Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania

For other Pennsylvania townships of the same name, see Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania (disambiguation).

Cranberry Township
Township
Official name: Cranberry Township
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Butler County
Population	28,098 (2010)
Density	1,036.5 / sq mi (400.2 / km2)
Settled	1796
- Incorporated	1804
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code	724
School District	Seneca Valley School District
Location of Cranberry Township in Butler County
Location of Butler County in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Website: Cranberry Township

Cranberry Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is classified as a Second Class Township and follows the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code. The population was 28,098 as of the 2010 census.

Geography

Cranberry Township is located in western Pennsylvania (40.70996 N, 80.10605 W) and is a suburb of Pittsburgh. According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 22.8 square miles (59 km²), of which, 22.8 square miles (59 km²) of it is land and 0.04% is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 23,625 people, 8,352 households, and 6,556 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,036.5 people per square mile (400.2/km²). There were 8,724 housing units at an average density of 382.8/sq mi (147.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.80% White, 0.88% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 8,352 households out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the township the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $66,588, and the median income for a family was $74,113. Males had a median income of $52,675 versus $33,155 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,349. 2.9% of the population and 2.1% of families were below the poverty line. 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 5.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

As of the May 2007 primary election, there were 17,808 registered voters in Cranberry Township. The breakdown is as follows: 9,863 Republicans (55.38%), 5,558 Democrats (31.21%), and 2,387 Nonpartisans (13.40%).

History

Cranberry Township was founded in 1804. It is not to be confused with Cranberry Township in Venango County, formerly Fairfield Township (founded 1806), which is located only 60 miles (97 km) away.

The most populated section of the township was originally known as Criders Corners. "Criders Corners" referred to the junction of the old Perry Highway (now Dutilh Road) and the Old Mars-Criders Road (now bypassed in favor of Pennsylvania Route 228). The crossroads was named for Jacob Crider (1823–1902), a trustee of Dutilh Methodist Church, who purchased 50 acres (200,000 m²) of land there in 1871. The township's current name is derived from the cranberry bogs which could be found in the area in days past. The township also includes part of the considerably smaller former town of Ogle, and other small areas formerly known as Fernway and Fox Run.

One reason for the township's tremendous growth is its location. Serving as the intersection of Interstate 76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) and 79 and Routes 19 and 228, the community is accessible from virtually anywhere. In addition, the completion of Interstate 279 in 1989 cut travel time to Pittsburgh under half an hour.

The first church in Cranberry Township was Plains Presbyterian Church, which was founded in 1806.

George Washington, and Christopher Gist reportedly traveled through Cranberry Township prior to the French and Indian War.

Transportation

Interstate 79 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike via Interstate 76 run through Cranberry Township. US Route 19 and Pennsylvania Route 228 are also important main roads in the municipality. These four roads are connected by a newly-completed interchange: the $44.3 million, joint PennDOT/Pennsylvania Turnpike venture, named the "Cranberry Connector Project," was local nuisance for several years, but after opening in early 2004 has effectively provided direct, non-stop connection between the heavily-traveled roads.

Additionally, the northern terminus of Interstate 279, an important artery that serves as the parkway north of Pittsburgh, is located a few miles south of the township. Cranberry Township is also the location of the northernmost bus service lines of the Port Authority of Allegheny County; however, some of these bus lines may be cut in upcoming Port Authority service reductions.

Business

Cranberry Township is one of the fastest-growing areas in the United States in both population and business.^[2] While many residential communities are being built, even more so are retail stores. One of the busiest business centers is at the Cranberry Mall. A few of the stores at the mall include a Giant Eagle, Hallmark Cards, and Cranberry Cinemas theater (formerly Carmike Cinemas). Cranberry Township is also home to the Thorn Hill Industrial Park, where many businesses are headquartered, including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review — whose NewsWorks warehouse prints that paper as well as the USA Today for the Pittsburgh area — and, until 2007, clothing company American Eagle Outfitters's headquarters was located in the nearby municipality of Marshall Township (The company has now relocated its headquarters to the South Side in the city of Pittsburgh). In 2005, Wellington Energy, a sub-division of Wellington Power Corporation located in Lawrenceville, opened in Cranberry and is continuing to grow as a leader in Electric & Gas Meter AMR Deployment and Project Management. Additionally, Parkvale Bank has a thriving branch in the Cranberry Mall.

In many years past, Cranberry Township had no post office of its own, so residents and businesses located there shared ZIP codes with many surrounding cities and towns (such as nearby Mars and Evans City). Subsequently, their mailing addresses were quite confusing, with many people proclaiming the need for their own ZIP code. Cranberry Township finally secured its own post office in 1994 after demand on the other post offices serving the region became exceedingly heavy.

On 20 March 2007, Westinghouse Electric Company announced that it would move its headquarters from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, and build a $140 million research facility in Cranberry Township that would employ over 3000 people.^[3]

References

1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ Cranberry building boom goes on and on
3. ^ Westinghouse center goes to Cranberry

External links

• Township website
• Township fire department
• Township history
• City-Data.com

Coordinates: 40°41′51″N 80°06′50″W / 40.6975°N 80.11389°W / 40.6975; -80.11389