Bensalem Township is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the List of counties in Pennsylvania, four ...

, United States. The township borders the northeastern section of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and includes the communities of

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

, Bensalem, Bridgewater, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, Flushing, Oakford, Siles, Trappe, and Trevose.MacReynolds, George, ''Place Names in Bucks County, Pennsylvania'', Doylestown, Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, PA, 1942, P22. Bensalem Township has no other incorporated municipalities within its boundaries. It is located within the

Delaware Valley The Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as Greater Philadelphia and informally called the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia tri-state area, and locally and colloquially Philly–Jersey–Delaware, is a major metropolitan area in the Nor ...

, also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the township had a population of 62,707, which made it the most populous municipality in Bucks County and the ninth-most populated municipality in Pennsylvania. The township, which was founded in 1692, is almost as old as Pennsylvania itself, which was founded in 1682.

Origins

The origin of the name Bensalem likely comes from references made by settler Joseph Growden, who named his estate ''Manor of Bensalem'' in honor of

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...

and the Semitic term for peace, Salem.Bensalem Township
Bensalemtwp.org (March 19, 1979). Retrieved on 2013-07-21. It was originally named ''Salem''; the first syllable ''Ben'' was added in 1701. Another theory notes the shared name with the utopian island in

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. Bacon argued for the importance of nat ...

New Atlantis ''New Atlantis'' is a utopian novel by Sir Francis Bacon, published posthumously in 1626. It appeared unheralded and tucked into the back of a longer work of natural history, ''Sylva Sylvarum'' (forest of materials). In ''New Atlantis'', Bac ...

, also named Bensalem.

History

The area of Bensalem Township appeared on the Holme Map of 1682, though not yet with a name. On January 2, 1685, the boundary was fixed between Bensalem and Philadelphia County along the

Poquessing Creek Poquessing Creek is a creek,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 a right tributary, right tributary of the Delaware River, that forms the boundary between Philad ...

. At the September 1692 session of Bucks County Court, a jury of thirteen men was formed to define boundaries of divisions that had been created up to that time. The report submitted in December states that "All the lands between Neshamineh and Poquessin, and so to the upper side of Joseph Growden's land in one and to be called 'Salem.'" The first name of the township was Salem. The minutes of the Board of Property of the Province on November 19, 1701, at

noted the name of the area as Bensalem. The population of the area was first a few Dutch and

Swedes Swedes (), or Swedish people, are an ethnic group native to Sweden, who share a common ancestry, Culture of Sweden, culture, History of Sweden, history, and Swedish language, language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countries, ...

, then later a larger influx of English, and then additional Dutch settled the area.

Geography

Bensalem is the southernmost township in Bucks County and is bordered by the Northeast Philadelphia section of the city of

to the west and south,

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

and the rest of Bristol Township to the east and northeast, the borough of Hulmeville and Middletown Township to the north, and Feasterville, Trevose, and Oakford in Lower Southampton Township to the northwest. Across the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

in Burlington County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

to the southeast, there are the city of Beverly, Delanco Township, and Edgewater Park Township. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (4.77%) is water. The Fall Line, which separates the

Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

region from the

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

region, passes through Bensalem, and is visible around the Neshaminy Mall area. The Neshaminy Creek forms the natural eastern boundary and

forms the natural western boundary of the township. Natural features include Barnsleys Ford, Mill Creek, Neshaminy Creek, Neshaminy Falls, Partridge Point, Poquessing Creek, and White Sheet Bay.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the township was 72.1% Non-Hispanic White, 7.3% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 10.2% Asian, and 2.6% of the population were of two or more races. 8.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 58,434 people, 22,627 households, and 15,114 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 23,535 housing units at an average density of . There were 22,627 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were

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

living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.14. In the township the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 96.9 men. The median income for a household in the township was $49,737, and the median income for a family was $58,771. Men had a median income of $39,914 versus $30,926 for women. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the township was $22,517. 7.4% of the population and 6.0% of families 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 ...

. Of the total population, 6.8% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Jewish community

Bensalem has a significant

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community, with the following institutions. * The Bensalem Jewish Outreach Center, an Orthodox Judaism outreach institution with associated synagogue Kehillas B'nai Shalom. * Congregation Tifereth Israel, a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

synagogue.

Public safety

In the last decade, numerous

homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

s have made national headlines. Long-time residents claim that the high crime rate is due to Parx Casino which brings in a plethora of non-residents, in addition to its shared border with

. Neighborhoods of concern include Calico Corner (Nottingham), and "Top of The Ridge Trailer Park", which has seen its fair share of crimes and homicides. In 2022 Bensalem once again made national headlines; after a violent brawl broke out in a local Golden Corral restaurant over a single piece of steak. In total, the altercation involved over 40 people. This incident destroyed the interior of the restaurant causing it to temporarily close down.

