Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. As of the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is also the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Dauphin County
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
and lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, 105 miles (169 km) west-northwest of Philadelphia.
The Harrisburg-Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
, which includes Dauphin, Cumberland
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
, and Perry
Perry County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,602 people, 16,695 households, and 12,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile . There were 18,941 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
counties, had a population of 509,074 in 2000. A July 1, 2007 estimate placed the population at 528,892, making it the fifth largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
–Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
–Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
(the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
), and Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
–Wilkes Barre. The Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
Combined Statistical Area, including both the Harrisburg-Carlisle and Lebanon Metropolitan Statistical Areas, had an estimated population of 656,781 in 2007 and was the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the state.
Harrisburg played a notable role in American history during the Westward Migration
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
. The U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ship USS Harrisburg, which served from 1918 to 1919 at the end of World War I, was named in honor of the city.
In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
including the production of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
(the greater Harrisburg area is at the heart of the fertile Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country refers to an area of southeastern Pennsylvania, United States that by the American Revolution had a high percentage of Pennsylvania Dutch inhabitants. Religiously, there was a large portion of Lutherans. There were also German Reformed, Moravian, Amish, Mennonite and...
), and food services (nearby Hershey
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
is home of the chocolate maker
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
, located just 10 miles east of Harrisburg). In 1981, following contractions in the steel and dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
industries, Harrisburg was declared the second most distressed city in the nation. The city subsequently experienced a resurgence under its former mayor Stephen R. Reed
Stephen R. Reed
Stephen Russell Reed is the former and longest-serving mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He moved to Harrisburg with his parents as a boy.- Biography :...
, with nearly $3 billion in new investment realized during his lengthy tenure.
In 2010 Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
rated Harrisburg as the second best place in the U.S. to raise a family. Despite the city's recent financial troubles, in 2010 The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
website ranked 20 metropolitan areas across the country as being recession-proof, and the Harrisburg region landed at No. 7. The financial stability of the region is in part due to the high concentration of state
Government of Pennsylvania
-History:Pennsylvania has had five constitutions during its statehood: 1776, 1790, 1838, 1874, and . Prior to that, the province of Pennsylvania was governed for a century by a book titled Frame of Government, written by William Penn, of which there were four versions: 1682, 1683, 1696, and...
and federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
government agencies.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show
Pennsylvania Farm Show
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is held every January at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, just off Exit 67 of Interstate 81. The event, considered Pennsylvania's state fair, first began in 1917. It is the largest indoor agricultural event held in the...
, the largest free indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, was first held in Harrisburg in 1917 and has been held there every early-to-mid January since then. Harrisburg also hosts an annual outdoor sports
Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show
The Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show is an outdoor hunting and fishing exposition held annually at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the United States, and is the largest show of its kind in North America...
show, the largest of its kind in North America, as well as an auto show
Pennsylvania Auto Show
The Pennsylvania Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center.-Show info:...
, which features a large static display of new as well as classic cars and is renowned nationwide. Harrisburg is also known for the Three Mile Island accident
Three Mile Island accident
The Three Mile Island accident was a core meltdown in Unit 2 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg, United States in 1979....
, which occurred on March 28, 1979 near Middletown
Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Middletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
On October 11, 2011, the City of Harrisburg filed a Chapter 9
Chapter 9, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 9, Title 11 of the United States Code is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, available exclusively to municipalities and assists them in the restructuring of debts...
bankruptcy petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court
United States bankruptcy court
United States bankruptcy courts are courts created under Article I of the United States Constitution. They function as units of the district courts and have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal district courts have original and exclusive jurisdiction over all cases arising...
for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is district level federal court with jurisdiction over approximately one half of Pennsylvania...
.
Founding
Harrisburg's site along the Susquehanna RiverSusquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
is thought to have been inhabited by Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
as early as 3000 BC. Known to the Native Americans as "Peixtin", or "Paxtang
Paxtang, Pennsylvania
Paxtang is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is a suburb of Harrisburg and is one of the earliest colonial settlements in South Central Pennsylvania.-History:...
", the area was an important resting place and crossroads for Native American traders, as the trails leading from the Delaware to the Ohio rivers, and from the Potomac to the Upper Susquehanna intersected there. The first European contact with Native Americans in Pennsylvania was made by the Englishman, Captain John Smith
John Smith of Jamestown
Captain John Smith Admiral of New England was an English soldier, explorer, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Bathory, Prince of Transylvania and friend Mózes Székely...
, who journeyed from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
up the Susquehanna River in 1608 and visited with the Susquehanna
Susquehannock
The Susquehannock people were Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries from the southern part of what is now New York, through Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Susquehanna in Maryland at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay...
tribe. In 1719, John Harris, Sr.
John Harris, Sr.
John Harris, Sr. emigrated from Britain to America late in the 17th century. Harris would later settle and establish Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, which bears his name today.-Biography:...
, an English trader, settled here and 14 years later secured grants of 800 acres (3.2 km²) in this vicinity. In 1785, John Harris, Jr.
John Harris, Jr.
John Harris, Jr. , was a storekeeper and frontiersman who operated a ferry along the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg. John Harris, Jr...
made plans to lay out a town on his father's land, which he named Harrisburg. In the spring of 1785, the town was formally surveyed by William Maclay, who was a son-in-law of John Harris, Sr. In 1791, Harrisburg became incorporated and was named the Pennsylvania state capital in October 1812, and has been since.
The assembling here of the Harrisburg Convention in 1827 led to the passage of the high protective-tariff bill
Tariff of 1828
The Tariff of 1828 was a protective tariff passed by the Congress of the United States on May 19, 1828, designed to protect industry in the northern United States...
of 1828. In 1839, Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
and Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
were nominated for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
at the first national convention
1839 Whig National Convention
The 1839 Whig National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in December 1839. This was the first national convention of the Whig Party of the United States....
of the Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
of the United States, which was held in Harrisburg.
Pre-Industry 1800-1850
Before Harrisburg gained its first industries, it appeared as a scenic, pastoral town, typical of most of the day: compact and surrounded by farmland. In 1822, the impressive brick capitol building was completed for $200,000It was Harrisburg’s strategic location which gave it an advantage over many other towns. It was settled as a trading post in 1719 at a location important to Westward expansion. The importance of the location was that it was at a pass in a mountain ridge. The Susquehanna River flowed generally west to east at this location, providing a route for boat traffic from the east. The head of navigation was a short distance northwest of the town, where the river flowed through the pass. Persons arriving from the east by boat had to exit at Harrisburg and prepare for an overland journey westward through the mountain pass. Harrisburg assumed importance as a provisioning stop at this point where westward bound pioneers transitioned from river travel to overland travel. It was partly because of its strategic location that the state legislature selected the small town of Harrisburg to become the State Capitol in 1812.
The grandeur of the Colonial Revival capitol building dominated the quaint town. The streets were dirt, but orderly and platted in grid pattern. The Pennsylvania Canal was built in 1834 and coursed the length of the town. The residential houses were situated on only a few city blocks stretching southward from the capitol building. They were mostly one story. No factories were present but there were blacksmith shops and other businesses.
American Civil War
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Harrisburg was a significant training center for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, with tens of thousands of troops passing through Camp Curtin
Camp Curtin
Camp Curtin was a military training camp in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War.When news of the bombardment and subsequent surrender of Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina reached Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers...
. It was also a major rail center for the Union and a vital link between the Atlantic coast and the Midwest, with several railroads running through the city and spanning the Susquehanna River. As a result of this importance, it was a target of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
during its two invasions. The first time during the 1862 Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
, when Lee planned to capture the city after taking Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. In many books the town is called "Harper's Ferry" with an apostrophe....
, but was prevented from doing so by the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
and his subsequent retreat back into Virginia. The second attempt was made during the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
in 1863 and was more substantial. A short skirmish took place in June 1863 at Sporting Hill
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Camp Hill is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 2 miles southwest of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,636 at the 2000 census...
, just 2 miles west of Harrisburg. This is considered by many to be the northern-most battle of the Civil War.
During the first part of the 19th century, Harrisburg was a notable stopping place along the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, as escaped slaves
History of slavery in the United States
Slavery in the United States was a form of slave labor which existed as a legal institution in North America for more than a century before the founding of the United States in 1776, and continued mostly in the South until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in...
would be transported across the Susquehanna River and were often fed and given supplies before heading north towards Canada.
Industrial Rise 1850-1920
Harrisburg’s importance in the latter half of the 19th Century was in the steel industry. It was an important railroad center as well. Steel and iron became dominant industries. Steel and other industries continued to play a major role in the local economy throughout the latter part of the 19th century. The city was the center of enormous railroad traffic and its steel industry supported large furnaces, rolling mills, and machine shops. The Pennsylvania Steel Company plant, which opened in nearby SteeltonSteelton, Pennsylvania
Steelton is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, three miles southeast of Harrisburg. In 1900, 12,086 people lived here; in 1910, 14,246 people lived here; in 1920, 13,248 people lived here; and in 1940, 13,115 people lived here. The population was 5,858 at the 2000 census...
in 1866, was the first in the country; later operated by Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
.
Its first large scale iron foundries were put into operation shortly after 1850.
As industries nationwide entered a phase of great expansion and technological improvement, so did industries – and in particular the steel industry - in Harrisburg. This can be attributed to a combination of factors that were typical of what existed in other successful industrial cities: rapid rail expansion; nearby markets for goods; and nearby sources for raw product.
With Harrisburg poised for growth in steel production, The borough of Steelton became the ideal location for this type of industry. It was a wide swath of flat land located south of the city, with rail and canal access running its entire 4 mile length. There was plenty of room for houses and its own downtown section. Steelton was a company town, opened in 1866 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. Highly innovative in its steel making process, it became the first mill in the United States to make steel railroad rails by contract. In its heyday Steelton was home to more than 16,000 residents from 33 different ethnic groups. All were employed in the steel industry, or had employment in services that supported it. In the late 19th century, no less than five major steel mills and foundries were located in Steelton. Each contained a maze of buildings; conveyances for moving the products; large yards for laying down equipment; and facilities for loading their product on trains. Stacks from these factories constantly belched smoke. With housing and a small downtown area within walking distance, these were the sights and smells that most Steelton residents saw every day.
The rail yard was another area of Harrisburg that saw rapid and thorough change during the years of industrialization. This was a wide expanse of about two dozen railroad tracks that grew from the single track of the early 1850s. By the late 19th century, this area was the width of about two city blocks and formed what amounted to a barrier along the eastern edge of the city: passable only by bridge. Three large and ornately embellished passenger depots were built by as many rail lines. Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest rail line in Harrisburg. It built huge repair facilities and two large roundhouses in the 1860s and 1870s to handle its enormous freight and passenger traffic and to maintain its colossal infrastructure. Its rails ran the length of Harrisburg, along its eastern border. It had a succession of three passenger depots, each built on the site of the predecessor, and each of high style architecture, including a train shed to protect passengers from inclement weather. At its peak in 1904, it made 100 passenger stops per day. It extended westward to Pittsburg; across the entire state. It also went eastward to Philadelphia, serving Steelton in route. The vital anthracite coal mines in the Allegheny Mountains were reached by the Northern Central Railroad. The Lebanon Valley Railroad extended eastward to Philadelphia with spurs to New York City. Another rail line was the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad which provided service to Philadelphia and other points east.
Industrial Decline 1920-70
The decades between 1920 and 1970 can be characterized by industrial decline and population shift from the city to the suburbs. Like most other cities which faced a loss of their industrial base, Harrisburg shifted to a service-oriented base, with industries such as health care and convention centers playing a big role. Harrisburg’s greatest problem was a shrinking city population after 1950. This loss in population followed a national trend and was a delayed result of the decline of Harrisburg’s steel industry. This decline began almost imperceptibly in the late 1880s, but did not become evident until the early 20th century.After being held in place for about 5 years by WWII armament production, the population peaked shortly after the war, but then took a long-overdue dive as people fled from the city. Hastening the flight to the suburbs were the cheap and available houses being built away from the crime and deteriorating situation of the city. The reduction in city population coincided with the rise in population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area. The trend continued until the 1990s.
Beginning of Harrisburg's Suburbs: 1880s
The gradual loss of industry, especially after WWII, coupled with the proliferation of the street car and later the automobile, led to urban flight to the suburbs. Allison Hill was Harrisburg’s first suburb. It was located east of the city on a prominent bluff, accessed by bridges across a wide swath of train tracks. It was developed in the late 19th century and offered affluent Harrisburgers the opportunity to live in the suburbs only a few hundred yards from their jobs in the City. Easy access was achieved via the State Street Bridge leading east from the Capitol complex and the Market Street Bridge leading from the City’s prominent business district. In 1886 a single horse trolley line was established from the city to Allison Hill. The most desirable section of Allison Hill was Mount Pleasant, which was characterized by large Colonial Revival style houses with yards for the very wealthy and smaller but still well-built row houses lining the main street for the moderately wealthy. State Street, leading from the Capitol directly toward Allison Hill, was planned to provide a grand view of the Capitol dome for those approaching the City from Allison Hill. This trend towards outlying residential areas began slowly in the late 19th century and was largely confined to the trolley line, but the growth of automobile ownership quickened the trend and spread out the population.Early 20th century to present
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
. Mira Lloyd Dock and Horace McFarland advocated urban improvements which were influenced by European urban planning design and the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
. Specifically, their efforts greatly enlarged the Harrisburg park system, creating Riverfront Park, Reservoir Park, the Italian Lake and Wildwood Park. In addition, schemes were undertaken for the burial of electric wires, the creation of a modern sanitary sewer system, and the beautification of an expanded Capitol complex
Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the administrative hub of the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the center of the complex is the State Capitol with its gilt and marble halls, vast rotunda, murals and sculpture, sparkling...
.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show
Pennsylvania Farm Show
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is held every January at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, just off Exit 67 of Interstate 81. The event, considered Pennsylvania's state fair, first began in 1917. It is the largest indoor agricultural event held in the...
, the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, was first held in 1917 and has been held every January since then. The present location of the Show is the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Arena
Pennsylvania State Farm Show Arena
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center is a large exhibition center and indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is primarily used for concerts, agricultural exhibitions, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and indoor football. The complex also hosts more than 200 other exhibits and trade shows...
, located at the corner of Maclay and Cameron streets.
In June 1972, Harrisburg was hit by a major flood from the remnants of hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
.
On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island
Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station
Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station is a civilian nuclear power plant located on Three Mile Island in the Susquehanna River, south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It has two separate units, known as TMI-1 and TMI-2...
nuclear plant, along the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
located in Londonderry Township which is south of Harrisburg, suffered a partial meltdown. Although the meltdown was contained and radiation leakages were minimal, there were still worries that an evacuation would be necessary. Governor Dick Thornburgh
Dick Thornburgh
Richard Lewis "Dick" Thornburgh is an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 41st Governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987, and then as the U.S...
, on the advice of Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
Chairman Joseph Hendrie
Joseph Hendrie
Joseph M. Hendrie is a former Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. On August 9, 1977 he was named to a four-year term on the Commission and designated as its Chairman by President Jimmy Carter...
, advised the evacuation "of pregnant women and pre-school age children ... within a five-mile radius of the Three Mile Island facility." Within days, 140,000 people had left the area.
Stephen R. Reed
Stephen R. Reed
Stephen Russell Reed is the former and longest-serving mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He moved to Harrisburg with his parents as a boy.- Biography :...
was elected mayor in 1981 and served until 2009, making him the city's longest serving mayor. In an effort to end the city's long period of economic troubles, he initiated several projects to attract new business and tourism to the city. Several museums and hotels such as Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The center is the first complex of its kind in the United States to use science as an entry to the arts. Whitaker Center exhibits science, the performing arts, and an IMAX theater under one roof...
, the National Civil War Museum
National Civil War Museum
The National Civil War Museum, located at One Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is a permanent, nonprofit educational institution created to promote the preservation of material culture and sources of information that are directly relevant to the American Civil War of...
and the Hilton Harrisburg and Towers
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
were built during his term, along with many office buildings and residential structures. Several semi-professional sports franchises, including the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
of the Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
, the defunct Harrisburg Heat
Harrisburg Heat
The Harrisburg Heat was a professional indoor soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team was part of the National Professional Soccer League, which later became the Major Indoor Soccer League, and has been defunct since 2003. The Harrisburg Heat was first formed during the 1991-92...
indoor soccer club and the Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders is an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
of the USL Second Division
USL Second Division
The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid...
began operations in the city during his tenure as mayor. While praised for the vast number of economic improvements, Reed has also been criticized for population loss and mounting debt. For example, during a budget crisis the city was forced to sell $8 million worth of Western and American-Indian artifacts collected by Mayor Reed for a never-realized museum celebrating the American West.
Topography
Harrisburg is located at 40°16′11"N 76°52′32"W (40.269789, -76.875613) in South Central PennsylvaniaSouth Central Pennsylvania
South Central Pennsylvania is a region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the fourteen counties of Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, and York....
. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 11.4 square miles (29.5 km²), of which, 8.1 square miles (21 km²) of it is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) of it (29.11%) is water. Bodies of water include Paxton Creek
Paxton Creek
Paxton Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States.The Paxton Creek watershed covers an area of and joins the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg....
which empties into the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
at Harrisburg, as well as Wildwood Lake
Wildwood Park (Pennsylvania)
Wildwood Park is a public park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The 210 acre park is known for its 90 acre shallow lake and over 6 miles of trails. The park is within the city of Harrisburg; however, it is administered and maintained by the Dauphin County parks department...
and Italian Lake
Italian Lake (Harrisburg)
Italian Lake Park is a public park located at 3rd and Division Streets in the Uptown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:The 9.5 acre park was restored to its mid-century grandeur in the 1980s. The lake is surrounded by antique-style streetlights, textured walkways, and formal gardens...
parks.
Directly to the north of Harrisburg is the Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
ridge of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. The Cumberland Valley
Cumberland Valley
The Cumberland Valley is a constituent valley of the Great Appalachian Valley and a North American agricultural region within the Atlantic Seaboard watershed in Pennsylvania and Maryland....
lies directly to the west of Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River, stretching into northern Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The fertile Lebanon Valley
Lebanon Valley
The Lebanon Valley is a geographic region that lies between South Mountain and the Ridge and Valley Province of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The valley lies almost entirely within Lebanon and Berks counties in Pennsylvania. Portions of the valley lie in eastern Dauphin and northern...
lies to the east. Harrisburg is the northern fringe of the historic Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country refers to an area of southeastern Pennsylvania, United States that by the American Revolution had a high percentage of Pennsylvania Dutch inhabitants. Religiously, there was a large portion of Lutherans. There were also German Reformed, Moravian, Amish, Mennonite and...
.
The city is the county seat of Dauphin County
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
. The adjacent counties are Northumberland County
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
There were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
to the north; Schuylkill County
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....
to the northeast; Lebanon County
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
to the east; Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
to the south; and York County
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
to the southwest; Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
to the west; and Perry County
Perry County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,602 people, 16,695 households, and 12,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile . There were 18,941 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
to the northwest.
Adjacent municipalities
Harrisburg's western boundary is formed by the Susquehanna RiverSusquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, which also serves as the boundary between Dauphin
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
and Cumberland
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
counties. The city is divided into numerous neighborhoods and districts. Like many of Pennsylvania's cities and borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
s that are at "build-out" stage, there are several townships outside of Harrisburg city limits that, although autonomous, use the name Harrisburg for postal and name-place designation. They include the townships of: Lower Paxton
Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania
Lower Paxton Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township was incorporated in 1767 from Paxton Township...
, Middle Paxton
Middle Paxton Township, Pennsylvania
Middle Paxton Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,823 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Susquehanna
Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Susquehanna Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 24,036 at the 2010 census. This represents a 9.8% increase from the 2000 census count of 21,895. Susquehanna Township has the postal ZIP codes 17109 and 17110, which maintain the Harrisburg place...
, Swatara
Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Swatara Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 22,611 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 15.8 square miles , of which, 13.2 square miles of it is land and...
and West Hanover
West Hanover Township, Pennsylvania
West Hanover Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,505 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.4 square miles , of which, 23.4 square miles of it is land and...
in Dauphin County. The borough of Penbrook
Penbrook, Pennsylvania
Penbrook is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1861 and incorporated July 10, 1894. Penbrook was once named East Harrisburg and still maintains a Harrisburg postal ZIP code...
, located just east of Reservoir Park
Reservoir Park (Harrisburg)
Reservoir Park is the largest municipal public park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and occupies approximately in the Allison Hill neighborhood of the city. Reservoir Park is also home to the National Civil War Museum and provides the setting for many of Harrisburg's most popular outdoor festivals...
, was previously known as East Harrisburg. Penbrook, along with the borough of Paxtang
Paxtang, Pennsylvania
Paxtang is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is a suburb of Harrisburg and is one of the earliest colonial settlements in South Central Pennsylvania.-History:...
, also located just outside of the city limits, maintain Harrisburg zip codes as well. The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
designates 26 zip codes for Harrisburg, including 13 for official use by federal and state government agencies.
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Climate
Harrisburg has a variable, four-season climate in the transition between the humid subtropical and humid continental zones (KöppenKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa and Dfa, respectively)。 The hottest month of the year is July with an 24-hour average of 75.9 °F (24.4 °C). Summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
is usually hot and humid and occasional heat waves can occur from time to time. The city averages around 15 days per year with above 90 degree temps although temperatures above 100 degrees are rare. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Harrisburg is 107 °F (42 °C) in July 1966. Summer thunderstorms also occur relatively frequently. Fall
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
is a pleasant season when the humidity and temperatures fall to more comfortable values.
Winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
in Harrisburg is cold: January averages 30.3 °F (-.9 °C). A major snowstorm can also occasionally occur, and some winters snowfall totals can exceed 60 inches while in other winters the city may receive very little snowfall. The snowiest month recorded on record was in February 2010 when 42 inches of snow was recorded at Harrisburg International Airport
Harrisburg International Airport
-Statistics:-Air cargo:Harrisburg International Airport is well positioned with freight-forwarding capabilities. The airport is located adjacent to I-76 , I-83, and I-81, allowing for fast air-to-ground transfer of goods and commodities...
. Overall Harrisburg receives an average of 35 inches of snow annually. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Harrisburg was −22 F in January 1994. Spring is also a nice time of year for outdoor activities. Precipitation is well-distributed and generous in most months, though May is clearly the wettest.
Cityscape
Neighborhoods
Center CityDowntown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Downtown Harrisburg, is the central core business and government center which surrounds the focal point of Market Square, and serves a the regional center for the greater metropolitan area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA....
Harrisburg, which includes the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the administrative hub of the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the center of the complex is the State Capitol with its gilt and marble halls, vast rotunda, murals and sculpture, sparkling...
, is the central core business and financial center for the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
and serves as the seat of government for Dauphin County
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There are over a dozen large neighborhoods and historic districts within the city.
Architecture
Harrisburg is home to the Pennsylvania State CapitolPennsylvania State Capitol
The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is in downtown Harrisburg. It was designed in 1902 in a Beaux-Arts style with Renaissance themes throughout...
. Completed in 1906, the central dome rises to a height of 272 feet (82.9 m) and was modeled on that of St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
in Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, Rome. The building was designed by Joseph Miller Huston
Joseph Miller Huston
Joseph Miller Huston was an architect notable for designing the third Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. Construction started in 1902 of his Beaux-Arts design...
and is adorned with sculpture, most notably the two groups, Love and Labor, the Unbroken Law and The Burden of Life, the Broken Law by sculptor George Grey Barnard
George Grey Barnard
'George Grey Barnard was an American sculptor, "an excellent American sculptor", the French art dealer René Gimpel reported in his diary , "very much engrossed in carving himself a fortune out of the trade in works of art." His lasting monument, rather than any sculpture of his own, is the...
; murals by Violet Oakley
Violet Oakley
Violet Oakley was an American artist known for her murals and her work in stained glass. She was a student and later a faculty member at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.-Life:...
and Edwin Austin Abbey
Edwin Austin Abbey
Edwin Austin Abbey was an American artist, illustrator, and painter. He flourished at the beginning of what is now referred to as the "golden age" of illustration, and is best known for his drawings and paintings of Shakespearean and Victorian subjects, as well as for his painting of Edward VII's...
; tile floor by Henry Mercer, which tells the story of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The state capitol is only the third-tallest building of Harrisburg. The five tallest buildings are 333 Market Street with a height of 341 feet (103.9 m), Pennsylvania Place with a height of 291 feet (88.7 m), the Pennsylvania State Capitol with a height of 272 feet (82.9 m), Presbyterian Apartments with a height of 259 feet (78.9 m) and the Fulton Bank Building with a height of 255 feet (77.7 m).
Economy
Harrisburg is the metropolitan center for some 400 communities. Its economy and more than 7,000 businesses are diversified with a large representation of service-related industries, especially health-care and a growing technological industry to accompany the dominant government field inherent to being the state's capital. National firms either headquartered in the region or with major operations include Tyco ElectronicsTyco Electronics
TE Connectivity, Ltd., previously known as Tyco Electronics, Ltd., and formerly a segment of Tyco International, is a leading global provider of engineered electronic components, network solutions, undersea telecommunication systems, and specialty products for customers in more than 150 countries...
, EDS
EDS
- Education :* Educational specialist , a terminal academic degree in the U.S.* Episcopal Divinity School, an Episcopal Seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts* Evansville Day School, an independent college-prep school in Evansville, Indiana- Politics :...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Hershey Foods
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
, Harsco Corporation
Harsco Corporation
Harsco Corporation is a diversified, worldwide industrial company based in the United States. Harsco operates in 54 countries and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company provides industrial services and engineered products that serve some of the world’s largest and most...
, and Rite Aid Corporation
Rite Aid
Rite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S....
. The largest employers, the federal and state
Government of Pennsylvania
-History:Pennsylvania has had five constitutions during its statehood: 1776, 1790, 1838, 1874, and . Prior to that, the province of Pennsylvania was governed for a century by a book titled Frame of Government, written by William Penn, of which there were four versions: 1682, 1683, 1696, and...
governments, provide stability to the economy. The regions extensive transportation infrastructure has allowed it become a prominent center for trade, warehousing, and distribution.
Top employers
According to the 2009 report from the Harrisburg Regional ChamberHarrisburg Regional Chamber
The Harrisburg Regional Chamber was founded in 1912, and was originally known as the Harrisburg Board of Trade, which was established in the late 19th century. The HRC currently represents 1730 businesses in Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties in Pennsylvania. The HRC is composed of 24 staff...
, the top employers in the region
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Government of Pennsylvania -History:Pennsylvania has had five constitutions during its statehood: 1776, 1790, 1838, 1874, and . Prior to that, the province of Pennsylvania was governed for a century by a book titled Frame of Government, written by William Penn, of which there were four versions: 1682, 1683, 1696, and... |
24,269 | Government Government Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized... |
| 2 | United States Federal government Federal government of the United States The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and... , including the military United States armed forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military... |
16,733 | Government |
| 3 | Penn State Harrisburg Penn State Harrisburg Penn State Harrisburg, also called The Capital College, is an undergraduate college and graduate school of the Pennsylvania State University. The main campus of Penn State Harrisburg is located in Lower Swatara Township, 9 miles south of Harrisburg... , including Penn State Hershey Medical Center Penn State Hershey Medical Center Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, 10 miles east of Harrisburg, is Penn State’s medical school and academic medical center, and is the only medical school and university hospital in Pennsylvania located outside the urban areas of Philadelphia and... and Penn State Dickinson School of Law |
9,425 | Higher Education Commonwealth System of Higher Education The Commonwealth System of Higher Education is the organizing body of Pennsylvania's "state-related" schools, which allows the independent control of the universities while supplying them with the public funds needed for operations at each institution. Universities in the System are considered... |
| 4 | The Hershey Company The Hershey Company The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S... |
8,400 | Food Confectionery Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well... manufacturer |
| 5 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000... |
6,090 | Retail store Big-box store A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store... chain |
| 6 | Highmark Highmark Highmark is a not-for-profit health insurance company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the largest health insurer in Pennsylvania, and through a purchase in 1996, the largest health insurer in West Virginia. As Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, it primarily serves the 29... |
5,100 | Health insurance Health insurance Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is... |
| 7 | TE Connectivity | 4,700 | Electronic component Electronic component An electronic component is a basic electronic element and may be available in a discrete form having two or more electrical terminals . These are intended to be connected together, usually by soldering to a printed circuit board, in order to create an electronic circuit with a particular function... manufacturer |
| 8 | PinnacleHealth System PinnacleHealth System PinnacleHealth System is a community-based, physician-led health care system serving the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. PinnacleHealth operates five primary care facilities as well as a network of family practice and urgent care centers, managed care entities, home health-care,... , including Harrisburg Hospital Harrisburg Hospital Harrisburg Hospital is a 400-bed urban community hospital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving as the primary hospital for the also Harrisburg-based PinnacleHealth System, a primary chain of hospitals and clinics serving central Pennsylvania. The hospital is a teaching facility providing... and Polyclinic Medical Center Polyclinic Medical Center Polyclinic Medical Center, also known as Polyclinic Hospital, is a polyclinic in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and part of the PinnacleHealth System, a primary chain of hospitals and clinics serving central Pennsylvania. The hospital is a teaching facility providing comprehensive outpatient and... |
4,500 | Health-care and hospital system |
| 9 | Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company Hershey Entertainment and Resorts , also known as "HERCO", is a privately owned company of the Hershey Trust Company.- History :The company was originally founded by Milton S... , including Hersheypark Hersheypark Hersheypark is an amusement park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near the Hershey Chocolate Factory.Hersheypark was opened on April 24, 1907 as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, an American confectionery company. Later, the company decided to open the park to the... |
3,835 | Entertainment and amusement Amusement park thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people... parks |
| 10 | Giant Food Stores, Inc. | 3,600 | Retail grocery chain |
People and culture in Harrisburg
Culture
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The center is the first complex of its kind in the United States to use science as an entry to the arts. Whitaker Center exhibits science, the performing arts, and an IMAX theater under one roof...
, which was completed in 1999, is the first center of its type in the United States where education, science and the performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
take place under one roof. The Forum, a 1,763-seat concert and lecture hall built in 1930-31, is a state-owned and operated facility located within the State Capitol Complex
Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the administrative hub of the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the center of the complex is the State Capitol with its gilt and marble halls, vast rotunda, murals and sculpture, sparkling...
. Since 1931, The Forum has been home to the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA.The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra can be traced back to the early 1930s during the throes of the Great Depression. The orchestra gave its first concert at William Penn High School in Harrisburg on...
.
Beginning in 2001, downtown Harrisburg saw a surge of commercial nightlife development. This has been credited with reversing the city's financial decline, and has made downtown Harrisburg a destination for events from jazz festivals to Top-40 nightclubs.
Harrisburg is also the home of the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show
Pennsylvania Farm Show
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is held every January at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, just off Exit 67 of Interstate 81. The event, considered Pennsylvania's state fair, first began in 1917. It is the largest indoor agricultural event held in the...
, the largest agricultural exhibition
Agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...
of its kind in the nation. Farmers from all over Pennsylvania come to show their animals and participate in competitions. Livestock are on display for people to interact with and view. In 2004, Harrisburg hosted CowParade
CowParade
CowParade is an international public art exhibit that has been featured in major world cities. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city centre, in public places such as train stations, important avenues, and parks. They often feature artwork and...
, an international public art exhibit that has been featured in major cities all over the world. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city centre, in public places such as train stations and parks. They often feature artwork and designs specific to local culture, as well as city life and other relevant themes.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the city was 30.7% White, 52.4% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 5.2% were two or more races. 18.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.In the census of 2000, there were 48,950 people, 20,561 households, and 10,917 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,035.6 people per square mile (2,330.4/km²). There were 24,314 housing units at an average density of 2,997.9 per square mile (1,157.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.83% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 31.72% White, 0.37% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.54% from other races, and 3.64% from two or more races. 11.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Harrisburg is the 6th most populous city in eastern Pennsylvania and 47th in the nation of Vietnamese
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
population with 2,649 residents.
There were 20,561 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.4% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,920, and the median income for a family was $29,556. Males had a median income of $27,670 versus $24,405 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,787. About 23.4% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.9% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.
The very first census taken in the United States occurred in 1790. At that time Harrisburg was a small, but substantial colonial town with a population of 875 residents. With the increase of the city's prominence as an industrial and transportation center, Harrisburg reached its peak population build up in 1950, topping out at nearly 90,000 residents. Since the 1950s, Harrisburg, along with other northeastern urban centers large and small, has experienced a declining population that is ultimately fueling the growth of its suburbs, although the decline - which was very rapid in the 1960s and 1970s - has slowed considerably since the 1980s. Unlike Western and Southern states
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt or Spanish Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest . Another rough boundary of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel, north latitude. It is the largest region which the U.S government does not recognize officially...
, Pennsylvania maintains a complex system of municipalities and has very little legislation on either the annexation/expansion of cities or the consolidating of municipal entities.
Reversing fifty years of decline, 2007 Census Bureau estimates show that Harrisburg's population has actually grown. Between 2006 and 2007, Harrisburg gained 22 people. In 2009 the urban population of the Harrisburg area increased to 383,008 from 362,782 in 2000, a change of 20,226 people. In 2010, the Harrisburg area was listed with Lebanon
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
and York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
as a urban agglomeration, or a contiguous area of continuously developed urban land, signifying a future merger of the York-Hanover
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
and Harrisburg metropolitan area
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
s, which would create a metropolitan area of over 1 million.
Media
The Harrisburg area has two daily newspapers. The Patriot-NewsThe Patriot-News
The Patriot-News is the largest daily newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation in the United States...
is published in Harrisburg and has a daily circulation of over 100,000. The Sentinel
The Sentinel (Pennsylvania)
The Sentinel is a daily newspaper based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, serving the Harrisburg metropolitan area. The newspaper is generally considered more conservative than the Patriot-News and has a strong circulation base in central and western Cumberland County and parts of Perry County.-External...
, which is published in Carlisle, roughly 20 miles west of Harrisburg, serves many of Harrisburg's western suburbs in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
. The Press and Journal
Press and Journal (Pennsylvania)
The Press and Journal is a weekly newspaper serving Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Established in 1854, the paper has a circulation of approximately 8,000 copies in the Highspire, Hummelstown, Londonderry Township, Lower Swatara Township, Middletown, and Royalton....
, published in Middletown, is one of many weekly, general information newspapers in the Harrisburg area. Harrisburg has one monthly community newspaper, TheBurg. There are also numerous television and radio stations in the Harrisburg/Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
/York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
area, which makes up the 39th largest media market in the nation.
Newspapers
- Harrisburg Gossip (community gossip & news)
- The Burg (community newspaper)
- Central Penn Business JournalCentral Penn Business JournalThe Central Penn Business Journal is a business newspaper headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The publication is circulated on a weekly basis and covers five counties in central Pennsylvania: Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York....
- Carlisle SentinelThe Sentinel (Pennsylvania)The Sentinel is a daily newspaper based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, serving the Harrisburg metropolitan area. The newspaper is generally considered more conservative than the Patriot-News and has a strong circulation base in central and western Cumberland County and parts of Perry County.-External...
- The Patriot-NewsThe Patriot-NewsThe Patriot-News is the largest daily newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation in the United States...
- Press and Journal (Pennsylvania)Press and Journal (Pennsylvania)The Press and Journal is a weekly newspaper serving Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Established in 1854, the paper has a circulation of approximately 8,000 copies in the Highspire, Hummelstown, Londonderry Township, Lower Swatara Township, Middletown, and Royalton....
Television
The Harrisburg TV market is served by:- WGALWGALWGAL is the NBC-affiliated television station for South Central Pennsylvania that is licensed to Lancaster. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter near U.S. 30 north of Hallam. The transmitter site and tower is also where WGAL's radio partner, WROZ "101.3...
- (NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) - WLYH-TVWLYH-TVWLYH-TV is the CW-affiliated television station for South Central Pennsylvania licensed to Lancaster. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 23 from a transmitter on Butler Road in South Londonderry Township's Timber Hills section. The station can also be seen on Comcast...
- (The CW) - WHBG-TV - cable-only, public access
- WHP-TVWHP-TVWHP-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for South Central Pennsylvania licensed to Harrisburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21. Its transmitter on a ridge north of Linglestown Road in Susquehanna Township...
- (CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
) - WHTM-TVWHTM-TVWHTM-TV "ABC 27" is the ABC-affiliated television station for South Central Pennsylvania that's licensed to Harrisburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter on the ridge north of I-81 along the Cumberland and Perry County line...
- (ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) - W35BTW35BTW07DP-D is the broadcast affiliate of the Cornerstone Television Network , serving the Harrisburg / Lancaster / York, Pennsylvania market. Prior to June 2009 W35BT broadcast as a low-power station on analog channel 35. Currently this station broadcasts on digital channel 7...
- (CTVN) - WITF-TVWITF-TVWITF-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station available on digital channel 36 , based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. WITF broadcasts throughout the Susquehanna Valley viewing area, and is a sister station to the area's NPR member station, WITF-FM...
- (PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
) - WPMTWPMTWPMT, also known as channel 43 or Fox 43, is a Fox-affiliated television station licensed to York, Pennsylvania. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station has studios in Spring Garden, Pennsylvania , and its transmitter is located in Hallam, Pennsylvania...
- (Fox) - WGCB-TVWGCB-TVWGCB-TV is a television station serving the Harrisburg/Lancaster/York region of Pennsylvania, United States. Broadcasting a digital signal on UHF channel 30, it is an independent station producing mainly Christian programs.It is also affiliated with Me-TV...
- independent, religious - PCN-TVPennsylvania Cable NetworkPCN is a Government-access television cable television network dedicated to 24-hour coverage of government and public affairs in the commonwealth...
, is a cable televisionCable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
networkTelevision networkA television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
dedicated to 24-hour coverage of governmentGovernmentGovernment refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and public affairs in the commonwealthCommonwealth (United States)Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia....
. - Roxbury NewsRoxbury NewsThe Roxbury News is an independent video news company based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The company is best known for producing news videos covering various city council and school board meetings, as well as Pennsylvania political and governmental events....
- independent news
Radio
According to Arbitron, Harrisburg's radio market is ranked #78th in the nation.This is a list of FM stations in the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area.
| Callsign | MHz | Band | "Name" Format, Owner | City of license City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WDCV | 88.3 | FM | Indie/College Rock, Dickinson College Dickinson College Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly... |
Carlisle | |
| WXPH | 88.7 | FM | WXPN WXPN WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts a music radio format called adult album alternative , along with many other format shows supported all with an indie slant... relay, University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution... |
Harrisburg | |
| WSYC | 88.7 | FM | Alternative, Shippensburg University | Shippensburg | |
| WITF-FM WITF-FM WITF-FM is a public radio station based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, located on the FM dial at 89.5 MHz. Since its debut on April 1, 1971, it has aired classical music and NPR news throughout central Pennsylvania, including the Susquehanna Valley, which includes Harrisburg Lancaster, Lebanon and... |
89.5 | FM | NPR NPR NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting... |
Harrisburg | |
| WVMM WVMM WVMM is Messiah College's student-operated radio station, located at 90.7 MHz FM. The station is known by its listeners as "The V". Messiah College had a radio station from 1970-1983. On October 6, 1989, WVMM was resumed, this time as an over-the-air FM radio station. Prior to that, it was heard... |
90.7 | FM | Indie/College Rock, Messiah College Messiah College Messiah College is a private Christian college of the liberal arts and applied arts and sciences located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, near the capital city of Harrisburg... |
Grantham | |
| WJAZ | 91.7 | FM | WRTI WRTI WRTI is a public radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a service of Temple University.WRTI began in 1948 as an AM carrier current station. It was founded by John Roberts, professor emeritus of communications at Temple and long-time anchorman at WFIL-TV . He'd helped found the School... relay, Classical/Jazz, Temple University Temple University Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional... |
Harrisburg | |
| WTPA | 92.1 | FM | Classic Rock | Mechanicsburg | |
| WKZF | 92.7 | FM | "92.7 KZF" Classic Rock | Starview | |
| WWKL WWKL WWKL is a rhythmic contemporary music formatted radio station serving the Harrisburg metropolitan area. The Cumulus Communications outlet is licensed to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. There is no relation with HOT 92 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania or HOT 100 in Altoona, Pennsylvania... |
93.5 | FM | "Hot 92", CHR | Palmyra | |
| WRBT WRBT WRBT is a country music radio station broadcasting in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts with a power of 25 kilowatts from a transmitter site in Enola, Pennsylvania.-History:... |
94.9 | FM | "Bob" Country | Harrisburg | |
| WLAN WLAN-FM WLAN-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Reading, Pennsylvania, York, Pennsylvania, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA... |
96.9 | FM | "FM 97" CHR | Lancaster | |
| WRVV WRVV WRVV is an FM radio station broadcasting in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Its format is classic hits broadcasting on 97.3 MHz with a power of 15 kilowatts from the WHP-TV tower in Susquehanna Township, Pennsylvania. Its slogan is "The River 97.3 WRVV, Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, Lebanon: Rock without... |
97.3 | FM | "The River" Classic Hits and the Best of Today's Rock | Harrisburg | |
| WYCR WYCR WYCR is a classic hits music formatted radio station based in York, Pennsylvania. The station's moniker prior to 2004 was "98 YCR", with a top 40 format.- External links :*... |
98.5 | FM | "98.5 The Peak" Classic Hits | York | |
| WQLV WQLV WQLV is an Adult Contemporary music formatted radio station in Millersburg, Pennsylvania. The station is primarily intended to serve the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area... |
98.9 | FM | "Love 99" Adult Contemporary | Millersburg | |
| WHKF | 99.3 | FM | "Kiss-FM" CHR | Harrisburg | |
| WQIC WQIC WQIC is Soft Rock 100.1 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania serving the Lebanon Valley region of Pennsylvania. It has an AM sister station, WLBR, broadcasting on AM 1270, out of the same building. The radio signal can be heard as far as Harrisburg to the west, Reading to the east, Lancaster to the south, and... |
100.1 | FM | Adult Contemporary | Lebanon | |
| WROZ WROZ WROZ is 101.3 The Rose in Lancaster, Pennsylvania serving Lancaster, York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They play recent adult contemporary music like Rob Thomas, The Fray, Daughtry, Gwen Stefani, Nickelback, and Sheryl Crow just to name a few. They position themselves as 101 The Rose "An Upbeat... |
101.3 | FM | " 101 The Rose" Hot AC | Lancaster | |
| WARM | 103.3 | FM | "Wink 103" Hot Ac | York | |
| WNNK WNNK WNNK-FM is a hot adult contemporary music formatted radio station serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area. Its studio is located in Linglestown, Pennsylvania and its transmitter is located on an Antenna farm alongside WHTM-TV in Enola, Pennsylvania.-History:Wink 104 actually began life with the... |
104.1 | FM | "Wink 104" Hot AC | Harrisburg | |
| WQXA WQXA WQXA-FM is a commercial radio station in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 105.7 FM. The station was formerly known as Q106 in the 80s and later became a dance station, known as Hot 105.7 in the early 90s. The format was then changed to an active rock music format branded as first "105.7 The... |
105.7 | FM | "105.7 The X" Active Rock | York | |
| WMHX | 106.7 | FM | "Channel 106.7" Adult Hits | Hershey | |
| WGTY WGTY WGTY is a country music formatted radio station. Owned by Times & News Publishing, it is licensed to Gettysburg, serving Adams County and York County in Pennsylvania.-History:... |
107.7 | FM | "Great Country" | York |
This is a list of AM stations in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area:
| Callsign | kHz | Band | Format | City of license |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHP (AM) WHP (AM) WHP is an AM station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station broadcasts at 580 kHz with 5,000 watts power daytime non-directional and 5,200 watts night time power from a six tower antenna array in Enola, Pennsylvania.... |
580 | AM | Conservative News/Talk | Harrisburg |
| WHYF | 720 | AM | EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network | Shiremanstown |
| WSBA (AM) WSBA (AM) WSBA is a radio station in York, Pennsylvania. The station used to be owned by Susquehanna Radio until 2005, when it was purchased by Cumulus Media... |
910 | AM | News/Talk | York |
| WADV WADV WADV is a radio station licensed to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA, the station serves the Lancaster area. The station is currently owned by Wadv Radio, Inc.... |
940 | AM | Gospel | Lebanon |
| WHYL WHYL WHYL is an Adult Standards music formatted radio station licensed to serve Carlisle, Pennsylvania, consisting of a 2 tower array broadcasting on 960 kHz. The call letters are the initials of Richard F. Lewis, Jr.'s wife, one of the station's former owners... |
960 | AM | Adult Standards | Carlisle |
| WIOO WIOO 'WIOO', known as "Country Gold FM & AM", WIOO - AM is a 1000-watt daytime radio station licensed to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It broadcasts an omnidirectional signal on 1000 kHz & which is duplicated on FM 97.9 MHz with fulltime service. The AM signed on the air in 1965. FM service was added in... |
1000 | AM | Classic Country | Carlisle |
| WKBO WKBO WKBO is the callsign of an AM radio station licensed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by One Heart Ministries and broadcasts on 1230 kHz at 480 watts full time, non-directional, from a tower located at the Harrisburg Water plant... |
1230 | AM | Christian Contemporary | Harrisburg |
| WQXA | 1250 | AM | Country | York |
| WLBR WLBR WLBR is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA, the station is currently owned by Lebanon Broadcasting Co... |
1270 | AM | Talk | Lebanon |
| WTCY WTCY WHGB is a radio station broadcasting an sports format. Licensed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, it serves the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting under the call sign WFEC. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media and features sports programming from ESPN Radio... |
1400 | AM | Now ESPN Radio (Formerly Adult R&B: The Touch) | Harrisburg |
| WTKT WTKT WTKT is an AM radio station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station broadcasts at 1460 kHz with 5,000 watts power daytime non-directional and 4,200 watts night time power from a three tower antenna array in Summerdale, Pennsylvania... |
1460 | AM | sports: "The Ticket" | Harrisburg |
| WEEO (AM) WEEO (AM) WEEO is an American radio station licensed to serve Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The station simulcasts a country music format with sister station WIOO called "Country Gold Radio".... |
1480 | AM | Oldies | Shippensburg |
| WLPA WLPA WLPA is the Fox Sports Radio affiliate in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on the AM dial.The station offers coverage of the following sports teams, according to their official website:*Lancaster Barnstormers*Hershey Bears*Penn State Football... |
1490 | AM | sports | Lancaster |
| WWSM WWSM WWSM is a daytime-only radio station broadcasting a classic country music format. Licensed to Annville-Cleona, Pennsylvania, USA, the station is currently owned by Patrick H. Sickafus and features programing from USA Radio Network and Westwood One.... |
1510 | AM | Classic Country | Annville |
| WPDC | 1600 | AM | Spanish | Elizabethtown |
Harrisburg in film
Several feature filmFeature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s and television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
have been filmed or set in and around Harrisburg and the greater Susquehanna Valley
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
.
Museums, art collections, and sites of interest
- Broad Street MarketBroad Street MarketThe Broad Street Market, founded in 1860, is located in the Midtown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. Originally established on Broad Street by the Verbeke family, it is today one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in the country.-History:During the...
, one of the oldest continuously operating farmers marketsFarmers' marketA farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
in the United States. - Capital Area Greenbelt, a twenty mile long greenwayGreenway (landscape)A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
linking city neighborhoods, parks and open spaces - Dauphin County Veteran's Memorial ObeliskDauphin County Veteran's Memorial ObeliskInspired by the classic Roman/Egyptian obelisk form, Dauphin County Veteran's Memorial Obelisk was originally erected in the middle of a park located at the North Second and State Streets intersection of downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania from 1866 to 1876 as a tribute to Dauphin County’s Civil War...
inspired by the classic RomanRoman architectureAncient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
/EgyptianAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
obeliskObeliskAn obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
form; located in uptownUptown (Harrisburg)Uptown is the only neighborhood in Harrisburg completely developed in the 20th century. Bordered by the Susquehanna River to the West, Maclay Street to the South, North 7th Street to the East and Susquehanna Township to the north, the neighborhood is home to many beautiful mansions along Front...
Harrisburg - Fort Hunter Mansion and ParkFort Hunter, PennsylvaniaFort Hunter is an unincorporated community in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, located north of downtown Harrisburg on a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna River - John Harris - Simon Cameron MansionSimon Cameron HouseSimon Cameron House, also known as John Harris Mansion and the Harris Cameron Mansion is a site in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The structure is one of the oldest buildings in Harrisburg and has undergone numerous additions and significant renovations since it was first constructed in 1766...
, a National Historic Landmark located in downtown Harrisburg along the river - Market SquareMarket Square, HarrisburgHarrisburg's Market Square is located in Downtown Harrisburg at the intersection of 2nd and Market Streets. The square was created in 1785. Since then, it has traditionally been the heart of the city, and since the 1980s has undergone a revival with several new commercial, residential and retail...
, originally planned in 1785 and serves as the pinnacle of downtown - National Civil War MuseumNational Civil War MuseumThe National Civil War Museum, located at One Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is a permanent, nonprofit educational institution created to promote the preservation of material culture and sources of information that are directly relevant to the American Civil War of...
, located at Reservoir Park and affiliated with the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington, D.C. - Pennsylvania National Fire MuseumPennsylvania National Fire MuseumThe Pennsylvania National Fire Museum is a museum devoted to fire fighter heritage in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The museum has an outstanding collection of artifacts from the hand-drawn equipment, extensive collection of vintage fire apparatus, artifacts, pictures and information...
- Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, one of the largest convention/exhibition centers on the east coast
- Pennsylvania State Capitol ComplexPennsylvania State Capitol ComplexThe Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the administrative hub of the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the center of the complex is the State Capitol with its gilt and marble halls, vast rotunda, murals and sculpture, sparkling...
, the center of government for the commonwealthCommonwealth (United States)Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia....
and home to the state capitol buildingPennsylvania State CapitolThe Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is in downtown Harrisburg. It was designed in 1902 in a Beaux-Arts style with Renaissance themes throughout...
, state archivesPennsylvania State ArchivesThe Pennsylvania State Archives is the official archive for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, administered as part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. It is located in the state capitol of Harrisburg and is a part of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex.It was founded in 1903,...
, and state libraryState Library of PennsylvaniaThe State Library of Pennsylvania is one of the largest research libraries in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Office of Commonwealth Libraries, within the Pennsylvania Department of Education, has holdings in almost every area of human concern... - Reservoir ParkReservoir Park (Harrisburg)Reservoir Park is the largest municipal public park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and occupies approximately in the Allison Hill neighborhood of the city. Reservoir Park is also home to the National Civil War Museum and provides the setting for many of Harrisburg's most popular outdoor festivals...
, the largest public park in the city - State Museum of PennsylvaniaState Museum of PennsylvaniaThe State Museum of Pennsylvania is a non-profit museum at 300 North Street in downtown Harrisburg, run by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to preserve and interpret the region's history and culture. It is a part of the Pennsylvania State...
- Strawberry SquareStrawberry SquareStrawberry Square is a mixed-use retail and commercial complex located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is owned and managed by the Harristown Development Corporation , a non-profit organization.-History:...
, across the street from the Capitol Complex, home of many state offices and a small shopping center - Susquehanna art museumSusquehanna Art MuseumThe Susquehanna Art Museum is a public art museum in United States. It is located in historic downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the state's capital.- Museum history :...
, formerly located in downtown Harrisburg, and currently preparing a new location in the Midtown district - Whitaker Center for Science and the ArtsWhitaker Center for Science and the ArtsWhitaker Center for Science and the Arts is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The center is the first complex of its kind in the United States to use science as an entry to the arts. Whitaker Center exhibits science, the performing arts, and an IMAX theater under one roof...
, features an IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theater
Parks and recreation
- City Island and Beach
- Riverfront ParkRiverfront Park (Harrisburg)Riverfront Park is a public park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.The park runs parallel to the Susquehanna River between the shoreline and Front Street from Vaughn Street South to Paxton Street. Riverfront Park offers picturesque views of the river, City Island, Wormleysburg and Blue Mountain in the...
- Italian LakeItalian Lake (Harrisburg)Italian Lake Park is a public park located at 3rd and Division Streets in the Uptown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:The 9.5 acre park was restored to its mid-century grandeur in the 1980s. The lake is surrounded by antique-style streetlights, textured walkways, and formal gardens...
, 9.4 acre park located in the UptownUptown (Harrisburg)Uptown is the only neighborhood in Harrisburg completely developed in the 20th century. Bordered by the Susquehanna River to the West, Maclay Street to the South, North 7th Street to the East and Susquehanna Township to the north, the neighborhood is home to many beautiful mansions along Front...
neighborhood. - Wildwood Lake ParkWildwood Park (Pennsylvania)Wildwood Park is a public park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The 210 acre park is known for its 90 acre shallow lake and over 6 miles of trails. The park is within the city of Harrisburg; however, it is administered and maintained by the Dauphin County parks department...
- Reservoir ParkReservoir Park (Harrisburg)Reservoir Park is the largest municipal public park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and occupies approximately in the Allison Hill neighborhood of the city. Reservoir Park is also home to the National Civil War Museum and provides the setting for many of Harrisburg's most popular outdoor festivals...
- Capital Area GreenbeltCapital Area GreenbeltThe Capital Area Greenbelt is a long green belt around urbanized portions of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, linking many city neighborhoods, parks and open spaces. For several miles, between Shipoke and Uptown, the Greenbelt follows the east bank of the Susquehanna River...
Sports
Harrisburg serves as the hub of professional sports in South Central PennsylvaniaSouth Central Pennsylvania
South Central Pennsylvania is a region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the fourteen counties of Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, and York....
. A host of teams compete in the region including three professional baseball teams, the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
, the Lancaster Barnstormers
Lancaster Barnstormers
The Lancaster Barnstormers is an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
, and the York Revolution
York Revolution
The York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
. The Senators are the oldest team of the three, with the current incarnation playing since 1987. The original Harrisburg Senators began playing in the Eastern League in 1924. Playing its home games at Island Field
City Island (Pennsylvania)
City Island is a mile-long island in the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is used mainly for leisure and sports activities...
, the team won the league championship in the 1927, 1928, and 1931 seasons. The Senators played a few more seasons before flood waters destroyed Island Field in 1936, effectively ending Eastern League participation for fifty-one years. In 1940, Harrisburg gained an Interstate League team affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
; however, the team remained in the city only until 1943, when it moved to nearby York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
and renamed the York Pirates. The current Harrisburg Senators, affiliated with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, have won the Eastern League championship in the 1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 seasons.
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg Senators Harrisburg Senators The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.... |
EL, Baseball | Metro Bank Park | 1987 | 6 |
| Central Penn Piranha | BNEFF, Football | Skyline Sports Complex Skyline Sports Complex Skyline Sports Complex is a sports complex/stadium on City Island, along the Susquehanna River, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.The original structure was built in 1987 and is adjacent to Metro Bank Park.... |
1995 | 5 |
| Harrisburg City Islanders Harrisburg City Islanders Harrisburg City Islanders is an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.... |
USL USL Second Division The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid... , Soccer |
Skyline Sports Complex | 2004 | 1 |
| Harrisburg Stampede Harrisburg Stampede The Harrisburg Stampede is a professional indoor football team in American Indoor Football. The team plays its home games at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center.... |
SIFL Southern Indoor Football League The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in... , Indoor football |
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center | 2009 | 0 |
| Central PA Vipers Central PA Vipers The Central PA Vipers are a team of the Independent Women's Football League. Based in the Steelton suburb of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Vipers play their home games at Steelton-Highspire School District's War Veterans Memorial Field, also known as Cottage Hill.Prior to playing in the IWFL, the... |
IWFL Independent Women's Football League The Independent Women's Football League was founded in 2000, and began play in 2001.IWFL founders began with the goal to establish a quality women's football league that would be respected as the top level of women's tackle football in the world.... , Women's football |
Susquehanna Township High School Susquehanna Township School District The Susquehanna Township School District is a midsized, suburban, public school district serving students from Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The school district is located in suburban Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, a high... |
2006 | 0 |
| Keystone Assault Keystone Assault The Keystone Assault is a charter member of the Women's Football Alliance which began play for its inaugural 2009 season. Based in the Pennsylvania capital of Harrisburg, the Assault plays its home games at In the Net Sports Complex in nearby Palmyra.... |
WFA Women's Football Alliance The Women's Football Alliance is a full-contact Women's American football league which began play in the spring of 2009. They have now completed three full seasons and grew to over 60 teams slated for the 2011 season. The women play 11 person tackle football games with rules that basically mirror... , Women's football |
TBA | 2009 | 0 |
| Harrisburg Horizon Harrisburg Horizon The Harrisburg Horizon are a professional basketball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Horizon is a member of the Eastern Basketball Alliance. From the 1998 season to 2008, the Horizon has played their home games at Manny Weaver Gymnasium at Rowland Intermediate... |
EBA Eastern Basketball Alliance The Eastern Basketball Alliance is a professional men's winter basketball league. Games are played on the weekends and the season is approximately 4 months long, January through April.-History:... , Basketball |
Manny Weaver Gym | 1998 | 5 |
| Harrisburg Lunatics Harrisburg Lunatics The Harrisburg Lunatics are a professional inline hockey team based in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania, and competing in the PIHA. Harrisburg is one of two teams that were original members of PIHA that are currently competing in the PIHA, the other is the Pennsylvania Typhoon... |
PIHA Professional Inline Hockey Association The Professional Inline Hockey Association, often abbreviated to the PIHA, is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates an elite inline hockey league of 16 franchised member clubs, all of which are located in the United States. Headquartered in Middletown, Pennsylvania, the PIHA... , Inline hockey |
Susquehanna Sports Center Susquehanna Sports Center The Susquehanna Sports Center is an indoor arena located in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania , in the United States. It is the home arena of the Harrisburg Lunatics and Pennsylvania Typhoon of the PIHA.... |
2001 | 0 |
| Harrisburg RFC | EPRU Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union The Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union is the Local Area Union for rugby union teams in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, as well as Delaware and parts of New Jersey... , MARFU, Rugby |
Cibort Park, Bressler Bressler-Enhaut-Oberlin, Pennsylvania Bressler-Enhaut-Oberlin is a census-designated place in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,809 at the 2000 census... |
1969 | 1 |
City of Harrisburg
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. City Government Center, the only city hall in the United States named for a civil rights leader, serves as a central location for the administrative functions of the city.Harrisburg has been served since 1970 by the "strong mayor
Mayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
" form of municipal government, with separate executive and legislative branches. The Mayor serves a four-year term with no term limits. As the full-time chief executive, the Mayor oversees the operation of 34 agencies, run by department and office heads, some of whom comprise the Mayor's cabinet, including the Departments of Public Safety (police and fire bureaus), Public Works, Business Administration, Parks and Recreation, Incineration and Steam Generation, Building & Housing Development and Solicitor. The city has 721 employees (2003). The current mayor of Harrisburg is Linda D. Thompson
Linda D. Thompson
Linda D. Thompson is the current mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She assumed office on January 4, 2010. Thompson is Harrisburg's first female and first black mayor.- Early life :...
, whose term expires January 2014.
There are seven city council
Harrisburg City Council
The Harrisburg City Council, is the legislative branch of the city government of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and consists of seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members and presides over the Council meetings. In the event of illness or absence of the President, the...
members, all elected at large, who serve part-time for four-year terms. There are two other elected city posts, city treasurer
City Treasurer
The City Treasurer is a position of responsibility for a city according to the prevailing laws in that city.The treasurer of a public agency is elected by the voting public or is appointed by the city council or city manager...
and city controller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
, who separately head their own fiscally related offices. The current city controller is Daniel C. Miller
Daniel C. Miller
Daniel C. Miller is the current Harrisburg City Controller and former member of the Harrisburg City Council. Both positions are elected at large. Miller is Harrisburg's first openly gay city councillor.-Biography:...
, whose term expires in January 2014.
Property tax reform
Harrisburg is also known nationally for its use of a two tiered land value taxationLand value tax in the United States
Land value taxation in the United States has a long history dating back from Physiocrat influence on Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, and continues to be used today, particularly in Pennsylvania.- History :...
. Harrisburg has taxed land
Land value tax
A land value tax is a levy on the unimproved value of land. It is an ad valorem tax on land that disregards the value of buildings, personal property and other improvements...
at a rate six times that on improvements since 1975, and this policy has been credited by its former mayor, Stephen R. Reed
Stephen R. Reed
Stephen Russell Reed is the former and longest-serving mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He moved to Harrisburg with his parents as a boy.- Biography :...
, as well as by the city's former city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
during the 1980s with reducing the number of vacant structures
Abandonment
The term abandonment has a multitude of uses, legal and extra-legal. This "signpost article" provides a guide to the various legal and quasi-legal uses of the word and includes links to articles that deal with each of the distinct concepts at greater length...
located in downtown Harrisburg from about 4,200 in 1982 to fewer than 500 in 1995. During this same period of time between 1982 and 1995, nearly 4,700 more city residents became employed, the crime rate dropped 22.5% and the fire rate dropped 51%.
Harrisburg, as well as nearly 20 other Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
cities, employs a two-rate or split-rate property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
, which requires the taxing of the value of land at a higher rate and the value of the buildings and improvements at a lower one. This can be seen as a compromise between pure LVT and an ordinary property tax falling on real estate (land value plus improvement value). Alternatively, two-rate taxation may be seen as a form that allows gradual transformation of the traditional real estate property tax into a pure land value tax.
Nearly two dozen local Pennsylvania jurisdictions, such as Harrisburg, use two-rate property taxation in which the tax on land value is higher and the tax on improvement value is lower. In 2000, Florenz Plassmann and Nicolaus Tideman
Nicolaus Tideman
T. Nicolaus Tideman is a Professor of Economics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics and mathematics from Reed College in 1965 and his PhD in economics from the University of Chicago in 1969...
wrote that when comparing Pennsylvania cities using a higher tax rate on land value and a lower rate on improvements with similar sized Pennsylvania cities using the same rate on land and improvements, the higher land value taxation leads to increased construction within the jurisdiction.
Dauphin County
Dauphin County Government Complex, in downtown Harrisburg, serves the administrative functions of the county. The trial court
Trial court
A trial court or court of first instance is a court in which trials take place. Such courts are said to have original jurisdiction.- In the United States :...
of general jurisdiction for Harrisburg rests with the Court of Dauphin County
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
and is largely funded and operated by county resources and employees.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania State Capitol ComplexPennsylvania State Capitol Complex
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the administrative hub of the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the center of the complex is the State Capitol with its gilt and marble halls, vast rotunda, murals and sculpture, sparkling...
dominates the city's stature as a regional and national hub for government and politics. All administrative functions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are located within the complex and at various nearby locations.
The Commonwealth Judicial Center houses Pennsylvania's three appellate courts, which are located in Harrisburg. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
, which is the court of last resort in the state, hears arguments in Harrisburg as well as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts, the other being the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Appeal to the Superior Court is generally of right from final decisions of the Court of Common Pleas...
and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court's headquarters is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is the other intermediate appellate court in the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System...
are located here. Judges for these courts are elected at large.
Federal Government
The Ronald Reagan Federal Building and CourthouseRonald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse (Pennsylvania)
The Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse at 228 Walnut Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is a twelve-story courts facility located in the central business district of the city. The building, built in 1966, is named for former President Ronald Reagan and is owned by the General Services...
, located in downtown Harrisburg, serves as the regional administrative offices of the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. A branch of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is also located within the courthouse. Due to Harrisburg's prominence as the state capital, federal offices for nearly every agency are located within the city.
The United States military
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
has a strong historic presence in the region. A large retired military population resides in South Central Pennsylvania
South Central Pennsylvania
South Central Pennsylvania is a region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the fourteen counties of Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, and York....
and the region is home to a large national cemetery
United States National Cemetery
"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
at Indiantown Gap
Indiantown Gap National Cemetery
Indiantown Gap National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Union Township, in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. It occupies approximately , and is site to 26,323 interments, as of the end of 2005.- History :...
. The federal government, including the military, is the top employer in the metropolitan area
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
.
Military bases in the Harrisburg area include:
| Installation Name | City | Type, Branch, or Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Carlisle Barracks Carlisle Barracks Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is part of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and is the site of the U.S. Army War College... |
Carlisle Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough... |
Managed by the Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services... , it is home to the United States Army War College |
| Eastern Distribution Center Eastern Distribution Center The Eastern Distribution Center , located in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, west of Harrisburg, is home to the largest distribution facility operated by the United States Department of Defense... |
New Cumberland New Cumberland, Pennsylvania New Cumberland is a municipality at the eastern tip of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. New Cumberland was incorporated as a borough on March 21, 1831. The population was 7,349 at the 2000 census... |
Managed by the Defense Logistics Agency Defense Logistics Agency The Defense Logistics Agency is an agency in the United States Department of Defense, with more than 26,000 civilian and military personnel throughout the world... (DLA), it is part of the Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna (DDSP) |
| Fort Indiantown Gap Fort Indiantown Gap Fort Indiantown Gap, also referred to as "The Gap" or "FIG", is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. A portion of the installation is located in eastern Dauphin County... |
Fort Indiantown Gap | Managed by the Army, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs was established on April 11, 1973, by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It is overseen by the adjutant general, a cabinet-level position appointed by the Governor.... and the Pennsylvania National Guard Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is composed of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. It is one of the largest National Guards in the nation. It has the largest Army National Guard of all the states and the fourth largest Air National Guard. These forces are... (PANG), it serves as a military training and staging area. It is home to the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS) and Northeast Counterdrug Training Center Northeast Counterdrug Training Center The Northeast Counterdrug Training Center at Fort Indiantown Gap, near Annville, Pennsylvania, is one of four counterdrug regional facilities of its kind in the United States. It is federally funded by the U.S. Congress, to provide no-cost training to law enforcement on counterdrug and... (NCTC) |
| Harrisburg Air Guard Base Harrisburg International Airport -Statistics:-Air cargo:Harrisburg International Airport is well positioned with freight-forwarding capabilities. The airport is located adjacent to I-76 , I-83, and I-81, allowing for fast air-to-ground transfer of goods and commodities... |
Middletown Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Middletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... |
Home to the 193rd Special Operations Wing, it is located on the former Olmsted Air Force Base Olmsted Air Force Base Harrisburg Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, located at Harrisburg International Airport, Pennsylvania. It is located west-southwest of Middletown, Pennsylvania.... , which closed in the early 1970s and became Harrisburg International Airport Harrisburg International Airport -Statistics:-Air cargo:Harrisburg International Airport is well positioned with freight-forwarding capabilities. The airport is located adjacent to I-76 , I-83, and I-81, allowing for fast air-to-ground transfer of goods and commodities... |
| Naval Supply Systems Command Naval Supply Systems Command The Naval Supply Systems Command is a command of the United States Navy. Its primary mission is to provide the Navy with quality supplies and services.... (NAVSUP) |
Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA, eight miles west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Mechanicsburg was settled in 1806 and incorporated as a borough on April 12, 1828... |
Part of the Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna (DDSP) |
Airports
Domestic and International airlines provide services via Harrisburg International AirportHarrisburg International Airport
-Statistics:-Air cargo:Harrisburg International Airport is well positioned with freight-forwarding capabilities. The airport is located adjacent to I-76 , I-83, and I-81, allowing for fast air-to-ground transfer of goods and commodities...
(MDT), which is located southeast of the city in Middletown
Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Middletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. HIA is the third-busiest commercial airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in Pennsylvania, both in terms of passengers served and cargo shipments. Passenger carriers that serve HIA include US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
, and AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
. Capital City Airport
Capital City Airport (Pennsylvania)
Capital City Airport is a public airport located in Fairview Township, York County, Pennsylvania, three miles southeast of the central business district of Harrisburg, the capital city of Pennsylvania.Although most U.S...
(CXY), a moderate-sized business class and general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport, is located across the Susquehanna River in the nearby suburb of New Cumberland
New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
New Cumberland is a municipality at the eastern tip of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. New Cumberland was incorporated as a borough on March 21, 1831. The population was 7,349 at the 2000 census...
, south of Harrisburg. Both airports are owned and operated by the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority
Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority
The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority is the governing authority of Harrisburg International Airport, Capital City Airport, Franklin County Regional Airport and Gettysburg Regional Airport in south-central Pennsylvania...
(SARAA), which also manages the Franklin County Regional Airport
Franklin County Regional Airport
Franklin County Regional Airport , formerly known as Chambersburg Municipal Airport, is a general aviation airport located three miles north of the Borough of Chambersburg, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA...
in Chambersburg
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
and Gettysburg Regional Airport
Gettysburg Regional Airport
Gettysburg Regional Airport , formerly known as the Gettysburg Airport and Travel Center, is a general aviation airport located two miles west of the Gettysburg, in Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA. The airport is situated approximately south of Harrisburg.The airport opened in 1926 and had been a...
in Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
.
Mass transit
Harrisburg is served by Capital Area Transit (CAT) which provides public busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, paratransit
Paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
, and commuter rail
CorridorOne
Capital Red Rose Corridor, formerly known as Corridor One , is a commuter rail system proposed in South Central Pennsylvania, United States which will link Harrisburg and Lancaster. Future corridors are being planned to extend commuter rail service to Carlisle, Hershey, Lebanon, York, and...
service throughout the greater metropolitan area. Construction of a commuter rail line designated the Capital Red Rose Corridor (previously named CorridorOne) will eventually link the city with nearby Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
in 2010.
Long-term plans for the region call for the commuter rail line to continue westward to Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
, ending at Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
. In early 2005, the project hit a roadblock when the Cumberland County commissioners
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
opposed the plan to extend commuter rail to the West Shore. Due to lack of support from the county commissioners, the Cumberland County portion, and the two new stations in Harrisburg have been removed from the project. In the future, with support from Cumberland County, the commuter rail project may extend to both shores of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, where the majority of the commuting base for the Harrisburg metropolitan area
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
resides.
In 2006, a second phase of the rail project designated CorridorTwo was announced to the general public. It will link downtown
Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Downtown Harrisburg, is the central core business and government center which surrounds the focal point of Market Square, and serves a the regional center for the greater metropolitan area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA....
Harrisburg with its eastern suburbs in Dauphin
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
and Lebanon
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
counties, including the areas of Hummelstown
Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
Hummelstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,360 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Hershey
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
and Lebanon
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
, and the city of York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
in York County
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
. Future passenger rail corridors also include Route 15 from the Harrisburg area towards Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, as well as the Susquehanna River communities north of Harrisburg, and the Northern Susquehanna Valley
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
region.
Intercity bus service
The lower level of the Harrisburg Transport Center serves as the city's intercity bus terminalBus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
. Daily bus services are provided by Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
, Bieber Tourways
Trailways Transportation System
The Trailways Transportation System is an American group of 80 independent bus companies that have entered into a franchising agreement. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.- History :...
, Capitol Trailways
Trailways Transportation System
The Trailways Transportation System is an American group of 80 independent bus companies that have entered into a franchising agreement. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.- History :...
, Fullington Trailways, and Susquehanna Trailways. They connect Harrisburg to other Pennsylvania cities such as Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
, Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, State College
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
, Williamsport
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, and York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
and nearby, out-of-state cities such as Baltimore, Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, New York, Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, and Washington, D.C., plus many other destinations via transfers.
Regional scheduled line bus service
The public transit provider in York CountyYork County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
, Rabbit Transit
Rabbit Transit (York)
Rabbit Transit is the mass transit service of York County, Pennsylvania. The agency currently operates 15 fixed routes within York County and express bus routes from Gettysburg to Harrisburg and from York to Harrisburg and Towson, Maryland .The agency, which...
, operates its RabbitEXPRESS bus service on weekdays between the city of York and both downtown Harrisburg and the main campus for Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg Area Community College
HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College is a community college in the United States serving the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. HACC is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools...
. The commuter-oriented service is designed to serve York County residents who work in Harrisburg, though reverse commutes are possible under the current schedule. Buses running this route make limited stops in the city of York and at two park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
s along Interstate 83
Interstate 83
Interstate 83 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. Its southern terminus is in Baltimore, Maryland at the Fayette Street exit; its northern terminus is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at Interstate 81....
between York and Harrisburg before making various stops in Pennsylvania's capital city. As of May 2007, the RabbitEXPRESS operates three times in the morning and three times in the afternoon.
A charter/tour bus operator, R & J Transport, also provides weekday, scheduled route commuter service for people working in downtown Harrisburg. R & J, which is based in Schuylkill County
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....
, operates two lines, one between Frackville
Frackville, Pennsylvania
Frackville is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Frackville is located near the intersection of Interstate 81 and Pennsylvania State Route 61, approximately northeast of Harrisburg and southwest of Wilkes-Barre.-History:...
and downtown Harrisburg and the other between Minersville
Minersville, Pennsylvania
Minersville is located in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, four miles west of Pottsville. Anthracite coal deposits are plentiful in the region. In 1900, 4,815 people lived here; in 1910, 7,240, people lived here; and in 1940, 8,686 people lived here...
, Pine Grove
Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Pine Grove is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 2,154.-Geography:Pine Grove is located at ....
, and downtown Harrisburg.
Rail
The Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
's main line from New York to Chicago passed through Harrisburg. The line was electrified
Electrification
Electrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
in the 1930s, with the wires reaching Harrisburg in 1938. They went no further. Plans to electrify through to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and thence to Chicago never saw fruition; sufficient funding was never available. Thus, Harrisburg became where the PRR's crack expresses such as the Broadway Limited
Broadway Limited
The Broadway Limited was the Pennsylvania Railroad's premier named passenger train, operating daily in each direction between New York City and Chicago, via North Philadelphia. It replaced its predecessors, the Pennsylvania Limited and the Pennsylvania Special...
changed from electric traction to (originally) a steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, and later a diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
. Harrisburg remained a freight rail hub for PRR's successor Conrail, which was later sold off and divided between Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
and CSX.
Freight rail
Norfolk Southern acquired all of Conrail's lines in the Harrisburg area and has continued the city's function as a freight rail hub. Norfolk Southern considers Harrisburg one of many primary hubs in its system, and operates 2 intermodalIntermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
(rail/truck transfer) yards in the immediate Harrisburg area. The Harrisburg Intermodal Yard
Harrisburg Intermodal Yard
Harrisburg Intermodal Yard is a large rail yard located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The yard was previously operated by Conrail and since 1999, has been operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway. The Harrisburg Yard, along with the Enola Yard and the Rutherford Yard, is one of three major rail...
(formerly called Lucknow Yard) is located in the north end of Harrisburg, approximately 3 miles north of downtown Harrisburg and the Harrisburg Transport Center, while the Rutherford Intermodal Yard
Rutherford Intermodal Yard
Rutherford Intermodal Yard is a large rail yard located in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, just east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:The yard was formerly operated by the Reading Railroad and later Conrail. Ownership was transferred from Conrail to the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1999...
is located approximately 6 miles east of downtown Harrisburg in Swatara Township, Dauphin County
Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Swatara Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 22,611 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 15.8 square miles , of which, 13.2 square miles of it is land and...
. Norfolk Southern also operates a significant classification yard
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
in the Harrisburg area, the Enola Yard
Enola Yard
Enola Yard is a large rail yard located in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, along the western shore of the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was the world's largest freight yard through 1956. The yard continues to operate today at lower traffic levels.-History:The yard was...
, which is located across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County
East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania
East Pennsboro Township is a township in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,254 at the 2000 census. In 1990 the township had a population of 16,588. East Pennsboro is the second largest municipality in Cumberland County. The township is located along the...
.
Intercity passenger rail
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
provides service to and from Harrisburg. The passenger rail operator runs its Keystone and Pennsylvanian
Pennsylvanian (Amtrak)
The Pennsylvanian is a 444-mile daytime Amtrak train running between New York and Pittsburgh via Philadelphia. The trains travel through Pennsylvania's capital, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, suburban and central Philadelphia, and pass through New Jersey up to New York. Trains run once daily in...
services between New York, Philadelphia, and the Harrisburg Transportation Center
Harrisburg Transportation Center
The Harrisburg Transportation Center is a large railway station and transportation hub in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is located on the eastern edge of Downtown Harrisburg between the intersections of Aberdeen and Market Streets and 4th and Chestnut Streets...
daily. The Pennsylvanian route, which operates once daily, continues west to Pittsburgh. As of April 2007, Amtrak operates 14 weekday roundtrips and 8 weekend roundtrips daily between Harrisburg, Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, and Philadelphia 30th Street Station; most of these trains also travel to and from New York Penn Station. The Keystone Corridor
Keystone Corridor
The Keystone Corridor is a Federal Railroad Administration "designated high speed corridor" with a 349-mile railroad line between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a top speed of...
between Harrisburg and Philadelphia was improved in the mid-first decade of the 21st century, with the primary improvements completed in late 2006. The improvements included upgrading the electrical catenary, installing continuously welded rail, and replacing existing wooden railroad ties with concrete ties. These improvements increased train speeds to 110 mph along the corridor and reduced the travel time between Harrisburg and Philadelphia to as little as 95 minutes. It also eliminated the need to change locomotives at 30th Street Station (from diesel to electric and vice-versa) for trains continuing to or coming from New York. As of Federal Fiscal Year 2008, the Harrisburg Transportation Center was the 2nd busiest Amtrak station in Pennsylvania and 21st busiest in the United States.
Bridges
Harrisburg is the location of over a dozen large bridges, many up to a mile long, that cross the Susquehanna River. Several other important structures span the Paxton Creek
Paxton Creek
Paxton Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States.The Paxton Creek watershed covers an area of and joins the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg....
watershed and Cameron Street, linking Center City
Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Downtown Harrisburg, is the central core business and government center which surrounds the focal point of Market Square, and serves a the regional center for the greater metropolitan area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA....
with neighborhoods in East Harrisburg
East Harrisburg
East Harrisburg is a conglomeration of neighborhoods in the eastern end of the U.S. city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Its zip codes are 17103, 17104, and 17105...
. These include the State Street Bridge
State Street Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
The State Street Bridge, also known as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge, is a concrete, deck arch bridge that spans Pennsylvania Route 230 and Paxton Creek in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania...
, also known as the Soldiers and Sailor's Memorial Bridge, and the Mulberry Street Bridge
Mulberry Street Bridge
The Mulberry Street Bridge, is a concrete arch bridge that spans Cameron Street and Paxton Creek in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The bridge is the second constructed at the current site to connect the Allison Hill neighborhood of East Harrisburg to Downtown...
. Walnut Street Bridge, now used only by pedestrians and cyclists, links the downtown and Riverfront Park
Riverfront Park (Harrisburg)
Riverfront Park is a public park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.The park runs parallel to the Susquehanna River between the shoreline and Front Street from Vaughn Street South to Paxton Street. Riverfront Park offers picturesque views of the river, City Island, Wormleysburg and Blue Mountain in the...
areas with City Island
City Island (Pennsylvania)
City Island is a mile-long island in the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is used mainly for leisure and sports activities...
but goes no further as spans are missing on its western side due to massive flooding resulting from the North American blizzard of 1996.
Public schools
The City of Harrisburg is served by the Harrisburg School District. The school districtSchool district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
provides education for the city's youth beginning with all-day kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through twelfth grade. A multi-year restructuring plan is aimed at making the district a model for urban public schools. The district has been troubled for years with management fiascos and poor test scores. In the summer of 2007, more than 2,000 city students were enrolled in educational programs offered by the Harrisburg School District as remediation.
The city also maintains one public charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
, the Sylvan Heights Science Charter School. In addition, Harrisburg is home to an arts-focused magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
, the Capital Area School for the Arts
Capital Area School for the Arts
The Capital Area School for the Arts is an arts magnet school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 2001 as a partnership between the Capital Area Intermediate Unit and Open Stage of Harrisburg. After first moving through several sites in downtown Harrisburg, the school now...
. In 2003, SciTech High
SciTech High
The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology High School also known as SciTech High, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, welcomed its first students in September 2003...
, a regional math and science magnet school affiliated with Harrisburg University
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a private teaching university in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The university offers applied programs in the nationally critical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The University also matches students...
, opened its doors to students. A growing number of virtual public charter schools provide residents with many alternative to the bricks and mortar public school system.
The Central Dauphin School District
Central Dauphin School District
The Central Dauphin School District is a large, suburban, public school district located in suburban Harrisburg, Pennsylvania serving students in central and eastern Dauphin County. It is the largest school district in the county, the largest in the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area and is the...
, the largest public school district in the metropolitan area
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
and the 13th largest in Pennsylvania, uses several Harrisburg postal addresses for many of the districts schools.
Private schools
Harrisburg is home to an extensive Catholic educational system. There are nearly 40 parish-driven elementary schools and seven Catholic high schools within the region administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of HarrisburgRoman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg covers 15 counties of South Central Pennsylvania: Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Union and York. The seat of the bishop is in St...
, including Bishop McDevitt High School
Bishop McDevitt High School (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
Bishop McDevitt High School is a private, coeducational Catholic high school of the Diocese of Harrisburg, located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The school was founded in 1918 and renamed in 1957 to honor the memory of the Most Reverend Philip R. McDevitt, fourth bishop of Harrisburg...
and Trinity High School
Trinity High School (Camp Hill, Pennsylvania)
Trinity High School is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic high school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, located in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, west of Harrisburg. The school has 55 faculty members and an enrollment of about 640 students in grades 9 through 12. The school was twice...
. Numerous other private schools, such as The Londonderry School and The Circle School
The Circle School
The Circle School is an Integral school located in Harrisburg, PA and founded in 1984, and is aligned with the Sudbury model. The term Sudbury School means that it is modeled after the Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts. It enrolls pre-kindergarten through high school aged children...
, which is a Sudbury Model
Sudbury Valley School
The Sudbury Valley School was founded in 1968 in Framingham, Massachusetts, United States. There are now over 30 schools based on the Sudbury Model in the United States, Denmark, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The model has two basic tenets: educational freedom and democratic...
school, also operate in Harrisburg. Harrisburg Academy
Harrisburg Academy
Harrisburg Academy is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school in Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a diverse student body in nursery through 12th grade. The school was established in 1784 by John Harris, Jr., the founder of Harrisburg...
, founded in 1784, is one of the oldest independent college preparatory schools in the nation. The Rabbi David L. Silver Yeshiva Academy, founded in 1944, is a progressive, modern Jewish day school. Also, Harrisburg is home to Harrisburg Christian School
Harrisburg Christian School
Harrisburg Christian School is a private, coeducational Christian elementary, middle school and high school, located on the north side of the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area in the village of Linglestown, Pennsylvania...
, founded in 1955.
In Harrisburg
- Dixon University CenterDixon University CenterThe Dixon University Center, located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the location of the Office of the Chancellor and the central headquarters for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . In addition to administrative offices, the Dixon University Center also has classroom space,...
, located in UptownUptown (Harrisburg)Uptown is the only neighborhood in Harrisburg completely developed in the 20th century. Bordered by the Susquehanna River to the West, Maclay Street to the South, North 7th Street to the East and Susquehanna Township to the north, the neighborhood is home to many beautiful mansions along Front...
, serves as the office of Chancellor and the central headquarters of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher EducationPennsylvania State System of Higher EducationThe Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...
(PASSHE). With a total student enrollment 110,428, PASSHE is one of the largest university systems in the United States. - Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHarrisburg Area Community CollegeHACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College is a community college in the United States serving the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. HACC is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools...
: the original campus of the college, the Harrisburg Campus, and Penn Center and MidtownMidtown (Harrisburg)Midtown is a neighborhood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Its zip code is 17102. The Midtown neighborhood is delineated by Forster Street to the south, Maclay Street to the north, 7th Street to the east, and the Susquehanna River to the west...
campus which are branches of the Harrisburg Campus are located in Harrisburg. Newer campuses are located in GettysburgGettysburg, PennsylvaniaGettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, LancasterLancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, LebanonLebanon, PennsylvaniaLebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
and YorkYork, PennsylvaniaYork, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
. - Harrisburg University of Science and TechnologyHarrisburg University of Science and TechnologyThe Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a private teaching university in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The university offers applied programs in the nationally critical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The University also matches students...
, located in Center CityDowntown Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaDowntown Harrisburg, is the central core business and government center which surrounds the focal point of Market Square, and serves a the regional center for the greater metropolitan area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA....
. - Messiah College's Harrisburg InstituteMessiah CollegeMessiah College is a private Christian college of the liberal arts and applied arts and sciences located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, near the capital city of Harrisburg...
, located in Center City - Penn State Harrisburg Eastgate CenterPenn State HarrisburgPenn State Harrisburg, also called The Capital College, is an undergraduate college and graduate school of the Pennsylvania State University. The main campus of Penn State Harrisburg is located in Lower Swatara Township, 9 miles south of Harrisburg...
, located in Center City. - Temple University Harrisburg CampusTemple UniversityTemple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, located in Center City. - Widener University Harrisburg CampusWidener UniversityWidener University is a private, coeducational university located in Chester, Pennsylvania.Its main campus sits on 108 acres , just southwest of Philadelphia...
including its School of LawWidener University School of LawWidener University School of Law is the ABA accredited law school of Widener University. The school, founded in 1971 as the Delaware Law School, operates on two of Widener's campuses, one in Wilmington, Delaware, and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania....
Near Harrisburg
- Central Pennsylvania CollegeCentral Pennsylvania CollegeCentral Penn College, formerly known as "Central Pennsylvania College", is America's largest career-oriented college located in the suburban Harrisburg, Pennsylvania neighborhood of Summerdale, Pennsylvania....
, located in Summerdale, PennsylvaniaSummerdale, PennsylvaniaSummerdale is an unincorporated community located in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2000 census, the community had a total population of 479. Central Pennsylvania College and the Capital Area Intermediate Unit are located in Summerdale...
. - Dickinson CollegeDickinson CollegeDickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
, located in CarlisleCarlisle, PennsylvaniaCarlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
, Pennsylvania. - Duquesne UniversityDuquesne UniversityDuquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
(Capital Region Campus), located in LemoyneLemoyne, PennsylvaniaLemoyne is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Lemoyne was incorporated as a borough on May 23, 1905. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 3,995. It was formerly named Bridgeport. Lemoyne lies across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital...
, Pennsylvania. - Elizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown College is a small comprehensive college located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. The school was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren...
, located in ElizabethtownElizabethtown, PennsylvaniaElizabethtown is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Harrisburg. Small factories existed at the turn of the century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. There was a slight increase in the next decade, with 1,970 people living in Elizabethtown in 1910. As of the 2000 census,...
, Pennsylvania. Elizabethtown College is a consortium member of the Dixon University Center, offering seven accelerated, undergraduate degree programs in the Harrisburg area. - Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg CollegeGettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
, located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. - Lebanon Valley CollegeLebanon Valley CollegeLebanon Valley College is a small, liberal arts higher education institution situated in the heart of Annville in Lebanon County, east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
, located in AnnvilleAnnville, PennsylvaniaAnnville Township is a township and census-designated place in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,518 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Annville Township is located at ....
, Pennsylvania. - Lutheran Theological Seminary at GettysburgLutheran Theological Seminary at GettysburgThe Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg is America's oldest Lutheran seminary and a site of 1863 Battle of Gettysburg military engagements.-History:...
, located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. - Messiah CollegeMessiah CollegeMessiah College is a private Christian college of the liberal arts and applied arts and sciences located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, near the capital city of Harrisburg...
, located in GranthamGrantham, PennsylvaniaGrantham is an unincorporated community in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, best known today for the Christian liberal arts college, Messiah College, whose students make up most of its population....
, Pennsylvania. - Millersville University, located in MillersvilleMillersville, PennsylvaniaMillersville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 7,774.-Geography:Millersville is located at ....
, Pennsylvania. - Penn State Dickinson School of Law, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
- Penn State Hershey Medical CenterPenn State Hershey Medical CenterPenn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, 10 miles east of Harrisburg, is Penn State’s medical school and academic medical center, and is the only medical school and university hospital in Pennsylvania located outside the urban areas of Philadelphia and...
, located in HersheyHershey, PennsylvaniaHershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
, Pennsylvania. - Penn State HarrisburgPenn State HarrisburgPenn State Harrisburg, also called The Capital College, is an undergraduate college and graduate school of the Pennsylvania State University. The main campus of Penn State Harrisburg is located in Lower Swatara Township, 9 miles south of Harrisburg...
(Main Campus), located nearby in Middletown, PennsylvaniaMiddletown, Dauphin County, PennsylvaniaMiddletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. - Shippensburg University, located in ShippensburgShippensburg, PennsylvaniaShippensburg is a borough in Cumberland and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Settled in 1730, Shippensburg lies in the Cumberland Valley, 41 miles west-southwest of Harrisburg, and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1900, 3,228 people...
, Pennsylvania. - United States Army War College, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
- York College of PennsylvaniaYork College of PennsylvaniaYork College of Pennsylvania is a private, coeducational, 4-year college located in southcentral Pennsylvania. The school offers more than 50 baccalaureate majors in professional programs, the sciences, and humanities to its 4,600 undergraduate students...
, located in York, Pennsylvania.
Libraries
- Dauphin County Law LibraryDauphin County Law LibraryThe Dauphin County Law Library was established by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1865 and has been housed in its present location at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Law Library now has approximately 35,000 volumes, down from the 47,000. These volumes focus on...
- Dauphin County Library System, with eight branches in Harrisburg and suburban Dauphin CountyDauphin County, PennsylvaniaDauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
- McCormick Library of Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHarrisburg Area Community CollegeHACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College is a community college in the United States serving the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. HACC is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools...
- Harrisburg University Library
- Penn State Harrisburg LibraryPenn State Harrisburg LibraryPenn State Harrisburg Library is an academic library which serves Penn State Harrisburg, the Harrisburg campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It is one of more than 20 libraries in Pennsylvania State University Libraries system...
- State Library of PennsylvaniaState Library of PennsylvaniaThe State Library of Pennsylvania is one of the largest research libraries in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Office of Commonwealth Libraries, within the Pennsylvania Department of Education, has holdings in almost every area of human concern...
, which includes the Pennsylvania Law Library - Medical library services of PinnacleHealth SystemPinnacleHealth SystemPinnacleHealth System is a community-based, physician-led health care system serving the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. PinnacleHealth operates five primary care facilities as well as a network of family practice and urgent care centers, managed care entities, home health-care,...
- Law Library, Widener University School of LawWidener University School of LawWidener University School of Law is the ABA accredited law school of Widener University. The school, founded in 1971 as the Delaware Law School, operates on two of Widener's campuses, one in Wilmington, Delaware, and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania....
Sister cities
Harrisburg has two official sister cities as designated by Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
: Ma'alot-Tarshiha
Ma'alot-Tarshiha
Ma'alot-Tarshiha is a mixed city in the North District in Israel, some 20 km east of Nahariya, about 600 meter above sea level. The city was established in 1963 through a municipal merger of the Arab town of Tarshiha and the Jewish town of Ma'alot...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Pachuca, Hidalgo
Pachuca
Pachuca, formally Pachuca de Soto is the capital of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca de Soto is also the name of the municipality of which the city serves as municipal seat...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
2009-2011 Budget crisis and bankruptcy
In 2009, the financial crisis and resulting recession took their toll on Harrisburg's municipal finances. Harrisburg was not able to budget for $68m in debt payments due to a local $288m incinerator project. On September 1, 2010, the city announced its intention to skip a debt payment of $3.29m on the incinerator project and Daniel C. MillerDaniel C. Miller
Daniel C. Miller is the current Harrisburg City Controller and former member of the Harrisburg City Council. Both positions are elected at large. Miller is Harrisburg's first openly gay city councillor.-Biography:...
, the City Controller, suggested possible trouble with the City's General Obligation bonds. Harrisburg moved one step closer to Chapter 9 bankruptcy on Nov 10, 2010 after the City accepted an offer from New York bankruptcy attorney Cravath, Swaine and Moore for free bankruptcy advisory services.
For the September 2011 annual bond interest payment of US$3.3m on the incinerator, the city was forced to mortgage some of its carparks at 10% interest to obtain finance to make the payments. One report asserted that the state of Pennsylvania would not permit Harrisburg to declare bankruptcy, and that the state might instead take over the city. However, on October 11, 2011, the municipal government filed for bankruptcy after a 4-3 vote at the city council.
State officials have joined Mayor Linda D. Thompson of Harrisburg to try to have the bankruptcy case dismissed, asserting that the filing violated local, state and federal laws. The Bankruptcy Court set a November 21st deadline for filing objections to the bankruptcy.
On November 23, 2011, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court dismissed the case, ruling that the City of Harrisburg had no authority to file its bankruptcy petition.
Notable residents
Since the early 18th century, Harrisburg has been home to many people of note. Because it is the seat of government for the state and lies relatively close to other urban centers, Harrisburg has played a significant role in the nation's political, cultural and industrial history. Harrisburgers have also taken a leading role in the development of Pennsylvania's history for over two centuries. Two former U.S. Secretaries of War, Simon CameronSimon Cameron
Simon Cameron was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of War for Abraham Lincoln at the start of the American Civil War. After making his fortune in railways and banking, he turned to a life of politics. He became a U.S. senator in 1845 for the state of Pennsylvania,...
and Alexander Ramsey
Alexander Ramsey
Alexander Ramsey was an American politician. He was born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.Alexander Ramsey was elected from Pennsylvania as a Whig to the U.S. House of Representatives and served in the 28th and 29th congresses from March 4, 1843 to March 4, 1847...
and several other prominent political figures, such as former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, hail from Harrisburg. The actor Don Keefer
Don Keefer
Donald "Don" H. Keefer is a retired American actor known for the versatility of his roles. He was born in Highspire in Dauphin County near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Keefer's first role was as Bernard in the 1951 film, Death of a Salesman, based on the Arthur Miller play...
was born near Harrisburg, along with the actor Richard Sanders, most famous for playing Les Nessman in WKRP in Cincinnati . Many notable individuals are interred at Harrisburg Cemetery
Harrisburg Cemetery
Harrisburg Cemetery, formerly known as Mount Kalmia Cemetery, is a prominent cemetery and national historic district in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, located at 13th and Liberty streets in the Allison Hill/East Harrisburg neighborhoods of the city. It was officially founded in 1845, although...
and East Harrisburg Cemetery
East Harrisburg Cemetery
East Harrisburg Cemetery is a cemetery located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The cemetery received is name from its location, adjacent to the borough of Penbrook, formerly known as East Harrisburg...
.
- Betty AndujarBetty AndujarElizabeth Richards Andujar, known as Betty Andujar , was the first Republican woman, a homemaker by stated occupation, to have served in the Texas State Senate...
, first Republican woman to serve in the Texas State Senate (1973-1983), was born in Harrisburg in 1912. - James Boyd, a resident of Front Street, wrote a novel about the city in 1935, Roll River.
- Robert James MillerRobert James MillerRobert James Miller of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group was a United States Army Special Forces soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on 6 October 2010....
, Medal of Honor recipient. - Jeremy LinnJeremy LinnJeremy Porter Linn , set an American record in the one hundred meter breaststroke category while winning the silver medal in that event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia....
, Olympic Gold and 2xSilver medalist at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, former World and American record holder - Glenn BrancaGlenn BrancaGlenn Branca is an American avant-garde composer and guitarist known for his use of volume, alternative guitar tunings, repetition, droning, and the harmonic series. In 2008 he was awarded an unrestricted grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.-Beginnings: 1960s and early 1970s:Branca...
, an avant-garde composer and guitarist, was born here - Bruce BrubakerBruce BrubakerBruce Ellsworth Brubaker Jr was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in two Major League games, one for the Los Angeles Dodgers in and one for the Milwaukee Brewers in...
, baseball player for the[Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers - Phil DavisPhil Davis (fighter)Phil Kwabina Davis is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights in Ultimate Fighting Championship's light heavyweight division...
, UFC fighter - Candace GingrichCandace GingrichCandace Gingrich-Jones is an American LGBT rights activist at the Human Rights Campaign. She is the half-sister of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who is more than 20 years her senior...
, civil rights activist - Newt GingrichNewt GingrichNewton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, former U.S. Representative from Georgia - Danny LansanahDanny LansanahDaniel Delray Lansanah is an American football linebacker for Las Vegas Locomotives the of the United Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Connecticut....
, football player for the Green Bay Packers - LeSean McCoyLeSean McCoy-Philadelphia Eagles:McCoy was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team on June 29, 2009....
, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles - Marques ColstonMarques ColstonMarques Colston is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft as a supplemental compensatory pick. Following the trade of receiver Donté Stallworth, Colston was inserted into the starting lineup for week 1 of...
, Wide Receiver, New Orleans Saints - John O'HaraJohn O'HaraJohn Henry O'Hara was an American writer. He initially became known for his short stories and later became a best-selling novelist whose works include Appointment in Samarra and BUtterfield 8. He was particularly known for an uncannily accurate ear for dialogue...
, a native of Pottsville, lived in Harrisburg briefly to write his novel about the city, A Rage to Live - Bobby TroupBobby TroupRobert William "Bobby" Troup Jr. was an American actor, jazz pianist and songwriter. He is best known for writing the popular standard " Route 66", and for his role as Dr...
, actor, jazz pianist, and songwriter. - Robert Stevenson (actor and politician), born 1915 in Harrisburg, Los Angeles City Council member
- Robert White (guitarist)Robert White (guitarist)Robert Willie White was an African-American musician. Of note for being one of the main guitarists for Motown Records' in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers, White is best known for performing the familiar guitar riff on The Temptations' number-one hit single "My Girl", but played the guitar on...
was born here - Nancy KulpNancy KulpNancy Jane Kulp was an American character actress best known as Miss Jane Hathaway on the popular television series The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...
, actress - Carmen FinestraCarmen FinestraCarmen Finestra is an American producer and TV writer who currently is partnered with Matt Williams and David McFadzean in Wind Dancer Productions, a firm which Finestra also co-owns...
, TV producer and writer
See also
External links
- City of Harrisburg (official website)
- Harrisburg Area YMCA
- Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District Authority
- Hershey-Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau
- Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Harrisburg City Archives
- Memorials, monuments, statues & other outdoor art in & around Harrisburg (with pictures)
- Personal Blog of Judge Yvette Kane
- Website of Judge Yvette Kane