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Butler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 174,083.

Butler County was created on March 12, 1800 from part of Allegheny County and named in honor of General Richard Butler. Its county seat is Butler6. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Law And Government

Pennsylvania State Senate

Pennsylvania House Of Representatives

United States House Of Representatives

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,058 km² (795 mi²). 2,042 km² (789 mi²) of it is land and 16 km² (6 mi²) of it (0.79%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 85/km² (221/mi²). There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 34/km² (89/mi²). The racial/ethnic makeup of the county is 97.83% White, 0.79% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, 0.54% from two or more races; and 0.58% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 65,862 households out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males.

Highlights and History

Butler County is named after Richard Butler (general), a hero of the American Revolution. It is the location of Moraine State Park, with the 3,000 acre glacial lake, Lake Arthur. Lake Arthur is used for fishing and sailing, and the surrounding park is used for hiking and hunting.

Some famous inventions and discoveries were made in Butler County. It was in Saxonburg, Butler County, that the designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, John Roebling, invented his revolutionary "wire rope." At what is now known as Oil Creek, Butler County resident William Smith and Edwin Drake first proved that oil could be tapped from underground for consistent supply.

Butler County has also been lived in and traveled through by famous politicians. George Washington passed through during the French and Indian Wars. Butler's only U.S. Senator ever, Walter Lowrie, built a home in 1828 that still stands today behind the Butler County Courthouse. Butler's highest ranked federal official ever is William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1994-1997. He graduated from Butler High in 1945.

Municipalities

Cities

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

Education

Colleges and universities

Technical Schools

Public School Districts

News

Butler County, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania counties

Butler County (Pennsylvania) | Condado de Butler (Pensilvânia)

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Butler County, Pennsylvania".

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