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Warminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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Warminster Township, Pennsylvania
Township
Craven Hall
Craven Hall
Seal of Warminster Township
Seal
Location of Warminster Township in Bucks County
Location of Warminster Township in Bucks County
Warminster Township, Pennsylvania is located in Pennsylvania
Warminster Township, Pennsylvania
Warminster Township, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Warminster Township, Pennsylvania is located in the United States
Warminster Township, Pennsylvania
Warminster Township, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Bucks
Founded 1685
Government
 • Type Council-manager
Area
 • Total 10.18 sq mi (26.4 km2)
 • Land 10.16 sq mi (26.3 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
315 ft (96 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 32,682
 • Estimate 
(2016)
32,460
 • Density 3,210.4/sq mi (1,239.5/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
18974
Area code(s) 215, 267 and 445
FIPS code 42-017-80952

Warminster Township (also referred to as Warminster) is located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States and was formally established in 1711. It is 13.7 miles north of Philadelphia and had a population of 32,682 according to the 2010 U.S. census.

History

The town was called Warminster Township as early as 1685, before its borders were formally established in 1711. It was originally part of Southampton Township, which was founded in 1682 by William Penn. Warminster was named after a small town in the county of Wiltshire, at the western extremity of Salisbury Plain, England. Warminster, Pennsylvania was mostly settled by English and Scotch-Irish after William Penn received a grant of land in the area from King Charles, II.

Warminster began as a small farming community and remained that way throughout most of its history. As recently as 1955, the township had no residential subdivisions and only one housing complex, Lacey Park on Street Road, the site where the Battle of Crooked Billet occurred during the Revolutionary War that resulted in a resounding defeat for George Washington's troops.

Warminster's Craven Hall is included in the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Warminster's most significant historical figure was William Tennent, an outspoken religious leader and educator.

Warminster's Naval Air Warfare Center, previously called the Johnsville Naval Air Development Center and then the Naval Air Development Center, operated from World War II until it closed in 1996. Its site was acquired by the U.S. Navy from the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation in 1943. The Center initially served as a weapons development and airplane testing facility. It then became a training center for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. The facility developed a prototype "black box," best known as the indestructible recorder of cockpit conversations and information in the event of a crash.

Geography

Warminster Township is 3.7 miles northwest of Philadelphia at their closest points and has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.5 km²), all of it land. Warminster is drained by the Delaware River tributaries of the Neshaminy Creek and the Pennypack Creek.

Neighboring municipalities

  • Warrington Township (northwest)
  • Warwick Township (north)
  • Ivyland (northeast)
  • Northampton Township (northeast)
  • Upper Southampton Township (southeast)
  • Upper Moreland Township, Montgomery County (south)
  • Hatboro, Montgomery County (southwest)
  • Horsham Township, Montgomery County (southwest)

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Warminster has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Climate data for Warminster, Pennsylvania
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 73
(23)
75
(24)
85
(29)
95
(35)
96
(36)
99
(37)
102
(39)
100
(38)
102
(39)
89
(32)
83
(28)
75
(24)
102
(39)
Average high °F (°C) 38.9
(3.8)
42.1
(5.6)
51.0
(10.6)
62.3
(16.8)
72.1
(22.3)
80.8
(27.1)
84.9
(29.4)
82.9
(28.3)
75.5
(24.2)
64.2
(17.9)
54.3
(12.4)
42.7
(5.9)
62.7
(17.1)
Average low °F (°C) 25.5
(−3.6)
27.6
(−2.4)
34.0
(1.1)
43.6
(6.4)
53.0
(11.7)
62.5
(16.9)
67.4
(19.7)
65.7
(18.7)
58.0
(14.4)
46.7
(8.2)
38.5
(3.6)
30.0
(−1.1)
46.1
(7.8)
Record low °F (°C) −9
(−23)
−6
(−21)
0
(−18)
18
(−8)
29
(−2)
39
(4)
49
(9)
43
(6)
34
(1)
25
(−4)
13
(−11)
−2
(−19)
−9
(−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.6
(91)
2.8
(71)
4.2
(110)
4.0
(100)
4.2
(110)
4.1
(100)
4.9
(120)
4.1
(100)
4.7
(120)
3.5
(89)
3.8
(97)
4.3
(110)
48.2
(1,220)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 8.0
(20)
8.0
(20)
4.5
(11)
0.9
(2.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.6
(1.5)
2.7
(6.9)
24.7
(63)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.5 9.1 10.4 12.4 12.1 10.3 9.9 8.3 8.9 8.4 9.8 10.3 120.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 4.0 2.4 1.6 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.4 1.7 10.6
Average relative humidity (%) 61.2 56.4 57.9 57.6 63.2 67.1 67.3 69.6 70.5 68.4 63.5 63.5 64.0
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 1,452
1940 1,977 36.2%
1950 7,127 260.5%
1960 15,994 124.4%
1970 34,900 118.2%
1980 35,463 1.6%
1990 32,832 −7.4%
2000 31,383 −4.4%
2010 32,682 4.1%
2020 33,603 2.8%

As of the 2010 U.S. census, Warminster Township had a population of 32,682 people. The racial makeup of the township was 89.3% White, 3.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.7% of the population.

As of the 2000 U.S. census, Warminster Township had a population of 31,383 people. The racial makeup of the township was 91.00% White, 3.31% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.99% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.21% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. 4.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The population density was 3,061.0 people per square mile (1,182.2/km2). There were 11,644 housing units at an average density of 1,135.7/sq mi (438.6/km2).

There were 11,350 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.16.

Of all township residents, 24.5% were under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median household income was $54,375, while the median family income was $60,907. Males had a median income of $41,033 versus $30,302 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,285. About 4.1% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation centers

Warminster Township's Recreation Services Division provides many events and community services, including overseeing and maintaining 420 acres of recreation areas within 13 parks. Warminster Community Park is the largest at 240 acres, with over five miles of trails. Small neighborhood parks make up the bulk of the others. Sports teams, including soccer, football, basketball, swimming, wrestling, baseball, and softball, are provided by various adult and youth sports organizations throughout their respective seasons. The township is also home to the best-reviewed public golf course in Bucks County.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Warminster PA SEPTA station February 2018
Warminster station, which serves as the terminus of SEPTA's Warminster Line

Numbered routes in Warminster Township include Pennsylvania Route 132 (Street Road), which runs northwest–southeast through the township between Warrington and Southampton; Pennsylvania Route 263 (York Road), which runs north–south through the township between Hatboro and Jamison; and Pennsylvania Route 332 (Jacksonville Road), which runs southwest–northeast through the township between Hatboro and Ivyland. Other important roads include County Line Road, which runs northwest–southeast along the southwestern border with Montgomery County; Bristol Road, which runs northwest–southeast along the northeastern border of the township; Davisville Road, which runs southwest–northeast along the southeastern border of the township; and Mearns Road, which begins at Street Road in the center of the township and heads northeast.

SEPTA provides train and bus service in Warminster Township. The Warminster station serves as the terminus of SEPTA Regional Rail's Warminster Line commuter rail service into Center City Philadelphia. SEPTA City Bus Route 22 begins in Warminster and heads south to Olney Transportation Center in North Philadelphia via Willow Grove. TMA Bucks operates the Richboro-Warminster Rushbus, which offers peak-hour shuttles between a connection with the Warminster Line train and the Route 22 bus at the Warminster station and certain businesses in Warminster and surrounding areas in Ivyland, Northampton Township, and Richboro. Two cab companies also operate within the township.

Freight rail service to Warminster Township is provided by the Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad (which operates along SEPTA trackage) and the New Hope Railroad. Both railroads have an interchange point in the township.

Utilities

Electricity and natural gas in Warminster Township is provided by PECO Energy Company, a subsidiary of Exelon. Trash and recycling collection in Warminster Township is provided under contract by J.P. Mascaro & Sons. Cable, telephone, and internet service to the area is provided by Xfinity and Verizon. Warminster Township is served by area codes 215, 267, and 445.

Water and sewer service in the township is provided by the Warminster Municipal Authority, which serves 10,300 customers. The Warminster Municipal Authority receives water from groundwater wells in the township along with water purchased from the North Wales Water Authority. Multiple groundwater wells in the township are contaminated with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from the former Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster site, leading to the authority having to close wells to install treatment systems to decontaminate the water. The United States Navy paid for the treatment systems for the wells. As a result, the Warminster Municipal Authority has increased the amount of water it purchases from the North Wales Water Authority to ensure safe drinking water.

Notable people

Education

William Tennent High School entrance
William Tennent High School

Kindergarten through grade 12

Public schools (part of the Centennial School District):

  • Davis Elementary School
  • McDonald Elementary School
  • Willow Dale Elementary School
  • Klinger Middle School
  • Log College Middle School
  • William Tennent High School

Parochial schools:

  • Nativity of Our Lord School
  • Archbishop Wood Catholic High School

Private Schools:

  • ATG Learning Academy
  • Delaware Valley Private School (closed)
  • Middle Earth Academy

University

  • Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Laboratory Navigation Research & Development Building Center

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Municipio de Warminster (condado de Bucks, Pensilvania) para niños

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