Morrisville (, ) is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

in Bucks 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, ...

, United States. It is located just below the falls of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...

opposite

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Allentown and northeast of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

History

The earliest known settlement in what is now Morrisville, was a trading post of the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ...

operating from 1624 to 1627 on an island in the

. In its early days, the area was known as Crewcorne and was a part of Falls Township. Later, one of the first ferries to cross the Delaware was established at the site. By the late 18th century, a settlement was forming at the ferry crossing then known as Colvin's Ferry. The settlement incorporated into a borough in 1804, taking the name of Morrisville, after Founding Father Robert Morris. In that same year, the first bridge built across the Delaware connected Morrisville to Trenton. The Gershom Craft House, Summerseat, and Trenton City/Calhoun Street Bridge are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Summerseat is also designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

. Morrisville is also home to

Graystones Graystones is a fell in the English Lake District. It lies in the North Western Fells region and is one of the peaks on the ridge which encircles the valley of Aiken Beck. Name According to Alfred Wainwright the name Graystones properly refe ...

, the historic site marking William Penn's first

land purchase from the Lenni Lenape Indians. Morrisville was once considered for the Nation's Capital. Robert Morris campaigned behind the scenes to establish the new capital at the “Falls of the Delaware,” preferably on the Pennsylvania side. Today that is seen from Park Avenue in Morrisville, just atop of the 30-foot tall flood control dike. The Delaware River is viewed from here and just below is the famous Falls of the Delaware, for which Falls Township was named.

Geography

Morrisville is located at (40.207458, -74.779918). It is part of a geographical salient that is mostly surrounded by New Jersey. Originally a village located in Falls Township, until it was partitioned as a borough by the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1804, Morrisville is bordered by Falls Township to the south, Lower Makefield Township to the north and the

to the east. Its name is the default city name in the 19067 ZIP code, which covers an area that includes Yardley, Lower Makefield, Morrisville, and part of Falls Township. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the borough has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.1 km²), of which 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km²) (10.15%) is water.

U.S. 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...

traverses Morrisville and crosses into

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 Delawa ...

via the Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge. There are several parks within Morrisville's borders, and the Delaware Canal State Park runs near the eastern border of both the town and Pennsylvania. Located between the Calhoun Street Bridge and the Lower Trenton Bridge (Trenton Makes) is Williamson Park, home to Morrisville Little League and many community events. Adjacent to Graystones is Graystones woods, a tract of woodland that extends from the Delaware Canal to Crown Street in the town's far north. Just south of the Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge and the Morrisville–Trenton Railroad Bridge lie two smaller parks, the Morrisville Riverfront Preserve, an 8.8-acre tract preserving some of the last bits of the Delaware River's tidal basin, and the Morrisville Dog Park, a two pen playground for dogs big and small.

Demographics

As of a 2014 estimate, the borough was 58.5% Non-Hispanic White, 25.9% Black or African American, 2.4% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.2% Asian, 4.4% Some other race, and 6.5% were two or more races. 16.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the 2010 census, the borough was 70.6% Non-Hispanic White, 15.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.0% Asian, and 2.7% were two or more races. 10.2% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. 13.5% of the population were foreign-born. 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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 10,023 people, 4,154 households, and 2,612 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 5,659.0 people per square mile (2,186.4/km²). There were 4,313 housing units at an average density of 2,435.1/sq mi (940.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 75.98%

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 ...

, 19.14%

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 ...

, 0.18% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 2.08% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 4.82% of the population. There were 4,154 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.01. In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $43,095, and the median income for a family was $53,316. Males had a median income of $40,204 versus $30,110 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $21,404. About 8.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The local school district is the Morrisville School District.

Etymology

The borough is named for

American Founding Father The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the war for independence from Great Britai ...

, Pennsylvania merchant, and banker Robert Morris, the main financier 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 ...

. His hom
Summerseat
still stands in town.

