Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 40°20′N 75°07′W / 40.34°N 75.11°W / 40.34; -75.11
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Heff01 (talk | contribs) at 03:44, 17 January 2019 (→‎Climate: Bristol is Cfa (check numbers)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Not to be confused with Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Bucks County
County of Pennsylvania
County of Bucks
Bucks County Courthouse
Bucks County Courthouse
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Bucks County
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°20′N 75°07′W / 40.34°N 75.11°W / 40.34; -75.11
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
FoundedNovember 1682
Named forBuckinghamshire
SeatDoylestown
Largest townshipBensalem
Area
 • Total622 sq mi (1,610 km2)
 • Land604 sq mi (1,560 km2)
 • Water18 sq mi (50 km2)  2.8%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2017)
628,341
 • Density1,039/sq mi (401/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.buckscounty.org
DesignatedOctober 29, 1982[1]
Map
Interactive map of Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Bucks County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 625,249,[2] making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 99th-most populous county in the United States. The county seat is Doylestown.[3] The county is named after the English county of Buckinghamshire or more precisely, its shortname.

Bucks County constitutes part of the northern boundary of the Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA–NJ–DE–MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, more commonly known as the Delaware Valley. It is located immediately northeast of Philadelphia and forms part of the southern tip of the eastern state border.

History

Founding

The Mercer Museum in Doylestown Borough

Bucks County is one of the three original counties created by colonial proprietor William Penn in 1682. Penn named the county after Buckinghamshire, the county where he lived in England. He built a country estate called Pennsbury Manor in Falls Township, Bucks County.

Some places in Bucks County were named after locations in Buckinghamshire, including Buckingham Township, named after the county town of Buckinghamshire; Chalfont, named after Chalfont St Giles, the parish home of William Penn's first wife and the location of the Jordans Quaker Meeting House, where Penn is buried; Solebury Township, named after Soulbury, England; and Wycombe, named after the town of High Wycombe.

Bucks County was originally much larger than it is today. Northampton County was formed in 1752 from part of Bucks County, and Lehigh County was formed in 1812 from part of Northampton County.

Revolutionary War

See also: Washington's crossing of the Delaware

General George Washington and his troops camped in Bucks County as they prepared to cross the Delaware River to take Trenton, New Jersey, by surprise on the morning of December 26, 1776. Their successful attack on Britain's Hessian forces was a turning point in the American War of Independence. The town of Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania and Washington Crossing Historic Park were named to commemorate the event.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 622 square miles (1,610 km2), of which 604 square miles (1,560 km2) is land and 18 square miles (47 km2) (2.8%) is water.[4]

The southern third of the county between Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey, often called Lower Bucks, resides in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and is flat and near sea level, and the county's most populated and industrialized area. Bucks County shares a western border with Montgomery County, and also borders Philadelphia to the southwest, and Northampton and Lehigh Counties to the north. From north to south, it is linked to Warren, Hunterdon, Mercer and Burlington Counties in New Jersey by bridges.

Tohickon Creek and Neshaminy Creek are the largest tributaries of the Delaware in Bucks County. Tohickon Creek empties into the river at Point Pleasant and Neshaminy at Croydon (Bristol Township).

Adjacent counties

Climate

Relatively speaking, Bucks County experiences warm/hot and humid summers with chilly/cold and somewhat snowy winters. Episodes of high humidity (dew point >= 70 °F) occur every year during or close to the summer months, very occasionally reaching extreme (dew point >= 75 °F) levels. When high humidity combines with air temperatures in the mid-upper 90's, dangerous heat index values of >= 105 °F can sometimes result. Winter minimum air temperatures occasionally fall into the single digits to slightly below 0 °F. When the coldest temperatures combine with higher winds, wind chill values can sometimes plummet below 0 °F to as cold as -20 °F. Spring and fall are comparatively tranquil. The climate cools as one moves from the lower elevation, dense suburban areas in southern Bucks County, to the higher elevation, rural areas of northern Bucks. Precipitation is fairly well-distributed throughout the year. The average seasonal snowfall, which can potentially occur from as early as October to as late as April, is around 2 feet in extreme southern Bucks, and around 3 feet in the highest elevations of far northern Bucks. The fall foliage season typically peaks in mid-October in northern Bucks, mid-late October in central Bucks, and late-October/early-November in southern Bucks. These dates correlate with the typical date of first freeze. Peak spring foliage usually occurs during the month of April, which correlates with the typical date of last freeze.

Bucks County has four distinct seasons and has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) except for some far southern lowlands including Bristol which have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). The hardiness zones are 6b and 7a.

Monthly climatic averages (1981 - 2010) for Quakertown, upper Bucks County, PA (elevation 497 feet).

QUAKERTOWN JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC ANN
AVG MAX TEMP 37.6 °F 40.9 °F 49.5 °F 61.6 °F 71.7 °F 80.2 °F 84.1 °F 82.5 °F 75.8 °F 64.2 °F 53.1 °F 41.6 °F 61.9 °F
AVG MIN TEMP 20.1 °F 22.0 °F 28.9 °F 38.7 °F 48.2 °F 57.7 °F 62.6 °F 61.0 °F 53.0 °F 41.6 °F 33.1 °F 24.8 °F 41.0 °F
AVG DEW POINT 19.9 °F 21.5 °F 27.0 °F 36.7 °F 47.7 °F 58.8 °F 63.0 °F 62.6 °F 55.8 °F 44.0 °F 34.4 °F 24.9 °F 41.4 °F
AVG PRECIP 3.49" 2.83" 3.71" 4.08" 4.33" 4.35" 4.82" 3.88" 4.59" 4.35" 3.78" 4.06" 48.27"

Monthly climatic averages (1981 - 2010) for Doylestown, central Bucks County, PA (elevation 416 feet).

DOYLESTOWN JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC ANN
AVG MAX TEMP 39.0 °F 42.3 °F 50.6 °F 62.5 °F 72.5 °F 81.3 °F 85.4 °F 83.7 °F 76.9 °F 65.5 °F 54.5 °F 43.1 °F 63.1 °F
AVG MIN TEMP 21.6 °F 23.9 °F 30.7 °F 40.2 °F 49.6 °F 59.3 °F 64.3 °F 62.8 °F 55.0 °F 43.0 °F 34.7 °F 26.3 °F 42.6 °F
AVG DEW POINT 20.6 °F 22.0 °F 27.5 °F 37.2 °F 48.2 °F 59.1 °F 63.3 °F 62.9 °F 56.5 °F 44.8 °F 35.1 °F 25.5 °F 41.9 °F
AVG PRECIP 3.25" 2.63" 3.73" 3.92" 4.35" 4.32" 5.01" 4.05" 4.46" 4.21" 3.64" 3.91" 47.48"

Monthly climatic averages (1981 - 2010) for Bristol, lower Bucks County, PA (elevation 17 feet).

BRISTOL JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC ANN
AVG MAX TEMP 40.8 °F 44.0 °F 52.1 °F 64.0 °F 73.5 °F 82.7 °F 86.8 °F 85.2 °F 78.5 °F 67.2 °F 56.4 °F 45.2 °F 64.7 °F
AVG MIN TEMP 24.4 °F 26.0 °F 32.5 °F 41.8 °F 50.9 °F 60.7 °F 65.7 °F 64.4 °F 57.0 °F 45.4 °F 37.1 °F 28.7 °F 44.6 °F
AVG DEW POINT 22.2 °F 23.2 °F 28.5 °F 38.2 °F 49.0 °F 59.5 °F 64.2 °F 63.7 °F 57.3 °F 46.0 °F 36.2 °F 26.9 °F 42.9 °F
AVG PRECIP 3.60" 2.71" 4.29" 3.82" 4.18" 4.17" 4.96" 4.37" 3.98" 3.70" 3.40" 3.90" 47.08"

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179025,216—
180027,4969.0%
181032,37117.7%
182037,84216.9%
183045,74520.9%
184048,1075.2%
185056,09116.6%
186063,57813.3%
187064,3361.2%
188068,6566.7%
189070,6152.9%
190071,1900.8%
191076,5307.5%
192082,4767.8%
193096,72717.3%
1940107,71511.4%
1950144,62034.3%
1960308,567113.4%
1970410,05632.9%
1980479,21116.9%
1990541,17412.9%
2000597,63510.4%
2010625,2494.6%
2017 (est.)628,341[5]0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2017[2]

As of the 2010 census, there were 625,249 people. The population density was 1,034.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 86.6% White non-Hispanic, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.1% Asian (2.1% Indian, 1.1% Chinese, 0.7% Korean, 0.5% Filipino, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.1% Japanese, 0.4% other Asian) 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% were of two or more races, and 1.5% were of other races. 4.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 218,725 households, and 160,981 families residing in the county. There were 225,498 housing units at an average density of 371 per square mile (143/km²). 20.1% were of German, 19.1% Irish, 14.0% Italian, 7.5% English and 5.9% Polish ancestry.

There were 218,725 households, out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.20% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $59,727, and the median income for a family is $68,727. Males had a median income of $46,587 versus $31,984 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,430. About 3.10% of families and 4.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.80% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.

Like the rest of the Philadelphia region, Bucks County has experienced a rapid increase of immigrants since the 2000 census. Known for its very large and established Eastern European population, most notably the Russian community, but also for its Ukrainian and Polish communities, Bucks County is now seeing a rapid surge of other immigrant groups. A 2005 population estimate of Bucks showed that the Indian American and Mexican American populations had already doubled since 2000. Bucks County is one of only two counties in Pennsylvania where Mexicans are the largest Hispanic community, the other being Montgomery County. Bucks County also is home to large and very prominent Roman Catholic and Jewish populations.

Population growth

The 2013 population estimate of Bucks County Pennsylvania was 626,976. This ranked the county fourth in the state, well behind (more than 10%) the counties of Philadelphia with 1,553,165 (247% of Bucks), Allegheny with 1,231,527 (196%), Montgomery with 812,376 (130%), and well ahead of Delaware with 561,973 (89.6%).[2]

Growth began in the early 1950s, when William Levitt chose Bucks County for his second "Levittown". Levitt bought hundreds of acres of woodlands and farmland, and constructed 17,000 homes and dozens of schools, parks, libraries, and shopping centers. By the time the project ended, the population of Levittown had swelled to almost 74,000 residents. At the time, only whites could buy homes. This rule however, was soon overturned. Other planned developments included Croydon and Fairless Hills. This rapid sprawl continued until the mid-1960s.

In the 1970s, a second growth spurt began. This time, developers took land in townships that were mostly untouched. These included Middletown, Lower Makefield Township, Northampton Township and Newtown Township. Tract housing, office complexes, shopping centers, and sprawling parking lots continued to move more and more towards Upper Bucks, swallowing horse farms, sprawling forests, and wetlands. At this time, the Oxford Valley Mall was constructed in Middletown, which would become the business nucleus of the county.

Growth has somewhat stabilized since the 1990s, with smaller increases and less development. However, the main reason for this is not a lack of population growth, but loss of land. Lower Bucks now lacks large parcels of land to develop. Smaller residential and commercial projects must now be constructed. However, redevelopment of existing building sites is now a leading coalition in Lower Bucks. Many areas along the Delaware River have surpluses of abandoned industry, so many municipalities have granted building rights to luxury housing developers. Also, as the regions that began the suburban boom in Bucks, such as Levittown, begin to reach their 50th anniversaries, many commercial strips and other neglected structures are being torn down to be replaced with new shopping plazas and commercial chains. Also, with rising property values, areas with older construction are undergoing a renaissance. At the same time, Central and Upper Bucks are still seeing rapid growth, with many municipalities doubling their populations.

Economy

Levittown, aerial view, circa 1959

The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by William Levitt.

Among Bucks' largest employers in the twentieth century were U.S. Steel in Falls Township, and the Vulcanized Rubber & Plastics and Robertson Tile companies in Morrisville. Rohm and Haas continues to operate several chemical plants around Bristol. Waste Management operates a landfill in Tullytown that is the largest receptacle of out-of-state waste in the USA (receiving much of New York City's waste following the closure of Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, NY 40 miles (64 km) away).[citation needed]

Bucks is also experiencing rapid growth in biotechnology, along with neighboring Montgomery County. The Greater Philadelphia area has become the second largest area of biotechnology in the United States, only behind Boston. It recently pushed San Francisco and Washington, D.C. to lower rankings. It is projected by 2020 that one out of four people in Bucks County will work in biotechnology.[11]

List of notable Bucks County businesses

Tourism

Bucks County is home to a number of covered bridges, 10 of which are still open to highway traffic and two others (situated in parks) are open to non-vehicular traffic. Shown here is the Schofield Ford Covered Bridge over the Neshaminy Creek in Tyler State Park.

Another important asset of the county is tourism. The county's northern regions (colloquially referred to as Upper Bucks) are renowned for their natural scenery, farmland, colonial history, and proximity to major urban areas (particularly Philadelphia, but New York City, Allentown, Reading and Atlantic City are also within a two-hour radius).

Bucks County is home to ten covered bridges that are still open to vehicular traffic. Two other bridges, both located in parks, are open only to non-vehicular traffic. All Bucks County bridges use the Town truss design. The Schofield Ford Bridge, in Tyler State Park, was reconstructed in 1997 from the ground up after arsonists destroyed the original in 1991.[12]

Popular attractions in Bucks County include the shops and studios of New Hope, Peddler's Village (in Lahaska), Washington Crossing Historic Park, New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, and Bucks County River Country. Rice's Market near Lahaska is a popular destination on Tuesday mornings. Quakertown Farmer's Market (locally called "Q-Mart") is a popular shopping destination on weekends. The county seat of Doylestown is also home to several points of interest for tourists, and also is home to Fordhook Farms, the famous trial farm of the Warminster-based Burpee Seeds, which also serves as a bed & breakfast inn. Doylestown also has the trifecta of concrete structures built by Henry Chapman Mercer, including the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, the Mercer Museum and Fonthill, Mercer's personal home.

New Hope and Ivyland Railroad

Southern Bucks (colloquially referred to as Lower Bucks) is home to two important shopping malls, Neshaminy Mall and Oxford Valley Mall, and Sesame Place, a family theme park based on the Sesame Street television series. Also within Lower Bucks County is Parx Casino and Racing in Bensalem, a casino and thoroughbred horse racing track. The casino was built on the grounds of what was originally Philadelphia Park Racetrack. The complex includes the throughbred horse racing track, expansive casino, a dance club, numerous dining options, and the Xcite Center.

Education

Colleges and universities

Map of Bucks County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Public school districts

The Bucks County public schools listed above are served by a regional educational service agency called the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 located in the county seat of Doylestown.

Public charter schools

There are 11 public cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania that are available for free statewide, to children K–12. See: Education in Pennsylvania.

  • Bucks County Montessori Charter School
  • Center Student Learning Charter School – Pennsbury
  • School Lane Charter School

Private schools

Community, junior and technical colleges

Arts and culture

Fine and performing arts

Many artists and writers based in New York City have called Bucks County home, settling mainly in the small stretch between Doylestown and New Hope and along the Delaware River. Notable residents have included Margaret Mead, Pearl S. Buck, Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen Sondheim, Charlie Parker, Moss Hart, George S. Kaufman, James Michener, Dorothy Parker, S. J. Perelman, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Daniel Garber, Alfred Bester, Annie Haslam, and Jean Toomer. Bucks County has been the home of writer/musician James McBride, writer Eric Knight, Academy Award-winning film composer Joe Renzetti, musician Gene Ween of Ween, painter Christopher Wajda, photographer Michael Barone, and furniture designer George Nakashima. James Gould Cozzens lived in Lambertville, New Jersey, just across the river from Bucks County, and used Doylestown as the model for the setting of two novels; he is considered a Bucks County artist. Allen Saalburg relocated to Bucks County in 1947, and named his press after the canal.[14]

The county boasts many local theater companies, including the long-established and recently reopened Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Town and Country Players in Buckingham, ActorsNET in Morrisville, and the Bristol Riverside Theatre, a professional Equity theater in Bristol. The Bucks County Symphony, founded in 1953, performs in Doylestown throughout the year.

The Wild River Review, an online magazine that publishes in-depth reporting, works of literature, art, visual art, reviews, interviews, and columns by and about contemporary artists, photographers, and writers, is based out of Doylestown.

Literature

The seemingly autobiographical novel The Fires of Spring by James Michener takes place in and around Doylestown.

Popular culture

Alecia Moore, more commonly known as Pink, was born in Doylestown, as was motion picture writer and director Stefan Avalos. Three American Idol contestants live in Bucks County: Justin Guarini, who was born in Atlanta, but moved to Bucks County; Jordan White, who was born in Cranford, New Jersey and moved to Bucks County, and Anthony Fedorov, who was born in Ukraine and was from Trevose, in Lower Southampton Township. Singer/actress Irene Molloy and classical tenor David Gordon were born in Doylestown. Musician Asher Roth was born in Morrisville. The Tony Award-winning Broadway play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is set in the county.

Film

M. Night Shyamalan's 2002 film Signs, starring Mel Gibson, was filmed and takes place in Bucks County. The town scenes were filmed on State Street in Newtown Borough, and the drugstore scene was filmed at Burns' Pharmacy on Pennsylvania Avenue in Morrisville. The house was built on farmland privately owned and leased to Delaware Valley College in Doylestown Township. A stage set for some interior shots was created in a warehouse on State Road in Bensalem Township. Shyamalan's film Lady in the Water was shot across the street from the Bloomsdale section of Bristol Township. In addition, Shyamalan's 2008 film, The Happening, was filmed in Upper Bucks County, including Plumsteadville.[15][16]

With the exception of the footage filmed in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, all of The Last Broadcast was shot in Bucks County (though the name was changed).

A short scene from Stephen King's The Stand is based in Pipersville.

The producer Fred Bauer, the director Steve Rash and composer Joseph Renzetti of The Buddy Holly Story all live in Bucks County, where the film was conceived, and written by Bob Gittler.

Although filmed in California, one of Steven Spielberg's earliest films, Something Evil, is set in Bucks County.

The film Law Abiding Citizen, starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx, was filmed partially in New Hope.[17]

The NBC pilot episode for Outlaw, starring Jimmy Smits, filmed in the Andalusia section of Bensalem Township March 22–23, 2010.[18][19]

The feature film The Discoverers[20] was filmed in a variety of locations in Bucks County, including Croydon, Bristol, Newtown, New Hope, and Tyler State Park.[20][21]

The Central Bucks West football team was followed during the 1999 season for the documentary The Last Game. It was directed by T. Patrick Murray and Alex Weinress.[22]

The County Fair scene in Charlotte's Web was filmed at the Southampton Days fair in Southampton, Bucks County.

The majority of the independent Titanic film The Last Signals by Tom Lynskey was filmed in Bucks County.[23]

The 1942 film George Washington Slept Here was set chiefly in Bucks County, although most of the filming took place in the studio.

Safe, starring Jason Statham, filmed at the Parx Casino and Racing in Bensalem Township.[24]

Bucks County has been mentioned multiple times on the popular Freeform TV series Pretty Little Liars.

Media

Local publications include Bucks County Courier Times, The Intelligencer, The Advance of Bucks County, Bucks County Herald, Bucks Happening, Bucks County Town and Country Living, Radius Magazine, Yardley Voice, Morrisville Times, Newtown Gazette, Northampton Herald, Langhorne Ledger, Lower Southampton Spirit, New Hope News, Doylestown Observer, Warwick Journal, Fairless Focus.

Sports

Rugby league

The Bucks County Sharks rugby league team played in the AMNRL from 1997 to 2010 season.[25] They returned to play in the AMNRL in 2011, until the league's fold in 2014, when they subsequently joined the USARL.[26]

Little League

The county has a considerable history of producing Little League baseball contenders. Since its inception in 1947, four of the seven Pennsylvania teams to compete in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania have come from Bucks County: Morrisville (1955), Levittown American (1960 and 1961), and Council Rock-Newtown (2005). Two of these squads, Morrisville and Levittown (1960), went on to win the World Series title. In 2007, Council Rock Northampton won the PA State championship, and lost in the finals of regionals.

PIAA

The county is a part of PIAA's District I, and has seen many schools capture multiple state titles.

American Legion Baseball

In 1996, Yardley Western Post 317 won the American Legion National Championship.

Bristol Legion Post 382 recently won the 2011 American Legion State Championship.

Horse racing

Parks and recreation

Pennsylvania state parks

Neshaminy Creek in Tyler State Park

There are six commonwealth-owned parks in Bucks County:

County parks

Lake Galena in Peace Valley Park

Historic properties

Pennsbury Manor

County recreation sites

  • Frosty Hollow Tennis Center
  • Core Creek Tennis Center
  • Oxford Valley Golf Course
  • Oxford Valley Pool
  • Tohickon Valley Pool
  • Weisel Hostel
  • Peace Valley Boat Rental
  • Core Creek Boat Rental

County Nature Centers

Transportation

Airports

Public transportation

Major highways

Politics and government

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[29]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 47.6% 164,361 48.4% 167,060 4.0% 13,621
2012 48.7% 156,579 50.0% 160,521 1.3% 4,166
2008 45.1% 150,248 53.7% 179,031 1.2% 4,045
2004 48.3% 154,469 51.1% 163,438 0.6% 1,909
2000 46.3% 121,927 50.5% 132,914 3.3% 8,581
1996 41.7% 94,899 45.4% 103,313 12.8% 29,151
1992 38.1% 94,584 39.4% 97,902 22.5% 56,021
1988 60.0% 127,563 38.8% 82,472 1.2% 2,605
1984 63.3% 130,119 36.3% 74,568 0.5% 1,032
1980 55.5% 100,536 32.6% 59,120 11.9% 21,508
1976 50.7% 85,628 47.3% 79,838 2.1% 3,457
1972 62.3% 99,684 35.5% 56,784 2.2% 3,591
1968 48.6% 69,646 40.2% 57,634 11.1% 15,931
1964 38.9% 50,243 60.6% 78,287 0.5% 646
1960 54.0% 67,501 45.7% 57,177 0.4% 438
1956 60.7% 59,862 39.1% 38,541 0.2% 180
1952 62.4% 40,753 37.2% 24,301 0.4% 275
1948 62.5% 29,411 35.4% 16,655 2.2% 1,018
1944 58.6% 25,634 40.8% 17,823 0.6% 270
1940 54.7% 25,169 44.8% 20,586 0.5% 229
1936 48.8% 23,860 49.4% 24,159 1.8% 876
1932 59.1% 22,331 37.4% 14,135 3.6% 1,341
1928 76.5% 28,421 22.7% 8,446 0.8% 301
1924 66.9% 17,460 25.2% 6,582 7.9% 2,066
1920 65.2% 14,130 31.7% 6,867 3.2% 684
1916 54.0% 9,269 43.6% 7,491 2.4% 414
1912 32.0% 5,452 39.8% 6,773 28.2% 4,812
1908 55.3% 9,409 42.5% 7,233 2.1% 362
1904 57.7% 9,572 40.5% 6,719 1.8% 290
1900 55.1% 9,263 43.4% 7,287 1.5% 253
1896 57.6% 9,798 39.3% 6,685 3.1% 524
1892 48.7% 8,230 49.7% 8,390 1.6% 272
1888 49.1% 8,584 49.4% 8,642 1.5% 253

As of January 2010, there were 430,557 registered voters in Bucks County.[30]

Like most of the Philadelphia suburbs, Bucks County was once a stronghold for the Republican Party. However, in recent years it has become more of a swing county, like Pennsylvania at large. In presidential elections, Bucks has been swept up in the overall Democratic trend that has swept the Philadelphia area, although the trend in Bucks has been somewhat less pronounced than in Delaware and Montgomery. It has gone Democratic in every presidential election since 1992.

Until recently, Republicans still held most local offices. However, after Democratic gains in the 2018 elections, Republicans hold all but four state house seats covering portions of the county, while the Democrats and Republicans hold two state senate seats each. The Democrats and Republicans each hold four of the row offices. As in most suburban Philadelphia counties, Republicans tend to be conservative on fiscal matters and moderate on social and environmental matters.

All four statewide winners (Barack Obama for President, Rob McCord for Treasurer, Jack Wagner for Auditor General, and Tom Corbett for Attorney General) carried Bucks in November 2008. Earlier in 2008, Democrats took a plurality of registered voters. The GOP statewide candidates in the 2010 midterms, Tom Corbett for Governor and Pat Toomey for Senate, both won Bucks.

Bucks County is represented in U.S. Congress by Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district, (map) formerly numbered as the 8th District. While concerns about gerrymandering are on the rise, the 1st District remains one of the few districts in the United States that is almost fully encompassed by a single county. In order to comply with population requirements, the Bucks County-dominated 1st Congressional district also includes slightly over 100,000 residents in the Hatboro-Horsham area of Montgomery County.

The executive government is run by a three-seat board of commissioners, one member of which serves as chairperson. Commissioners are elected through at-large voting and serve four-year terms. In cases of vacancy, a panel of county judges appoints members to fill seats. The current commissioners are Charles H. Martin (R) (Chairman), Robert G. Loughery (R) (Vice-Chairman), and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia (D). The current terms expire in January 2016.[31]

In 2012, four county employees were sentenced for compensating public employees for political work.[32]

In the 2016 elections, Democrats Hillary Clinton (President), Josh Shapiro (Attorney General), and Joe Torsella (State Treasurer) won Bucks County while Republicans Pat Toomey (U.S. Senate), Brian Fitzpatrick (U.S. Representative), and John Brown (Auditor General) won Bucks County in theirs.[33]

County commissioners

  • Charles Martin, Chairman, Republican
  • Robert G. Loughery, Republican
  • Diane Ellis-Marseglia, Democrat

Other county offices

State Senate

State House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

United States Senate

Communities

Map of Bucks County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The most populous borough in the county is Morrisville with 10,023 as of the 2000 census. The following boroughs and townships are located in Bucks County:

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

Unincorporated communities

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Historic Communities

Police Agencies and Services

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Bucks County.[34]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Levittown CDP 52,983
2 Croydon CDP 9,950
3 Bristol Borough 9,726
4 Quakertown Borough 8,979
5 Morrisville Borough 8,728
6 Perkasie Borough 8,511
7 Fairless Hills CDP 8,466
8 † Doylestown Borough 8,380
9 Richboro CDP 6,563
10 Telford (lies partially in Montgomery County) Borough 4,872
11 Sellersville Borough 4,249
12 Churchville CDP 4,128
13 Warminster Heights CDP 4,124
14 Chalfont Borough 4,009
15 Village Shires CDP 3,949
16 Woodbourne CDP 3,851
17 Brittany Farms-The Highlands CDP 3,695
18 Newtown Grant CDP 3,620
19 Trevose CDP 3,550
20 New Britain Borough 3,152
21 Feasterville CDP 3,074
22 Plumsteadville CDP 2,637
23 New Hope Borough 2,528
24 Yardley Borough 2,434
25 Woodside CDP 2,425
26 Penndel Borough 2,328
27 Newtown Borough 2,248
28 Dublin Borough 2,158
29 Eddington CDP 1,906
30 Tullytown Borough 1,872
31 Spinnerstown CDP 1,826
32 Langhorne Borough 1,622
33 Langhorne Manor Borough 1,442
34 Cornwells Heights CDP 1,391
35 Richlandtown Borough 1,327
36 Ivyland Borough 1,041
37 Hulmeville Borough 1,003
38 Trumbauersville Borough 974
39 Milford Square CDP 897
40 Silverdale Borough 871
41 Riegelsville Borough 868

Notable people

Official seal

The traditional seal of Bucks County, Pennsylvania takes its design from the inspiration of the county's founder, William Penn. The center of the seal consists of a shield from the Penn family crest with a tree above and a flowering vine surrounding it in symmetric flanks. The seal has a gold-colored background and a green band denoting Penn as the county's first proprietor and governor. In 1683, Penn's council decreed that a tree and vine be incorporated into the emblem to signify the county's abundance of woods. The seal was used in its official capacity until the Revolutionary War. The county government has since used the official Pennsylvania state seal for official documents. Today, the Bucks County seal's use is largely ceremonial. It appears on county stationery and vehicles as a symbol of the county's heritage. The gold emblem is also the centerpiece of the official Bucks County flag, which has a blue background and gold trim.

See also

References

  1. ^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search" (Searchable database). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  5. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  8. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  10. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ [1] [dead link]
  12. ^ Waymarking GPS page about history of Schofield Ford Bridge Retrieved October 13, 2010
  13. ^ "Home".
  14. ^ Crowther, Prudence. "When the Delay is the Gratification: Allen Saalburg," Art in Print Vol. 7 No. 4 (November–December 2017), 31.
  15. ^ "The Happening Movie Blog". thehappeningmovie.blogspot.com.
  16. ^ "Party, too, was a real happening". September 25, 2007.
  17. ^ Net, Gerard Butler Dot. "Gerard Butler dot Net - Press Room - Latest News". www.gerardbutler.net.
  18. ^ [2] [dead link]
  19. ^ "Another day on the set for film-industry locals".
  20. ^ a b "The Discoverers Movie". www.discoverersmovie.com.
  21. ^ "Inqlings: Indie film bringing yuks to Bucks".
  22. ^ "The Last Game (TV Movie 2002)".
  23. ^ Portnoy, June. "Titanic 100th anniversary film shot by Holland filmmaker in Northampton Township". Times Publishing. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Archives - Philly.com". articles.philly.com.
  25. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-31. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  27. ^ [3] Archived October 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ "Pennsbury Manor official website". Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  29. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  30. ^ "Home". www.dos.state.pa.us. Archived from the original on November 26, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "2009 Board of Commissioners". Official website of Bucks County. Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  32. ^ "Fourth Bucks official sentenced in political corruption case," by Bill Reed, Philadelphia Inquirer, February 29, 2012
  33. ^ "Bucks Elections". buckscountyvotes.org. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  34. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 21, 2013. Retrieved 2015-05-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  35. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967.
  36. ^ "Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  37. ^ "Paul Simon: The Rolling Stone Interview".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bucks County.

40°20′N 75°07′W / 40.34°N 75.11°W / 40.34; -75.11

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bucks_County,_Pennsylvania&oldid=878820766"