the west to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in the east. *Pennsylvania Route 33 runs north–south through the Lehigh Valley from the Pocono Mountains, Poconos in the north to Northampton County in the south. *

is a major freeway that runs through the Valley from Kuhnsville in the western part of the Valley to Easton in the Valley's east. The highway extends from Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio in the west through the Valley to Newark, New Jersey at its eastern terminus. Other major Lehigh Valley roads include: * Cedar Crest Boulevard is a north–south highway that runs from North Whitehall Township in the north through West Allentown to

in the south. * Lehigh Street runs northeast to southwest, originating in Center City Allentown and terminating in Emmaus. *Pennsylvania Route 145, MacArthur Road (PA 145) is a divided local road that leads to the

and its surrounding commercial district. *State Route 1002 (Lehigh County, Pennsylvania), Tilghman Street runs from Fogelsville in the west, continuing as Union Boulevard to Bethlehem in the east. Tilghman Street runs through most of Allentown, intersecting with Cedar Crest Boulevard, Pennsylvania Route 100, Pennsylvania Route 309, and several other major Lehigh Valley highways.

Telecommunications

The Lehigh Valley area initially was served only by the Area codes 215, 267, and 445, 215 area code from 1947 (when the North American Numbering Plan of the Bell System went into effect) until 1994. With the region's growing population, the Lehigh Valley was granted Area codes 610, 484, and 835, area code 610 in 1994. Today, the Lehigh Valley is mainly covered by 610. An area code overlay, overlay area code, 484, was added to the 610 service area in 1999. Area code 835 is expected to become available in the Lehigh Valley in 2022.

Wine

The Lehigh Valley AVA, which was designated an official American Viticultural Area in March 2008, includes of vineyards planted to several ''Vitis vinifera'' and hybrid grapes, French-American hybrid grape variety (biology), varieties. Blue Mountain Vineyards in New Tripoli accounts of over of the 230 acres and has won national and international awards. Fifteen to twenty percent of all wine produced commercially in Pennsylvania comes from grapes grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA.Lauer-Williams, Kathy (2008)
"Lehigh Valley wineries earn recognition"
''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. April 17, 2008.

Notable people from the Lehigh Valley

Since its settlement in the 18th century, the Lehigh Valley has been the birthplace or home to several famous Americans, including: * Mario Andretti, former professional race car driver * Michael Andretti, professional racing team owner and race car driver * Saquon Barkley, professional football player, New York Giants * Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player,

, 1967 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee * Stephen Vincent Benét, former novelist and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet * Leon Carr, former Broadway theatre, Broadway songwriter and composer * Jack Coleman (actor), Jack Coleman, television actor, ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty'', ''Heroes (U.S. TV series), Heroes'', ''The Office (American TV series), The Office'', and ''Castle (TV series), Castle'' * Michaela Conlin, television actress, ''Bones (TV series), Bones'' * H.D., former poet and novelist * Jimmy DeGrasso, heavy metal music, heavy metal drummer, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper (band), Alice Cooper Band, Megadeth, Dokken, and Ratt * Dane DeHaan, television and film actor, ''In Treatment'', ''Chronicle (film), Chronicle'', ''A Cure for Wellness'', and ''Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets'' * Devon (actress), Devon, adult film actress * Keith Dorney, former professional football player, Detroit Lions * Jonathan Frakes, actor, ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' * Mike Hartenstine, former professional football player, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings * Bob Heffner, former professional baseball player, Boston Red Sox, California Angels, and Cleveland Indians * Tim Heidecker, actor, comedian, musician, ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' and ''Decker (TV series), Decker'' * Larry Holmes, former boxing heavyweight champion * Todd Howard, video game designer, ''Fallout (series), Fallout'' and ''The Elder Scrolls'' * Lee Iacocca, former president and chief executive officer, Chrysler * Keith Jarrett, jazz musician * Michael Johns (policy analyst), Michael Johns, healthcare executive and former White House presidential speechwriter * Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"), actor and former professional wrestler * Billy Kidman, former professional wrestler and WWE producer * Daniel Dae Kim, film and television actor, ''Lost (TV series), Lost'' * Steve Kimock, rock musician * Brian Knobbs, former professional wrestler * Dan Koppen, former professional football player, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots * Carson Kressley, fashion consultant, Bravo (US TV channel), Bravo's ''Queer Eye (2003 TV series), Queer Eye'' * Lisa Ann, adult film actress * Varvara Lepchenko, professional tennis player * Jonathan Linton, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills * William Marchant (playwright), William Marchant, former playwright and screenwriter * Kristen Maloney, 2000 Summer Olympics gymnast * Ed McCaffrey, former professional football player, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers * Kate Micucci, actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter * Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins and former president and general manager, Detroit Lions * Lara Jill Miller, actress and voice actress, ''Gimme a Break!'' and ''The Amanda Show'' * Marty Nothstein, former Olympic gold medal winner, track cycling * Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee * Ian Riccaboni, author and Ring of Honor professional wrestling sports broadcaster *

, actor, ''Matlock (TV series), Matlock'', ''Lost (TV series), Lost'', ''Glee (TV series), Glee'', and ''Grimm (TV series), Grimm'' * Jimmie Schaffer, former professional baseball player, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals * Brian Schneider, former professional baseball player, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals * Amanda Seyfried, actress, ''Veronica Mars'', ''Big Love'', ''Mamma Mia! (film), Mamma Mia!'', and ''Les Misérables (2012 film), Les Misérables'' * Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals * Dana Snyder, voice actor, Adult Swim's ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' * Christine Taylor, actress and wife of actor Ben Stiller * Jonathan Taylor Thomas, actor, ''Home Improvement (TV series), Home Improvement'' * Bobby Weaver, 1984 Summer Olympics gold medal winner, wrestling * Lauren Weisberger, author, ''The Devil Wears Prada (novel), The Devil Wears Prada'' * Cindy Werley, 1996 Summer Olympics field hockey player * Jordan White (musician), Jordan White, rock musician * David Zinczenko, founder and chief executive officer, Galvanized, and author, ''Eat This, Not That'' * David Zippel, Tony Awards, Tony-award-winning lyricist, ''City of Angels (musical), City of Angels''

County statistics

Notes

References

External links

Official website
at Discover Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley news
at ''

''
Lehigh Valley news
at

"Famous People from the Lehigh Valley
" ''The Morning Call'', August 18, 2006 {{Coord, 40, 42, N, 75, 30, W, region:US-PA_scale:1000000, display=title Lehigh Valley, Metropolitan areas of Pennsylvania Regions of Pennsylvania Valleys of Pennsylvania