Towanda, Pennsylvania

The Towanda Historic District and Bradford County Courthouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6] The Pennsylvania Guide, compiled by the Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration, described Towanda in 1940 as:[7]

an attractive town of wide brick-paved streets, [occupying] a slope on the west shore of the Susquehanna, at the convergence of three valleys. On the upper and lower reaches of the hill are elaborate residences. A well-developed shopping center serves neighborhood farmers and visitors to surrounding hill and lake resorts. There is a large textile mill in addition to several small industrial plants. The town's early name, Meansville, for William Means who laid it out in 1812, occasioned 'considerable animosity,' and the present one was adopted in 1828.

— Federal Writers'Project, "Part III: Tours", Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State (1940)

Towanda is located near the center of Bradford County at 41°46′13″N 76°26′48″W (41.770251, −76.446545),[8] on the west bank of the Susquehanna River. It is bordered to the north and west by North Towanda Township, to the south and west by Towanda Township, and to the east, across the river, by Wysox Township.

U.S. Route 6 passes through the center of the borough, leading southeast 39 miles (63 km) to Tunkhannock and 60 miles (97 km) to the Scranton area, and west 37 miles (60 km) to Mansfield. U.S. Route 220 bypasses the borough to the west and leads north 18 miles (29 km) to its terminus at Waverly, New York and southwest 67 miles (108 km) to Williamsport.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²), of which 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²), or 2.55%, is water.[5]

As of the 2000 census,[10] there were 3,024 people, 1,279 households and 795 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,674.2 per square mile (1,033.3/km²). There were 1,459 housing units at an average density of 1,290.2 per square mile (498.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.36% White, 0.86% African American, 0.36% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.

There were 1,279 households of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92.

Age distribution was 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median household income was $35,814, and the median family income was $41,884. Males had a median income of $35,663 versus $23,796 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $17,438. About 9.9% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Towanda is home to the Lackawanna College Towanda Center which is a "premier, private, accredited two-year college serving the people of northeastern Pennsylvania" and satellite campus of Lackawanna College in Scranton, PA.

Towanda has a council–manager form of government.

• Borough of Towanda official website
• Towanda Online, local guide
• The Daily Review, local newspaper