Moon Township, Pennsylvania
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Moon Township is a
township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
along the
Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
in Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. Moon is a part of the
Greater Pittsburgh Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, B ...
metropolitan area and is located northwest of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
. The population was 27,261 at the 2020 census.


History


Early history (1756–1773)

The initial settlement of Moon Township was a direct result of the westward expansion of English settlers and traders who arrived in the Ohio Valley in the early to mid-18th century. During the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
(
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754†...
), the Iroquois, who controlled the land for hunting grounds through right of conquest, ceded large parcels of southwestern Pennsylvania lands through treaty or abandonment to settlers. In some cases, the land was already occupied by squatters who were to be forced off the land. In the face of this turmoil, Native American settlements of the south bank of the
Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
typically relocated to more populous areas of the north bank in the current locales of Sewickley and Ambridge. On the southern banks of the Ohio, political disputes among settlers clouded the disposition of lands. Generally, the Pennsylvania Land Office apportioned land to owners through grants. But, some of the land encompassing what is now the Coraopolis Heights, Thorn Run valley, and Narrows Run valley were claimed through the process of "Tomahawk Improvements", a non-specific and oftentimes contested method. Settlement processes were often convoluted because of differences among land policies of the several colonies claiming the land, specifically Pennsylvania and
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. Each colony had its own means of either granting or restricting settlement opportunities. Each settler claiming land in what is now Moon Township had to go through a multi-level process of application for grant, warrant of property, and survey to ensure the physical boundaries of the property, and patent approval whereby the applicant paid for the land and title was conferred. On April 3, 1769,
Andrew Montour Andrew Montour ( â€“ 1772), also known as Sattelihu, Eghnisara,Hagedorn, 57 and Henry,Montour was also called Henry, possibly due to the similarity of sound with the French ''"Andre".'' was an important mixed Language interpretation, interpr ...
, an Indian interpreter who had provided service to the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
settler A settler is a person who has human migration, migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a ...
s during the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
, was granted one of the first land patents for approximately of what later became the borough of
Coraopolis Coraopolis () is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The population was 5,559 at the 2020 census. In 1940, the population peaked at 11,086. Coraopolis is located west of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River and to the east of the Pittsbur ...
and
Neville Island Neville Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its land area consists entirely of Neville Island, which is an island on the Ohio River. The population was 1,084 at the 2010 census. History The island was form ...
. In 1773, the settler John Meek was awarded a land grant from
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
above the river bottom and between the Thorn Run and Montour Run valleys, and "Moon Township" was born, although formal, legal recognition would have to wait until 1788.


Settlement times (1773–1799)

The settlers Robert Loudon and John Vail were awarded grants to a total of . Loudon's tract was situated on the Coraopolis Heights adjacent to the Meek grant. Vail's grant was established between the current Thorn Run and Narrows Run valleys (although the exact location is open to some interpretation). Three other early grants were warranted by either Virginia or Pennsylvania land speculators. The boundaries of these land tracts are hard to identify, and the names of the original grantees are contested. But historians believe that they encompassed about or so, and were occupied by anonymous squatters. Given that the history is somewhat hazy, it remains that in abandoning their lands, the unidentified squatters ceded any potential claims to settlers who would otherwise improve and/or cultivate the land. As the 18th century drew to a close, abandoned lands were taken up by new settlers who were drawn to the region by the fertility of the soil. This round of pioneers were, by and large, wealthier than their predecessors and had the means to develop the broken and hilly areas into plots suitable for farming. Moon Township was created in 1788 as one of the original townships of the newly created Allegheny County. In 1789 by an act of the legislature a portion of Washington County south of the Ohio River was transferred to Allegheny County. The transferred area became part of Moon Township. At this time Moon Township occupied an enormous tract of land – possibly . Some reports and, more often, legends of the time indicate that it would take one man on horseback two days to travel between the boundaries of the township. The sheer difficulty of settlers performing their civic duties (e.g., reporting to assigned polling places or attending jury trials) made it necessary for local governing authorities to parcel out the land into smaller municipalities. So, in 1790, the current Fayette Township was portioned off from Moon Township, to be followed by Findlay and
Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...
townships, respectively. In 1800, when Beaver County was created from Allegheny and Washington Counties that portion of Beaver County south of the Ohio River that it received from Allegheny County was in Moon Township. Upon the creation of Beaver County that portion of Moon Township that Allegheny County lost to Beaver County was divided into two new townships: First Moon and Second Moon Townships, Beaver County.


