Leetsdale is a borough in

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny County ( ) is a County (United States), county in Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the List of counties in Pennsylvania, state's second-most populous county, after Philadelp ...

, United States. Located along the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

, it is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 1,162 at the 2020 census.

History

Leetsdale was incorporated on March 28, 1904. Leetsdale at one time had a formidable industrial manufacturing base, with a

Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...

mill that closed in the late 1970s. The site of the mill on the shore of the Ohio River is now the Leetsdale Industrial Park, or the Port of Leetsdale, and is home to facilities leased, by The Buncher Company, to a number of companies of varying sizes. The Leetsdale Industrial Park was largely a

brownfield Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underused, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and l ...

until the 1990s. Today, only a few of the original buildings still stand. In 2022, CGI Steel and Nextracker renovated an abandoned steel factory to produce solar tracker equipment. Leetsdale is also home to Elmridge, or the James Gardiner Coffin/John Walker house, which is 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 ...

Geography

Leetsdale is located at (40.566667, −80.211274). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 13.91%, is water.

Surrounding communities

Leetsdale is bordered by Ambridge in Beaver County to the north, Leet Township to the northeast, and Edgeworth to the southeast. The borough includes the former town of Shields. The

forms the southwest border of the borough; across the river is Crescent Township.

Government and politics

On November 18, 2021, Democratic mayor Peter Poninsky, who had been mayor of the town for 19 years, lost his reelection bid to fellow Democrat Sandra Ford.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,232 people, 586 households, and 370 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 653 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 89.20% White, 7.31% African American, 0.65% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.62% of the population. There were 586 households, out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.80. In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.6 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $28,672, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $31,932 versus $25,750 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 $19,172. About 9.6% of families and 12.8% 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 22.1% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Borough of Leetsdale official website
{{authority control Pennsylvania populated places on the Ohio River Populated places established in 1827 Boroughs in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania 1827 establishments in Pennsylvania