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Norristown, Pennsylvania

Norristown is a municipality with home rule status and the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.[3] Located along the Schuylkill River, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) from the Philadelphia city limits, Norristown had a population of 34,324 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. It is the fourth most populous municipality in the county and second most populous borough in Pennsylvania.[4]

Norristown
"The Borough"
Municipality of Norristown
Location of Norristown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Norristown
Location of Norristown in Pennsylvania
Norristown
Norristown (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°07′12″N 75°20′30″W / 40.12000°N 75.34167°W / 40.12000; -75.34167Coordinates: 40°07′12″N 75°20′30″W / 40.12000°N 75.34167°W / 40.12000; -75.34167
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyMontgomery
Settled1682
Borough1812
Municipality1986
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
Area
 • Total3.60 sq mi (9.33 km2)
 • Land3.52 sq mi (9.10 km2)
 • Water0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)
Elevation
135 ft (41 m)
Population
 • Total35,748
 • Density10,170.13/sq mi (3,926.44/km2)
DemonymNorristonians
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
19401, 19403-19409, 19487-19489
Area codes610 and 484
FIPS code42-54656
Websitewww.norristown.org

It is the largest non-township municipality in Montgomery County and is located 49.8 miles (80.1 km) southeast of Allentown and 19.9 miles (32.0 km) northwest of Philadelphia, the sixth largest city in the United States.

History

The area where Norristown sits was originally owned by the family of Isaac Norris. Along with William Trent, Norris purchased the land on October 7, 1704, for 50¢ per acre. In 1712, Norris acquired Trent's share and established a gristmill at the foot of present-day Water Street.[5]

 
Montgomery County Courthouse

Named the county seat in 1784 when Montgomery County was formed, Norristown was incorporated as a borough in 1812 and subsequently enlarged in 1853. About 500 people lived there at the time of its incorporation. Growing rapidly after the Civil War, it swelled to 22,265 people by 1900. By 1940 it was home to 38,181 Norristonians, making it the most populous borough in Pennsylvania before declining in the decades after World War II, and in fact it was described in that year as "the most populous independent borough in the United States."[5]

At its height, Norristown was an industrial, retail, banking, and government center. Breweries, cigar factories, textile mills, icehouses, foundries, rolling mills, and lumber yards provided ample employment for skilled laborers and artisans.[6] The downtown featured two department stores, several theaters, and enough goods and services that residents never had to leave town to find anything they needed.[7] Although primarily settled by the English and a handful of Germans, Scots, Dutch, and Swedes, in the mid-1800s the Irish began arriving in large numbers, followed by waves of Italians at the turn of the century.[8]

With the opening of new malls in nearby King of Prussia and Plymouth Meeting, the downtown declined in the decades after World War II. Industry soon followed, as many companies closed or relocated into new industrial parks throughout Montgomery County.[9]

Geography

Norristown is located in southeastern Pennsylvania, approximately 6 mi (10 km) northwest of Philadelphia, although direct driving distance from downtown Norristown to Center City Philadelphia is about 17 mi (27 km). Totaling 3.519 square miles in land area, the municipality sits along the Schuylkill River. Two major tributaries, the Stony Creek and the Saw Mill Run, bisect the town into thirds and empty directly into the Schuylkill. The town's terrain is generally hilly, especially in the areas closest to downtown, which itself sits on a plateau surrounded by all three major waterways.

Norristown has four distinct neighborhoods: the West End, the East End, the North End, and the downtown.

It is bounded by West Norriton, East Norriton, and Plymouth townships, as well as the borough of Bridgeport.

Climate

In the Köppen climate classification, the borough has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) according to recent temperature numbers. The Trewartha climate classification now has the climate as Do (oceanic because only seven months are above 50 °F.) The hardiness zone is 7a.

Climate data for Norristown, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 76
(24)
78
(26)
84
(29)
98
(37)
98
(37)
100
(38)
108
(42)
106
(41)
102
(39)
92
(33)
85
(29)
76
(24)
108
(42)
Average high °F (°C) 41.7
(5.4)
43.5
(6.4)
52.1
(11.2)
64.8
(18.2)
74.8
(23.8)
84.0
(28.9)
88.8
(31.6)
86.5
(30.3)
80.0
(26.7)
68.4
(20.2)
56.8
(13.8)
46.3
(7.9)
65.6
(18.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 32.1
(0.1)
34.1
(1.2)
41.8
(5.4)
53.1
(11.7)
63.4
(17.4)
73.0
(22.8)
77.7
(25.4)
75.9
(24.4)
68.8
(20.4)
56.5
(13.6)
45.9
(7.7)
37.3
(2.9)
55.0
(12.8)
Average low °F (°C) 22.6
(−5.2)
24.7
(−4.1)
31.6
(−0.2)
41.5
(5.3)
52.1
(11.2)
62.0
(16.7)
66.6
(19.2)
65.2
(18.4)
57.6
(14.2)
44.6
(7.0)
35.1
(1.7)
28.3
(−2.1)
44.3
(6.8)
Record low °F (°C) −12
(−24)
−5
(−21)
8
(−13)
15
(−9)
29
(−2)
41
(5)
48
(9)
40
(4)
35
(2)
26
(−3)
14
(−10)
−10
(−23)
−12
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.66
(93)
2.98
(76)
4.41
(112)
3.90
(99)
4.25
(108)
4.20
(107)
4.70
(119)
4.98
(126)
4.91
(125)
4.32
(110)
3.61
(92)
4.73
(120)
50.65
(1,287)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 6.8
(17)
10.9
(28)
3.0
(7.6)
0.2
(0.51)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.1
(0.25)
4.2
(11)
25.3
(64)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.0 9.4 11.1 12.8 14.1 11.9 10.7 10.4 8.9 11.2 9.3 10.5 131.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 3.3 2.9 1.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 1.4 9.5
Source: NOAA[10][11]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1820827
18301,08931.7%
18402,937169.7%
18506,024105.1%
18608,84846.9%
187010,75321.5%
188013,06321.5%
189019,79151.5%
190022,26512.5%
191027,87525.2%
192032,31915.9%
193035,85310.9%
194038,1816.5%
195038,126−0.1%
196038,9252.1%
197038,169−1.9%
198034,684−9.1%
199030,749−11.3%
200031,2821.7%
201034,3249.7%
202035,7484.1%
Sources:[12][13][14][15][16][2]

