Delaware County, colloquially referred to as Delco, is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

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, ...

. With a population of 576,830 as of the 2020 census, it is the fifth-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the third=smallest in area. Delaware County is part of the

Delaware Valley The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...

and borders

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. Sinc ...

, the sixth most populous city in the nation as of 2020. The county was created on September 26, 1789, from part of

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...

and named for the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

. The county is adjacent to the

city-county City-county may refer to: *Consolidated city-county, in the United States * City counties (Poland), City and powiat (county) in Poland * corporate county, a city with county status, formerly in Great Britain and Ireland See also *Independent city ...

and is included in the

– Camden– Wilmington, PA– NJ– DE– MD metropoilitan stastical area known as the

. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...

History

Map of the early settlements of Delaware County, Penna

Delaware County lies in the river and bay drainage area named "Delaware" in honor of

Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr ( ; 9 July 1577 – 7 June 1618), was an English merchant and politician, for whom the bay, the river, and, consequently, a Native American people and U.S. state, all later called "Delaware", were named. He was ...

, Governor of the nearby English colony of

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 ...

. The land was explored by

Henry Hudson Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States. In 1607 and 160 ...

in 1609, and over the next several decades it was variously claimed and settled by the

Swedes Swedes ( sv, svenskar) are a North Germanic ethnic group native to the Nordic region, primarily their nation state of Sweden, who share a common ancestry, culture, history and language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countr ...

, the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

, and 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 ...

. Its original human inhabitants were the

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...

tribe of American Indians. Once the Dutch were defeated and the extent of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

was determined, King

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...

made his grant to

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

in order to found the colony which came to be named

. Penn divided his colony into three counties: Bucks, Philadelphia, and Chester. The riverfront land south of Philadelphia, being the most accessible, was quickly granted and settled. In 1789, the southeastern portion of

was divided from the rest and named Delaware County for the

Geography

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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.5%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Pennsylvania by area. Delaware County is roughly diamond- or kite-shaped, with the four sides formed by the

boundary to the northwest, the boundary with the state of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, a portion of the "

Twelve-Mile Circle The Twelve-Mile Circle is an approximately circular arc which forms most of the boundary between Pennsylvania and Delaware. It is not actually a circle, but rather a combination of different circular arcs that have been feathered together. It is ...

") to the southwest, the

, forming the border with the state of

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

) to the southeast, and the city of

and Montgomery County to the east and northeast. The lowest point in the state of Pennsylvania is located on the Delaware River in Marcus Hook in Delaware County, where it flows out of Pennsylvania and into

. The highest point in Delaware County is 500 feet at two points southeast of Wyola in Newtown Townshi

Waterways in Delaware County generally flow in a southward direction and ultimately drain into the Delaware River. The waterways are, from west to east: the Brandywine Creek (Christina River), Brandywine River (forming a portion of the county's western boundary with Chester County),

Naaman's Creek Naamans Creek (spelled Naaman Creek on federal maps) is a tributary of the Delaware River in northeast New Castle County, Delaware and southeast Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The stream rises near the intersection of Foulk Road and Naamans Cre ...

, Stoney Creek,

Chester Creek Chester Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Delaware River in Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ' ...

Ridley Creek Ridley Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Chester and Delaware counties, Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Keystone Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2004. The entire drainage basin is in the suburban Philadelphia area, but ...

Crum Creek Crum Creek (from the Dutch, meaning "crooked creek") is a creek in Delaware County and Chester County, Pennsylvania, flowing approximately , generally in a southward direction and draining into the Delaware River in Eddystone, Pennsylvania. It ...

, Muckinipates Creek, Darby Creek and

Cobbs Creek Cobbs Creek is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of Darby Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It forms an approximat ...

(forming a portion of the county's eastern boundary with Philadelphia). Crum Creek was dammed in 1931 near

Pennsylvania Route 252 Pennsylvania Route 252 (PA 252) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that connects PA 320 in Nether Providence Township at its southern terminus to PA 23 in Valley Forge at its northern terminus. The route runs ...

to fill Springton Lake (also known as Geist Reservoir), an approximately drinking water reservoir maintained by

Aqua America Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America and Peoples Natural Gas) is an American utility company that has stakes in Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia The company provides drinking water and wa ...

