Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- "Harrisburg" redirects here. For other uses, see Harrisburg (disambiguation).
| Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | |||||
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| Coordinates: | |||||
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| Country | United States | ||||
| State | Pennsylvania | ||||
| County | Dauphin | ||||
| Incorporated | 1791 | ||||
| Charter | 1860 | ||||
| Mayor | Stephen R. Reed (D) | ||||
| Area | |||||
| - City | 26.9 km² (11.4 sq mi) | ||||
| - Land | 21.0 km² (8.1 sq mi) | ||||
| - Water | 8.6 km² (3.3 sq mi) | ||||
| - Urban | 539.7 km² (335.4 sq mi) | ||||
| Elevation | 98 m (320 ft) | ||||
| Population | |||||
| - City (2000) | 48,950 | ||||
| - Density | 1,157.5/km² | ||||
| - Urban | 362,782 | ||||
| - Metro | 643,820 (CSA 2005) | ||||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||||
| Website: http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/ | |||||
Harrisburg is the capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 48,950. The Harrisburg area population was 643,820, making it the fourth most populous metropolitan area in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown. Harrisburg is the county seat of Dauphin CountyGR6 and lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 105 miles (169 km) west-northwest of Philadelphia.
Harrisburg has played a critical role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad, allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States.
Contrasted with its 1981 status as the second most distressed city in the nation, Harrisburg has undergone a dramatic economic resurgence, with nearly US$3 billion in new investment now realized. The US Navy ship USS Harrisburg, which served from 1918-19 at the end of World War I, is named in honor of the city. Harrisburg is also known for the infamous Three Mile Island incident, which occurred in nearby Middletown.
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History
Early Settlement
The site along the Susquehanna River where Harrisburg is located is thought to have been inhabited by Native Americans as early as 3000 BC. Known to the Native Americans as "Peixtin," or "Paxtang," the area was an important resting place and crossroads for Native American traders, as the trails leading from the Delaware to the Ohio rivers, and from the Potomac to the Upper Susquehanna intersected there. The first European contact with Native Americans in Pennsylvania was made by the Englishman, Captain John Smith, who journeyed from Virginia up the Susquehanna River in 1608 and visited with the Susquehanna tribe. The Shawnees, a nomadic tribe, and members of the Algonquin nation came to the Susquehanna Valley from the southwest in the 1690s. The Swedes and the French used the Susquehanna River as a route during their explorations of the Middle Atlantic Region, but did not settle here [1].
In 1719, John Harris, Sr., an English trader, settled here and 14 years later secured grants of 800 acres (3.2 km²) in this vicinity. That same year, 1733, Harris was granted a license to operate a ferry, and the place was long afterwards known as Harris's Ferry. In 1784, John Harris, Jr. made plans to lay out a town on his father's land, which he named Harrisburg. In the spring of 1785, the town was formally surveyed by William Maclay, who was a son-in-law of John Harris, Sr. In the following year, the city was temporarily renamed Louisburg in honor of Louis XVI, who had been so helpful during the American Revolution. But John Harris refused to sell the land for the county seat under these terms, and it was agreed that the new name would be Harrisburg, in honor of his father.In 1791, Harrisburg became incorporated and was named the Pennsylvania state capital in October 1812. The cornerstone for the new capitol building was laid in 1819 by Governor William Findlay.
19th Century
During the first part of the 19th Century, Harrisburg was an important stopping place along the Underground Railroad, as escaped slaves would be transported across the Susquehanna River and were often fed and given supplies before heading north towards Canada[2]. The assembling here of the Harrisburg Convention in 1827 led to the passage of the high protective-tariff bill of 1828. In 1839, Harrison and Tyler were nominated for President of the United States at Harrisburg. By the 1830s Harrisburg was part of the Pennsylvania canal system and an important railroad center as well. Steel and iron became dominant industries. To the original German settlers were added people from the rest of the nation and immigrants from throughout the Old World, especially Scots-Irish, Welsh, French, and Huguenots. Because farming was still the predominant industry, Harrisburg did not develop in the arts, music, and science as did Philadelphia. In 1860, Harrisburg was chartered as a city.
Steel and other industries continued to play a major role in the local economy throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century. The city was the center of enormous railroad traffic and supported large furnaces, rolling mills, and machine shops. The Pennsylvania Steel Company plant, which opened in nearby Steelton in 1866, was the first in the country; later operated by Bethlehem Steel[3]. Harrisburg Car Manufacturing Company began as a railroad car manufacturer in 1853; in 1935 the firm changed its name to Harrisburg Steel Company.
Civil War
During the American Civil War, Harrisburg was a significant training center for the Union Army, with tens of thousands of troops passing through Camp Curtin. It was also a major rail center and a vital link between the Atlantic coast and the Midwest, with several railroads running through the city and over the Susquehanna River. As a result of this importance, it was a target of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia during its two invasions. The first time during the 1862 Maryland Campaign, when Lee planned to capture the city after taking Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, but was prevented from doing so by the Battle of Antietam and his subsequent retreat back into Virginia.
The second attempt was made during the Gettysburg Campaign and was more substantial. Two full divisions of Richard S. Ewell's Second Corps approached Harrisburg in June 1863 from the southwest through Cumberland County, while a third division under Jubal Early planned to cross the Susquehanna River at Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and attack Harrisburg from the rear. A network of forts and earthworks were hastily constructed to defend the city, the main fortification was Fort Couch in New Cumberland.
On June 29, two Confederate cavalry companies attacked Union militia positions around Oyster Point but were driven back with two wounded. This allowed officers from Ewell's staff to get a view of Harrisburg's fortifications from what is today the Drexel Hills development of New Cumberland. Based on their information, Ewell prepared for an attack but that same day Lee ordered Ewell to pull back. Lee had recently discovered that the Union Army of the Potomac was closer than he thought and desired to concentrate his forces near the South Mountain range to parry oncoming Union forces, a move that culminated in the Battle of Gettysburg. Ewell left two cavalry units behind at a place known as Sporting Hill, near Mechanicsburg. Brigadier General William F. Smith, commanding the 1st Division of the Department of the Susquehanna, sent two militia infantry regiments and a cavalry company to locate the Confederates. The two forces collided the next day, fighting a short skirmish before the Confederates withdrew. This is considered by many to be the northern-most battle of the Civil War.
20th Century
On February 12, 1897, the Capitol was gutted by a fire. Construction of a new capitol was commenced, with an expected budget of $5 to $10 million. However, by the time it was completed in 1906, the cost rose to $12.5 million, $4 million of which was for graft. (For example, $850 was spent for a $150 flagpole.) Five people, including the architect and chief contractor, received prison terms. The dedication of the Capitol was held on October 4 and attended by President Theodore Roosevelt.
In 1902, Vance McCormick was elected mayor of Harrisburg as part of the growing City Beautiful movement and immediately set about to improve the city. He expanded the city park system (which eventually included 1,100 acres), built steps along the Susquehanna River (which still exist today), paved seventy miles of roads, and improved the city water system. During this time, the population of the city increased from 51,000 to 73,000.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show, a major annual agriculture exposition, was first held in 1931 and has been held every January since then. The present location of the Show is the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Arena, located at the corner of Maclay and Cameron streets.
On February 14, 1964, the Harrisburg Area Community College (or HACC) was founded as the first community college in Pennsylvania in the former Harrisburg Academy. In March 1965, the City of Harrisburg sold the college 157 acres in Wildwood Park for a permanent campus. Construction of the academic buildings was completed in 1967. HACC now has additional campuses in Lebanon, Lancaster, Gettysburg, and York, besides the main campus in Harrisburg (now called the Wildwood Campus).
In June 1972, Harrisburg was hit by another flood from the remnants of hurricane Agnes.
On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, down the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg, suffered a partial meltdown. Although the meltdown was contained and no radiation was released, there were still worries that an evacuation would be necessary. Governor Richard Thornburgh did recommend an evacuation of pregnant women and preschool children who lived within a five mile radius of TMI. Although there were about 5,000 people covered by this recommendation, 140,000 people fled the area.
- See also: Three Mile Island accident
After Harrisburg suffered years of being in bad shape economically, Stephen R. Reed was elected mayor in 1981 and has been re-elected ever since, making him the longest serving mayor of Harrisburg. He immediately started projects which would attract both businesses and tourists. Several museums and hotels such as the National Civil War Museum and the Hilton Harrisburg and Towers were built during his term, along with many office buildings and residences. The Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League and the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL Second Division. While praised for the improvements he had brought, Reed has also been critizied for population loss and mounting debt.
Geography
Harrisburg is located at (40.269789, -76.875613)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.6 km² (11.4 mi²). 21.0 km² (8.1 mi²) of it is land and 8.6 km² (3.3 mi²) of it (29.11%) is water.
Harrisburg is located in the Susquehanna Valley, a rich and fertile agricultural region in south-central Pennsylvania. The region is also situated at the extreme western fringe of the BosWash megalopolis, the name for a group of metropolitan areas in the northeastern United States. Directly to the north of Harrisburg lies the Blue Ridge chain of the Appalachian Mountains.
Harrisburg's western boundary is formed by the Susquehanna River, which also serves as the boundary between Dauphin and Cumberland counties. The city is divided into numerous neighborhoods and districts. Like many of Pennsylvania's cities and boroughs that are at "build-out," there are several townships outside of Harrisburg city limits that, although autonomous, use the name Harrisburg for postal designation.
- See also: List of Harrisburg neighborhoods
People and culture in Harrisburg
Culture
Harrisburg enjoys a reputation as a source for many arts and cultural opportunities, largely due to its prominence as one of the oldest American state capital cities in the urbanized, Northeastern United States.
The city’s relative proximity to the larger metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC also plays an influential part in Harrisburg’s cultural life. Many new and long established organizations continue to professionalize themselves by rising to new standards which have been reciprocally supported by the city, the corporate sector, and the community at large.
Center City is credited with two major performance centers which are unsurpassed not only for a city the size of Harrisburg but also in terms of their quality in design and complement. The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, which was completed in 1999, is the first center of its type in the United States where education, science and the performing arts take place under one roof. The Forum, a magnificent 1,763-seat concert and lecture hall built in 1930-31, is a state-owned and operated facility prominently located within the Capitol Complex. Since 1931, The Forum has been home to the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.
Beginning in 2001, downtown Harrisburg saw a surge of commercial nightlife development. This has been credited with reversing the city's financial decline, and has made downtown Harrisburg a destination for events from jazz festivals to Top-40 nightclubs.
Harrisburg is also the home of the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest agricultural exhibition of its kind in the nation. In 2004, Harrisburg hosted CowParade, an international public art exhibit that has been featured in major cities all over the world. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city centre, in public places such as train stations and parks. They often feature artwork and designs specific to local culture, as well as city life and other relevant themes.
Demographics
| City of Harrisburg Population by year[4] | |
| 1790 | 500 |
| 1820 | 2,990 |
| 1830 | 4,312 |
| 1840 | 5,980 |
| 1850 | 7,834 |
| 1860 | 13,405 |
| 1870 | 23,104 |
| 1880 | 30,762 |
| 1890 | 39,385 |
| 1900 | 50,167 |
| 1910 | 64,186 |
| 1920 | 75,917 |
| 1930 | 80,339 |
| 1940 | 83,893 |
| 1950 | 89,544 |
| 1960 | 79,697 |
| 1970 | 67,880 |
| 1980 | 53,264 |
| 1990 | 52,376 |
| 2000 | 48,950 |
| 2005 Est[5] | 47,472 |
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 48,950 people, 20,561 households, and 10,917 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,330.4/km² (6,035.6/mi²). There were 24,314 housing units at an average density of 1,157.5/km² (2,997.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 31.72% White, 54.83% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.54% from other races, and 3.64% from two or more races. 11.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Harrisburg is the 6th most populous city in the eastern U.S. and 47th in the nation of Vietmanese population with 2,649 residents.[6]
There were 20,561 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.4% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% 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 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,920, and the median income for a family was $29,556. Males had a median income of $27,670 versus $24,405 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,787. About 23.4% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.9% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.
Since the 1950s, Harrisburg, along with other northeastern urban centers large and small, has experienced a declining population that is ultimately fueling the growth of its suburbs. Unlike Western and Southern states, Pennsylvania maintains a complex system of municipalities and has very little legislation on either the annexation/expansion of cities or the consolidating of municipal entities.
Media
The Harrisburg area has two daily newspapers. The Patriot-News is published in Harrisburg and has a daily circulation of over 100,000. The Sentinel, which is published in Carlisle, roughly 20 miles west of Harrisburg, serves many of Harrisburg's western suburbs in Cumberland County. The Press and Journal, published in Middletown, is one of many weekly, general information newspapers in the Harrisburg area. There are also numorous television and radio stations in the Harrisburg/Lancaster/York area, which makes up the 41st largest media market in the nation.
Newspapers
- See also: List of newspapers in Harrisburg
Television
- WGAL - (NBC)
- WLYH-TV - (UPN)
- WHBG - cable-only, public access
- WHP-TV - (CBS)
- WHTM-TV - (ABC)
- W35BT - ( CTVN)
- WITF-TV - (PBS)
- WPMT - (FOX/WB)
- WGCB-TV - independent, religious
- See also: List of TV stations in Harrisburg
Radio
According to Arbitron, Harrisburg's radio market is ranked #78.
| FM radio stations in the Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon market (Arbitron #79) | |
| (Arbitron #79) | By frequency: 88.1 | 89.5 | 91.7 | 92.1 | 92.7 | 93.5 | 94.9 | 97.3 | 98.9 | 99.3 | 100.1 | 101.3 | 102.3 | 104.1 | 106.7 By callsign: WCAT | WGTY | WHKF | WITF | WJAZ | WMHX | WNNK | WQIC | WQLV | WRBT | WROZ | WRVV | WSJW | WTPA | WWKL | WXPH |
| | Allentown | Altoona | Erie | Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon (FM) (AM) | Indiana | Johnstown | Lancaster (FM) (AM) | Meadville-Franklin | Philadelphia (FM) (AM) | Pittsburgh (FM) (AM) | Reading | State College | Sunbury-Selinsgrove-Lewisburg | Wilkes Barre-Scranton | Williamsport | York (FM) (AM) </small></div>
|
Harrisburg in Film
- See also: Harrisburg in film and television
Museums, art collections, and sites of interest
- National Civil War Museum, located at Reservoir Park
- Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
- Pennsylvania State Farm Show Arena, one of the largest convention/exhibition centers on the east coast
- Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
- State Museum of Pennsylvania
- Strawberry Square, across the street from the Capitol Complex, home of many state offices and a small shopping center
- Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, features an IMAX theater
Notable residents
Since the early 1700s, Harrisburg has been home to many people of note. Due to the fact that it is the seat of government for the Commonwealth, and in relative proximity to other urban centers, Harrisburg has played a significant role in the nation's political, cultural and industrial history. Harrisburgers have also taken a leading role in the development of Pennsylvania's history for over two centuries. Two former U.S. Secretaries of War, Simon Cameron and Alexander Ramsey and several other prominent political figures, such as former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich, hail from Harrisburg. Several olympic medalists, such as Jeremy Linn who placed silver and gold at the 1996 Atlanta games, also grew up in Harrisburg.
- Further information: List of famous people from Harrisburg
Sports
| Team | Sport | League | Championships | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg Senators | Baseball | Eastern League; Southern Division | 6 (1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) | Commerce Bank Park |
| Harrisburg City Islanders | Soccer | USL Second Division | 0 | Skyline Sports Complex |
| Hershey Bears | Ice hockey | American Hockey League; Eastern Conference | 9 (1947, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1997, 2006) | GIANT Center |
| Harrisburg RFC | Rugby union | USA Rugby Division 3 | 1 (2006) | Cibort Park, in Bressler |
Architecture
Harrisburg is home to one of the most magnificent State Capitol buildings in the country. Completed in 1906, the central dome rises to a height of 272 feet. The building is adorned with sculpture, most notably the two groups, Love and Labor, the Unbroken Law and The Burden of Life, the Broken Law by sculptor George Grey Barnard, murals by Violet Oakley and Edwin Austin Abbey and a tile floor by Henry Mercer which tells the story of the state of Pennsylvania.
Architecture photo gallery
 Railroad Bridge |  Strawberry Square |  Capitol Complex |  Detail of the Capitol Dome |
 |  Tile image of bat by Henry Mercer, State Capitol rotunda |  Federal Building |  The Walnut Street Bridge |
 Love and Labor: The Unbroken Law |  The Burden of Life: The Broken Law |  Holocaust Memorial |
Government
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. City Government Center, the only city hall in the United States named for a civil rights leader, serves as a central location for the administrative functions of the city [1].
Harrisburg has been served since 1970 by the “strong mayor” form of municipal government, with separate executive and legislative branches. The Mayor serves a four-year term with no term limits. As the full-time chief executive, the Mayor oversees the operation of 34 agencies, run by department and office heads, some of whom comprise the Mayor’s cabinet, including the Departments of Public Safety (police and fire bureaus), Public Works, Business Administration, Parks and Recreation, Incineration and Steam Generation, Building & Housing Development and Solicitor. The city has 721 employees (2003).[2] The current mayor of Harrisburg is Stephen R. Reed (D), whose current term expires January 2010.
- See also: List of mayors of Harrisburg
There are seven city council members, all elected at large, who serve part-time for four-year terms. There are two other elected city posts, City Treasurer and City Controller, who separately head their own fiscally related offices.
Dauphin County Government Complex, in downtown Harrisburg, serves the administrative functions of the county. The trial court of general jurisdiction for Harrisburg rests with the Court of Dauphin County and is largely funded and operated by county resources and employees.
Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, dominates the city's stature as a regional and national hub for government and politics. All administrative functions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are located within the complex and at various nearby locations.
Commonwealth Judicial Center, houses Pennsylvania's three appellate courts, which are located in Harrisburg. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which is the court of last resort in the state, regularly hears arguments at . The Superior Court of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania are located here. Judges for these courts are elected at large.
Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse, located in downtown Harrisburg, serves as the regional administrative offices of the federal government. A branch of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is also located within the courthouse.
Transportation
Harrisburg is served by Capital Area Transit (CAT) which provides public bus, paratransit, and commuter rail (2006) service throughout the greater metropolitan area.
Airports
Domestic and International airlines provide services via Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), which is located southeast of the city in Middletown. HIA is the third-busiest commercial airport in Pennsylvania, both in terms of passengers served and cargo shipments. Passenger carriers that serve HIA include US Airways, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Air Canada. Capital City Airport (CXY), a moderate-sized business class and general aviation airport, is located across the Susquehanna River in the nearby suburb of New Cumberland, south of Harrisburg. Both airports are owned and operated by the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA).
Bridges
Harrisburg is the location of over a dozen large bridges, many up to a mile long, that cross the Susquehanna River.
Rail
The Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from New York to Chicago passed, unsurprisingly, through Harrisburg. The line was electrified in the 1930s, with the wires reaching Harrisburg in 1938. They went no further. Plans to electrify through to Pittsburgh and thence to Chicago never saw fruition; sufficient funding was never available. Thus, Harrisburg became where the PRR's crack expresses such as the Broadway Limited changed from electric traction to (originally) a steam locomotive, and later a diesel locomotive. Harrisburg remained a freight rail hub for PRR's successor Conrail, which was later sold off and divided between Norfolk Southern and CSX.
Norfolk Southern acquired all of Conrail's lines in the Harrisburg area and has continued the city's function as a freight rail hub. Norfolk Southern considers Harrisburg one of the 3 primary hubs in its system, along with Chicago and Atlanta, and operates 2 intermodal (rail/truck transfer) yards in the immediate Harrisburg area.[3] The Harrisburg Intermodal Yard (formerly called Lucknow Yard) is located in the north end of Harrisburg, approximately 3 miles north of downtown Harrisburg and the Harrisburg Transportation Center, while the Rutherford Intermodal Yard is located approximately 6 miles east of downtown Harrisburg in Swatara Township, Dauphin County. Norfolk Southern also operates a significant classification yard in the Harrisburg area, the Enola Yard, which is located across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County.
Amtrak provides extensive service to and from Harrisburg. The passenger rail operator runs its Keystone and Pennsylvanian services between New York, Philadelphia, and the Harrisburg Transportation Center daily. The Pennsylvanian route, which operates once daily, continues west to Pittsburgh. As of April 2006, Amtrak runs 11 weekday roundtrips and 6 weekend roundtrips daily between Harrisburg and Philadelphia 30th Street Station; more than half of these trains also travel to and from New York Penn Station. Amtrak will increase the number of daily weekday roundtrips between Harrisburg and Philadelphia to 14 trips when the Keystone Corridor improvements are completed in late 2006. The improvements include upgrading the electrical catenary and replacing existing wooden railroad ties with concrete ties. These improvements will reduce the travel time between Harrisburg and Philadelphia to as little as 90 minutes and will also eliminate the need to change locomotives at 30th Street Station (from diesel to electric and vice-versa) for trains continuing to or coming from New York. The Harrisburg Transportation Center is the 2nd busiest Amtrak station in Pennsylvania and 27th busiest in the United States (just ahead of the nearby Lancaster train station in both categories), and had 339,599 boardings plus alightings in Federal Fiscal Year 2005 (October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005).
Currently Harrisburg is developing a comprehensive mass transit system by implementing the construction of a commuter rail line called CorridorOne, which will link the city with Lancaster, PA. Capital Area Transit's long-term plans call for the commuter rail line to continue westward to Carlisle, PA.
At present (October 12, 2005) Cumberland County Commissioners oppose the plan to connect Carlisle, PA to Harrisburg.
Sister cities
Harrisburg has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
Education
Public schools
The City of Harrisburg is served by the Harrisburg School District. The school district provides education for the city’s youth beginning with all-day kindergarten through twelfth grade. A multi-year restructuring plan is aimed at making the district a model for urban public schools. The city also has one public charter school, the Sylvan Heights Science Charter School. In addition, Harrisburg is home to an arts-focused magnet school, Capitol Area School for the Arts.
Private schools
Harrisburg is home to an extensive Catholic educational system. There are nearly 40 parish-driven elementary schools and seven Catholic high schools within the region administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, including Bishop McDevitt High School. Numorous other private schools, such as the The Londonderry School and The Circle School, which is a Sudbury Model school, also operate in Harrisburg. Harrisburg Academy, founded in 1784 is one of the oldest independent college preparatory schools in the nation. The Rabbi David L. Silver Yeshiva Academy, founded in 1944, is a progressive, modern Jewish day school.
Higher education
- Dixon University Center
- Harrisburg Area Community College
- Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
- Penn State Harrisburg Eastgate Center, in Downtown Harrisburg
- Temple University Harrisburg Campus
- Widener University School of Law
Colleges and universities near Harrisburg
- Central Pennsylvania College, in Summerdale, Pennsylvania
- Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
- Duquesne University (Capital Region Campus), in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania
- Elizabethtown College, in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
- Lebanon Valley College, in Annville, Pennsylvania
- Messiah College, in Grantham, Pennsylvania
- Penn State Dickinson School of Law, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
- Penn State Hershey Medical Center, in Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Penn State Harrisburg (Main Campus), located nearby in Middletown, Pennsylvania
- Shippensburg University, in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
- United States Army War College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Libraries
- Dauphin County Law Library
- Dauphin County Library System
- McCormick Library of Harrisburg Area Community College
- State Library of Pennsylvania, which includes the Pennsylvania Law Library
See also
- List of cities and towns along the Susquehanna River
- List of companies based in the Harrisburg area
- List of Harrisburg neighborhoods
- List of people from Harrisburg
External links
- City of Harrisburg (official website)
- Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District Authority
- Harrisburg-Hershey Capital Region Visitors Bureau
- Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Harrisburg Young Professionals
- Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Go PA Outdoors The Harrisburg-Hershey Region offers a wide array of outdoor activities to satisfy any sports enthusiast's needs including fishing, hunting, camping and hiking.
References
 | Municipalities and communities of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (County seat: Harrisburg) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cities | Harrisburg | |
| Boroughs | Berrysburg | Dauphin | Elizabethville | Gratz | Halifax | Highspire | Hummelstown | Lykens | Middletown | Millersburg | Paxtang | Penbrook | Pillow | Royalton | Steelton | Williamstown | |
| Townships | Conewago | Derry | East Hanover | Halifax | Jackson | Jefferson | Londonderry | Lower Paxton | Lower Swatara | Lykens | Middle Paxton | Mifflin | Reed | Rush Township | South Hanover | Susquehanna | Swatara | Upper Paxton | Washington | Wayne | West Hanover | Wiconisco | Williams | |
| Communities and CDPs | Bressler-Enhaut-Oberlin | Colonial Park | Hershey | Lawnton | Linglestown | Paxtonia | Progress | Rutherford | Skyline View |
| Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
Categories
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania in the American Civil War | 1719 establishments | Cities on the Susquehanna River | U.S. Communities with African American majority populations | Underground Railroad locations