As of the 2019, Norristown's population is 34,341, which represents a 0% increase since 2010. The municipality's population is 37.2% black or African American, 27.9% white (non-Hispanic), 27.1% Hispanic and two or more races 6.4%.

There were 11,963 households and 7,498 families residing in the municipality.[17] The population density was 9,753.9 people per square mile. There were 13,420 housing units at an average density of 3,813.5 per square mile.[18]

Of the 11,963 households, 62.7% (7,498) were family households and 37.3% were non-family households. Of the 7,498 families, 58.2% had their own and related children under the age of 18 living with them; 51.0% were married couples living together, and 36.6% had a female householder with no husband present. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.41.[19]

The median age of all residents is 31.2 years, with an age distribution of 26.2% under the age of 18, 43.5% between ages 18 and 44, 21.2% between ages 45 and 64, and 9.1% ages 65 and above.[20]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2012 American Community Survey, the median household income was $42,764. Males had a median income of $34,214 versus $34,086 for females. The per capita income was $21,204. About 17.3% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and older.[19]

Approximately 76.0% of all persons 25 and older have a high school diploma or higher, while 16.7% have a college degree (Bachelor's or higher).[21]

Economy

 
Lawyers' offices on Swede Street

Norristown's economy is based largely on institutions in the government, healthcare, legal, and social services sectors. The Montgomery County government is the municipality's largest employer.[22] Other major Norristown employers with a considerable presence are the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, USM (formerly U.S. Maintenance), U.S. Roofing Corporation, Barton Partners Architects, Crazy Aaron's, and the Norristown Area School District. Norristown is home to the corporate headquarters of USM, U.S. Roofing and Crazy Aaron's.

In addition to major employers, there are numerous small professional, manufacturing, technology, and distribution firms operating in the municipality, as well as law offices and local realty companies.

Politics and government

Presidential elections results[23]
Year Republican Democratic
2020 17.8% 2,099 81.4% 9,600
2016 17.1% 1,891 79.7% 8,826
2012 16.0% 1,749 83.0% 9,053
2008 17.0% 2,042 82.3% 9,911
2004 24.2% 2,611 75.3% 8,147
2000 24.6% 2,066 73.0% 6,124

Norristown has been a home rule municipality since 1986 when voters adopted a charter with a manager/council form of government and a seven-member municipal council. The office of mayor was abolished in July 2004 after a public referendum amended the municipal charter. Executive and administrative authority is now delegated to a council appointed Municipal Manager.

The municipality is part of the Fifth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon), the 70th State House Districts (represented by Rep. Matt Bradford) and the 17th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Amanda Cappelletti).

Infrastructure

Transportation

 
US 202 northbound entering downtown Norristown

As of 2015 there were 56.07 miles (90.24 km) of public roads in Norristown, of which 3.81 miles (6.13 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 52.26 miles (84.10 km) were maintained by the borough.[24]

Norristown sits near the junction of several major roads in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Main Street (also known as Ridge Pike outside of the municipality) and Airy Street run east–west through the downtown, eventually leading to interchanges for I-476 (the Blue Route) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276), respectively, in Plymouth Meeting. US 202 is the major north–south route through the town, connecting it with other nearby county seats such as Doylestown and West Chester. US 202 is split into a one-way pair through the municipality, as DeKalb Street is designated “US 202 North” while Markley Street is signed “US 202 South.”[25][26]

 
Norristown Transportation Center

Norristown is the largest multi-modal transportation hub in Montgomery County. Numerous rail lines, bus routes, multi-use trails, and parking areas converge at the Norristown Transportation Center (NTC). SEPTA operates eight Suburban Division bus routes (90, 91, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, and 131), one interurban rapid transit route (the Norristown High Speed Line to 69th Street Transportation Center), and a Regional Rail line (the Manayunk/Norristown Line to Center City Philadelphia) out of the NTC complex.

The Regional Rail station at the Norristown Transportation Center is one of three on the Manayunk/Norristown Line in Norristown. The other two are Main Street and Elm Street, the latter of which serves as the terminus of the line.

The NTC contains a 522-space SEPTA commuter parking garage that also contains an intercity bus terminal that was formerly used by Bieber Transportation Group, Greyhound Lines, and Martz Trailways.[27] Several taxi companies and private bus shuttles have a presence at the Transportation Center. The Schuylkill River Trail, which connects Philadelphia to Pottstown and runs through downtown Norristown, also passes through the NTC complex. The Chester Valley Trail will also connect to the Transportation Center in the future.

Utilities

Electricity and natural gas in Norristown is provided by PECO Energy Company, a subsidiary of Exelon.[28][29][30] Water is provided by Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water.[31] The Norristown Municipal Waste Authority provides sewer service, operating collection sewers and a wastewater treatment plant.[32] Trash and recycling collection is provided under contract by J.P. Mascaro.[33]

Media

The Times Herald is the borough's daily newspaper, printing seven days a week and serving most of Montgomery County. Founded on June 15, 1799, it is currently owned by 21st Century Media.[34] The paper's staff offices are located within the municipality.

Culture

 
Simmons Park

Despite the loss of its historic movie and vaudeville theaters, Norristown is home to two performing arts centers (the Montgomery County Cultural Center and Centre Theatre) and one professional theater company, Theatre Horizon. All are part of The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.

These theaters form the nucleus for Norristown Arts Hill, a collection of theaters, art galleries, and professional firms on the 300-500 blocks of DeKalb Street in downtown.

Styles of ethnic food available on Norristown's Main Street include Korean/Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and Italian.[citation needed]

Revitalization

 
One Montgomery Plaza Office Building

Norristown has seen several new office buildings constructed or rehabbed over the last several decades. One Montgomery Plaza, the municipality's iconic downtown 10-story office building, was built in the early 1970s, and is now owned by Montgomery County. Two newer mid-rise downtown office buildings, the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Building and the Department of Environmental Protection Building, were built in the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2009, the historic former Bell Telephone building was completely renovated for offices, and that same year the U.S. Roofing Corporation rehabbed the former Conte Luna pasta factory on East Main Street to house their operations. The former Sears building at the Studio Centre shopping center in the North End was renovated as a modern office center.

Since the early 2000s, the Regatta Apartments, the Rittenhouse condominium building, the Luxor, and dozens of new townhouses have contributed to a residential boom in the East End.

Two new downtown parking garages were built in the late 2000s, one at Main and Cherry Streets for visitors and another at SEPTA’s Norristown Transportation Center on Lafayette Street. Several large downtown and neighborhood streetscape projects were completed by the municipal government to install new street lighting, trees, curbing, and sidewalks along Main Street, DeKalb Street, and Powell Street.

The Lafayette Street Extension Project, a $60 million effort by Montgomery County, PennDOT, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is now open to traffic. It has improved highway access and mobility into downtown Norristown by widening Lafayette Street and extending it eastward toward Ridge Pike and Conshohocken, with eventual connections to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) and the US 202 Dannehower Bridge.[35]

Education

Norristown Area School District is the local school district.

St. Francis of Assisi School is located in Norristown proper.[36]

Other area Catholic schools include Visitation B.V.M. School in West Norriton Township,[37] near the Trooper census-designated place and near Norristown;[38] Holy Rosary Regional Catholic School in Plymouth Meeting and Plymouth Township; and Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School in King of Prussia. Holy Rosary was formed in 2012 by the merger of St. Titus School in East Norriton, Epiphany of Our Lord School in Plymouth Meeting, and Our Lady of Victory in East Norriton. Mother Teresa formed in 2012 by the merger of St. Teresa of Avila in West Norriton and Mother of Divine Providence in King of Prussia.[37][39] Both St. Titus and St. Teresa had Norristown, Pennsylvania postal addresses but were not in the city proper.[40]

Notable locations

 
Thaddeus Lowe House

Notable people

In popular culture

 
Norristown, 2015

See also

Twin cities

References

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ^ Demographic and Information Packet, Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC), http://webapp.montcopa.org/planning/dataportal/pdfs/2012demogentiredocument.pdf, page 8.
  5. ^ a b Federal Writers' Project (1940). Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State (1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 427.
  6. ^ Montgomery County Federation of Historical Societies, Montgomery County: The Second Hundred Years; Toll, Jean Barth and Michael J. Schwager, ed.;1983, pg. 464
  7. ^ Barth and Schwager, pg.463
  8. ^ Barth and Schwager, pg. 469
  9. ^ Barth and Schwager, pg. 465
  10. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  11. ^ "Station: Norristown, PA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  12. ^ "Number of Inhabitants: Pennsylvania" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  13. ^ "Pennsylvania: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  15. ^ . U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  16. ^ "Census 2020".
  17. ^ MCPC, pg. 15
  18. ^ MCPC, pg. 14
  19. ^ a b Bureau, U. S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  20. ^ MCPC, pg. 10
  21. ^ MCPC, pg. 16
  22. ^ PA Department of Labor and Industry, . Archived from the original on 2015-03-16. Retrieved 2015-07-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link).
  23. ^ "Montgomery County Election Results". Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  24. ^ "Norristown Borough map" (PDF). PennDOT. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  25. ^ Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Map) (18th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-775-2.
  26. ^ Google (September 22, 2014). "overview of Norristown, Pennsylvania" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  27. ^ "Philadelphia Schedule Update". Martz Group. May 29, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  28. ^ "PECO: Company Information". PECO Energy Company. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  29. ^ "Electric Service Tariff" (PDF). PECO Energy Company. July 17, 2017. p. 4. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  30. ^ "Gas Service Tariff" (PDF). PECO Energy Company. August 30, 2017. p. 2. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  31. ^ "Rates, Rules and Regulations Governing the Distribution and Sale of Water Service" (PDF). Pennsylvania American Water. August 8, 2018. p. 11. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  32. ^ "News & Events / About Us". Norristown Municipal Waste Authority. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  33. ^ "Public Works". Municipality of Norristown. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  34. ^ 21st Century Media list of brands and products, . Archived from the original on 2014-09-20. Retrieved 2014-09-20.
  35. ^ Montgomery County Planning Commission, Lafayette Street Extension Project website, http://www.lafayettestreetproject.com.
  36. ^ "Home". St. Francis of Assisi School. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
  37. ^ a b "Zoning Map". West Norriton Township. Retrieved 2020-05-02. - Church and school locations for St. Teresa of Avila and Visitation BVM indicated on the map
  38. ^ "Home". West Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: Visitation BVM School. Retrieved 2020-05-03. Visitation BVM School - 190 N. Trooper Road, Trooper, PA 19403 - The archdiocese states the address as: "190 North Trooper Rd. Norristown PA, 19403" - The school is both outside of the Trooper CDP limits and outside of the Norristown city limits.
  39. ^ "2012 Catholic grade school consolidations/closings". Catholicphilly.com. 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  40. ^ . Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. 1998-01-13. Archived from the original on 1998-01-13. Retrieved 2020-05-02. 3006 Keenwood Rd. 19403 - Compare with the East Norriton zoning map for proof of location: "Zoning Map" (PDF). East Norriton Township. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
  41. ^ DeSimone, Russell (2015). "Gertrude I. Johnson". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  42. ^ "George Bryan Porter". 2010 by the Litchfield Historical Society. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  43. ^ "Who is Catherine Pugh?". WMAR. 6 December 2016.
  44. ^ "Khalif Wyatt Stats, News, Bio". ESPN.
  45. ^ Long Bostrom, Kathleen (June 2003). Winning Authors: Profiles of the Newbery Medalists. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 247–251. ISBN 1-56308-877-0.

Further reading

External links

  • Official website

norristown, pennsylvania, norristown, municipality, with, home, rule, status, county, seat, montgomery, county, pennsylvania, united, states, philadelphia, metropolitan, area, located, along, schuylkill, river, approximately, miles, from, philadelphia, city, l. Norristown is a municipality with home rule status and the county seat of Montgomery County Pennsylvania United States in the Philadelphia metropolitan area 3 Located along the Schuylkill River approximately 6 miles 9 7 km from the Philadelphia city limits Norristown had a population of 34 324 as of the 2010 U S Census It is the fourth most populous municipality in the county and second most populous borough in Pennsylvania 4 Norristown The Borough Home rule municipalityMunicipality of NorristownCentral Norristown Historic DistrictLocation of Norristown in Montgomery County PennsylvaniaNorristownLocation of Norristown in PennsylvaniaShow map of PennsylvaniaNorristownNorristown the United States Show map of the United StatesCoordinates 40 07 12 N 75 20 30 W 40 12000 N 75 34167 W 40 12000 75 34167 Coordinates 40 07 12 N 75 20 30 W 40 12000 N 75 34167 W 40 12000 75 34167CountryUnited StatesStatePennsylvaniaCountyMontgomerySettled1682Borough1812Municipality1986Government TypeCouncil managerArea 1 Total3 60 sq mi 9 33 km2 Land3 52 sq mi 9 10 km2 Water0 09 sq mi 0 23 km2 Elevation135 ft 41 m Population 2020 2 Total35 748 Density10 170 13 sq mi 3 926 44 km2 DemonymNorristoniansTime zoneUTC 5 EST Summer DST UTC 4 EDT ZIP Codes19401 19403 19409 19487 19489Area codes610 and 484FIPS code42 54656Websitewww wbr norristown wbr orgIt is the largest non township municipality in Montgomery County and is located 49 8 miles 80 1 km southeast of Allentown and 19 9 miles 32 0 km northwest of Philadelphia the sixth largest city in the United States Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Economy 5 Politics and government 6 Infrastructure 6 1 Transportation 6 2 Utilities 7 Media 8 Culture 9 Revitalization 10 Education 11 Notable locations 12 Notable people 13 In popular culture 14 See also 15 Twin cities 16 References 17 Further reading 18 External linksHistory EditThe area where Norristown sits was originally owned by the family of Isaac Norris Along with William Trent Norris purchased the land on October 7 1704 for 50 per acre In 1712 Norris acquired Trent s share and established a gristmill at the foot of present day Water Street 5 Montgomery County Courthouse Named the county seat in 1784 when Montgomery County was formed Norristown was incorporated as a borough in 1812 and subsequently enlarged in 1853 About 500 people lived there at the time of its incorporation Growing rapidly after the Civil War it swelled to 22 265 people by 1900 By 1940 it was home to 38 181 Norristonians making it the most populous borough in Pennsylvania before declining in the decades after World War II and in fact it was described in that year as the most populous independent borough in the United States 5 At its height Norristown was an industrial retail banking and government center Breweries cigar factories textile mills icehouses foundries rolling mills and lumber yards provided ample employment for skilled laborers and artisans 6 The downtown featured two department stores several theaters and enough goods and services that residents never had to leave town to find anything they needed 7 Although primarily settled by the English and a handful of Germans Scots Dutch and Swedes in the mid 1800s the Irish began arriving in large numbers followed by waves of Italians at the turn of the century 8 With the opening of new malls in nearby King of Prussia and Plymouth Meeting the downtown declined in the decades after World War II Industry soon followed as many companies closed or relocated into new industrial parks throughout Montgomery County 9 Geography EditNorristown is located in southeastern Pennsylvania approximately 6 mi 10 km northwest of Philadelphia although direct driving distance from downtown Norristown to Center City Philadelphia is about 17 mi 27 km Totaling 3 519 square miles in land area the municipality sits along the Schuylkill River Two major tributaries the Stony Creek and the Saw Mill Run bisect the town into thirds and empty directly into the Schuylkill The town s terrain is generally hilly especially in the areas closest to downtown which itself sits on a plateau surrounded by all three major waterways Norristown has four distinct neighborhoods the West End the East End the North End and the downtown It is bounded by West Norriton East Norriton and Plymouth townships as well as the borough of Bridgeport Climate Edit In the Koppen climate classification the borough has a humid subtropical climate Cfa according to recent temperature numbers The Trewartha climate classification now has the climate as Do oceanic because only seven months are above 50 F The hardiness zone is 7a Climate data for Norristown Pennsylvania 1991 2020 normals extremes 1951 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 76 24 78 26 84 29 98 37 98 37 100 38 108 42 106 41 102 39 92 33 85 29 76 24 108 42 Average high F C 41 7 5 4 43 5 6 4 52 1 11 2 64 8 18 2 74 8 23 8 84 0 28 9 88 8 31 6 86 5 30 3 80 0 26 7 68 4 20 2 56 8 13 8 46 3 7 9 65 6 18 7 Daily mean F C 32 1 0 1 34 1 1 2 41 8 5 4 53 1 11 7 63 4 17 4 73 0 22 8 77 7 25 4 75 9 24 4 68 8 20 4 56 5 13 6 45 9 7 7 37 3 2 9 55 0 12 8 Average low F C 22 6 5 2 24 7 4 1 31 6 0 2 41 5 5 3 52 1 11 2 62 0 16 7 66 6 19 2 65 2 18 4 57 6 14 2 44 6 7 0 35 1 1 7 28 3 2 1 44 3 6 8 Record low F C 12 24 5 21 8 13 15 9 29 2 41 5 48 9 40 4 35 2 26 3 14 10 10 23 12 24 Average precipitation inches mm 3 66 93 2 98 76 4 41 112 3 90 99 4 25 108 4 20 107 4 70 119 4 98 126 4 91 125 4 32 110 3 61 92 4 73 120 50 65 1 287 Average snowfall inches cm 6 8 17 10 9 28 3 0 7 6 0 2 0 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 25 0 1 0 25 4 2 11 25 3 64 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 11 0 9 4 11 1 12 8 14 1 11 9 10 7 10 4 8 9 11 2 9 3 10 5 131 3Average snowy days 0 1 in 