Upper Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania

Upper Gwynedd Township ( /ˈɡwɪnɛd/)[3] is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The population was 15,552 at the time of the 2010 census. North Wales Borough is surrounded by Upper Gwynedd Township on all sides, and many homes and businesses with North Wales addresses are actually in Upper Gwynedd. Many properties with Lansdale addresses are in Upper Gwynedd as well. It is part of the North Penn Valley region that is centered around the borough of Lansdale.

Not to be confused with Lower Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Upper Gwynedd Township
Township
Knipe-Moore-Rupp Farmhouse, built 1808
Knipe-Moore-Rupp Farmhouse, built 1808
Etymology: Gwynedd Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɡʊɨnɛð]
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Coordinates: 40°13′05″N 75°17′28″W
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyMontgomery
Founded1891
Area
[1]
 • Total8.13 sq mi (21.1 km2)
 • Land8.12 sq mi (21.0 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
335 ft (102 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total15,552
 • Estimate 
(2016)[2]
15,975
 • Density1,900/sq mi (740/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code(s)215, 267 and 445
FIPS code42-091-79056
Websitewww.uppergwynedd.org

Station Square, one of the first new transit oriented developments in the Delaware Valley, is located in Upper Gwynedd on the border with Lansdale. It is across the street from Pennbrook Station with SEPTA rail service to Philadelphia.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km2), all land. It is in the Schuylkill watershed and is drained by the Towamencin and Wissahickon Creeks. Its villages include Gwynedd Heights, Gwynedd Square, and West Point.

Neighboring municipalities

Upper Gwynedd Township surrounds the borough of North Wales.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19301,478—
19401,183−20.0%
19502,16482.9%
19604,661115.4%
19706,85647.1%
19809,48738.4%
199012,19728.6%
200014,24316.8%
201015,5529.2%
202017,0729.8%
[4][5]

As of the 2010 census, the township was 81.1% White, 4.2% Black or African American, 12.3% Asian, and 1.5% were two or more races. 2.2% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[6]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 14,243 people, 5,341 households, and 4,005 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,750.4 people per square mile (675.8 people/km2). There were 5,496 housing units at an average density of 675.4 per square mile (260.8/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 86.77% White, 3.97% African American, 0.08% Native American, 7.84% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population.

There were 5,341 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the township, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $71,078, and the median income for a family was $81,371. Males had a median income of $52,430 versus $37,729 for females. The per capita income for the township was $32,806. About 1.4% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
I-476/Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension northbound in Upper Gwynedd Township

As of 2018 there were 64.08 miles (103.13 km) of public roads in Upper Gwynedd Township, of which 0.50 miles (0.80 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), 9.11 miles (14.66 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 54.47 miles (87.66 km) were maintained by the township.[8]

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (I-476) is the most prominent highway passing through Upper Gwynedd Township. However, the nearest interchange is in Towamencin Township. U.S. Route 202 is the most prominent highway providing local access, traversing the eastern edge of the township along the Dekalb Pike and a new parkway. U.S. Route 202 Business follows the old alignment of US 202 along the Dekalb Pike north of the new parkway's southern terminus. Pennsylvania Route 63 forms the township's northeastern border, while Pennsylvania Route 363 acts as the township's northwestern border.

SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line runs through Upper Gwynedd Township; however, there are no stations in the township. The nearest train station is North Wales station in North Wales, which is surrounded by the township. SEPTA provides Suburban Bus service to Upper Gwynedd Township along Route 94, which runs between the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia and the Montgomery Mall, and Route 96, which runs between the Norristown Transportation Center in Norristown and Lansdale.[9]

Government and politics
Presidential elections results[10]
Year Republican Democratic
2020 38.3% 4,116 60.0% 6,445
2016 40.0% 3,649 55.2% 5,044
2012 47.4% 4,165 51.4% 4,522
2008 45.4% 3,991 53.6% 4,709
2004 50.5% 4,116 48.9% 3,982
2000 52.3% 3,568 45.1% 3,076
1996 46.6% 2,811 42.6% 2,569
1992 43.7% 1,921 36.4% 1,599

Commissioners

Upper Gwynedd Township elects five at-large commissioners to four-year terms.

  • Denise Hull, President
  • Katherine Carter, Vice President
  • Liz McNaney
  • Ruth Damsker
  • Martha Simelaro

Legislators

History
The Friends' meeting house at Gwynedd, built 1823.

Gwynedd was founded in 1698 by Welsh Quakers. The township was then split into Lower Gwynedd and Upper Gwynedd in 1891. The name Gwynedd means "Fair Land" in Welsh.

The township is so named because it was originally settled largely by migrants from Gwynedd and other parts of North Wales in the 17th and 18th centuries. For several generations, the main language used in the township was Welsh.

The Keefe-Mumbower Mill, Knipe-Johnson Farm, Knipe-Moore-Rupp Farm, and Isaac Kulp Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[11]

References
  1. "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  3. Not *Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɡʊɨnɛð] like its Welsh namesake.
  4. http://www.dvrpc.org/data/databull/rdb/db82/appedixa.xls
  5. "Census 2020".
  6. "Census 2010: Philadelphia gains, Pittsburgh shrinks in population". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 14, 2011.
  7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  8. "Upper Gwynedd Township map" (PDF). PennDOT. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  9. SEPTA Official Transit & Street Map Suburban (PDF) (Map). SEPTA. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  10. "Montco Election Results".
  11. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
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