, the county's largest lake. The

Trainer Refinery Trainer Refinery is an oil refining facility located in Trainer, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The facility is about downstream from the Port of Chester and fifteen miles southwest of Philadelphia along the Delaware River. Stoney Creek is alon ...

and the

Port of Chester The Port of Chester is an American port on the west bank of the Delaware River in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Centered around Chester it ranges into Marcus Hook to the south and Eddystone to the north. It is part of the Delaware Valley port ...

are located along the shores of the Delaware River.

Adjacent counties

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 73rd-most populous county in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,55 ...

(north) *

Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Philadelphia County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the most populous county in Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, Philadelphia County had a population of 1,603,797. The county is the second smallest county in Pennsy ...

(northeast) *

Gloucester County, New Jersey Gloucester County () is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 302,294. Gloucester County is located approximately southeast of Philadelphia and northwest of Atlantic City. I ...

(southeast) *

New Castle County, Delaware New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

(southwest) *

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the De ...

(west) Delaware County is one of four counties in the United States to border a state with which it shares the same name (the other three are

Nevada County, California Nevada County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California, in the Sierra Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 102,241. The county seat is Nevada City. Nevada County comprises the Truckee-Grass Valley, CA Micropolitan ...

Texas County, Oklahoma Texas County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its county seat is Guymon. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,640. It is the second largest county in Oklahoma, based on land area, and is named for T ...

, and

Ohio County, West Virginia Ohio County is a County (United States), county located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, Northern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 42,425. Its county se ...

National protected areas

First State National Historical Park First State National Historical Park is a National Park Service unit which lies primarily in the state of Delaware but which extends partly into Pennsylvania in Chadds Ford. Initially created as First State National Monument by President Barack O ...

(part) *

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is a 1000-acre (4.05 km2) National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia and Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania. Adjacent to Philadelphia International Airport, the refuge is designed to the largest ...

(part)

State protected area

of the county are occupied by the

Ridley Creek State Park Ridley Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Edgmont, Middletown, and Upper Providence Townships, Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park, about north of the county seat of Media, offers many recreational act ...

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the county was 71.1% White non-Hispanic, 19.7% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 4.7% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian, 2.0% were two or more races, and 0.9% were some other race. 3.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the 2000 census, there were 550,864 people, 206,320 households, and 139,472 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 216,978 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 80.3% White, 14.5%

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 ...

, 0.1% Race (United States Census), Native American, 3.3% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 1.5% of the population were Hispanics in the United States, Hispanic or Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latino of any race. 24.6% were of Irish people, Irish, 17.5% Italian people, Italian, 10.1% German people, German and 6.7% English people, English ancestry. There were 206,320 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were Marriage, married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% 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 3.17. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the county was $50,092, and the median income for a family was $61,590. Males had a median income of $44,155 versus $31,831 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,040. About 5.8% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: List of cities in Pennsylvania, cities, List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania, boroughs, List of townships in Pennsylvania, townships, and exactly one List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania#Towns, town. There are 49 municipalities in Delaware County:

City

*Chester, Pennsylvania, Chester

Boroughs

* Aldan, Pennsylvania, Aldan * Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, Brookhaven * Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, Chester Heights * Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, Clifton Heights * Collingdale, Pennsylvania, Collingdale * Colwyn, Pennsylvania, Colwyn * Darby, Pennsylvania, Darby * East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, East Lansdowne * Eddystone, Pennsylvania, Eddystone * Folcroft, Pennsylvania, Folcroft * Glenolden, Pennsylvania, Glenolden * Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, Lansdowne * Marcus Hook *

(

) * Millbourne, Pennsylvania, Millbourne * Morton, Pennsylvania, Morton * Norwood, Pennsylvania, Norwood * Parkside, Pennsylvania, Parkside * Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, Prospect Park * Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, Ridley Park * Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, Rose Valley * Rutledge, Pennsylvania, Rutledge * Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, Sharon Hill * Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, Swarthmore * Trainer, Pennsylvania, Trainer * Upland, Pennsylvania, Upland * Yeadon, Pennsylvania, Yeadon

Townships

* Aston Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Aston * Bethel Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Bethel * Chadds Ford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Chadds Ford * Chester Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Chester * Concord Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Concord * Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Darby * Edgmont Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Edgmont * Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Haverford * Lower Chichester Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Lower Chichester * Marple Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Marple * Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Middletown * Nether Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Nether Providence * Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Newtown * Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Radnor * Ridley Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Ridley * Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Springfield * Thornbury Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Thornbury * Tinicum Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Tinicum * Upper Chichester Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Upper Chichester * Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Upper Darby * Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Upper Providence

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the

for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well. *Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Ardmore *Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, Boothwyn *Broomall, Pennsylvania, Broomall *Cheyney, Pennsylvania, Cheyney University (''mostly in

'') *Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, Drexel Hill *Folsom, Pennsylvania, Folsom *Haverford College, Pennsylvania, Haverford College *Lima, Pennsylvania, Lima *Linwood, Pennsylvania, Linwood *Village Green-Green Ridge, Pennsylvania, Village Green-Green Ridge *Woodlyn, Pennsylvania, Woodlyn

Unincorporated communities

*Garrett Hill, Pennsylvania, Garrett Hill *Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, Glen Mills *Havertown, Pennsylvania, Havertown *Radnor, Pennsylvania, Radnor *Riddlewood, Pennsylvania, Riddlewood *Rosemont, Pennsylvania, Rosemont *Secane, Pennsylvania, Secane *Thornton, Pennsylvania, Thornton *Villanova, Pennsylvania, Villanova *Wallingford, Pennsylvania, Wallingford *Wawa, Pennsylvania, Wawa *Wayne, Pennsylvania, Wayne

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 United States census, 2010 census of Delaware County. † ''county seat''

Politics and government

The county has operated under a home-rule charter with five at-large council-members since 1972. As of November 7, 2022, there are 415,207 registered voters in Delaware County. *Democratic Party (United States), Democratic: 207,180 (49.90%) *Republican Party (United States), Republican: 150,527 (36.25%) *Independent (United States), Independent: 38,317 (9.23%) *Third party (United States), Third Party: 19,183 (4.62%) Until the 1990s, Delaware County was regarded as a strongly Republican county. The Delaware County Republican political machine was controlled by William McClure and his son John J. McClure from 1875 to 1965. Delaware County voted for the Republican candidate in nearly every election from 1854 through 1988, one of the two exceptions being Lyndon Johnson's national landslide of 1964 United States presidential election, 1964. As a measure of how Republican the county was, Franklin Roosevelt was completely shut out in all four of his successful campaigns for president. Even in his 46-state landslide victory of 1936 United States presidential election, 1936, Roosevelt only got 45 percent of Delaware County's vote. In 1992, however, the county swung from a 21-point win for George H. W. Bush to a narrow one-point win for Bill Clinton, who became only the second Democrat to win the county in the 20th century. Clinton won it just under 10 points in 1996, coming up just short of a majority. The county has gone Democratic in every Presidential election since then by 10 points or more by progressively-increasing margins. In the 2004 United States presidential election, 2004 election Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry won the county by 14 points. Barack Obama won it by large 21-point margins in each of his bids for president. Hillary Clinton carried it by 22 points in 2016. Joe Biden carried it in 2020 with 62 percent of the vote, his second-strongest performance in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump turned in the worst showing for a Republican in the county in over 160 years. Driving the county's Democratic shift have been longstanding trends in voter registration advantage and demographics. In 1998, Republicans held a voter registration advantage of about 125,000, but by 2008 that advantage had shrunk to under 20,000 voters. As of the Judicial elections in Pennsylvania, November 2021 election, Democrats enjoyed a voter registration advantage of 50,000. Propelling and compounding the voter registration shift has been a change in demographics in the county. Since the 2000 census (USA), 2000 Census, the White population of the county has decreased from 80.3% to 68.5% as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, while, the Black population has risen from 14.5% to 22.7%, driven by the gentrification of

