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Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania
Borough
Jefferson Hills War Memorial
Jefferson Hills War Memorial
Location in Allegheny County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Location in Allegheny County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Allegheny County
Post office Pittsburgh
President of Council Keith Polick
Area
 • Total 16.71 sq mi (43.28 km2)
 • Land 16.55 sq mi (42.85 km2)
 • Water 0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 10,619
 • Estimate 
(2019)
11,101
 • Density 670.96/sq mi (259.06/km2)
Time zone UTC-4 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (EDT)
Area code(s) 412
School District West Jefferson Hills

Jefferson Hills is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes the community of Large. In the 2010 census the population was 10,619. Jefferson Hills was created as Jefferson Township, incorporating on January 22, 1828, and named after Thomas Jefferson. The borough is a part of West Jefferson Hills School District. Before 1998, the borough was known as Jefferson.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 4,138
1940 5,585 35.0%
1950 5,534 −0.9%
1960 8,280 49.6%
1970 8,512 2.8%
1980 8,643 1.5%
1990 9,533 10.3%
2000 9,666 1.4%
2010 10,619 9.9%
2019 (est.) 11,101 4.5%
Sources:

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,666 people, 3,781 households, and 2,688 families residing in the borough. The population density was 583.5 people per square mile (225.2/km²). There were 3,954 housing units at an average density of 238.7 per square mile (92.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.76% White, 1.31% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 3,781 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The borough is overwhelmingly Middle Class. The median income for a household in the borough was $50,615, and the median income for a family was $60,767. Males had a median income of $43,972 versus $36,052 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,006. About 2.7% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

History

The Oak Noggin Bed & Breakfast
The Oak Noggin Bed & Breakfast

The total area of the borough of Jefferson is 16.8 square miles or 10,752 acres. Its history dates back to January 22, 1828 when it was created as a township from the old Township of Mifflin. At that time, the community was called "Jefferson Township" in honor of Thomas Jefferson.

In 1845, Snowden Township was formed from a part of Jefferson Township. Population of the township in 1860 was 1,601 persons, in 1870 it was 2,066 persons, and it reached a total population of 3,227 persons in 1880 (about equal to the population of 1930). Jefferson Township became a First Class Township in 1914, and in 1950 Jefferson was chartered as a borough. The borough of Pleasant Hills seceded from Jefferson Township in 1947 and by so doing, drastically reduced the population and urbanized area of the township.

Jefferson Hills is located along the southern border of Allegheny County and is primarily residential in nature, with approximately one-third of its area presently being used for residential purposes. The residential use is primarily single-family dwellings with slightly over one percent being multiple-family units. Another third of the borough exists in the form of open space and or vacant ground, with the balance being made up of industrial, commercial, mining, and farming land uses.

The major portion of Jefferson Hills drains into two watersheds, the Peters Creek watershed, which ultimately drains into the Monongahela River at Clairton, and the Calamity Hollow and West Elizabeth watershed, which drains to the Monongahela River in the vicinity of West Elizabeth.

Present development has occurred almost exclusively in the flat upland areas. These developments are scattered and separated by large open tracts and or hills and valleys.

The area was the geographic base of the Peters Creek Rangers during the Revolutionary War.

Recreation

885 Baseball Field
Andrew Reilly Memorial Park

Municipal parks

The municipality operates five parks including Gill Hall Park, Andrew Reilly Memorial Park, Lobb's Park, Beedle Park, and Tepe Park spread throughout the community. These parks offer a variety of amenities from various sports fields, tennis and basketball courts, and playground equipment. Additionally, the borough has several pavilions and the Gill Hall Community Center available to rent to borough residents.

Great Allegheny Passage

The Great Allegheny Passage is a system of biking and hiking trails spanning 150 miles (240 km). These trails run from Cumberland, Maryland to Pittsburgh. In 2006, the Great Allegheny Passage connected with the C & O Canal Trail to create a 318-mile-long (512 km) journey from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. This effort was coordinated by the Allegheny Trail Alliance, an organization of the seven-member trails stretching from Pennsylvania to Maryland.

Jefferson Hills (Gill Hall) Trailhead
Jefferson Hills Trailhead

Jefferson Hills is uniquely positioned with two members of that Alliance, the Montour Trail and Steel Valley Trail system, intersecting in nearby Clairton. Local trailheads include Triphammer Road, Jefferson Hills (Gill Hall Road), Route 51 - Large, and Clairton trailheads.

Montour Trail

The Montour Trail is a multipurpose trail extending 40 miles (60 km) from Coraopolis to Clairton. The trail is made of crushed limestone, making it ideal for biking, walking, and cross-country skiing in the winter. The Montour Trail also connects with the Panhandle Trail, a trail of 29 miles (47 km) trail between Carnegie, Pennsylvania and Weirton, West Virginia.

Steel Valley Trail

The Steel Valley Trail runs 14 miles (23 km) from Clairton through McKeesport to West Homestead. The Mckessport-West Homestead section is part of the GAP trail which connects Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh solely on bike trails. At the Clairton Trailhead 40°18′19.44″N 79°52′59.14″W / 40.3054000°N 79.8830944°W / 40.3054000; -79.8830944 it connects to the Montour Trail which is a 40 miles (64 km) loop south of Pittsburgh.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major roads

Two major roads run through Jefferson Hills, PA Route 51 and PA Route 43. Route 51 runs from Uniontown to the Pennsylvania/Ohio border. In Jefferson Hills Route 51 serves as the terminus for Route 43, otherwise known as the Mon–Fayette Expressway. Route 43 is a toll road and part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike system.

Public transportation

The Port Authority of Allegheny County offers bus services in and around Jefferson Hills. There are several buses that directly pass through the borough, including:

Jefferson Hills Bus Routes
Route Number Route Map Schedule Route description
Y46 - Elizabeth Route Map Schedule Daily radial route via South Busway and Pennsylvania Route 51.
Y1 – Large Flyer Route Map Schedule Monday-Friday peak-direction express route via South Busway and Pennsylvania Route 51.
55 – Jefferson Route Map Schedule Daily feeder route with connections in West Mifflin and McKeesport.

Airports

Jefferson Hills is located 45 minutes to the southeast of Pittsburgh International Airport, which handles most air travel in the Pittsburgh metro area. Additionally, the borough is a short drive away from the Allegheny County Airport, located in the neighboring South Hills community of West Mifflin. The Allegheny County Airport serves as the primary FAA-designated reliever airport for Pittsburgh International Airport. In this role the airport supports a high volume of business and corporate-related activity.

Utilities

Electricity generation in Jefferson Hills is supplied by both Allegheny Power and Duquesne Light. Natural gas service for the borough is supplied by Equitable Gas Company. Republic Services handles the trash removal and recycling for Jefferson Hills.

Healthcare

JeffersonHospital
Jefferson Hospital

Jefferson Hills is home to AHN Jefferson Hospital, formerly Jefferson Regional Medical Center, a 373-bed hospital $30 million hospital that opened in the spring of 1977. It serves the South Hills region of Pittsburgh.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jefferson Hills para niños

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