Conshohocken ( ; ) is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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
...
on the
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river in eastern Pennsylvania. It flows for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map(). accessed April 1, 2011. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville ...
in
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after Philadel ...
in suburban
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 ...
. Historically a large
mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more List of types of mill#Manufacturing facilities, mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles.
Europe
...
and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services
** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money
* a dose of advertising ...
and
residential
A residential area is a land used in which houses, housing predominates, as opposed to industrial district, industrial and Commercial Area, commercial areas.
Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include ...
development.
[Fact Sheets-CONSHOHOCKEN BOROUGH](_blank)
In the
regional slang, it is sometimes referred to by the
colloquial
Colloquialism (also called ''colloquial language'', ''colloquial speech'', ''everyday language'', or ''general parlance'') is the linguistic style used for casual and informal communication. It is the most common form of speech in conversation amo ...
nickname Conshy ( ).
[ALL ABOUT Conshy, Conshohocken Pa](_blank)
/ref>
The sister community of West Conshohocken is located on the opposite side of the Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river in eastern Pennsylvania. It flows for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map(). accessed April 1, 2011. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville ...
.
Etymology
The name "Conshohocken" comes from the Unami language
Unami () is an Algonquian languages, Algonquian language initially spoken by the Lenape people in the late 17th century and the early 18th century, in the southern two-thirds of present-day New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania, and the northern ...
and may be translated as "pleasant valley". The name derives from either , meaning "Elegant-ground-place", or, more likely, , which means "Big-trough-ground-place" or "Large-bowl-ground-place", referring to the big bend in the (Turtle River, or modern Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river in eastern Pennsylvania. It flows for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map(). accessed April 1, 2011. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville ...
).
Geography
Conshohocken is located at (40.077135, -75.302009). According to the U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and (2.97%) is water.
Conshohocken fronts the Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river in eastern Pennsylvania. It flows for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map(). accessed April 1, 2011. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville ...
. A rather sharp bend in the river at Conshohocken gives the Schuylkill Expressway ( I-76), which hugs the far bank, a curve that is well known to regional radio listeners as the Conshohocken curve. Railroad tracks line both river banks, reflecting the valley's heavy industrial past as well as its continuing rail activity including Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
and 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 ...
. A rail trail
A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
portion of the Schuylkill River Trail
The Schuylkill River Trail ( , ) is a multi-use trail along the banks of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania. Partially complete, the trail is ultimately planned to run about from the river's headwaters in Schuylkill County, Penns ...
also passes through.
Politics and history
Conshohocken was first settled about 1820 as "Matson's Ford" before, in 1830, it was laid out as a town and received its present name.
The Pennsylvania guide, compiled by the Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
, briefly described Conshohocken in 1940:
Conshohocken has a city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...
form of government with a mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
and a seven-member borough council. The mayor is Yaniv Aronson.
The borough is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Madeleine Dean), the 148th State House District (represented by Rep. Mary Jo Daley) and the 7th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Vincent Hughes).
On September 1, 2021, the borough suffered severe damage and disruption from flooding caused by heavy rainfall associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the borough was 88.7% White, 6.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.8% Asian, and 1.7% were two or more races. 3.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestr
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 7,589 people, 3,329 households, and 1,834 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,518 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 89.88% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.77% African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.08% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 0.49% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 3,329 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% 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, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $43,599, and the median income for a family was $50,601. Males had a median income of $36,299 versus $30,541 for females. 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 borough was $22,128. About 4.2% of families and 5.8% 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 6.9% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
According to the 2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate, the median household income in the borough had risen to $73,750. The median income for a family was $88,049, and the per capita income was $41,144. 5.3% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of children under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 and over.
Climate
Conshohocken is in the outer rim of 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'')
January is on average the coldest month, and July is on average the hottest. The hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
is 7a.
Transportation
As of 2018 there were of public roads in Conshohocken, of which were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Michael B. Carroll. PennDOT ...
(PennDOT) and were maintained by the borough.
No numbered highways pass directly through the borough. The main streets in town include Fayette Street, which passes northeast to southwest, and Elm Street, which traverses west to east. However, two interstate highways pass just outside of the borough: I-76 (locally known as the Schuylkill Expressway) and I-476 (locally referred to as "the Blue Route").
Conshohocken is served by two SEPTA Regional Rail stations, both of which are along the Manayunk/Norristown Line. The Conshohocken station is located at Washington and Oak Streets (formerly at Washington and Harry Streets), and the other is at Spring Mill at the end of East North Lane, south of Hector Street. 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 ...
provides Suburban Bus service to Conshohocken along Route 95, which runs between Gulph Mills and Willow Grove, and Route 97, which runs between the Norristown Transportation Center in Norristown and the Chestnut Hill 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 ...
.
Education
Residents of Conshohocken are served by the Colonial School District.
Private schools in the area include AIM Academy and The Miquon School.
Conshohocken Catholic School, of 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 ...
, closed in 2012.
Economy
* Allied Universal
Allied Universal is an American Security company, private security and staffing company, based in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania and Irvine, California. Formed in 2016 by the merger of AlliedBarton and Universal Protection Service, Universal Servic ...
headquarters East Coast
* AmerisourceBergen
Cencora, Inc., formerly known as AmerisourceBergen, is an American drug wholesale company and a contract research organization, that was formed by the merger of Bergen Brunswig and AmeriSource in 2001. It is one of the largest pharmaceutica ...
headquarters (2020)
* IKEA
IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services.
IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...
Conshohocken store and IKEA US headquarters
* Fanatics
* The NBOME
The 25-NB (25''x''-NB''x'') series, or NBOMe series, also known as the ''N''-benzylphenethylamines, is a family of serotonergic psychedelics. They are substituted phenethylamines and were derived from the 2C (psychedelics), 2C family. The most c ...
National Center for Clinical Skills Testing
* National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league comprises 14 teams8 in the United States and 6 in Canada. The NLL is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
...
headquarters
* Saladworks headquarters
Notable people
* Da'Rel Scott, former professional football player
*Anthony Zinni
Anthony Charles Zinni (born September 17, 1943) is a retired United States Marine Corps General (United States), general and a former Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). From 2001 to 2003, he served as a special e ...
, United States Marine Corps general
* Billy Williamson (guitarist)
* Johnny Dee, drummer of glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...
band Britny Fox
See also
* Dragonfly Forest
References
External links
Borough website
{{authority control
Populated places on the Schuylkill River
Populated places established in 1830
Boroughs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
1830 establishments in Pennsylvania