1900s to present

In 1943, the
federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
designed and built a housing plan known as
Mooncrest Mooncrest Historic District is a historic district in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, USA. This community was built during World War II as housing for defense workers. Mooncrest residents produced armor plate, munitions, and ships at the nearby ...
for defense workers. Mooncrest residents produced armor plates,
munitions Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...
and
ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
s at the nearby Dravo Corp. during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Operated by the
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
after 1945, homes were sold to private investors in the mid-1950s. Moon became home to Pittsburgh's modern-day airport in 1951, replacing the
Allegheny County Airport Allegheny County Airport is in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. It is the fifth-busiest airport in Pennsylvania following Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Harrisburg. The airport is owned by t ...
as the main terminal for the region. The area developed mainly due to the airport. Prior to this time, the western hills of Allegheny County consisted largely of rolling farms and small residential developments. On April 1, 1956,
TWA Flight 400 On April 1, 1956, a Martin 4-0-4, registration #N40403, operating as TWA Flight 400, crashed on takeoff from Greater Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). Twenty-two of the 36 people aboard the aircraft, including one crewmember,} perished in t ...
crashed on takeoff from the airport, killing 22 people just past the east end of the runway, which lies in Moon Township. During the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, Moon Township was the location of
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
Site PI-71, which was a battery of Nike Ajax and/or Nike Hercules surface-to-air missiles, used by US armed forces for high – and medium-altitude air defense. The former missile site is now a nature preserve. Development of
Pennsylvania Route 60 Pennsylvania Route 60 (PA 60) is a state highway located in the western suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Although the route follows a mostly east–west alignment, it is signed as a north–south highway. The southern terminus of th ...
(now
Interstate 376 Interstate 376 (I-376) is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Pennsylvania, located within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania T ...
) to the Pittsburgh airport, plus the addition of the Parkway West from Pittsburgh and nearby exits of Interstate 79, allowed Moon to become the area's crossroads for transportation via air and road. In 1991, the relocation of the landside terminal of the
Pittsburgh International Airport Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, is a civil–military international airport in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Located about 10 miles (15 km) west of downtown Pitts ...
to nearby Findlay Township resulted in a loss in traffic to the township. Moon experienced a significant loss of tax revenues but has since rebounded as the cargo area for the airport. A large part of the airport's runways and facilities are located within the boundary of Moon Township, although the terminal and about half of the airport's land area are in Findlay Township, to the west. The township is home to the Air Force Reserve 911th Airlift Wing, which was established in 1943. Moon is also home to the 171st Air Refueling Wing of the Pa. Air National Guard. Additionally, the Army has its 99th Regional Readiness Command, built in the late 1990s in Moon Township. Since the loss of the airport terminal, the township has shifted its focus from airport commerce to corporate development, residences and university hub. The main campus of
Robert Morris University Robert Morris University (RMU) is a private university in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1921 and is named after Robert Morris, known as the "financier of the mericanrevolution." It enrolls nearly 5,000 students and offers 60 b ...
is also located within the township. Major corporation headquarters like
Nova Chemicals NOVA Chemicals Corporation is a Canadian petrochemical company that has been in operation since 1954. NOVA was formed as provincial crown corporation called the Alberta Gas Trunk Line Company Limited to manage Alberta's natural gas collection sy ...
,
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 ...
, and First Health/Coventry are located in Moon. Moon Township is the location of the
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
forecast office that serves Pittsburgh.


Expansion and development

Growth is expected to continue in Moon in the near future due to many new construction projects such as the redevelopment of University Boulevard and conversion of the West Hills Shopping Center into a new shopping plaza. Ground was broken in late 2006 on the new Cherrington Parkway extension. The extension, which opened in early 2008, created additional shovel-ready land for Class A office space, for corporate development. As a result of Robert Morris University, the college feeds much of the economy along the township's University Boulevard area. Several new businesses have opened recently, including the new
DoubleTree DoubleTree by Hilton is an American hotel chain managed by Hilton Worldwide. DoubleTree has been the fastest growing Hilton brand by number of properties since 2007, and by number of rooms from 2007 to 2015. As of December 31, 2019, it has 587 p ...
Hotel and restaurants including
Primanti's Primanti Bros. (, ), sometimes called Primanti's for short, is a chain of sandwich shops in the eastern United States. Since its Pittsburgh founding in 1933, Primanti's has become a cultural icon of the region. The chain is known for its signat ...
. A new
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
has been completed.


