State College, Pennsylvania

State College is located at an elevation of approximately 1,200 feet (370 m) above sea level.[7] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.5 square miles (12 km²), all land. It is surrounded by large tracts of farmland, and an expanse of Appalachian Mountain ranges and forests. Its location within a valley makes it prone to frequent rain and snowfall. Nittany Mountain is part of Pennsylvania's geologic ridge-and-valley province of the Appalachian Mountains.[8] It is located at the approximate geographic center of Pennsylvania.

Two major sections in State College include the Downtown Improvement District and University Park. Some significant neighborhoods include Highlands, Orchard Park, West End, College Heights, Holmes Foster, South State College, Tusseyview, Greentree, Nittany Hills and Penfield, and Vallamont. Four of these neighborhoods, Orchard Park, Greentree, Tusseyview, and South State College, are included as one area called "Suburban State College" under the National Citizen's Survey.

Downtown State College, Pennsylvania

Downtown State College at night

Downtown State College, also known as the Downtown Improvement District, is State College's commercial and cultural center. The area receives approximately 1.5 to 2 million annual visitors and boasts major festivals such as the Central Pennsylvania Festival for the Arts.[9] Downtown State College has a population of 4,417 people.

Old Main Building in State College

State College is one of the densest cities in the U.S., primarily aided by the presence of numerous high-rises downtown along Beaver and College Avenues. The 2010s saw a construction boom downtown, with several mixed-use towers developed, including Rise, Metropolitan, Fraser Centre, and Here State College (a 15-floor tower on Garner Street), and others. Unlike older towers, many of the newer buildings are mixed-use, with retail on the ground floor, offices on the next couple floors up, and apartments on the top floors.[10][11]

This high-rise building boom has drawn debate in the local area. Some residents see it as a boon to increase foot traffic downtown and reduce congestion on the arterial roads leading into the town. Others, however, are skeptical of the developments since they replace historical buildings in the area at the expense, in their view, of the borough's character.

In 2022, the State College Borough Council repealed the zoning regulations in State College to deter dense housing developments.[12] Critics of the change said that it would lead to urban sprawl and make housing less affordable, whereas proponents of the zoning change said that high-rise student housing was inconsistent with the character of the college town.[12]

University Park is the largest Penn State campus and the postal address for the university. Notable sites include Old Main, a landmark of the Farmers' High School Historic District, Rec Hall, the Nittany Lion Shrine, the Palmer Museum of Art, Penn State Creamery, Beaver Stadium, and the Bryce Jordan Center; both Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center are located in the university township half of University Park.

From 1909 to 1932, the Highlands in State College were annexed. The area was acclaimed for its plots of land in proximity to the post office. Twenty mansions were built between 1925 and 1933 to attract fraternities, while smaller houses were also constructed. The neighborhood terminated around Irvin Avenue, but after World War II expansion was necessary to accommodate for returning soldiers. Today, the Highlands is the borough's most populous neighborhood with a population of 9,726 people, 77% of whom are in the age range of 18–24 years old. The neighborhood also includes a section of the Holmes–Foster–Highlands Historic District.

Orchard Park is a multi-family residential area mostly populated by college-aged residents and young professionals. Expansion for the area began in the late 20th century with the population then about 4,000 people. The neighborhood is home to two parks and is adjacent to Westerly Parkway Plaza, which houses many businesses. Orchard Park houses the South Hills Business School, a YMCA, and the Cedar Heights Church, which is used as a location for voters in State College.[13]

The West End, also referred to as Urban Village, is an extension of the Downtown and Holmes–Foster areas. Located adjacent to west campus, the West End has a high population of renters, representing approximately 96.3% of the population. The neighborhood had a population of 2,324 people as of the 2010 U.S. census.[14] The West End also makes up a third of the Holmes–Foster–Highlands Historic District.

Holmes–Foster–Highlands Historic District in State College

College Heights is a neighborhood and historic district north of campus. The College Heights Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and makes up the majority of the area.[15] College Heights is dominated by families of professionals, other Penn State faculty, and Penn State students due to the area's proximity to the campus.[16] From 1852 to 1920, the neighborhood included 15 homes just north of Penn State. Over the next decade, however, the number more than quadrupled to 69. Development continued throughout the 2010s with College Heights's population growing to 1,839 people.[14] The neighborhood has a park that partly spills into Ferguson Township.