3 3 2 9 1 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 4 9 5Source NOAA 10 11 Demographics EditHistorical population CensusPop Note 1820827 18301 08931 7 18402 937169 7 18506 024105 1 18608 84846 9 187010 75321 5 188013 06321 5 189019 79151 5 190022 26512 5 191027 87525 2 192032 31915 9 193035 85310 9 194038 1816 5 195038 126 0 1 196038 9252 1 197038 169 1 9 198034 684 9 1 199030 749 11 3 200031 2821 7 201034 3249 7 202035 7484 1 Sources 12 13 14 15 16 2 As of the 2019 Norristown s population is 34 341 which represents a 0 increase since 2010 The municipality s population is 37 2 black or African American 27 9 white non Hispanic 27 1 Hispanic and two or more races 6 4 There were 11 963 households and 7 498 families residing in the municipality 17 The population density was 9 753 9 people per square mile There were 13 420 housing units at an average density of 3 813 5 per square mile 18 Of the 11 963 households 62 7 7 498 were family households and 37 3 were non family households Of the 7 498 families 58 2 had their own and related children under the age of 18 living with them 51 0 were married couples living together and 36 6 had a female householder with no husband present The average household size was 2 79 and the average family size was 3 41 19 The median age of all residents is 31 2 years with an age distribution of 26 2 under the age of 18 43 5 between ages 18 and 44 21 2 between ages 45 and 64 and 9 1 ages 65 and above 20 According to the U S Census Bureau s 2012 American Community Survey the median household income was 42 764 Males had a median income of 34 214 versus 34 086 for females The per capita income was 21 204 About 17 3 of families and 19 3 of the population were below the poverty line including 28 3 of those under the age of 18 and 11 8 of those 65 and older 19 Approximately 76 0 of all persons 25 and older have a high school diploma or higher while 16 7 have a college degree Bachelor s or higher 21 Economy Edit Lawyers offices on Swede Street Norristown s economy is based largely on institutions in the government healthcare legal and social services sectors The Montgomery County government is the municipality s largest employer 22 Other major Norristown employers with a considerable presence are the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection DEP the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit USM formerly U S Maintenance U S Roofing Corporation Barton Partners Architects Crazy Aaron s and the Norristown Area School District Norristown is home to the corporate headquarters of USM U S Roofing and Crazy Aaron s In addition to major employers there are numerous small professional manufacturing technology and distribution firms operating in the municipality as well as law offices and local realty companies Politics and government EditPresidential elections results 23 Year Republican Democratic2020 17 8 2 099 81 4 9 6002016 17 1 1 891 79 7 8 8262012 16 0 1 749 83 0 9 0532008 17 0 2 042 82 3 9 9112004 24 2 2 611 75 3 8 1472000 24 6 2 066 73 0 6 124Norristown has been a home rule municipality since 1986 when voters adopted a charter with a manager council form of government and a seven member municipal council The office of mayor was abolished in July 2004 after a public referendum amended the municipal charter Executive and administrative authority is now delegated to a council appointed Municipal Manager The municipality is part of the Fifth Congressional District represented by Rep Mary Gay Scanlon the 70th State House Districts represented by Rep Matt Bradford and the 17th State Senate District represented by Sen Amanda Cappelletti Infrastructure EditTransportation Edit US 202 northbound entering downtown Norristown As of 2015 there were 56 07 miles 90 24 km of public roads in Norristown of which 3 81 miles 6 13 km were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation PennDOT and 52 26 miles 84 10 km were maintained by the borough 24 Norristown sits near the junction of several major roads in the Philadelphia metropolitan area Main Street also known as Ridge Pike outside of the municipality and Airy Street run east west through the downtown eventually leading to interchanges for I 476 the Blue Route and the Pennsylvania Turnpike I 276 respectively in Plymouth Meeting US 202 is the major north south route through the town connecting it with other nearby county seats such as Doylestown and West Chester US 202 is split into a one way pair through the municipality as DeKalb Street is designated US 202 North while Markley Street is signed US 202 South 25 26 Norristown Transportation Center Norristown is the largest multi modal transportation hub in Montgomery County Numerous rail lines bus routes multi use trails and parking areas converge at the Norristown Transportation Center NTC SEPTA operates eight Suburban Division bus routes 90 91 93 96 97 98 99 and 131 one interurban rapid transit route the Norristown High Speed Line to 69th Street Transportation Center and a Regional Rail line the Manayunk Norristown Line to Center City Philadelphia out of the NTC complex The Regional Rail station at the Norristown Transportation Center is one of three on the Manayunk Norristown Line in Norristown The other two are Main Street and Elm Street the latter of which serves as the terminus of the line The NTC contains a 522 space SEPTA commuter parking garage that also contains an intercity bus terminal that was formerly used by Bieber Transportation Group Greyhound Lines and Martz Trailways 27 Several taxi companies and private bus shuttles have a presence at the Transportation Center The Schuylkill River Trail which connects Philadelphia to Pottstown and runs through downtown Norristown also passes through the NTC complex The Chester Valley Trail will also connect to the Transportation Center in the future Utilities Edit Electricity and natural gas in Norristown is provided by PECO Energy Company a subsidiary of Exelon 28 29 30 Water is provided by Pennsylvania American Water a subsidiary of American Water 31 The Norristown Municipal Waste Authority provides sewer service operating collection sewers and a wastewater treatment plant 32 Trash and recycling collection is provided under contract by J P Mascaro 33 Media EditThe Times Herald is the borough s daily newspaper printing seven days a week and serving most of Montgomery County Founded on June 15 1799 it is currently owned by 21st Century Media 34 The paper s staff offices are located within the municipality Culture Edit Simmons Park Despite the loss of its historic movie and vaudeville theaters Norristown is home to two performing arts centers the Montgomery County Cultural Center and Centre Theatre and one professional theater company Theatre Horizon All are part of The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance These theaters form the nucleus for Norristown Arts Hill a collection of theaters art galleries and professional firms on the 300 500 blocks of DeKalb Street in downtown Styles of ethnic food available on Norristown s Main Street include Korean Japanese Chinese Mexican Ethiopian Vietnamese and Italian citation needed Revitalization Edit One Montgomery Plaza Office Building Norristown has seen several new office buildings constructed or rehabbed over the last several decades One Montgomery Plaza the municipality s iconic downtown 10 story office building was built in the early 1970s and is now owned by Montgomery County Two newer mid rise downtown office buildings the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Building and the Department of Environmental Protection Building were built in the 1990s and early 2000s In 2009 the historic former Bell Telephone building was completely renovated for offices and that same year the U S Roofing Corporation rehabbed the former Conte Luna pasta factory on East Main Street to house their operations The former Sears building at the Studio Centre shopping center in the North End was renovated as a modern office center Since the early 2000s the Regatta Apartments the Rittenhouse condominium building the Luxor and dozens of new townhouses have contributed to a residential boom in the East End Two new downtown parking garages were built in the late 2000s one at Main and Cherry Streets for visitors and another at SEPTA s Norristown Transportation Center on Lafayette Street Several large downtown and neighborhood streetscape projects were completed by the municipal government to install new street lighting trees curbing and sidewalks along Main Street DeKalb Street and Powell Street The Lafayette Street Extension Project a 60 million effort by Montgomery County PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration FHWA is now open to traffic It has improved highway access and mobility into downtown Norristown by widening Lafayette Street and extending it eastward toward Ridge Pike and Conshohocken with eventual connections to the Pennsylvania Turnpike I 276 and the US 202 Dannehower Bridge 35 Education EditNorristown Area School District is the local school district St Francis of Assisi School is located in Norristown proper 36 Other area Catholic schools include Visitation B V M School in West Norriton Township 37 near the Trooper census designated place and near Norristown 38 Holy Rosary Regional Catholic School in Plymouth Meeting and Plymouth Township and Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School in King of Prussia Holy Rosary was formed in 2012 by the merger of St Titus School in East Norriton Epiphany of Our Lord School in Plymouth Meeting and Our Lady of Victory in East Norriton Mother Teresa formed in 2012 by the merger of St Teresa of Avila in West Norriton and Mother of Divine Providence in King of Prussia 37 39 Both St Titus and St Teresa had Norristown Pennsylvania postal addresses but were not in the city proper 40 Notable locations Edit Thaddeus Lowe House Selma Mansion Elmwood Park Zoo Norristown Farm Park Norristown State Hospital Norristown Transportation Center Schuylkill River Trail Selma Mansion Thaddeus Lowe HouseNotable people EditNia Ali track amp field olympian Geno Auriemma Hall of Fame women s basketball coach at UConn Maria Bello actress ER A History of Violence Steve Bono former NFL quarterback Peter Boyle actor Everybody Loves Raymond Young Frankenstein Harry Roberts Carson Episcopal Bishop of Haiti Josh Culbreath athlete 1957 400 m hurdles world record actor Richard Derr actor David C Dolby Medal of Honor Werner Erhard founder of Erhard Seminars Training EST Jules Fisher lighting designer Joseph Fornance U S Congressman and Norristown Borough council president Larry Glueck football player for Villanova and 1963 NFL champion Chicago Bears head coach for Fordham University Marques Green basketball player Winfield Scott Hancock field commander at Gettysburg presidential candidate John F Hartranft Governor of Pennsylvania 1873 1879 Soh Jaipil first Korean to become a naturalized citizen of the United States Gertrude I Johnson 1876 1961 co founder of Johnson amp Wales University born and died in Norristown 41 Maud Coan Josaphare 1886 1935 arts educator and writer Tommy Lasorda manager of Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Hall of Famer Drew Lewis CEO Union Pacific U S Secretary of Transportation Thaddeus Lowe Civil War era aeronaut scientist and inventor Bobby Mitchell professional baseball player William Moore U S Congressman representing New Jersey 1869 1871 Timothy L O Brien journalist Jaco Pastorius bass guitarist musician John Pergine NFL linebacker Mike Piazza professional baseball player Baseball Hall of Fame catcher of the New York Mets George Bryan Porter Territorial Governor of Michigan 42 David Rittenhouse Porter Governor of Pennsylvania 1839 1845 Jack Posobiec political operative conspiracy theorist Catherine Pugh 50th Mayor of Baltimore 43 Martha Settle Putney educator and historian Brothers Quay Stephen and Timothy stop motion animators Lisa Raymond WTA tennis player Cam Reddish Former Duke basketball player current NBA player for the New York Knicks Bill Schonely broadcaster Richard Schweiker U S Senator from Pennsylvania Secretary of Health and Human Services Jimmy Smith jazz musician Art Spiegelman cartoonist Maus Jerry Spinelli author Kellee Stewart actress Ralph B Strassburger newspaper publisher thoroughbred racehorse owner John F Street Mayor of Philadelphia 2000 2008 Roy Thomas Philadelphia Phillies outfielder 1899 1908 and University of Pennsylvania head baseball coach Bobby Wine professional baseball player coach manager and scout Khalif Wyatt born 1991 basketball player for Hapoel Holon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League 44 In popular culture EditManiac Magee author Jerry Spinelli based the fictional town of Two Mills on Norristown where he was born 45 The X Files Season 4 Episode 10 Paper Hearts mentions Norristown The Lovely Bones The Devil in the White City Norristown 2015See also Edit Philadelphia portal Pennsylvania portalBattle of Matson s Ford East Norriton Township Pennsylvania Norristown Academy Montgomery Cemetery Riverside Cemetery West Norriton Township Pennsylvania Saint Teresa of Avila SchoolTwin cities Edit Ronse Belgium Anzin France M saken Tunisia Montella ItalyReferences Edit ArcGIS REST Services Directory United States Census Bureau Retrieved October 12 2022 a b Census Population API United States Census Bureau Retrieved Oct 12 2022 Find a County National Association of Counties Retrieved 2011 06 07 Demographic and Information Packet Montgomery County Planning Commission MCPC http webapp montcopa org planning dataportal pdfs 2012demogentiredocument pdf page 8 a b Federal Writers Project 1940 Pennsylvania A Guide to the Keystone State 1st ed New York Oxford University Press p 427 Montgomery County Federation of Historical Societies Montgomery County The Second Hundred Years Toll Jean Barth and Michael J Schwager ed 1983 pg 464 Barth and Schwager pg 463 Barth and Schwager pg 469 Barth and Schwager pg 465 NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved August 9 2021 Station Norristown PA U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved August 9 2021 Number of Inhabitants Pennsylvania PDF 18th Census of the United States U S Census Bureau Retrieved 22 November 2013 Pennsylvania Population and Housing Unit Counts PDF U S Census Bureau Retrieved 22 November 2013 U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved 2008 01 31 Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets Subcounty Population Estimates April 1 2010 to July 1 2012 U S Census Bureau Archived from the original on 11 June 2013 Retrieved 25 November 2013 Census 2020 MCPC pg 15 MCPC pg 14 a b Bureau U S Census U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved 2019 04 02 MCPC pg 10 MCPC pg 16 PA Department of Labor and Industry Archived copy Archived from the original on 2015 03 16 Retrieved 2015 07 07 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Montgomery County Election Results Montgomery County Pennsylvania Retrieved January 16 2017 Norristown Borough map PDF PennDOT Retrieved March 10 2023 Montgomery County Pennsylvania Map 18th ed 1 2000 ADC Map 2006 ISBN 0 87530 775 2 Google September 22 2014 overview of Norristown Pennsylvania Map Google Maps Google Retrieved September 22 2014 Philadelphia Schedule Update Martz Group May 29 2018 Retrieved September 11 2019 PECO Company Information PECO Energy Company Retrieved January 29 2017 Electric Service Tariff PDF PECO Energy Company July 17 2017 p 4 Retrieved October 10 2017 Gas Service Tariff PDF PECO Energy Company August 30 2017 p 2 Retrieved October 10 2017 Rates Rules and Regulations Governing the Distribution and Sale of Water Service PDF Pennsylvania American Water August 8 2018 p 11 Retrieved September 9 2018 News amp Events About Us Norristown Municipal Waste Authority Retrieved September 9 2018 Public Works Municipality of Norristown Retrieved September 9 2018 21st Century Media list of brands and products Products Digital First Media Archived from the original on 2014 09 20 Retrieved 2014 09 20 Montgomery County Planning Commission Lafayette Street Extension Project website http www lafayettestreetproject com Home St Francis of Assisi School Retrieved 2020 05 02 a b Zoning Map West Norriton Township Retrieved 2020 05 02 Church and school locations for St Teresa of Avila and Visitation BVM indicated on the map Home West Norriton Township Montgomery County Pennsylvania Visitation BVM School Retrieved 2020 05 03 Visitation BVM School 190 N Trooper Road Trooper PA 19403 The archdiocese states the address as 190 North Trooper Rd Norristown PA 19403 The school is both outside of the Trooper CDP limits and outside of the Norristown city limits 2012 Catholic grade school consolidations closings Catholicphilly com 2012 07 15 Retrieved 2020 04 22 St Titus Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia 1998 01 13 Archived from the original on 1998 01 13 Retrieved 2020 05 02 3006 Keenwood Rd 19403 Compare with the East Norriton zoning map for proof of location Zoning Map PDF East Norriton Township Retrieved 2020 05 02 DeSimone Russell 2015 Gertrude I Johnson Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame Retrieved 1 January 2018 George Bryan Porter 2010 by the Litchfield Historical Society Retrieved 9 June 2014 Who is Catherine Pugh WMAR 6 December 2016 Khalif Wyatt Stats News Bio ESPN Long Bostrom Kathleen June 2003 Winning Authors Profiles of the Newbery Medalists Libraries Unlimited pp 247 251 ISBN 1 56308 877 0 Further reading EditKerkstra Patrick 25 November 2003 Mexican immigrants boost a growing Latino population The Philadelphia Inquirer Archived from the original on 2003 12 05 Retrieved 2019 12 16 O Toole Stephen 30 December 2002 Norristown ready to recognize Mexican IDs The Times Herald Norristown Pennsylvania Heysham Theodore 1913 Norristown 1812 1912 Norristown External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Norristown Pennsylvania Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Norristown Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Norristown Pennsylvania amp oldid 1145979797, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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