US Airways development

US Airways US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon ...
was born in Pittsburgh in 1939 as All-American Aviation, an airmail service that was the brainchild of the duPont family, and helmed by brothers Richard and Alexis Felix duPont – with the supervision of CEO Steven Gardner. Once passenger airline service became the vogue, the duPonts decided to haul people instead of boxes and letters and, in 1953, Allegheny Airlines was born. Allegheny Airlines was one of the fastest growing airlines between the late '50s and '70s. During that time, Allegheny Airlines had absorbed two regional airlines, Lake Central and Mowhawk. This sudden growth was a burden on the airline employees, who often had to make creative rather than operational decisions when encountering a traveler. Hence, Allegheny Airlines was colloquially called "Agony Airlines." In 1978, the Airline Deregulation Act was passed. The next year Allegheny Airlines renamed itself USAir. During the 1980s, USAir went on a shopping spree. Within two years, they had bought up both Piedmont and Pacific Southwest Airlines, bringing their total number of flights to about 5,000 daily. In 1987, with major subsidies from both Allegheny County and the State of Pennsylvania, USAir commanded the building of a 1.2 billion dollar expansion (rebuilding) of Pittsburgh International Airport. Where, it was said, USAir would retain a commanding presence and an airline hub for at least 45 years. Even before their custom-made airport was finished, USAir became US Airways and promised that the hub status of PIT airport would remain in place. After years of declining its operations in Moon Township, US Airways announced February 20, 2007, it would build its flight operations center on a piece of land adjacent to the Pittsburgh International Airport and Business Route 60 (now
Interstate 376 Business Interstate 376 Business (I-376 Bus.), commonly referred to as Business Loop 376 or simply Business 376, is a business loop of I-376 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It is located almost entirely within Moon Township and serve ...
). The center would retain 450 high paying jobs and increase it by 150 for a total of 600 jobs. The facility was closed following the 2015 merger of US Airways and American Airlines, and replaced by a different facility in
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
.


West Hills Shopping Center

The West Hills Shopping Center, once the heart of Moon's commercial business, was sold to
Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
for $4.7 million and announced to the public on January 3, 2007. Wal-Mart officials announced their plans to build a supercenter location on the site of what was the West Hills Shopping Center. The company also purchased two adjacent parcels of land along Brodhead Road. Preparation of the site began in the second half of 2015. The store opened in fall of 2016. Among the usual businesses occupied by shopping centers, West Hills Shopping Center also housed Sacco Bowling Lanes (later renamed Runway Lanes), Rolling Wheels roller skating rink, Jojo's Gyros, Blandino's Pizza, Jenny Lee Bakery, and in a separate building next to the center's south end, West Hills Cinema.


University Boulevard

On the morning of August 14, 2003, the former Beers School and Narrows Run Roads (from the I-376 Business Loop route to Thorn Run Road) became known as University Boulevard, a move that helped to promote the township as the home of
Robert Morris University Robert Morris University (RMU) is a private university in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1921 and is named after Robert Morris, known as the "financier of the mericanrevolution." It enrolls nearly 5,000 students and offers 60 b ...
. The new road name also depicts the township's efforts to re-emerge as a business-dominant community. Since the 2003 renaming, township officials have researched various zoning ordinances to piece together Moon's main business corridor.


Explore Our Universe

Playing off the township's unique name, supervisors in 2005 gave Moon a new slogan, "Explore Our Universe". "The slogan is a play not only on the township's lunar name but also on
Robert Morris University Robert Morris University (RMU) is a private university in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1921 and is named after Robert Morris, known as the "financier of the mericanrevolution." It enrolls nearly 5,000 students and offers 60 b ...
and the University Boulevard business corridor, which township officials would like investors and consumers to explore a little more thoroughly," wrote the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
'' in 2005.


Moon Park renovations

Moon Park, the township's largest community park, was to begin a $10 million renovation in the spring of 2008.


Geography and climate

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.41%, is water.


Surrounding and adjacent communities

Moon Township has six land borders, including Crescent Township to the north-northwest, Hopewell Township (Beaver County) to the northwest, Findlay Township to the west and southwest, North Fayette Township to the south, Robinson Township to the southeast, east and northeast, and the borough of
Coraopolis Coraopolis () is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The population was 5,559 at the 2020 census. In 1940, the population peaked at 11,086. Coraopolis is located west of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River and to the east of the Pittsbur ...
to the north-northeast. Across the Ohio River to the northwest, a section of Moon runs adjacent with (from north to south)
Edgeworth Edgeworth may refer to: People * Edgeworth (surname) Places * Edgeworth, Gloucestershire, England * Edgeworth, New South Wales, Australia * Edgeworth, Pennsylvania, USA * Edgeworth Island, Nunavut, Canada * Edgeworthstown, County Longford, Repu ...
, Sewickley, and
Glen Osborne Glen Matthew Osborne (born 27 August 1971) is a New Zealand television presenter, former rugby union player and current Police Constable for the New Zealand Police. Osborne was born in Wanganui and played representative rugby for Wanganui in th ...
. The Sewickley Bridge is the direct link between Moon Township and Sewickley.


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 22,290 people, 8,445 households, and 5,767 families residing in the township. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 939.1 people per square mile (362.5/km). There were 9,200 housing units at an average density of 387.6/sq mi (149.6/km). The racial makeup of the township was 93.17%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 3.58%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.06% Native American, 1.94%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.02%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.25% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.97% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.99% of the population. There were 8,445 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. Of all households, 26.8% were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99. In the township the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $57,173, and the median income for a family was $68,256. Males had a median income of $48,444 versus $31,073 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the township was $26,457. About 2.2% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Moon Township is home to the Moon Area School District, which consists of students from both Moon and Crescent townships. The school district enrolls approximately 3,900 students in their 7 schools educating grades kindergarten through 12th grade.


Government and politics

The township is policed by the
Moon Township Police Department The Moon Township Police Department (MTPD) is a medium-sized municipal police department in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The Moon Township Police Department has 30 sworn police officers and 15 administrative personnel and a dozen more volunteers ...
.


National recognition

In 2007, Moon Township was honored with several honors as one of the country's best places to live. BusinessWeek.com ranked Moon one of five best affordable suburbs in the Northeast. The recognition includes the 15108 zip code covering
Coraopolis Coraopolis () is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The population was 5,559 at the 2020 census. In 1940, the population peaked at 11,086. Coraopolis is located west of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River and to the east of the Pittsbur ...
borough, Kennedy and Moon townships. Moon was nominated as a runner-up in the list of top Pittsburgh suburbs to raise a family in 2013.