Landmarks and attractions

Bensalem is home to Parx Casino and Racing, a thoroughbred horse racing track and casino. This facility opened in November 1974 as Keystone Racetrack. The name was changed to Philadelphia Park in 1984. The track became notable as the original home of 2004 Kentucky Derby and

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

champion Smarty Jones, who placed second in the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

, narrowly missing the Triple Crown. In 2006, a slots parlor casino opened at Philadelphia Park and the facility was renamed to Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino. A permanent standalone casino structure opened in December 2009 and was renamed Parx Casino. The facility boasts including gaming, dining, entertainment, and banquet space. Parx Casino contains the Xcite Center, which hosts concerts, entertainment performances, comedy acts, and boxing and MMA matches. Penn Community Bank Amphitheater is located in Bensalem, and is a popular venue for concerts. Bensalem is also home to the Mongkoltepmunee Buddhist Temple, or Wat Mongkoltepmunee, on Knights Road. This shrine is an exact replica of a temple in Bangkok and is the only one of its kind in the United States. It serves as a place of high ceremonies and meditation for a community of Buddhist monks who came to Bensalem from Thailand in the 1980s. For the 2002 M. Night Shyamalan movie Signs, starring Mel Gibson, a stage set was built inside a warehouse on State Road for many of the interior shots. The NBC pilot episode for

Outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...

, starring Jimmy Smits filmed scenes in Andalusia March 22–23, 2010

The movie Safe (2012 film), Safe, starring Jason Statham filmed a scene at Parx Casino and Racing. Neshaminy Mall food court entrance

The Neshaminy Mall is located within Bensalem. It was one of the first malls to be constructed in the country in 1968. It has two main anchors ( Boscov's and

AMC Theatres AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (doing business as AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC) is an American movie theater chain founded in Kansas City, Missouri, and now headquartered ...

) and over 40 smaller shops and eateries, with many vacant stores. The AMC Neshaminy 24 Theater is the largest and highest sales-producing theater in Pennsylvania. In addition, it has on many occasions been a top 10 for theater engagements in the United States (including the opening of Signs where it was #1)

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

would often travel to Bensalem to visit his friend, Joseph Galloway, at Growden Mansion. At the time, the Galloway family owned all of present-day Bensalem Township. A local legend maintains that Franklin performed his famous kite-flying experiment in Bensalem, at the mansion, to prove that lightning was the same as static electricity. (The broader consensus is that Benjamin Franklin flew his kite closer to his home in Philadelphia.) Bensalem is home to the Philadelphia Gun Club, which hosts one of the few trap

pigeon Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

shoots in the United States. Live birds are released from boxes called traps and then shot by club members. Many birds are not killed outright and are collected to be killed by hand.

and Belmont are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Andalusia is also designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

. The U.S. subsidiary of Hoshino, which manufactures Tama Drums and Ibanez guitars, is located here. Bensalem is home to Neshaminy State Park. Also, in the center of Bensalem is the Bensalem Township Community Park, which features a skatepark, playground, basketball courts, a roller-hockey rink, and baseball, football, soccer, and softball fields.

Infrastructure

Transportation

As of 2018 there were of public roads in Bensalem Township, of which were maintained by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and were maintained by the township. Bensalem Township is readily accessible with

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

, Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276), U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 13 (Bristol Pike), Pennsylvania Route 63 (Woodhaven Road), Pennsylvania Route 132 (Street Road), and Pennsylvania Route 513 (Hulmeville Road) all passing through. The Bensalem (formerly Philadelphia) Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (exit 351, at U.S. Route 1) is in the Trevose section of the township. In addition, the eastbound Street Road interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (exit 352), which is E-ZPass only, serves Bensalem. The eastern terminus of the ticket system along the turnpike is located at the Neshaminy Falls toll plaza, east of the Street Road interchange. The intersection of Knights and Street roads in Bensalem Township was ranked by ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine as the most dangerous intersection in the United States from 2003 until 2012. Two SEPTA Regional Rail lines serve Bensalem Township, providing service to Center City Philadelphia. The West Trenton Line stops at the Trevose and Neshaminy Falls stations in the northern part of the township. The Trenton Line stops at the Cornwells Heights and Eddington stations in the southern part of the township. The Cornwells Heights station is also served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's '' Keystone Service'' and '' Northeast Regional'' services along the

Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston in the north to Washington, D.C., in the south, with major stops in Providence, Rhod ...

and has a park-and-ride with access from Interstate 95 and Pennsylvania Route 63.

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...

