Upper Merion 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 ...

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 ...

, United States. The population was 33,613 at the 2020 U.S. Census. Located from

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 ...

, it consists of the villages of Gulph Mills,

King of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...

, Swedeland, Swedesburg, and portions of Radnor, and Wayne. The westernmost part of the township comprises the largest part of the

Valley Forge National Historical Park Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site and interprets ...

. The township is the home of the

mall, the third-largest shopping mall in the United States in terms of

gross leasable area In architecture, construction, and real estate, floor area, floor space, or floorspace is the area (measured in square metres or square feet) taken up by a building or part of it. The ways of defining "floor area" depend on what factors of the bui ...

. King of Prussia also contains a major office park hosting firms such as

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

and

GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a Mergers an ...

. The name Merion originates with the county of Merioneth in north Wales. ''Merioneth'' is an English-language translation of the Welsh ''Meirionnydd'', itself named after ''Meirchion'' (or ''Meirion''), grandson of ''Cunedda Wledig'' (b. ca. 380 A.D.), King of North Wales.

History

The township's incorporation dates to 1713 when the King of Prussia Inn, the Bird-In-Hand Inn in Gulph Mills, and later the Swedes Ford Inn were required to pay 6 shillings to the Pennsylvania legislature for licenses. The King of Prussia Inn, built in 1719, captures the historical flavor of the township. It was named in honor of

Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

, but became known during the Revolutionary War as a center of food and drink. An alternate story says the Inn, first called Berry's Tavern, got its name to lure in Prussian mercenaries who spent freely. Upper Merion Township is a township of the second class under Pennsylvania state statutes. A five-member Board of Supervisors, elected at large for staggered six-year terms, governs it. The Board passes legislation and sets overall policy for the Township. A professional township manager runs the day-to-day operations overseeing the activities of 250 full and part-time employees. The King of Prussia Inn, Poplar Lane, the Washington Memorial Chapel, Hanging Rock and Gulph Mills Bridge are 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

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 township has a total area of 17.2 square miles (44.7 km²), of which 16.9 square miles (43.7 km²) is land and 0.4 square mile (1.0 km²) (2.20%) is water. Upper Merion has 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 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. It is drained by 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 ...

which forms its natural northern and eastern boundary.

Notable sights

Upper Merion Township is home to

, which consists of the site where General George Washington and the

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 ...

made their encampment at

Valley Forge Valley Forge was the winter encampment of the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. The Valley Forge encampment lasted six months, from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. It was the t ...

during the winter of 1777–78 in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, which is the third largest mall in the United States in terms of leasable space with over 450 stores, is located in Upper Merion Township. Other points of interest in Upper Merion Township include the Valley Forge Casino Resort, the King of Prussia Town Center and the King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company 9/11 Memorial. Old Swedes Church (Christ Church) was dedicated June 25, 1760, in Swedesburg, replacing a simple log cabin dating to 1735. The original church had served as both a church and school until Christ Church was built. The stained glass windows tell the story of the history of the Swedish colony of

New Sweden New Sweden () was a colony of the Swedish Empire between 1638 and 1655 along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a g ...

. After crossing the Schuylkill River at Swedesford on December 13, 1777, General George Washington and his troops visited Old Swedes Church and encamped there before going on to Valley Forge.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the township was 69.1% White, 6.5% Black or African American, 0.0% Native American, 19.6% Asian, and 3.5% were two or more races. 4.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestr

As of the 2000 census, there were 26,863 people, 11,575 households, and 7,141 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 12,151 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 84.75% White (U.S. Census), White, 4.63%

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 ...

, 0.13% Native American, 8.45% Asian, 0.05%

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 ...

, 0.66% from other races, and 1.32% 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 1.79% of the population. There were 11,575 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% 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 38.3% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.91. In the township, the population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $65,636, and the median income for a family was $78,690. Males had a median income of $51,247 versus $38,166 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 $34,961. About 1.3% of families and 2.9% 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 1.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Upper Merion Township is run by an elected five person Board of Supervisors, each of whom serve staggered six year terms. The current supervisors are Chairperson Carole Kenney (D), Vice Chairperson Tina Garzillo (D), Greg Waks (D), Greg Philips (D) and Bill Jenaway (D). Other than Garzillo, who was appointed in June 2018 to finish the term of Erika Spott (D), there has not been a change in the composition of the Board of Supervisors since January 2012 and each of the current Supervisors (other than Garzillo) was re-elected by a significantly greater margin than originally elected. The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are elected every year in January by their fellow Supervisors. The recent Chairs of the Upper Merion Township Board of Supervisors: 2022: Carole Kenney; 2021: Bill Jenaway; 2020: Bill Jenaway; 2019: Greg Waks; 2018: Greg Philips; 2017: Bill Jenaway; 2016: Bill Jenaway; 2015: Greg Philips (from January–April); Erika Spott (from May–December); 2014: Greg Waks; 2013: Greg Waks; 2012: Erika Spott; 2011: Ed McBride (R); 2010: Joe Bartlett (R); 2009: Scott Sibley (R); 2008: Scott Sibley (R) Municipal general election results from 2001–Present: All township business meetings are televised by Upper Merion Government Access Television (UMGA-TV). The elected Tax Collector is Evelyn Ankers (D). The elected Board of Auditors are Rhonda Cohen (D), Steve Ciavarri (D) and Kevin Snow (D). The Supervisors hire a township manager to run the operations of the township. The township manager is Anthony Hamaday. The township is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Madeleine Dean-D), the 149th State House District (represented by Rep. Tim Briggs-D) and the 17th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Amanda Cappelletti-D).

Economy

Top employers

According to Upper Merion Township's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the township are:

Education

Public school students in Upper Merion Township attend schools in the Upper Merion Area School District. * Upper Merion Area High School (grades 9-12) * Upper Merion Area Middle School (grades 5-8) * Bridgeport Elementary School (grades K-4) * Caley Road Elementary School (grades K-4) * Candlebrook Elementary School (grades K-4) * Gulph Elementary School (grades K-4) * Roberts Elementary School (grades K-4) Upper Merion Township also has a private school, Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School. It formed in 2012 by the merger of Mother of Divine Providence in King of Prussia and St. Teresa of Avila in Norristown. Armenian Sisters Academy, an Armenian school, is in Upper Merion Township, with a Radnor postal address. 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 ...

previously maintained Holy Trinity Elementary School, which had a lower school in Swedesburg and an upper school in

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...

. It served as the parish school for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Augustine, and Sacred Heart churches. The first two churches are in Bridgeport and previously had a joint St. Augustine-Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. Sacred Heart is a Polish church in Swedesburg. 102 children were scheduled to attend in September 2005. Instead it closed in June 2005.

Colleges and universities

The

Penn State Great Valley The Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies (branded as Penn State Great Valley) is a special-mission graduate school of Pennsylvania State University located in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Academic offerings include master's ...

campus was located in the King of Prussia section of Upper Merion from 1963 to 1978 before relocating to Radnor. In 1982, the campus returned to Upper Merion, staying there until 1987, when it was relocated to its current location in Great Valley. The American College of Financial Services operates out of the King of Prussia section of the township.

Transportation

As of 2018, there were of public roads in Upper Merion Township, of which were maintained by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), 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 township. Upper Merion Township is the location of several major highway junctions serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The most prominent of these is the interchange of the

Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike, sometimes shortened to Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road which is operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in Pennsylvania. It runs for across the southern part of the st ...

(I-276) and the Schuylkill Expressway ( I-76). The east-west Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) traverses the central portion of the township on a southwest-northeast alignment. The Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) junctions with the turnpike at the west edge of the township and heads southeastward across the southern portion of the township, while also having another major highway junction with

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...

. U.S. Route 202 traverses the township almost parallel to the turnpike, but does veer north further east and crosses the turnpike without an interchange. Aside from its interchange with the Schuylkill, US 202 also interchanges with the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 422 near the west edge of the township. In addition to these major highways, Pennsylvania Route 23 and Pennsylvania Route 320 traverse Upper Merion Township from east to west and north to south respectively, with PA 320 having its northern terminus at PA 23 in the township. Finally, the northernmost segment of Pennsylvania Route 252 enters the far western edge of the township near its terminus at PA 23. Gulph Mills Station

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 Upper Merion Township along bus routes , and . SEPTA also operates the Norristown High Speed Line between 69th Street Transportation Center and Norristown Transportation Center through Upper Merion Township with stops located at Gulph Mills and Hughes Park. The Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association operates The Rambler as a community shuttle around Upper Merion Township Monday through Saturday, serving residential areas, shopping centers, the King of Prussia mall, medical facilities, the Upper Merion Senior Center, and the Upper Merion Township Municipal Building.

References

External links

Upper Merion Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania