Monroe County, Pennsylvania

Monroe County, Pennsylvania
Monroe County Courthouse
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Monroe County
Location in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S.
Founded April 1, 1836
Named for James Monroe[1]
Seat Stroudsburg
Largest borough East Stroudsburg
Area
 • Total 617 sq mi (1,598 km2)
 • Land 608 sq mi (1,575 km2)
 • Water 9.0 sq mi (23 km2), 1.5%
Population (est.)
 • (2017) 168,046
 • Density 274/sq mi (106/km2)
Congressional districts 10th, 17th
Time zone Eastern: UTC−5/−4
Website http://www.monroecountypa.gov

Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 169,842.[2] Its county seat is Stroudsburg.[3] The county was formed from sections of Northampton and Pike counties[4]. Named in honor of James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, the county is located in northeastern Pennsylvania, along its border with New Jersey. Monroe County is coterminous with the East Stroudsburg, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, within the Greater New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.[5] It also borders the Lehigh Valley and has connections to the Delaware Valley, being a part of Philadelphia's Designated Media Market.

The county is home to East Stroudsburg University. Monroe County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state of Pennsylvania. Not only has the population increased by over 70% since 1990, but the commercial and retail sectors have grown significantly, as well. There are many new shopping centers, and even more are being constructed and are currently being planned at this time.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 617 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 608 square miles (1,570 km2) is land and 9.0 square miles (23 km2) (1.5%) is water.[6] It has a humid continental climate (Dfb except for some Dfa in the southern and SE tiers) and the hardiness zone ranges from 5a to 6b. The area code is 570 except in the southwest where the Kunkletown exchange uses 610.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 169,842 people, 49,454 households, and 36,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 228 people per square mile (88/km²). There were 67,581 housing units at an average density of 111 per square mile (43/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 70.5% White Non-Hispanic, 13.2% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. 13.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.9% were of German, 16.8% Irish, 14.5% Italian, 8.8% Pennsylvania German, 5.4% Polish, 5.1% American and 5.1% English ancestry.

There were 49,454 households out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 20.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county, the population was spread out with 26.80% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Monroe County of Pennsylvania as the East Stroudsburg, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.[5] As of the 2010 census the Metro area had a population of 169,842. The area ranks 12th most populous in the state of Pennsylvania and ranks 244th most populous in the United States.

The United States Office of Management and Budget also has designated Monroe County as part of the larger New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT–PA Combined Statistical Area.[5] The larger combined area consists of the Lehigh Valley counties of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton as well as Pike County in Pennsylvania, and several other Metro areas from the States of New Jersey and New York. As of the 2010 US Census, the population of the CSA was 23,076,664, making it the most populous Combined Statistical Area in the United States.

Politics

Presidential elections results
Presidential Elections Results[8]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2016 47.7% 33,386 48.5% 33,918 3.9% 2,704
2012 42.6% 26,867 55.9% 35,221 1.5% 935
2008 41.2% 28,293 57.5% 39,453 1.3% 872
2004 49.7% 27,971 49.6% 27,967 0.7% 404
2000 49.6% 23,265 46.8% 21,939 3.6% 1,674
1996 44.4% 17,326 42.4% 16,547 13.3% 5,192
1992 38.8% 14,557 35.9% 13,468 25.3% 9,475
1988 62.8% 17,185 36.0% 9,859 1.2% 327
1984 65.8% 16,109 33.5% 8,193 0.7% 172
1980 55.4% 12,357 33.9% 7,551 10.7% 2,381
1976 50.7% 10,228 47.3% 9,544 2.0% 393
1972 67.5% 12,701 29.9% 5,619 2.6% 494
1968 53.3% 9,465 39.1% 6,946 7.5% 1,336
1964 36.9% 6,281 62.4% 10,622 0.7% 116
1960 63.7% 11,299 35.6% 6,312 0.7% 115
1956 64.3% 10,081 35.1% 5,506 0.6% 92
1952 62.1% 9,502 37.6% 5,760 0.3% 42
1948 53.0% 6,674 47.0% 5,913
1944 52.9% 6,202 46.8% 5,490 0.3% 37
1940 47.3% 6,001 52.6% 6,670 0.1% 16
1936 41.0% 5,778 58.3% 8,212 0.6% 89
1932 41.6% 4,659 56.8% 6,357 1.6% 183
1928 69.4% 7,469 30.4% 3,266 0.3% 27
1924 44.3% 3,462 49.9% 3,901 5.8% 456
1920 48.0% 3,278 49.7% 3,396 2.3% 154
1916 29.8% 1,456 68.5% 3,348 1.7% 82
1912 11.6% 536 67.5% 3,107 20.9% 961
1908 31.6% 1,454 65.3% 3,004 3.1% 141
1904 34.5% 1,446 61.7% 2,587 3.9% 163
1900 28.0% 1,264 67.6% 3,054 4.4% 198
1896 31.8% 1,447 63.4% 2,887 4.8% 217
1892 24.5% 1,020 74.0% 3,078 1.5% 61
1888 25.0% 1,107 73.8% 3,274 1.3% 56

For much of the second half of the 20th century, Monroe County was a Republican stronghold. However, in recent years, party registration has leaned toward the Democratic Party, a result of continued migration to the county by former New York City residents, many of whom are Democrats. While in the 2004 U.S. presidential election the county was carried by Republican George W. Bush by a margin of four votes, beginning with the first campaign (2008) of Barack Obama Democratic candidates carried Monroe County. In that election Obama carried the county by a 17-point margin, 58% to 41%–the first Democrat to win the county since 1964, and only the second since 1940. The other three 2008 statewide Democratic candidates also carried the county handily. Additionally, the Democratic presidential candidates carried the county in 2012 (Obama) and in 2016 (Hillary Clinton.

As of November 2008, there are 113,960 registered voters in Monroe County.

  • Democratic: 53,801 (47.21%)
  • Republican: 38,905 (34.14%)
  • Other Parties: 21,254 (18.65%)

County commissioners

  • John Moyer, Chairman, Republican
  • Charles Garris, Republican
  • John Christy, Democratic

Other county offices

  • Controller, Marlo Merhige, Republican
  • Coroner, Thomas Yanac, Democratic
  • District Attorney, E. David Christine, Jr., Republican
  • Prothonotary, George Warden, Republican
  • Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills, Josephine Ferro, Republican
  • Sheriff, Todd Martin, Republican
  • Treasurer, Theresa Johnson, Republican

State Representatives[9]

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18409,879—
185013,27034.3%
186016,75826.3%
187018,3629.6%
188020,1759.9%
189020,111−0.3%
190021,1615.2%
191022,9418.4%
192024,2955.9%
193028,28616.4%
194029,8025.4%
195033,77313.3%
196039,56717.2%
197045,42214.8%
198069,40952.8%
199095,70937.9%
2000138,68744.9%
2010169,84222.5%
Est. 2017168,046[11]−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14]
1990-2000[15] 2010-2017[2]
The New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT–PA (CSA) and the included Pennsylvania Counties

State Senators

United States Representatives

United States Senators

Governor

Transportation

Public transportation throughout the county is provided by the Monroe County Transit Authority, known as the "Pocono Pony".[16] MCTA operates a fixed route bus system[17] and a paratransit curb to curb service for eligible populations.[18]

New Jersey Transit is restoring train tracks in northwestern New Jersey along the Lackawanna Cut-off. This potentially would potentially also involve the train going into the Poconos from Hoboken, marking the first time since the early 1970s when the Erie Lackawanna Railroad stopped running daily trains through the area.

Major highways

Education

Map of Monroe County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Colleges and universities

Public school districts

Charter schools

  • Evergreen Community Charter School, Cresco
  • Pocono Mountain Charter School, Tobyhanna, **charter revoked by PDE 2014**[19]

Technology schools

Monroe Career & Technical Institute, Bartonsville

Private schools

  • Art Learning Center, East Stroudsburg
  • Character Builders Christian Academy, Pocono Pines
  • East Stroudsburg Christian Academy, East Stroudsburg **closed in 2012**
  • Monsignor McHugh School, Cresco
  • Notre Dame Elementary School, East Stroudsburg
  • Notre Dame High School, East Stroudsburg
  • Pocono Central Catholic High School, Cresco **closed in 1988**
  • St Pauls Lutheran Pre-School, East Stroudsburg
  • Stroudsburg 7th Day Adventists School, Stroudsburg
  • Summit School of the Poconos, Stroudsburg
  • Triumphant & Excellence Academy 1, East Stroudsburg
  • Triumphant & Excellence Academy 2 TEA Institute, Tobyhanna
  • Triumphant Living Heritage, Marshalls Creek
  • Victory Baptist Christian School, Brodheadsville

Private schools are as reported in EdNA school database maintained and published by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2011

Industry

The Tobyhanna Army Depot, the US Department of Defense's largest center for the repair and fabrication of electronic systems, is located in Monroe County.[20] It was identified in 2004 as the largest employer in northeastern Pennsylvania.[21]

The US headquarters for Sanofi Pasteur, a vaccine manufacturer, is also in Monroe County.[22] The facility was originally established in 1897 by Brooklyn native Richard M. Slee as the Pocono Biological Laboratories. It was the first and only company in the United States to produce a new glycerolized smallpox vaccine from France and, in 1898, it provided all of the vaccines used in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.[23]

Parks and Trails

The view from Big Pocono State Park at Camelback Mountain

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which "includes nearly 70,000 acres of mountains, valleys and floodplains," is partially located in Monroe County.[24] The county also has Pennsylvania state parks, such as Big Pocono State Park and parts of the Delaware State Forest, Gouldsboro State Park, and Tobyhanna State Park.[25]

The Appalachian Trail passes through Monroe County. David Pierce wrote in the Pocono Record, "The 2,184-mile public footpath — from Georgia to Maine — has a particularly scenic but rugged section that straddles Monroe County’s southern border..." He stated that "trail hiking has long been an integral part of Monroe County’s identity..."[26]

During the Revolutionary War in 1779, General John Sullivan marched his troops through Monroe County on their expedition to fight the Iroquois tribe in New York State.[27] The historic Sullivan Trail is now Pennsylvania Route 115 and contains many historical markers.[27][28] Sergeant Moses Fellows of the Third New Hampshire Regiment described the area as "...very poor & Barren and I think as never will Be Settled.”[29]

Resorts

Inn At Pocono Manor (May 2015)
The Shawnee Inn

Two of the earliest Pocono resorts, founded by rival factions of the Philadelphia Quaker community, were located in Monroe County: Inn at Buck Hill Falls (1901) and Pocono Manor (1902).[30][31][32] These resorts did not allow liquor or dancing, and evening dress was discouraged.[33] The Quakers "brought a quiet, unostentatious style to the region,"[33] but their hotels later developed from religious retreats into "luxurious mountain resorts."[34] Buck Hill's stone facade became a model for close to 300 stately stone-and-shingle homes in the region.[33] Pocono Manor offers sweeping vistas of the eastern and western Pocono region and has been referred to as the "Grand Lady of the Mountains."[35] Buck Hill closed in 1990, and the Inn at Pocono Manor was identified in 2009 as the oldest continuously operating resort in the Pocono Mountains.[31][33]

Skytop Lodge, built in 1928, is also located in Monroe County and has been described as a "Dutch Colonial-style manor house."[32][36] Designed in reaction to the Quaker resorts, it had a dance floor and served liquor in a basement bar.[33] Skytop offers thirty miles of hiking trails, and the main building "is surrounded by 5,000 acres of wood, glacial bogs, hemlock gorges, beaver marshes, and cascading waterfalls."[35]

The Buckwood Inn opened in Monroe County in 1911 and included the first golf course to be designed by renowned golf architect A. W. Tillinghast.[37][38][39] Bandleader Fred Waring purchased the resort in 1943, renamed it the Shawnee Inn, and broadcast his radio shows from there.[40] The Shawnee Inn is a Spanish colonial revival building with white-Moorish architecture and Spanish tiled roofs,[33] and it was identified in the 1990s as the only resort on the banks of the Delaware River.[41][42]

Mount Airy Lodge, which expanded from an eight-room inn into the largest Pocono resort, was located in Monroe County.[43][44] It heavily advertised in the New York media market with the catchy jingle, "Beautiful Mount Airy Lodge."[45] Headliners, such as Bob Hope, Milton Berle, and Connie Francis, performed in the Crystal Room, Mount Airy's 2,000 seat theater. Comedian Mickey Freeman said, "The food was lousy, but it was a legalized orgy." The 1,200 acre resort's heyday was in the 1960s and 1970s before closing in 2001.[44] In October 2007 the Mount Airy Casino Resort opened on the site.[43]

As of July 2015, there were three resorts in Monroe County with indoor water parks: Great Wolf Lodge, Aquatopia at Camelback Resort, and Kalahari Resort.[46]

Communities

Map of Monroe 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 cities, boroughs and townships are located in Monroe County:

Boroughs

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.

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Monroe County.[47]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)

1 East Stroudsburg Borough 9,840
2 Arlington Heights CDP 6,333
3 † Stroudsburg Borough 5,567
4 Sierra View CDP 4,813
5 Penn Estates CDP 4,493
6 Indian Mountain Lake (partially in Carbon County) CDP 4,372
7 Saw Creek (mostly in Pike County) CDP 4,016
8 Mount Pocono Borough 3,170
9 Emerald Lakes CDP 2,886
10 Sun Valley CDP 2,399
11 Effort CDP 2,269
12 Brodheadsville CDP 1,800
13 Pocono Pines CDP 1,409
14 Mountainhome CDP 1,182
15 Saylorsburg CDP 1,126
16 Gouldsboro (mostly in Wayne County) CDP 890
17 Delaware Water Gap Borough 746

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 212.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ↑ http://www.monroecountypa.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/NewAboutUs.pdf
  5. 1 2 3 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  6. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  8. ↑ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS
  9. ↑ Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  10. ↑ http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/county_list.cfm?CNTYLIST=MONROE
  11. ↑ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  12. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  14. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ Monroe County Transit Authority. Gomcta.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
  17. ↑ Pocono Pony Bus Routes. Gomcta.com (2013-06-08). Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
  18. ↑ Monroe County Transportation Authority, The Pocono Pony's Shared Ride Service. Gomcta.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
  19. ↑ Jenna Ebersole (June 5, 2014). "Pocono Mountain Charter School's charter revoked". Pocono Record.
  20. ↑ Soper, Spencer (October 20, 2010). "Tobyhanna Army Depot to cut 189 jobs". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania.
  21. ↑ Slade, David (July 9, 2004). "Bittersweet victory for depot staff". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania.
  22. ↑ Herzog, Amy (December 11, 2016). "No recall for glass found in vaccine". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania.
  23. ↑ Leiser, Amy. "Swiftwater laboratory starts with Col. Slee". Monroe County Historical Association. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  24. ↑ Kohler, Aimee. "Pocono Photo Tour: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area". Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  25. ↑ "State & National Parks & Forests in Pocono Mountains PA". VisitPA.com. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  26. ↑ Pierce, David (September 17, 2015). "31 Things That Play in the Poconos: Appalachian Trail beckons local and through hikers". Pocono Record. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  27. 1 2 Heffelfinger, Bill (January 14, 1968). "'Sullivan's Trail' Truly Historic". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania.
  28. ↑ Amaral, Brian. "CDs lead cars along truly historic Sullivan Trail". Monroe County Historical Association. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  29. ↑ Mintz, Max (1999). Seeds of Empire. New York: New York University Press. p. 96. ISBN 0-8147-5622-0.
  30. ↑ Squeri, Lawrence (2002). Better in the Poconos: The Story of Pennsylvania's Vacationland. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press. pp. 71–73. ISBN 0271021578.
  31. 1 2 "Corvelle named assistant GM at Pocono Manor". Pocono Record. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. October 11, 2009. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  32. 1 2 "Nearly Million Surgical Dressings Made by Units Soon to Stop Work". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. July 31, 1945.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fleeson, Lucinda (September 2, 1994). "Fading Memories In The Poconos". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  34. ↑ Uguccioni, Marilyn (May 29, 1976). "Resort industry old-timer in the Pocono Mountains". The Pocono Record.
  35. 1 2 Sulon, Bill (February 6, 2003). "Cold comfort: a trio of Pennsylvania inns". The Baltimore Sun.
  36. ↑ "Skytop Lodge". Historic Hotels of America. National Trust For Historic Preservation. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  37. ↑ Goodwin, Stephen; Wolffe, Rick. "The Creator of Golf Courses". The Tillinghast Association. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  38. ↑ Jesky, Mike (October 26, 1997). "Shawnee Inn: It's stately, yet inviting". Standard Speaker. Hazleton, PA.
  39. ↑ Edelson, Stephen (September 2, 1999). "A Guide To The Best In Fall Golfing". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey.
  40. ↑ Squeri (2002), p. 182
  41. ↑ Fodor's national parks and seashores of the east (1 ed.). New York: Fodor's Travel Publications. 1994. p. 164.
  42. ↑ Shea, Barbara (September 11, 1994). "Let the current set the pace at the Delaware Water Gap". The Courier-News. Somerville, NJ.
  43. 1 2 McKinley, Jesse; Bagli, Charles (November 6, 2014). "In Faded Vacationland, Gambling's Promise Falls Short". New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  44. 1 2 Jacobs, Andrew (November 2, 2001). "The Thrills Are Over At Mount Airy Lodge". New York Times.
  45. ↑ Rubinkam, Michael (February 27, 2005). "For sale at Poconos lodge: The heart-shaped tub, and lots more". The Star-Democrat. Easton, Maryland.
  46. ↑ Lauer-Williams, Kathy (July 19, 2015). "Water Park windfall". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania.
  47. ↑ https://www.census.gov/2010census/

Coordinates: 41°04′N 75°20′W / 41.06°N 75.34°W / 41.06; -75.34

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