's Trenton Subdivision freight railroad line runs through the northern portion of the township. Multiple

SEPTA SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...

bus routes pass through the township, serving points of interest within the township and providing connections to Philadelphia and other suburbs. Bus routes serving Bensalem Township include SEPTA City Bus Routes , and and SEPTA Suburban Bus Routes , and . SEPTA also operates the Boulevard Direct, a limited-stop bus route between the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem Township and the Frankford Transportation Center in Northeast Philadelphia that follows Roosevelt Boulevard through Northeast Philadelphia. The

passes along the southeastern border of Bensalem Township and provides access for shipping. The Northeast Philadelphia Airport, located a couple miles away, provides general aviation services. The Philadelphia International Airport is away, offering flights to domestic and international destinations.

Utilities

Electricity and natural gas in Bensalem Township is provided by PECO Energy Company, a subsidiary of

Exelon Exelon Corporation is an American public utility headquartered in Chicago, and incorporated in Pennsylvania. Exelon is the largest electric parent company in the United States by revenue and is the largest regulated electric utility in the Uni ...

. Water in the township is provided by Aqua Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of Aqua America, while sewer service is provided by the Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority; Bensalem sold off its water and sewer system in 1999. Trash and recycling collection is provided by private haulers. Cable, telephone, and internet service to the area is provided by Xfinity and

Verizon Verizon Communications Inc. ( ), is an American telecommunications company headquartered in New York City. It is the world's second-largest telecommunications company by revenue and its mobile network is the largest wireless carrier in the ...

. Bensalem Township is served by

area codes 215, 267, and 445 Area codes 215, 267, and 445 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for Philadelphia and adjacent portions of Bucks and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Area code 215 was one of the original ...

Government

In 1987, the people of Bensalem voted to become a second-class township with a mayor-council form of government consisting of a five-member council and a mayor. The mayor is allowed to serve unlimited terms. The first mayor of Bensalem was Ed Burns, who was elected on 1989 and served in office from 1990 to 1994. The current mayor is Republican Joseph DiGirolamo, who is in his eighth consecutive term. He was elected mayor in 1994.

Education

Public schools in Bensalem are operated by the Bensalem Township School District. The school district consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools, and Bensalem High School. The township has its own nine-member school board. Holy Ghost Preparatory School is a private Catholic high school located in the township. Founded in 1969, Roman Catholic Saint Ephrem School serving Grades Pre-K to 8 has students from Bensalem and the surrounding area. Established 1920, and located in the Cornwells Heights section of Bensalem, St. Charles Borromeo School is a Catholic, MSA Accredited, modernized Elementary School serving Grades Pre-K to 8. The

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia The Archdiocese of Philadelphia () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia originally included all of Pennsylvania and Dela ...

announced in 2011 that Our Lady of Fatima School was closing as the number of students had declined.

Economy

Rita's Franchise Company, LLC has its headquarters in the Trevose section of the township, as well as its first location in the Andalusia sectio

Philly Pretzel Factory has its headquarters in Bensale

Fortune 1000 company Healthcare Services Group has its headquarters in Bensalem and is ranked #985 on the 2019 lis

Former Fortune 1000 company Charming Shoppes had its headquarters in Bensalem, and was ranked #927 on the 2012 list. The US Headquarters for Ibanez Guitars and Tama Drums is located in Bensalem Township. Suez Water Technologies & Solutions is a water treatment company based in the Trevose section of Bensalem Township.http://www.gewater.com/about-us.html Retrieved on December 31, 2013.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Bensalem Township has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''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. Although most summer days are slightly humid in Bensalem Township, 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 shade (shadow), 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 (s ...

values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on July 22, 2011, and the highest daily average mean

dew point The dew point is the temperature the air needs to be cooled to (at constant pressure) in order to produce a relative humidity of 100%. This temperature depends on the pressure and water content of the air. When the air at a temperature above the ...

was on August 13, 1999. 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 acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...

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 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 National Weather Service, U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulatio ...

s and large snowstorms depositing ≥ occur once every few years, particularly during nor’easters from December through February.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Bensalem Township would have a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian Oak (''104'') with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern

Hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

Forest (''25''). The plant hardiness zone is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . The spring bloom typically begins by April 7 and fall color usually peaks by November 5.

Notable people

* Katherine Drexel, educator and philanthropist venerated as a

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

* Arthur Donaldson Smith (1866-1939), explorer of East Africa * Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

musician Sid Vicious who died of mysterious circumstances in 1978 at age 20, is interred at King David Memorial Park, a

cemetery in the township

References

External links

Bensalem Township official website
{{authority control 1692 establishments in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania populated places on the Delaware River Populated places established in 1692 Townships in Bucks County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania