Monroeville, Pennsylvania

History

Named for Joel Monroe, the area's first postmaster, Monroeville was settled in the mid to late 18th century. The area was incorporated as Patton Township in 1849 before becoming the borough of Monroeville on January 25, 1951. Monroeville became a Home Rule Charter Municipality on May 21, 1974.

Geography

A suburb of Pittsburgh, Monroeville is located at 40°25′52″N 79°45′55″W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.8 square miles (51 km²), of which 0.05% is water.

Neighboring communities

Demographics

As of the census of 2010 there were 28,386 people in Monroeville. The racial makeup of the city was 79.51% White, 12.58% African American, 6.07% Asian, 0.42% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population. Monroeville is one of the most racially diverse places in the Pittsburgh area.

As of the census of 2000, there were 29,349 people, 12,376 households, and 8,044 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,483.0 people per square mile (572.6/km²). There were 13,159 housing units at an average density of 664.9 per square mile (256.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.58% White, 8.29% African American, 0.14% Native American, 4.41% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.

There were 12,376 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $44,653, and the median income for a family was $53,474. Males had a median income of $41,100 versus $30,232 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,031. About 4.9% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

U.S. Route 22 ran through Monroeville as a substantial business route. When the Parkway East (I-376) was extended east to connect to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, U.S. 22 was shifted to that road, and the original U.S. 22 stretch of William Penn Highway became Business U.S. 22. Today, U.S. Route 22 runs through the municipality, serving as its main business district. This highway, along with the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76), the eastern portion of the Penn-Lincoln Parkway (Interstate 376 concurrent with U.S. 22), U.S. Route 22 Business, and PA Route 48 intersect, forming the 3rd busiest intersection in the commonwealth. Exit 57 (old Exit 6) of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is in Monroeville, with its interchange to Interstate 376. U.S. Route 22 also has an interchange with PA Route 286, which serves the northeastern part of the municipality.

Pittsburgh-Monroeville Airport, also called Harold W. Brown Memorial Field, is a private airport at 40.452290°N 79.774768°W / 40.452290; -79.774768. The airport has a single paved runway of 2,280 feet (690 m).

Two bus lines of the Port Authority of Allegheny County offer service to downtown Pittsburgh, and the Port Authority also has several park-and-ride lots located in Monroeville for bus commuters to Pittsburgh.

Rail service is served by Amtrak's Pennsylvanian and freight trains are handled by the Norfolk Southern and Union Railroad

Elected officials

Education

K-12 students in Monroeville are served by the Gateway School District, a public school district with a student population of 3,800. Higher education is accessible via the Community College of Allegheny County's Boyce Campus and Indiana University of Pennsylvania's satellite facility in Penn Center East. The Monroeville Convention Center and The Western School of Health and Business - Monroeville are located in Monroeville.

The ExpoMart is now called the Monroeville Convention Center.

Economy

Monroeville is home to the Monroeville Mall as well as several office parks, and since the 1960s has featured high rise hotels. At its height in 1979, U.S. Steel's research laboratory in Monroeville employed nearly 1,800 people.

Notable people