Greene County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greene County
U.S. county
Greene County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	February 9, 1796
Named for	Nathanael Greene
Seat	Waynesburg
Largest borough	Waynesburg
Area
• Total	578 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Land	576 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Water	2.0 sq mi (5 km2)  0.4%%
Population
• Estimate  (2018)	36,506
• Density	65/sq mi (25/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	14th

Greene County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,686. Its county seat is Waynesburg. Greene County was created on February 9, 1796, from part of Washington County and named for General Nathanael Greene.

Greene County is part of the Pittsburgh media market. It is in the area of southwestern Pennsylvania that was claimed by Virginia, the District of West Augusta.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 578 square miles (1,500 km²), of which 576 square miles (1,490 km²) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Washington County (north)
• Fayette County (east)
• Monongalia County, West Virginia (south)
• Wetzel County, West Virginia (southwest)
• Marshall County, West Virginia (west)

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 38,686 people, 14,724 households, and 9,970 families residing in the county. The population density was 67 people per square mile (25.9/km²). There were 16,678 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.6 percent White, 3.3 percent Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3 percent Asian, 0.0 percent Pacific Islander, 0.7 percent from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. 1.2 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 14,724 households, out of which 29.3 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5 percent were married couples living together, 10.9 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3 percent were non-families. 27.0 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.9 percent under the age of 18, 9.9 percent from 18 to 24, 25.5 percent from 25 to 44, 29.3 percent from 45 to 64, and 15.3 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females there were 106.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males.

Transportation

Highways

• Pennsylvania Route 18 – the southernmost segments of one of the few Pennsylvania state routes to touch two state borders, this route begins at the West Virginia border in Freeport Township; after winding through the rolling hills of southwestern Greene County, it forms a consignment with Route 21 to reach the county seat in Waynesburg, before twisting back toward the northwest and into Washington County
• U.S. Route 19 – although mostly parallel to and bypassed by the interstate system, this highway is a key north–south link in the county; entering from West Virginia and exiting into rural Washington County, this route connects a variety of small communities to Waynesburg, through which it is briefly cosigned with Route 21
• Pennsylvania Route 21 – known as the Roy E. Furman Highway, this route is the east–west backbone of the county; the route begins at the border with the West Virginia panhandle, then winds through sparely populated western townships to Waynesburg; after forming the town’s main street, it includes a four-lane segment that features many of the region’s big box stores and commercial strips; the route alternates between two and four-lanes as it travels through hilly eastern villages before crossing the Monongahela River into Fayette County
• Interstate 79 – as part of its journey between Morgantown, West Virginia and suburban Pittsburgh, this interstate highway breezes through Greene County, providing access to Waynesburg and several small communities
• Pennsylvania Route 88 – part of a long, winding route that travels slowly through suburban Pittsburgh and the Monongahela Valley, this highway runs through small boroughs such as Carmichaels and Rices Landing during its stretch through the county, before exiting on a bridge over the Monongahela to reach its terminus in the small Fayette County town of Point Marion
• Pennsylvania Route 188 – this short rural access route connects Franklin Township, which holds Waynesburg’s business district, with Morgan Township and Jefferson Township, before ending at its parent highway, Route 88
• Pennsylvania Route 218 – this short rural access road connects Waynesburg with a West Virginia highway of the same number, after traveling through a sparely populated area
• Pennsylvania Route 221 – this winding highway traverses northern townships in the county, entering from rural areas of Washington County and ending in Morgan Township at Route 188
• Pennsylvania Route 231 – the final miles of this highway straddle the Washington–Greene County line, as the highway briefly enters Morris Township in its waning segments

Airport

Greene County Airport is a county owned, public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) east of the central business district of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

Communities

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

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Greene County:

Boroughs

• Carmichaels
• Clarksville
• Greensboro
• Jefferson
• Rices Landing
• Waynesburg (county seat)

Townships

Census-designated places

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

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Greene County.

† county seat

Economy

Greene County's development commission has assisted area business since 1998.

The Meadow Ridge office park has served the county since the early 2000s.

Two power plant construction projects are underway in Greene County. Hill Top Energy Center, a natural gas-fired power plant with a generating capacity of 625 megawatts, is scheduled to begin operations in the summer of 2021. A new 1,000-megawatt natural gas power plant on the site of the former Hatfield's Ferry power station is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2022.

Education

Map of Greene County, Pennsylvania School Districts

Colleges and universities

• Waynesburg University

Public school districts

Greene County is divided into five public school districts. There are 15 public schools that serve Greene County, Pennsylvania.

• Carmichaels Area School District
• Central Greene School District
• Jefferson-Morgan School District
• Southeastern Greene School District
• West Greene School District

Some schools within the five above districts include:

Private schools

• Open Door Christian School in Waynesburg (grades K-12)
• Greene Valley Christian Academy in Rices Landing (grades K-8)

Libraries

• Eva K Bowlby Public Library in Waynesburg
• Flenniken Public Library in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania
• Greene County Library System in Jefferson, Pennsylvania

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Greene (Pensilvania) para niños