Sports

In 1955, the Morrisville

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Merchantville, New Jersey Merchantville is a borough in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 3,821,Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...

title. It is one of four Pennsylvania teams to have won the tournament since its inception in 1947.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Morrisville has a

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

(''Cfa''). ''Cfa'' climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > , at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ , at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. This immediately borders a

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

(''Cfa'') as found in Falls Township. Although most summer days are slightly humid in Morrisville, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with

heat index The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the shade. The result is al ...

values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on July 6, 2010, and the highest daily average mean

dew point The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor, assuming constant air pressure and water content. When cooled below the dew point, moisture capacity is reduced and airborne water vapor will ...

was on August 13, 2016. The average wettest month is July, which corresponds with the annual peak in

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are some ...

activity. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was on August 27, 2011. During the winter months, the average annual extreme minimum air temperature is . Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was on January 22, 1984. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur, with

wind chill Wind chill or windchill (popularly wind chill factor) is the lowering of body temperature due to the passing-flow of lower-temperature air. Wind chill numbers are always lower than the air temperature for values where the formula is valid. When ...

values < . The average annual snowfall (Nov-Apr) is between and .

Ice storm An ice storm, also known as a glaze event or a silver storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least of ice on ...

s and large snowstorms depositing ≥ of snow occur once every few years, particularly during

nor’easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use o ...

s from

Ecology

According to the

A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 1907–1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system in widespread use in the United States. Some of this database has bec ...

U.S.

potential natural vegetation In ecology, potential natural vegetation (PNV), also known as Kuchler potential vegetation, is the vegetation that would be expected given environmental constraints (climate, geomorphology, geology) without human intervention or a hazard event ...

types, Morrisville would have a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian Oak (''104'') with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern

Hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

Forest (''25''). The plant hardiness zone is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . The spring bloom typically begins by April 8 and fall color usually peaks by November 3.

Notable people

Morrisville is the birthplace or home to a number of well-known Americans, including: * Thomas Barclay, America' first consul in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

* George Clymer, politician, signer 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 ...

and

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...

and

Founding Father of The United States The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the war for independence from Great Britai ...

* Willard Curtin, member of the U.S. House of Representatives * Tony DiStefano, former motocross national champion * Thomas Mortimer Fowler, prolific panoramic mapmaker of the 19th century. * Dick Hart, former football player for the

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 ...

and

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...

. *

Thomas Story Kirkbride Thomas Story Kirkbride (July 31, 1809December 16, 1883) was a physician, alienist, hospital superintendent for the Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital, and primary founder of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institution ...

, physician and founder of the

Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane The Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane, also known as The Superintendents' Association, was organized in Philadelphia in October, 1844 at a meeting of 13 superintendents, making it the first professiona ...

, which would become the

American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It has more than 37,000 members are invo ...

* Michael Lenox, American strategist. * T. Norman Mansell, architect. *

Jean Victor Marie Moreau Jean Victor Marie Moreau (, 14 February 1763 – 2 September 1813) was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte to power, but later became a rival and was banished to the United States. Biography Rise to fame Moreau was born at Morl ...

, 18/19th century French General. * Robert Morris, financier of the

and signer of the

, the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 Colonies of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777) by ...

, and the

. * Danny Napoleon, professional baseball player for the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

* Asher Roth, rapper. *

James Floyd Smith James Floyd Smith (17 October 1884 – 18 April 1956) was an inventor, aviation pioneer, and parachute manufacturer. With borrowed money, he built, then taught himself to fly his own airplane. He worked as a flight instructor and test pi ...

inventor and aviation pioneer. *

Charles Tart Charles T. Tart (born 1937) is an American psychologist and parapsychologist known for his psychological work on the nature of consciousness (particularly altered states of consciousness), as one of the founders of the field of transpersonal psyc ...

, psychologist and parapsychologist. * Mike Vreeswyk,

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

Hall of Fame basketball player for the

Temple Owls The Temple Owls are the athletic teams that represent Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The current athletic director is Arthur Johnson. The owl has been the symbol and mascot for Temple University since its founding in the ...

References

External links

Morrisville Business Association official website
{{authority control Populated places established in 1798 Boroughs in Bucks County, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania populated places on the Delaware River