Orefield, Pennsylvania

Orefield is a small unincorporated community in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The community is split between North Whitehall and South Whitehall townships. Orefield is part of the Lehigh Valley, which has a population of 861,899 and is the 68th-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. as of the 2020 census.

Orefield, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated community
Homes in Orefield, January 2013
Homes in Orefield, January 2013
Orefield is located in Pennsylvania
Orefield
Orefield
Location of Orefield in Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 40°38′05″N 75°35′04″W
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
CountyLehigh
TownshipNorth Whitehall and South Whitehall
Elevation
138 m (453 ft)
Population
 • Metro
865,310 (US: 68th)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
18069
Area code(s)610 and 484
GNIS feature ID1183034[1]
Primary airportLehigh Valley International Airport
Major hospitalLehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest
School districtParkland

Located along Pennsylvania Route 309, Orefield has the ZIP Code of 18069. Its name is derived from the extensive deposits of limonite (iron ore) once mined here. It was once the terminus of the Siegersville Branch of the Ironton Railroad, which was extended here to haul the ore. Orefield is the former home to Parkland High School. It is located outside of Allentown. Orefield is surrounded by many suburban housing developments, many of which were former farms operated by the Pennsylvania Dutch whose influence in the community is waning. Several covered bridges nearby cross the Jordan Creek.

Located near Orefield is a large factory for Alpo Dog Food, which has been owned by the Ralston Purina Company since the 1990s. Also located nearby are the Jaindl turkey farms; Orefield's turkey farms provide the already-slaughtered turkeys that are presented to the president each Thanksgiving (the live turkeys that are pardoned at the same presentation come from rotating locations).[2][3] Located in Orefield is Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre, the second drive-in ever built (1934) and America's oldest operating drive-in theater.

Education
Further information: Parkland School District

Orefield is served by the Parkland School District, which has Orefield Middle School in the village. The district's high school was located in Orefield until 1999, when it moved to Cedar Crest Boulevard to the east. Kernsville Elementary School is located just west of the village. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Parkland High School, one of the state's largest public high schools, in Allentown.

Notable residents

References
  1. "Orefield". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "Trump will pardon his first turkey next week". CBS News. November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  3. "President Trump Welcomes NTF & National Thanksgiving Turkey to the White House". PR Newswire. November 25, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
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