South Park 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 ...

in the southern part of

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, near

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. The population was 13,416 at the 2010 census. A large portion of the township consists of a county park of the

same name ''Same Name'' is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity of the same first and last name. It premiered on July 24, 2011 on CBS. The series received low ratings, and CBS pulled it after four-ep ...

History

Composed of portions of St. Clair and Jefferson townships in 1845, South Park was originally called Snowden Township, named after John M. Snowden, a prominent businessman, politician and former Pittsburgh mayor, who had died earlier that year. In the 1930s, Allegheny County acquired several large parcels of farm land mostly within Snowden Township and created a regional recreational area named South Park. The huge success of South Park, and the fact the facility occupies roughly one-third of the community's total area, eventually prompted a 1966 referendum in which the township was renamed. The area in and around South Park Township was settled in the mid-18th century. It is the location of the

Oliver Miller Homestead The Oliver Miller Homestead, site of the James Miller House, is a public museum that commemorates pioneer settlers of Western Pennsylvania. It is located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania's South Park south of downtown Pittsburgh in South Par ...

where in 1794, the first shots of the

Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...

were fired. A log house was originally built on the site in 1772; it was replaced by a stone structure around 1830, which is open for public tours.

Geography

South Park is located at (40.298382, -80.002097). South Park's zip code is 15129. 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 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²), all land. A negligible area is covered by streams and creeks, most notably Peters Creek. South Park, a recreational area operated by Allegheny County, is located mostly within the boundaries of South Park Township, although a portion is located in adjacent

Bethel Park Bethel Park (officially the Municipality of Bethel Park) is a borough with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, located approximately south of Pittsburgh. Th ...

. The township is on the

Allegheny Plateau The Allegheny Plateau ( ) is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. It is divided into the unglacia ...

, near where the

Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...

from the northeast and

Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , ), sometimes referred to locally as the Mon (), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in nor ...

from the southeast join to form 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 ...

in Pittsburgh. South Park township's topography is quite hilly. The hilltops are somewhat "carved" out by the streams in the area.

Surrounding neighborhoods

South Park Township has five borders, including

Baldwin Baldwin may refer to: People * Baldwin (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname Places Canada * Baldwin, York Regional Municipality, Ontario * Baldwin, Ontario, in Sudbury District * Baldwin's Mills, ...

to the north, Pleasant Hills and Jefferson Hills to the east, Union Township (in Washington County) to the south, and

to the west.

Climate

South Park falls in the

humid continental Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

zone (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfa''/''Dfb''). It features four distinct seasons, with precipitation somewhat evenly spread throughout the year. Summers are hot and humid (with occasional

heat wave A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...

s), while winters are cold and snowy. Fall and spring are mild to warm. The warmest month of the year in South Park, as in most of the northern hemisphere, is July. The average high temperature is , with overnight low temperatures averaging . July is often humid, resulting in a considerable

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 ...

. The coldest month of the year is January, when the average high temperature is . Overnight low temperatures average . The highest temperature ever recorded in South Park was , on July 16, 1988, and the coldest temperature ever recorded was , on January 19, 1994. Due to its position on the

windward In geography and seamanship, windward () and leeward () are directions relative to the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point ...

side of the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

, South Park Township receives heavier precipitation than cities located farther to the west, and many days are subject to overcast skies, with 153 days of the year with some precipitation and only 2024 sunshine hours per year. Precipitation is greatest in May, due to frequent thunderstorms and more organized

low pressure system In meteorology, a low-pressure area (LPA), low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. It is the opposite of a high-pressure area. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclem ...

s which track up the eastern coast of the United States. On average, of precipitation falls during this month. The driest month of the year is October, when . Annual precipitation is around , while annual snowfall is . South Park has been hit with extreme weather. The Blizzard of 1993 dumped of snow in under 24 hours. A blizzard in February 2010 dumped nearly two feet of snow in less than 24 hours, and nearly 4 feet in the following week. In September 2004, the remnants of

Hurricane Ivan Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, and devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane, and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic h ...

brought gusty winds and dropped nearly of rain in 12 hours.

Neighborhoods

South Park can be broken down into the six different neighborhoods. The neighborhoods are grouped primarily by the small towns throughout the township and the time era which the plans of homes were built.

''Broughton''

Broughton borders Curry and extends further down Brownsville Road. Most of Broughton is residential with a few businesses, gas stations, and eateries along Brownsville Road.

'' Bruceton''

Located on the Eastern Edge of South Park Township, the Bruceton neighborhood runs along Lick Run Creek. Notable institutions include the

National Energy Technology Laboratory The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is a United States, U.S. United States Department of Energy national laboratories, national laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy. NETL foc ...

and the

US Bureau of Mines The United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was the primary Federal government of the United States, United States government agency in the 20th century that conducted scientific research and disseminated information on the extraction, processing ...

''Curry''

On the northern side, the area is known as Curry. Curry is a mix of residential homes and a small commercial area, and Curry extends from the northeastern corner to the northwestern corner and down Brownsville Road. The former Broughton Elementary School was located here.

''Library''

Library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

, formally known as Loafer's Hollow, is a large neighborhood of South Park. It has a mix of residential, commerce, and industrial areas. Library is South Park Township's "Downtown". It has many businesses along Route 88. Along Piney Fork Road, there are also many shops and a few industrial complexes. There are many large plans of houses throughout Library also. South Park Middle School is also located here. Library is served by the Library station on the

Port Authority of Allegheny County Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is the public agency responsible for most public transportation services in the Greater Pittsburgh region in Pennsylvania. It is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 20th-largest in t ...

light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...

network's Silver Line.

''Piney Fork''

Piney Fork is in the south-central part of South Park. It is a large residential area with a few small stores and restaurants.

''Snowden''

Snowden is a neighborhood in the southeastern corner of the township. It is a rural area with some homes and farms. Snowden was once a small mining community, but was absorbed into South Park.

Government and politics

Education

The

South Park School District South Park School District is a small, suburban, public school district located in southern Allegheny County. It serves the residents of South Park Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh. South Park School District encompasses approximately square ...

is coterminous with the township. The school district has a single elementary school for grades K-4, a single middle school for grades 5–8, and a single high school for grades 9–12.South Park School District ProfileSouth Park School District
Accessed July 23, 2008. The school district's mascot is the Eagles. South Park has a rich history in athletics. It has one of the most successful soccer programs anywhere. The South Park Eagles Boys' soccer team has won state championships both in 2005 and 2006. The Lady Eagles have won the state championship in 2007. The High School has also produced two state championships in football in the years 1997 and 2005. Along with these state championships, the high school has had many WPIAL championships as well.

Demographics

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 2010 concluded there were 13,416 people, 5,346 households, and 4,331 families living in the township. 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 1,563.6 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 86.5%

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 ...

, 10.2%

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, 1.4% Asian, 0.0%

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 ...

, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 1.7% of the population were

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. As of the

of 2000, there were 14,340 people, 5,422 households, and 4,028 families living in the township. The population density was . There were 5,616 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 92.15%

, 6.21%

, 0.06% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.04%

, 0.12% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.55% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 5,422 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.09. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $51,001, and the median income for a family was $57,290. Males had a median income of $41,002 versus $27,138 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 $21,538. About 4.8% of families and 4.6% 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 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Township websiteSouth Park Historical SocietySouth Park School DistrictBroughton V.F.D - South Park FireData for the South Park Township Public Schools

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

South Park Township Public Library (More information about South Park)
{{Authority control Pittsburgh metropolitan area Townships in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania