Exton, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Exton is a census-designated place
(CDP) in West Whiteland Township
, Chester County, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Its population was 4,842 at the 2010 census. The Exton Square Mall
is located within Exton along with several other shopping centers, making Exton the major shopping district in Chester County.
(formerly the Lancaster Road, and later the Lincoln Highway
) and Pennsylvania Route 100
(Pottstown Pike). Beginning in the late 18th century, the Lancaster
Road became a major transportation route between Philadelphia and the west, while what is now Route 100 was a regional north-south route to Pottstown
. A theory exists that Exton was named as the "X" on the map, denoting this intersection, though more likely the village was named after one of the several Exton
s in the United Kingdom
.
In the late 1940s, Exton became home to the Newcomen Society of the United States
. The campus of the learned society
was built overlooking farmland on Newcomen Road, and featured offices, a printing shop, library and museum, guest houses, a chapel and a belltower with a carillon
. The Newcomen Society sold the property in the late 1990s, but its campus remains an Exton landmark serving as the headquarters of another business.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 4,267 people, 2,053 households, and 1,096 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,341.6 people per square mile (518.1/km²). There were 2,128 housing units at an average density of 669.1/sq mi (258.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.07% White, 4.05% African American, 0.14% Native American, 6.05% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.
There were 2,053 households out of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples
living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 43.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $68,240, and the median income for a family was $81,499. Males had a median income of $65,789 versus $42,778 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $38,589. About 1.5% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
and West Chester Area School District
. Downingtown Area School District's Downingtown High School East Campus
and Lionville Middle School, as well as West Chester School District's Exton Elementary, are located in Exton. Other schools in Exton are the Catholic parish school Saints Philip and James and the Church Farm School
. Troy University
has a learning site in Exton. Exton is home to the offices of 21st Century Cyber Charter School, a statewide cyber school that is known for being the only cyber school to make Pennsylvania's AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) benchmark 5 years in a row.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in West Whiteland Township
West Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
West Whiteland Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,274 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which , or 0.15%, is water....
, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its population was 4,842 at the 2010 census. The Exton Square Mall
Exton Square Mall
Exton Square Mall is a mall located in the village of Exton, in West Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the "Crossroads of Chester County" at the intersection of U.S. Route 30 and Pennsylvania Route 100.-History:...
is located within Exton along with several other shopping centers, making Exton the major shopping district in Chester County.
History
Exton lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 30U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
(formerly the Lancaster Road, and later the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
) and Pennsylvania Route 100
Pennsylvania Route 100
Pennsylvania Route 100 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that runs from U.S. Route 202 in West Chester, Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania Route 309 in Pleasant Corners, Pennsylvania....
(Pottstown Pike). Beginning in the late 18th century, the Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
Road became a major transportation route between Philadelphia and the west, while what is now Route 100 was a regional north-south route to Pottstown
Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States northwest of Philadelphia and southeast of Reading, on the Schuylkill River. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the...
. A theory exists that Exton was named as the "X" on the map, denoting this intersection, though more likely the village was named after one of the several Exton
Exton
Exton is the name of a number of settlements:In the United Kingdom:* Exton, Somerset * Exton, Devon* Exton, Hampshire* Exton, Rutland* a fictional New Town in BBC Radio 2's Mrs Dale's Diaryin the United States:* Exton, Pennsylvania...
s in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In the late 1940s, Exton became home to the Newcomen Society of the United States
Newcomen Society of the United States
The Newcomen Society of the United States was a non-profit educational foundation for "the study and recognition of achievement in American business and the society it serves." It was responsible for more than 1,600 individual histories of organizations, from corporations to colleges, which were...
. The campus of the learned society
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
was built overlooking farmland on Newcomen Road, and featured offices, a printing shop, library and museum, guest houses, a chapel and a belltower with a carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
. The Newcomen Society sold the property in the late 1990s, but its campus remains an Exton landmark serving as the headquarters of another business.
Geography
Exton is located at 40°1′59"N 75°37′40"W (40.033078, -75.627805).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,267 people, 2,053 households, and 1,096 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,341.6 people per square mile (518.1/km²). There were 2,128 housing units at an average density of 669.1/sq mi (258.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.07% White, 4.05% African American, 0.14% Native American, 6.05% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.
There were 2,053 households out of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 43.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $68,240, and the median income for a family was $81,499. Males had a median income of $65,789 versus $42,778 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $38,589. About 1.5% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Exton is served by two public school districts, Downingtown Area School DistrictDowningtown Area School District
The Downingtown Area School District is a school district based in Downingtown, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The district operates ten Elementary Schools, two Middle Schools and two High Schools, soon to be four...
and West Chester Area School District
West Chester Area School District
The West Chester Area School District covers a basis, for the area of West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough of West Chester is the center of the district...
. Downingtown Area School District's Downingtown High School East Campus
Downingtown High School
Downingtown High School is a secondary school located in Downingtown, Pennsylvania and Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania. Population growth in the burgeoning Downingtown Area School District forced the original Downingtown High School to split into two campuses: Downingtown High School East Campus...
and Lionville Middle School, as well as West Chester School District's Exton Elementary, are located in Exton. Other schools in Exton are the Catholic parish school Saints Philip and James and the Church Farm School
Church Farm School
CFS, The School at Church Farm was founded as the "Church Farm School" in 1918 by the Rev. Dr. Charles W. Shreiner. Shreiner, an Episcopalian priest, established the school in Glen Loch, Pennsylvania, on U.S. Route 30 between Frazer and Exton, as a boarding school for boys from broken homes,...
. Troy University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
has a learning site in Exton. Exton is home to the offices of 21st Century Cyber Charter School, a statewide cyber school that is known for being the only cyber school to make Pennsylvania's AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) benchmark 5 years in a row.