and University City, Philadelphia, University City neighborhood and rapid demographic shift in Upper Darby. Further increasing the shift has been the change in education level demographics in the county, as voters have become more college educated and white collar (and, in turn, less blue collar) over the past few decades. While the longstanding Republican registration edge has been erased, Republicans still remain competitive with Democrats at the state and local level. Most Republicans from the county tend to be fiscally conservative and socially moderate, as is the case with Republicans from most suburban Philadelphia counties. In the 2004 US Senate election, Republican Arlen Specter defeated Joe Hoeffel but Democrat Bob Casey, Jr. defeated Rick Santorum in the 2006 Senate election. All three Democratic state row office candidates carried it in 2008. In 2016, Delaware County elected all Democrats in national office elections except Republican Patrick Meehan (U.S. Representative). After the election of Donald Trump in 2016 United States presidential election, 2016, the county rapidly shifted blue as a result of increased Democratic turnout and less enthusiasm from often less conservative suburban Republicans. In the 2019 elections for the Delaware County Council, Democrats swept the board and elected Monica Taylor, Elaine P. Schaefer, and Christine Reuther, gaining control of the county Council for the first time since the American Civil War, Civil War. This was the first time in history that the county had an all-Democratic Council. As of 2020, all of Delaware County is located in the state's Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district, 5th congressional district, represented by Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon. Prior to 2019, most of Delaware County had been in the Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district, 7th congressional district. The district had been held for 20 years by Republican Curt Weldon until he was ousted by Joe Sestak, a retired admiral, in the 2006 U.S. House of Representatives election. Also in the 2006 election, Democrat Bryan Lentz unseated Republican incumbent State Representative Tom Gannon in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 161, 161st House district. In 2010 Sestak ran for the United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2010, senate seat vacated by Arlen Specter and was replaced by Republican Pat Meehan, who defeated Lentz, the Democratic candidate. Lentz was replaced in the State House by Joe Hackett (Pennsylvania), Joe Hackett, a Republican. Meehan represented the 7th district until his resignation on April 27, 2018. Before it was thrown out by a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in 2018, the 7th Congressional District had been regarded one of the most irregularly drawn districts in the nation.

Delaware County Council

County row officers

Row officers, a term unique to Pennsylvania, are a conglomeration of elected officials defined by Article IX, Section 4 of the Pennsylvania Constitution. This unit of officers includes the position of controller, District Attorney, treasurer, sheriff, register of wills, recorder of deeds, Prothonotary, prothonotaries, clerks of the court, and the coroner. It is thought that this term originated because these positions were arranged in a row on a typical ballot.

United States Senate

United States House of Representatives

State Senate

State House of Representatives

Corrections

The George W. Hill Correctional Facility (Delaware County Prison) is located in Thornbury Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Thornbury Township.Chapter 7 7–11
." Comprehensive Zoning Plan. Thornbury Township. Retrieved on September 6, 2011. "The three major institutions found in the Township, the Delaware County Prison, Glen Mills Schools and Cheyney University[...]"." Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved on September 6, 2011. "George W. Hill Correctional Facility (Delaware County Prison), which is located on 500 Cheyney Road in Thornbury Township[...]" The jail houses pre-trial inmates and convicted persons who are serving sentences of no longer than two years less one day. It is operated by the for-profit prison corporation GEO Group, of Boca Raton, Florida. It is the only privately operated county-level correctional facility in Pennsylvania, although there are plans for it to be deprivatized as early as December 31, 2020.

Education

Public school districts

School districts include: *Chester Upland School District *Chichester School District *Garnet Valley School District *Haverford Township School District *Interboro School District *Marple Newtown School District *Penn-Delco School District *Radnor Township School District *Ridley School District *Rose Tree Media School District *Southeast Delco School District *Springfield School District (Delaware County), Springfield School District *Upper Darby School District *Wallingford-Swarthmore School District *West Chester Area School District *William Penn School District Note that Delaware County Technical High School takes students from all of the county.

Charter schools

*Chester Community Charter School *Widener Partnership Charter School *Chester Charter Scholars Academy

Private schools

In 1963 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia had 48 Catholic K-8/elementary schools in Delaware County with a total of 39,695 students, which was the highest ever enrollment. From 1971 to 2012, 20 of these schools closed, with ten of them closing from 2003 to 2012. By 2012 there were 28 Catholic K-8/elementary schools in Delaware County with a total of 8,291 students. One notable private school is Friends School Haverford.

Colleges and universities

*Cabrini College *Cheyney University *Eastern University (United States), Eastern University *Delaware County Community College (locations in Marple Township, Upper Darby and Sharon Hill) *Haverford College *Neumann University *Pendle Hill Quaker Center for Study and Contemplation *Pennsylvania Institute of Technology *Penn State Brandywine *Rosemont College *Swarthmore College *Villanova University *Widener University *Williamson College of the Trades

Adult education

* Haverford Adult School * Main Line School Night * Senior Community Services Lifelong Learning * Delaware County Literacy Council

Libraries

Transportation

Delaware County is bisected north to south by Interstate 476, Blue Route Interstate 476, which connects I-76 (east), I-76 just north of the extreme northern corner of the county to Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania, I-95, which parallels the

along the southeastern edge of the county. Delaware County is home to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, SEPTA's 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Upper Darby, and is served by the Norristown High Speed Line (P&W), two Red Arrow trolley lines SEPTA Suburban Trolley Lines, (Routes 101 and 102), four SEPTA Regional Rail, Regional Rail Lines (the Airport Line (SEPTA), Airport Line, Wilmington/Newark Line, Media/Wawa Line, and Paoli/Thorndale Line), and a host of bus routes. The western portion of Philadelphia International Airport is located in Delaware County, and the county hosts some airport-related commerce such as Philadelphia's United Parcel Service, UPS terminal and airport hotels.

Major roads and highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Recreation

Parks

There is one List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Delaware County: *

County parks include: *Clayton Park & Golf Course *Glen Providence Park *Kent Park/Dog Park *Rose Tree Park *Smedley Park *Upland Park (Pennsylvania), Upland Park

Racing

Harrah's Philadelphia is a harness racing track and casino (i.e., "racino") located on the Chester, Pennsylvania waterfront. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment (2020), Caesars Entertainment.

Sports

The city of Chester is home to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. The team plays at Subaru Park, a venue located at the base of the Commodore Barry Bridge. Delaware County is the traditional home of women's professional soccer in the Philadelphia area. The former Philadelphia Charge of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association played at Villanova Stadium, which is located on the campus of Villanova University. The Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer succeeded the Charge and played at Widener University's Leslie Quick Stadium in 2011. Delaware County is the home of one of oldest baseball leagues in the country, the Delco League, which at one time was known for featuring future, former, and even current major league players who were offered more money than their current teams would pay them. Every summer, Delaware County is home to the Delco Pro-Am, a basketball league consisting of current, future, and former NBA players as well as local standout players. Delaware County is also the former home of a rugby league team called the Aston Bulls, a member of the American National Rugby League. Darby, Pennsylvania, Darby was home to the Hilldale Club, the 1925 Colored World Series Champions.

Media

The county itself is serviced by several newspapers, most notably the ''News of Delaware County'', the ''Delaware County Daily Times'', ''The Suburban and Wayne Times'', and ''The Spirit'', the only minority owned newspaper serving Delaware County. The ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' also has a significant presence, reflecting Philadelphia's influence on Delaware County and the rest of the metro. ''Delaware County Magazine'' is the news magazine with the largest circulation in Delaware County, reaching over 186,000 homes.

Climate

Delaware County has two physical geographic regions: the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Most of the county has a humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'') while some higher northern areas have a hot-summer humid continental climate (''Dfa''.). The hardiness zones are 7a and 7b.

Notes

References

External links

* Official website. * {{coord, 39.92, -75.40, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-PA_source:UScensus1990 Delaware County, Pennsylvania, 1789 establishments in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1789