Notable people

*
Jodi Applegate Jodi Applegate (born May 2, 1964)"Anchor Jodi Applegate Shares a ...
, graduate of Moon Area High School, former
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...
anchor, currently employed at the Fox affiliate in New York City *
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
, NCAA champion wrestler, US Olympic gold-medal wrestler, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestler; also formerly a sports anchor at
WPGH-TV WPGH-TV (channel 53) is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WPNT (channel 22). Both stations share studios on Iv ...
. *
Gust Avrakotos Gustav Lascaris Avrakotos (January 14, 1938 – December 1, 2005) was an American case officer and the Afghan Task Force Chief for the Central Intelligence Agency. Avrakotos joined the CIA in August 1962 and was posted to Greece in 1963. Followi ...
, CIA operative whose exploits in Afghanistan were depicted in the
book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical arr ...
and
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
''Charlie Wilson's War'' * Jim Baechtold, second pick in 1952 NBA draft and Head Coach of
Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University (Eastern or EKU) is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky. As a regional comprehensive institution, EKU also maintains branch campuses in Corbin, Hazard, Lancaster, and Manchester and offers over 40 online u ...
basketball *
Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants f ...
, resided in Moon while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates *
Plaxico Burress Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
, resided in Moon while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers *
John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach. Since 2009, he has been the head coach of the University of Kentucky men's team, with whom he won the NCAA Championship in 2012. He has been named Naismith College C ...
, graduate of Moon Area High School, basketball coach *
Lou Christie Luigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco (born February 19, 1943), known professionally as Lou Christie, is an American pop and soft rock singer-songwriter known for several hits in the 1960s, including his 1966 US chart-topper "Lightnin' Strikes" and 1969 ...
, graduate of Moon Area High School in 1961; singer, songwriter * Willie Colon, Pittsburgh Steelers * Bob Davie, former Notre Dame football coach and current ESPN sportscaster, grew up in Moon *
Ann B. Davis Ann Bradford Davis (May 3, 1926 â€“ June 1, 2014) was an American actress. She achieved prominence for her role in the NBC situation comedy '' The Bob Cummings Show'' (1955–1959), for which she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...
, actress, briefly lived in Moon in the 1990s *
Joe DeNardo Joseph William DeNardo (November 27, 1930 – June 15, 2018) was an American meteorologist best known for his work at WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh. He was known for his 1994 campaign, "Joe Said It Would." DeNardo resided in Moon Township, Pennsylvani ...
, long-time
WTAE-TV WTAE-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by Hearst Television since the station's inception, making this one of two stations that have been built and signed o ...
personality that was mostly known for his work as a meteorologist and the phrase "Joe Said It Would" *
Trai Essex Trai Jamar Essex (born December 5, 1982) is a former American football offensive guard who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts. Early years Essex grew up in Fort Wayne, In ...
, Pittsburgh Steelers * Sean Gilbert, Washington Redskins player * James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers * Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns *
Ryan Malone Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
, former Pittsburgh Penguin * Sarah Marince, singer * Rich Milot, graduate of Moon Area High School, a former American football linebacker who played his entire nine-year career with the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
from 1979 to 1987 in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. He played college football at
Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...
. * T. Mark Mustio, Pennsylvania state representative *
John Pippy John Pippy (born December 12, 1970 in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand) is an American politician and Brigadier General from the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 2003 to 2012 ...
, former Pennsylvania state senator *
Katelyn Pippy Katelyn Pippy (born April 12, 1993) is an American actress, producer, and production manager, best known for her role as Emmalin Holden on the Lifetime television drama '' Army Wives''. Career The role of Emmalin Holden on ''Army Wives'', w ...
, American actress *
Ray Seals Raymond Bernard Seals (born June 17, 1965) is an American former football defensive end in the NFL. He is famous for not having attended college, a rarity in the NFL. Ray lettered in football at Anthony A. Henninger High School in Syracuse, ...
, resided in Moon while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers *
A. Q. Shipley Allan Quay Shipley (born May 22, 1986) is a former American football coach and center who most recently was an offensive assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played twelve seasons in the (NFL) and was ...
, Center for the Arizona Cardinals, graduate of Moon Area High School * Brandon Wilson, graduate of Moon Area High School, author/explorer


Moon in the media

* Scenes from the 1979 movie ''
The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh ''The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' is a 1979 American sports/fantasy comedy film directed by Gilbert Moses and coproduced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar and distributed by United Artists. The film was shot on loc ...
'' were shot in the gym at
Moon Area High School Moon Area High School is a public high school located in the Moon Area School District in Pennsylvania, United States. The school serves students in grades 9-12 from Moon and Crescent, South Heights borough, along with the communities of Glenw ...
. * The Los Angeles–based production company, Phalco Films, was established in Moon Township in early 2006 before relocating to the West Coast. * Parts of the movie '' The Silence of the Lambs'' were filmed in Moon Township. Several Moon Township police officers had minor non-speaking roles as extras in the film. * Parts of the movie '' Adventureland'' were filmed in Moon Township at the Stardust Lounge.


Presidential visits

Because Pittsburgh International Airport is adjacent to Moon, many presidential visits to the Pittsburgh area start in Moon. For example, President
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
made a surprise visit to Moon a day after pardoning President Richard M. Nixon on September 9, 1974. In 1994, President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
greeted Prime Minister John Major of Great Britain at a hangar at the 911th Air Wing of the Air Force Reserve at the Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township. A day after securing the Democratic nomination for president, then–Vice President
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
held a rally at Moon's high school gym on March 16, 2000. In September 2009, President Obama visited Pittsburgh for the G-20 conference. Then–Republican presidential nominee
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
held a rally on June 11, 2016, at the Moon Township airplane hangar. On March 10, 2018, then-President Trump held another rally at the Moon Township airplane hangar, campaigning in support of Republican congressional candidate
Rick Saccone Richard Saccone (born February 14, 1958) is an American educator and politician who represented Pennsylvania's 39th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, he was his party's nominee for the March ...
for a special election within Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district.


References


External links

*
''Coraopolis-Moon Record''

Moon Township Economic Development
{{Authority control Pennsylvania populated places on the Ohio River Pittsburgh metropolitan area Townships in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania