Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Upper Saucon Township is a township in Lehigh County
, Pennsylvania
, in the United States
. It is a suburb of Allentown
, Pennsylvania
, in the Lehigh Valley
region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley
.
Upper Saucon Township is home to The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley
, a lifesyle center
which opened in 2006. DeSales University
, Penn State Lehigh Valley
, and Strayer University-Allentown campus are also located in the township.
, the township has a total area of 24.7 square miles (64.0 km²), of which, 24.7 square miles (63.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.12%) is water. Its boundary with Salisbury Township is located on Lehigh Mountain
. Elevations range from approximately 500 feet in Spring Valley to over 1,000 feet at Bauer's Rock in Big Rock County Park. Upper Saucon is in the Delaware watershed and is drained by the Saucon Creek
into the Lehigh River
, except for a very small area in the extreme south just SW of Locust Valley, which is drained by the Unami Creek
into the Perkiomen Creek
and Schuylkill River
.
Upper Saucon has three north-to-south numbered routes: 309
, 145
, and 378.
In Lanark, 309 comes north from Philadelphia via Quakertown to join Interstate 78
coming east from New York City and cross the mountain to Allentown. 145 and 378 come south from Center City Allentown and Bethlehem, respectively, to meet 309 in Lanark and Center Valley, respectively. Other notable roads in the township include Locust Valley Road(later turns to Allentown Road and travels through Lower Milford and exits the county), Beverly Hills Road, Blue Church Road, Blue Church Road South, Center Valley Parkway/Saucon Valley Road, Limeport Pike, Main Street(Center Valley), Oakhurst Drive/Vera Cruz Road, and Passer Road.
Upper Saucon surrounds the borough of Coopersburg
.
of 2000, there were 11,939 people, 3,970 households, and 3,283 families residing in the township. The population density
was 483.9 people per square mile (186.9/km²). There were 4,117 housing units at an average density of 166.9/sq mi (64.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.11% White, 0.70% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races
, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 3,970 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.2% were married couples
living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.3% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $66,703, and the median income for a family was $73,381. Males had a median income of $50,041 versus $30,165 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $27,606. About 0.9% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
and Lower Milford Township
, Upper Saucon is served by the Southern Lehigh School District
. Southern Lehigh High School
serves grades nine through twelve.
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
, 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a suburb of 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...
, 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...
, in 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...
region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley
Saucon Valley (Pennsylvania)
Saucon Valley is part of the Lehigh Valley located in eastern Pennsylvania. Saucon Valley includes the borough of Hellertown and the townships of Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania and Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania. It is located eight miles southeast of Allentown, Pennsylvania and two...
.
Upper Saucon Township is home to The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley is a lifestyle center in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States.It is located near the Stabler Center near Center Valley, Pennsylvania...
, a lifesyle center
Lifestyle center (retail)
A lifestyle center is a shopping center or mixed-used commercial development that combines the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented towards upscale consumers...
which opened in 2006. DeSales University
DeSales University
DeSales University is a private Catholic university for men and women, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before 2001, it was known as Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales.- History :...
, Penn State Lehigh Valley
Penn State Lehigh Valley
Penn State Lehigh Valley is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Center Valley, outside of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, and Strayer University-Allentown campus are also located in the township.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 township has a total area of 24.7 square miles (64.0 km²), of which, 24.7 square miles (63.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.12%) is water. Its boundary with Salisbury Township is located on Lehigh Mountain
South Mountain (eastern Pennsylvania)
South Mountain is a colloquial name applied to features in the mountain range extending south and south west from the Lehigh Valley to the Lebanon Valley regions of Pennsylvania. At times, it also been known as Durham Hills, Reading Hills, and the Lehigh Mountains...
. Elevations range from approximately 500 feet in Spring Valley to over 1,000 feet at Bauer's Rock in Big Rock County Park. Upper Saucon is in the Delaware watershed and is drained by the Saucon Creek
Saucon Creek
Saucon Creek is a tributary of the Lehigh River in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania in the United States.Saucon Creek starts in Lower Milford Township, flows to the northeast passing through the communities of Limeport, Bingen, and Hellertown, and joins the Lehigh River in Bethlehem...
into the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
, except for a very small area in the extreme south just SW of Locust Valley, which is drained by the Unami Creek
Unami Creek
Unami Creek is a tributary of Perkiomen Creek in Lehigh, Bucks, and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania in the United States.Unami Creek begins in Lower Milford Township, Lehigh County just northwest of the Bucks County border and west of Zionhill, crosses Milford Township and Marlborough Township,...
into the Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.Perkiomen Creek begins in Hereford Township, Berks County, initially flows eastward into Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, and turns southward to reenter...
and Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
.
Upper Saucon has three north-to-south numbered routes: 309
Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
, 145
Pennsylvania Route 145
Pennsylvania Route 145 , unofficially known as "the gateway to Allentown", is a long north–south state highway in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania...
, and 378.
Pennsylvania Route 378
Pennsylvania Route 378 is a north-to-south road in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 22 in Bethlehem and the portion north of the Lehigh River is a freeway. The highway was once Interstate 378 but when Interstate 78 was rerouted from U.S...
In Lanark, 309 comes north from Philadelphia via Quakertown to join Interstate 78
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 is an Interstate Highway in the Northeast United States, running 144 miles from Interstate 81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown, Pennsylvania, and western and northern New Jersey to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in New York City.I-78 is a major road...
coming east from New York City and cross the mountain to Allentown. 145 and 378 come south from Center City Allentown and Bethlehem, respectively, to meet 309 in Lanark and Center Valley, respectively. Other notable roads in the township include Locust Valley Road(later turns to Allentown Road and travels through Lower Milford and exits the county), Beverly Hills Road, Blue Church Road, Blue Church Road South, Center Valley Parkway/Saucon Valley Road, Limeport Pike, Main Street(Center Valley), Oakhurst Drive/Vera Cruz Road, and Passer Road.
Adjacent municipalities
- Lower Milford Township (southwest)
- Upper Milford Township (west)
- Salisbury TownshipSalisbury Township, Lehigh County, PennsylvaniaSalisbury Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The township borders Allentown Bethlehem, and Emmaus, in the Lehigh Valley region....
(northwest) - Lower Saucon Township, Northampton CountyLower Saucon Township, PennsylvaniaLower Saucon Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Lower Saucon Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley....
(northeast) - Springfield Township, Bucks CountySpringfield Township, Bucks County, PennsylvaniaSpringfield Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,035 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 30.8 square miles , all of it land...
(southeast) - Milford Township, Bucks CountyMilford Township, Bucks County, PennsylvaniaMilford Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 9,902 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Quakertown interchange of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.-Geography:...
(tangent to the south)
Upper Saucon surrounds the borough of Coopersburg
Coopersburg, Pennsylvania
Coopersburg is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Coopersburg was 2,386 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
.
Notable Villages
- Center ValleyCenter Valley, PennsylvaniaCenter Valley is an unincorporated village one mile north of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
- ColesvilleColesville, PennsylvaniaColesville, Pennsylvania is a suburban village located on Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County and Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County. It is on the south side of Lehigh Mountain from Bethlehem. Interstate 78 passes through the village but does not interchange there. Colesville...
(also in Lower Saucon TownshipLower Saucon Township, PennsylvaniaLower Saucon Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Lower Saucon Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley....
), Northampton County - Friedensville
- LanarkLanark, PennsylvaniaLanark is a small unincorporated village located in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Residents of Lanark are served by the Center Valley and Coopersburg Post Offices with zip code of 18034 and 18036, respectively. Lanark is located within Southern Lehigh School District...
- LimeportLimeport, PennsylvaniaLimeport is a small unincorporated community located on the Saucon Creek in Lower Milford Township and Upper Saucon Township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is served by Limeport Post Office, so village residents use Limeport as their mailing address and the zip code is 18060...
(also in Lower Milford TownshipLower Milford Township, PennsylvaniaLower Milford Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Lower Milford Township was 3,617 at the 2000 census....
) - Locust Valley
- Spring Valley
- Summit LawnSummit Lawn, PennsylvaniaSummit Lawn is a small unincorporated village in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. Parts of Summit Lawn are in Upper Saucon Township while others are in Salisbury Township. The Salisbury Township government offices are located in Summit Lawn.Pennsylvania Route...
(also in Salisbury Township)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,939 people, 3,970 households, and 3,283 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 483.9 people per square mile (186.9/km²). There were 4,117 housing units at an average density of 166.9/sq mi (64.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.11% White, 0.70% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races
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...
, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 3,970 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.3% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $66,703, and the median income for a family was $73,381. Males had a median income of $50,041 versus $30,165 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 township was $27,606. About 0.9% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Public education
Along with the borough of CoopersburgCoopersburg, Pennsylvania
Coopersburg is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Coopersburg was 2,386 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
and Lower Milford Township
Lower Milford Township, Pennsylvania
Lower Milford Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Lower Milford Township was 3,617 at the 2000 census....
, Upper Saucon is served by the Southern Lehigh School District
Southern Lehigh School District
Southern Lehigh School District is a public school district located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It serves the borough of Coopersburg and Lower Milford and Upper Saucon Townships. The district has three elementary schools with students from k-3. The Intermediate School,...
. Southern Lehigh High School
Southern Lehigh High School
Southern Lehigh High School is a four-year public high school located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Southern Lehigh School District....
serves grades nine through twelve.
Board of Supervisors
Upper Saucon is a second-class township and elects five at-large supervisors.- Miro Gutzmirtl, Chairman
- Stephen C. Wagner, Vice Chairman
- John E. Gilda Jr.
- Joseph Horvath
- Joaquim (Jack) DeMatos