Holmes–Foster makes up half of the Holmes–Foster–Highlands Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[15] Holmes–Foster had a population of 1,597 during the 2010 census.[14]

South State College, also referred to as the South Neighborhood, is shaped by Easterly Parkway, University Drive, and Atherton Street, which form a triangular shape. The area began expanding around World War II and has a population of 1,313.[17]

Tusseyview is located south of South State College and has a population of 995. The neighborhood has three parks: Tussey View Park, South Hills Park, and Nittany Village Park. The area is home to State College Friends School, a Quaker school that serves the local school districts.

Greentree is a neighborhood between Holmes–Foster to the north, Orchard Park to the south, and Ferguson Township to the west. The population was 923 people.[14]

Nittany Hills and Penfield are two sections of the same neighborhood. Nittany Hills includes the eastern half and Penfield makes up the western half. The neighborhood is sandwiched between State College South and College Township. The population was 353 people as of the 2010 census.[14][17]

Vallamont is a small neighborhood east of the Highlands, west of College Township, and north of Nittany Hills. The population was 124 people as of the 2010 census. The number of residents is attributed to an apartment building located within the census borders.[14]

THON 2007 was held for the first time in the Bryce Jordan Center on the University Park campus of Penn State.

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts,[28] usually referred to as "Arts Fest", is held downtown every July. The five-day festival features artists from around the country and draws more than 125,000 visitors.[29] Streets are closed off and lined with booths where people can buy paintings, pottery, jewelry, and other hand-made goods. There borough hosts musical performances, plays, and food vendors selling everything from funnel cakes to Indian cuisine.

The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, commonly referred to as THON, is a 46-hour dance marathon that takes place every February on the University Park campus with the goal of raising money for the Four Diamonds Foundation.[30] A number of events throughout the year pave the way to February's THON weekend.

Blue-White Football Weekend occurs in April and includes a carnival, fireworks, food vendors, a student entertainment stage, live music, a parade, and more.[31] On game day, autograph sessions with the football student-athletes is held in Beaver Stadium prior to kickoff of the Blue-White football intra-squad scrimmage game.

Other annual events in the area include "First Night State College", a New Year's Eve celebration with carved ice sculptures and musical performances that takes place in downtown State College, and "Central PA 4th Fest", a day-long event that includes Fourth of July fireworks, crafts, food vendors, and entertainers.

On Saturday, February 4, 2017, State College set a Guinness World Record holder with Light Up State College organizing 5,226 lighted ice luminaries that were displayed across South Allen Street in Downtown State College. This is the most ice luminaries in any one location to date. The previous record was held by Vuollerim, Sweden, with 2,652 ice luminaries.

Jeffrey Field is a soccer stadium in State College that hosts the Penn State Nittany Lions women's soccer and Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer teams.[34] Address is University Drive at East Park Avenue.[35]

Rec Hall is a field house located on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It was opened on January 15, 1929, and remains in use. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions women's and men's volleyball teams, and Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling. Rec Hall has a banked indoor track of approximately 257 yards around, or roughly 6.85 laps per mile.

Pegula Ice Arena is a 6,014-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, on the campus of Penn State University, which opened October 11, 2013, to replace the 1,350-seat Penn State Ice Pavilion. The facility is located on the corner of Curtin Road and University Drive near the Bryce Jordan Center.

Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in University Park, on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1960. Beaver Stadium has an official seating capacity of 106,572, making it the second largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and fourth largest in the world as of 2022.

The Nittany Mountain Biking Association (NMBA) is active at maintaining and adding trails throughout the local state forest. There are miles of trails through Rothrock State Forest for the purposes of mountain biking and hiking.

At the federal level, State College is located in Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district, represented by Republican Glenn Thompson.

Republican Greg Rothman represents Pennsylvania Senate, District 34, and Democrat Scott Conklin represents Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 77.

The county seat of Centre County is Bellefonte, approximately 12 miles northeast of State College.

The county commissioners are:[36]

• Mark Higgins, Chairman (Democrat)
• Amber Concepcion, Vice-chair (Democrat)
• Steven G. Dershem, Commissioner (Republican)

State College Borough falls under jurisdiction of the following district courts.[37] The jurisdictions include civil claims and summary offenses. Higher level courts are located in Bellefonte:

• Magesterial District 49-1-01, Magesterial District Judge Donald Hahn
• Magesterial District 49-3-05, Magesterial District Judge Steven Lachman

State College is a member of the Centre Region Council of Governments (CRCOG).[38] Other members are:

• College Township
• Ferguson Township
• Halfmoon Township
• Harris Township
• Patton Township

At the local level, the State College government is currently run by the following elected officials:[39][40]

• Mayor: Ezra Nanes
• President of Council: Jesse L. Barlow
• Council members:

• Jesse L. Barlow
• Deanna M. Behring
• Janet P. Engeman
• Gopal Balachandran
• Peter S. Marshall
• Nalini Krishnankutty
• Divine Lipscomb

State College is served by the State College Area School District, which operates eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school in and around State College.[41]

• Centre Learning Community Charter School[42]
• Nittany Valley Charter School[43]
• State College Area Delta Program[44][45]
• Wonderland Charter School[46]
• Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania Charter School[47]

• Children's House Montessori School
• The Goddard School[48]
• Grace Prep High School[49]
• Kinder Station
• Nittany Christian School[50]
• Our Children's Center Montessori School[51]
• Our Lady of Victory Catholic School[52]
• Park Forest Montessori School[53]
• St. John Catholic School[54]
• Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy[55]
• State College Friends School[56]

• Penn State University is located partially in the borough of State College.
• South Hills School of Business & Technology[57]

State College is served by the following libraries:[58]

• American Philatelic Research Library
• Centre County Library & Historical Museum
• Centre County Library Bookmobile
• Centre Hall Area Branch Library
• Holt Memorial Library (Philipsburg)
• Pennsylvania State University Libraries
  • Davey Library (physical and mathematical sciences)
  • Deike Library (earth and mineral sciences)
  • Hammond Library (engineering)
  • Pattee and Paterno Libraries (main library)
  • Pollock Library (study library)
  • Stuckeman Library (architecture and landscape architecture)
• Schlow Centre Region Library

Interstate 99 in State College

State College is located at the junction of Interstate 99/U.S. Route 220 and U.S. Route 322. I-99/US 220 head north to an interchange with Interstate 80 and south towards Altoona. US 322 heads west along with I-99/US 220 and east towards Harrisburg. U.S. Route 322 Business passes east–west through State College on Atherton Street. Pennsylvania Route 26 passes north–south through State College, following the one-way pair of Beaver Avenue northbound and College Avenue southbound. Parking in the Downtown State College is regulated by on-street parking meters, two off-street parking lots, and four parking garages. The off-street parking lots offer parking with hourly rates, and the parking garages offer parking with both hourly rates and monthly permits.[69] Parking in residential areas is regulated by residential parking permits, allowing holders of such permits to park beyond the posted time limits. Some streets near the downtown area allow holders of commuter parking permits to park beyond the posted time limits.[70]

In 2009, the State College metropolitan statistical area (MSA) ranked as the tenth highest in the U.S. for percentage of commuters who walked to work (8 percent).[71] In 2013, the State College MSA ranked as the fifteenth lowest in the United States for percentage of workers who commuted by private automobile (79.2 percent). During the same year, 9.9 percent of State College area commuters walked to work.[72]

The borough is served by the Centre Area Transportation Authority for local bus service and the University Park Airport for commercial air traffic. Intercity bus service to New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and other points across the state is provided by Fullington Trailways, Greyhound Lines, Megabus, and OurBus. State College Bus Station serves Fullington Trailways and Greyhound Lines and is located adjacent to downtown and the Penn State University campus. Megabus stops in the parking lot of the Walmart along North Atherton Street. State College does not have passenger train service; the nearest Amtrak stations located in Tyrone (approximately 26 miles away), Huntingdon (approximately 31 miles away) and Lewistown (approximately 32 miles away) serving Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train between Pittsburgh and New York City. Amtrak Thruway service is available via Fullington Trailways from State College to Pittsburgh.

Electricity in State College is provided by West Penn Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy.[73] Natural gas service in the borough is provided by Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, a division of NiSource.[74] The State College Borough Water Authority provides water service to State College and Patton, Ferguson, College, Harris, and Benner townships. Sewer service in State College is provided by the University Area Joint Authority.[75] Trash and recycling collection is provided by the borough's Public Works department.[76]

Major healthcare providers for the area include Mount Nittany Health, Geisinger, and Penn State Health. Mount Nittany Medical Center is a 260-bed hospital with an emergency department in State College. Geisinger Healthplex State College is Geisinger's largest multi-specialty clinic.[77] The primary ambulance service for State College is Centre Lifelink EMS, although Mount Nittany and Penn State both offer EMS as well.[78][79][80]

Alpha Fire Company, a volunteer service, covers State College and surrounding townships.[81]

The State College Police Department serves the borough as well as College and Harris Townships.[82] Penn State operates its own police agency, providing coverage to University Park as well as 21 other campuses.[83]