Middletown 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 ...

Delaware County, Pennsylvania Delaware County, colloquially referred to as Delco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. With a population of 576,830 as of the 2020 census, it is the List of counties in Pennsylv ...

, United States. The population was 15,807 at the 2010 census. The

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has an undergraduate satellite campus called Penn State Brandywine located in the north-central portion of the township. Located outside of

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, it constitutes part of 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 ...

(i.e. the Philadelphia metro area). Originally established in 1686, Middletown Township adopted a

Home Rule Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...

Charter in 1978. The township is governed by the council-manager system, a representative form of government in which the seven elected officials set policy for the township and the manager oversees the delivery of all public services and programs.

History

Middletown Township was probably established as a township in 1686, but it is first mentioned in 1687 when John Martin was established as constable. The name of the township is believed to be derived from its position in the middle or center of

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States ** Chester County Council, boy scout council in Pennsylvania. * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire ...

where it resided until 1789, when Delaware County was created from the eastern portion of Chester County. Delaware County played an important role in the anti-slavery movement. Not only did residents advocate for manumission, noted local families such as the Van Leers bought and sold lots to free black tradesmen or only to people who were supportive of the free black community. The location is now known as Van Leer Avenue. The local community grew with support from local neighbors. The John J. Tyler Arboretum and Ridley Creek State Park are listed on the

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Geography

Middletown Township is in central Delaware County, west of

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, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

, and northwest of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

. The

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

occupies the north-central part of the township. Other unincorporated communities in the township include Elwyn and Bortondale in the east, Riddlewood near the center, Glen Riddle south of the center, Lenni and Wawa in the southwest. 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 township has a total area of , all land. Ridley Creek forms the eastern border of the township, and Chester Creek is the western border. Both creeks flow southeast toward 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 ...

. Middletown Township straddles the boundary between a hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfa'') and 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''.) 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.

Demographics

As of Census 2010, the racial makeup of the township was 92.3%

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 ...

, 3.4%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 0.9% 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 1.6% of the populatio

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 16,064 people, 5,524 households, and 3,756 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 5,641 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 94.28%

, 3.08%

, 0.03% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.16% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population. There were 5,524 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.05. In the township the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $62,949, and the median income for a family was $77,649. Males had a median income of $54,495 versus $39,792 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 township was $29,418. About 1.1% of families and 2.5% 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 0.9% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Wawa Food Markets has its main dairy plant and "Corporate University" in Middletown, while its headquarters are in Chester Heights, just to the south of the township. Elwyn Inc., a facility caring for the needs of the developmentally disabled and disadvantaged, is located in Middletown Township. An enclosed

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...

called the Granite Run Mall was located in Middletown Township. The mall closed in 2015 and was demolished for a mixed-use development consisting of residential, retail, and entertainment called the Promenade at Granite Run, which opened in 2018.

Education

Middletown Township lies within the

Rose Tree Media School District Rose Tree Media School District is a school district in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, headquartered in the Borough of Media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or ...

. It was created by a merger between the Media Borough and Rose Tree Union School Districts in 1966. Public school students residing within township boundaries attend either Glenwood Elementary School, Indian Lane Elementary School (housed in the old Indian Lane Junior High School), Media Elementary School (housed in the old Media Borough High School), or Rose Tree Elementary School for grades K-5, depending on where they live. Springton Lake Middle School serves students in grades 6–8, and Penncrest High School, which is in the township limits, serves students in grades 9–12. The Middletown Friends School is the only private school located within township boundaries. For higher education, the township is home to Penn State Brandywine and Williamson College of the Trades. The township is served by the Middletown Free Library. Middletown Friends School.JPG, Old school at Middletown Friends Meeting House File:PenncrestHighschool.png, Penncrest High School File:Williamson Free Trade School.JPG, Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades File:Wawa U.JPG, Wawa Corporate Training Center

Transportation

As of 2019, there were of public roads in Middletown Township, of which were maintained by

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 township. U.S. Route 1 (

Baltimore Pike The Baltimore Pike was an auto trail connecting Baltimore, Maryland, with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today, parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 1 in Pennsylvania, U.S. Route 1 (US 1), U.S. Route 13 in Pennsylvania, US 13, and a small p ...

) passes through the township from southwest to northeast, while Pennsylvania Route 352 crosses it from northwest to southeast. Pennsylvania Route 452 begins at PA 352 in the center of Lima and runs south. The township is west of

's Center City.Stores Post Billboard Ads for Tobacco, Despite Ban
" ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. May 9, 1999. Retrieved on December 23, 2011. Wawa SEPTA station platform August 2022

Middletown Township is served by

SEPTA Regional Rail The SEPTA Regional Rail system is a commuter rail network owned by SEPTA and serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, its suburbs and satellite town ...

Media/Wawa Line The Media/Wawa Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail service that runs from Center City, Philadelphia, Center City Philadelphia west to Wawa Station, Wawa in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Delaware County. It uses the West Chester Branch, which connects ...

at Wawa Station, which opened on August 21, 2022, with a 600 car garage, and Elwyn station, providing train service to

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 Middletown Township along Route 110, which runs between Penn State Brandywine and the 69th Street Transportation Center, Route 111, which runs between Chadds Ford and the 69th Street Transportation Center, Route 114, which runs between Wawa Station and the Darby Transit Center, and Route 117, which runs between Penn State Brandywine and the I-95 Industrial Park.

Former train stations

* Darlington station (SEPTA) * Lenni station * Williamson School station

Notable people

* Edward Darlington – U.S. Congressman * Joseph McClellan –

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

officer and Pennsylvania State Senator * Samuel Riddle – textile manufacturer

Fire companies

Middletown Township is served by two fire companies, Middletown Fire Company No. 1 and Rocky Run Fire Company. Middletown Fire Company has been in existence since 1922, while Rocky Run Fire Company was chartered in 2013 following a merger between Lima and Lenni Heights Fire Companies. Middletown Fire Company is the designated Rescue company of the Township.

Other emergency services

Police protection is handled by the

Pennsylvania State Police The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is the state police, state police agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Police is a full service law enforcement agency which handles both ...

. Emergency medical services are handled by Riddle Memorial Hospital's Paramedic Units. Furthermore, Rocky Run Fire Company possesses an ambulance to serve the township. Brookhaven Fire Company AMB-52a-b also commonly takes medical alarms within the township.

References

External links

Middletown Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania