Lehigh Valley
Encyclopedia
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau
as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh
, Northampton
, Berks
, and Carbon
counties in eastern Pennsylvania
and Warren
county on the western edge of New Jersey
, in the United States.
The Lehigh Valley is the fastest growing and third most populous region in the state of Pennsylvania with a population of 821,623 residents as of the 2010 U.S. Census. It is eclipsed in total population only by the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. It is the 64th most populated metropolitan area
in the entire United States. The region is named for the Lehigh River
, which runs through it, and it is part of the Great Appalachian Valley
.
, Bethlehem
, and Easton
, comprising the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area. The traditional bounds of the region are The Poconos
to the north, the Delaware River
to the east, the boundaries of Berks County
and Montgomery County
to the southwest, and the boundary with Bucks County
to the south. More recently, however, the area around Phillipsburg, New Jersey
west of Pohatcong Mountain
, parts of upper Bucks County
around Quakertown
, and portions of northeastern Berks County
and southwestern Carbon County
in Pennsylvania are considered outer parts of the Valley.
The Lehigh Valley is located approximately 50 miles (96 km) north of Philadelphia, the country's fifth largest city, 80 miles (129 km) east of Harrisburg
, Pennsylvania's capital, and 70 miles (144 km) west of New York City, the country's largest city. The area is home to more than 820,000 people as of the 2010 U.S. Census. Recent census studies show it to be the fastest growing region in Pennsylvania
, due in part to its growing popularity as a bedroom community
for the highly-populated neighboring regions of Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City as well as its favorable business climate and much lower cost of living in comparison to surrounding areas.
The Lehigh Valley is geologically
and geographically
part of the Great Appalachian Valley
, a region largely made up of limestone
that stretches along the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains
. The Lehigh Valley is so named because it is composed of an actual valley that lies between two mountain ranges, Blue Mountain
to the north and South Mountain
to the south. Lehigh Valley also is considered part of the historic Pennsylvania Dutch Country
.
conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Lehigh Valley had a population of 808,210. 87.1% of the population were White American
, 4.6% were Black
or African American, 0.1% were American Indian
, 2.3% were Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Americans made up 0.1%, 4.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% belonged to two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 11.3% of the population.
The Lehigh Valley is known historically for its production of steel, Portland cement
and apparel
. It had served as a major U.S. center of industrial manufacturing since the 1800's but this role has diminished significantly in the 21st century as companies have moved to off-shore locations for these activities.
Once a formidable industrial and manufacturing powerhouse serving the entire United States, the nationwide decline of this industry has led the Lehigh Valley to shift its economic focus more towards financial services, health care, life sciences and technology as well as becoming a distribution hub for some of the largest U.S. markets due to it's comparatively low cost of living and close proximity to some of the nation's largest metropolitan areas.
The Lehigh Valley was much less impacted by the post 2006 housing bubble crash compared to surrounding areas and the U.S. as a whole in that, while sales have been sluggish at times, real estate values have not been significantly eroded and have even seen gradual increases since 2009.
(in Allentown), one of Pennsylvania's largest hospital systems, replaced it as the Lehigh Valley's largest employer. As of 2008, the Lehigh Valley's top ten employers are: 1.) Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, 2.) St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network
, 3.) Air Products & Chemicals
, 4.) PPL Corporation
, 5.) Giant-Carlisle, 6.) Sodexo, 7.) B. Braun Medical
, 8.) Wegmans Food Markets
, 9.) Lehigh University
and 10.) Mack Trucks
.
with ease of access and close proximity to several of the largest markets, population centers, airports, terminals, railways and seaports in the United States including both the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. The Lehigh Valley is also situated within a one day drive to more than one third of the total population of both the United States and Canada.
However, the Lehigh Valley has a much lower cost of living, more affordable real estate, lower taxes and a more affordable labor pool than most other Northeastern US
regions. These attributes and others, such as sizable investments in business development and a friendlier regulatory environment, provide the area with an attractive business climate in comparison to surrounding states and areas.
Due in large part to the aforementioned comparably favorable business climate, the Lehigh Valley has experienced some success in luring large, established businesses as well as new startup companies
from nearby states such as New York and New Jersey, bringing with them upwards of thousands of new jobs to the area. Large companies such as Amazon.com
have praised the region for its commitment to business investments and incentives, citing them as a major reason for continuing expansions and increased hiring in the Lehigh Valley.
Large national and international companies based in the Lehigh Valley include LSI Corporation
(in Allentown), Avantor Performance Materials (Center Valley), Air Products & Chemicals
(in Trexlertown), Bethlehem Steel
(which ceased operations in 2003, in Bethlehem), Crayola LLC (in Easton), Buckeye Partners (in Emmaus
), Heidelberg Cement (in Fogelsville), Just Born
(in Bethlehem), Lutron Electronics (in Coopersburg), Mack Trucks
(in Allentown), Olympus Corporation
USA (in Center Valley
), PPL Corporation
(in Allentown), Rodale Press (in Emmaus), Synchronoss Technologies (Bethlehem) and many others.
The Lehigh Valley is also one of the largest areas on the east coast for the location of warehouse
s and distribution center
s. Companies that own and operate warehouses and distribution centers in the Lehigh Valley include Amazon.com
, B. Braun
, Boston Beer Company
(brewer of Samuel Adams
brand beer), BMW
, FedEx SmartPost, Firestone
, Home Depot, J. C. Penney
, Nestle Purina
, ShopRite
, The Coca-Cola Company
, True Value
, Uline
and many others. Most of these distribution centers are located along the U.S. Route 22
, Interstate 78
and Interstate 476
corridors.
Due to Pennsylvania's lack of an excise tax on cigars
, the Lehigh Valley is also home to some of the United States' largest cigar distributors and retailers.
, in Trexlertown, installed and maintains a 15-acre solar farm which generates more than half the required electricity for their corporate headquarters, saving an estimated $250,000 per year in utility costs. The comparatively large solar industry in the Lehigh Valley is due mostly to a combination of federal, state and local incentive programs which make using renewable energy sources more lucrative and cost effective than in years past.
/MacArthur Road Corridor, just north of Allentown
. It is anchored by the Lehigh Valley Mall
and the Whitehall Mall
.
Other malls in the region include Palmer Park Mall
(in Easton
), Phillipsburg Mall
(in Phillipsburg, New Jersey
), South Mall
(in Salisbury Township
), and the Westgate Mall
(in Bethlehem
). In October 2006, a new Valley-based shopping mall, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley
, was opened. Located off Route 309
in Upper Saucon Township
, The Promenade is roughly half the size of the Lehigh Valley Mall, but features more upscale stores. In 2011, The Shoppes at Sands
opened at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, becoming the first outlet mall in the Lehigh Valley.
Yocco's Hot Dogs
, the regionally-famous fast food establishment known for their hot dog
s and cheesesteak
s, maintains six locations, all of which are based in the Lehigh Valley. Its original restaurant, founded in 1922, is still located at its original center city Allentown location, on West Liberty Street. Five additional Yocco's locations can be found in the Lehigh Valley (in west-side Allentown, east-side Allentown, Emmaus, Fogelsville
, and Wescosville
).
/Wilkes Barre
. Lehigh Valley-based stations include WBPH-TV
, an affiliate of FamilyNet
, a Christian network licensed to Bethlehem but based in Allentown; WFMZ-TV
, an independent commercial television station based in Allentown; and WLVT-TV
, a PBS
station licensed to Allentown but based in Bethlehem.
, CHR/pop music, country music
, National Public Radio, sports radio
, oldies
, polka
, hot adult contemporary, soft rock
, classic rock
, hard rock
, and a variety of college radio stations.
and the Easton The Express-Times
, both with rich traditions dating back to the mid-1800s. The Lehigh Valley also features Pulse Weekly
(a weekly regional arts and entertainment publication), Lehigh Valley Magazine (the region's oldest lifestyle publication), Lehigh Valley Exposed
(an alternative news and entertainment weekly), and four Spanish language newspapers, Al Dia, El Hispano, El Torero, and La Cronica. Lehigh Valley community publications include The Blue Mountain Town & Country Gazette in the northern part of the Valley.
The Lehigh Valley is also home to three two-year colleges:
Lehigh Valley-based high schools include:
The largest Lehigh Valley high schools (12 in all) compete athletically in the Lehigh Valley Conference
. Smaller Lehigh Valley high schools compete in the Colonial League. In addition to its exceptional high school athletic teams, the Lehigh Valley is known nationally for their excellent math
team, the Lehigh Valley Fire. The team has won the ARML
competition in 2005 and every year since 2009. They also placed highly in previous years.
Philadelphia Eagles
, which is held each summer on the practice fields of Lehigh University
in Bethlehem
. The camp, which attracted in excess of 20,000 fans daily in July 2007, draws some of the largest crowds of any NFL team's pre-season camp.
The Lehigh Valley Storm, a semi-professional football team, is also based in Bethlehem. The Lehigh Valley will also soon be home to the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks
, an Indoor Football League
team, who will begin playing their home games at Stabler Arena
in Bethlehem in 2011.
In early 2008, Coca-Cola Park, an 8,100-seat Minor League baseball
stadium, opened in east-side Allentown. The stadium hosts the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
, the Philadelphia Phillies
' AAA-level International League
franchise. The team previously played as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (1989–2006) and Ottawa Lynx
(2007). The club's move to the Lehigh Valley brought the franchise closer to Philadelphia and the Phillies' large eastern Pennsylvania fan base. The team’s name is a reference to pig iron
, a key ingredient in the steel-making process for which the Lehigh Valley area is known worldwide.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Coca-Cola Park were held September 6, 2006, and construction was completed in December 2007. The stadium hosted its first game on March 30, 2008, when the Phillies major league team faced the IronPigs.
, an indoor arena, is in Bethlehem, in the Lehigh Valley. Stabler hosts regular sporting and concert events. The arena is also home to Lehigh University men's and women's college basketball
teams.
and Bethlehem's Lehigh University
. The two teams have played each other 146 times since 1884, making it the longest uninterrupted rivalry in college football
.
. The conference has produced numerous professional and Olympic-level athletes, and its football, basketball and wrestling teams are often ranked among the best in the nation. In USA Today's
annual ranking of the nation's top high school sports teams, Liberty High School
was ranked second in the Eastern United States in football in 2008 and 20th among all high schools nationally. Parkland High School
was ranked fifth in the East in football in 2002 and 11th among all high schools nationally. And Allentown Central Catholic High School
was ranked seventh in girls' basketball in the East in both 2001–02 and 2002–03.
Currently, seven former athletes from Lehigh Valley Conference schools are on active professional athletic rosters, including four in the National Football League
(Dan Koppen
, New England Patriots
center from Whitehall High School
; Tim Massaquoi
, Buffalo Bills
tight end from Parkland High School
; Jim Molinaro
, Dallas Cowboys
offensive tackle from Bethlehem Catholic High School; and Tony Stewart
, Oakland Raiders
tight end from Allentown Central Catholic High School
); one in the National Basketball Association
(Aaron Gray
, Chicago Bulls
center from Emmaus High School
); and one in Major League Baseball
(Brian Schneider
, Philadelphia Phillies
catcher from Northampton Area High School
).
An additional 14 Lehigh Valley high schools too small to compete in the Lehigh Valley Conference compete in the Colonial League.
, which has been the training ground for numerous Olympians and U.S. national gymnastics champions, is based in Allentown. In 2003, CNN
aired a documentary on Parkettes, Achieving the Perfect 10
, which depicted it as a hugely demanding and competitive training program.
, based in center city Allentown, is the Lehigh Valley's largest museum. The museum's collection includes more than 11,000 works of art. Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center
and Lafayette College's smaller Williams Center for the Arts host a wide variety of plays, concerts and performances throughout the year.
song and one ska
reggae album:
Several music videos have been filmed in the Lehigh Valley, including:
In addition, the heavy metal
group Nazareth
is named for Nazareth, Pennsylvania
, in the Lehigh Valley.
novels, the fictional character Bubbles Yablonsky
, resides in the Lehigh Valley.
The Lehigh Valley is home to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
, a popular amusement and water park
. Located in South Whitehall Township
, Dorney Park is known nationally for its elaborate roller coaster
s and water rides.
The region's ski resorts are Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area and Blue Mountain Ski Area
. Bear Creek is a 21 slope resort located outside of Macungie, Pennsylvania
. Blue Mountain is located near Danielsville, Pennsylvania
. The Poconos
, which feature some of the East Coast's best-known ski
resorts, is approximately 30 miles (48.3 km) north of the Lehigh Valley. Several large lakes used for boating and fishing also are located there. The Pocono 500
, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, is run each June at Pocono Raceway
in the Poconos.
New Jersey shore
beaches are approximately 70 miles (112.7 km) to 140 miles (225.3 km) to the east and southeast of the Lehigh Valley.
Dutch Springs
, the nation's largest SCUBA
amusement park, is in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth Township. Over 40,000 divers annually utilize the facilities, which have sunken "treasures" to enhance the underwater experience. In addition to scuba diving, kayaking and paddle boats are available. The facility has a water park, camping grounds, and picnic areas.
In 2009, Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, an $879 million casino, hotel and apartment complex owned by the Las Vegas Sands
opened in Bethlehem, bringing legalized gambling to the Lehigh Valley for the first time. It is one of only 13 authorized gaming sites in Pennsylvania.
Four large festivals are held each year in the Lehigh Valley. Musikfest
, a large, 10-day music festival, is held in Bethlehem each August. Mayfair
, an arts and crafts festival, is held in Allentown's Cedar Beach Park each May. In September, one of the largest celtic heritage festivals in America, The Celtic Classic, is held in Bethlehem. The Great Allentown Fair
has been held on the grounds of the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown annually in late August through early September for more than 150 years.
Ice skating
(including ice hockey
, figure skating
and speed skating
) is popular in the Lehigh Valley and the region has three facilities. The Steel Ice Center is the premier ice skating facility, in Bethlehem on East 1st Street, not far from the Sands Casino. The Rink, formerly Lehigh Valley Ice Arena, is in Whitehall (north of Allentown) just off MacArthur Road (Route 145) on 7th Street. Each facility has two ice surfaces and public skate times are available at both facilities. The City of Bethlehem also opens a covered outdoor rink (one ice surface) annually from November through March.
, in the Lehigh Valley's Hanover Township
, three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown.
The Valley is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport
, a two-runway general aviation facility located off Allentown's Lehigh Street
. Queen City is used predominantly by private aviation. The airport was awarded General Aviation Airport of the year by the Eastern Region of the Federal Aviation Administration
in 2006.
.
Several private bus lines, including Bieber Tourways, Susquehanna Trailways and Trans-Bridge Lines
, provide bus service from various Valley locations to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal
, Philadelphia's Greyhound Terminal
, Atlantic City
's Bus Terminal
, and other regional locations.
limited their services to their electrified-only territory, with trains going only as far north as Lansdale
and Doylestown, Pennsylvania
. (In the early and mid twentieth century golden age of passenger rail, the Reading Railroad provided rail service south and west of the area.) To the east, the Central Railroad of New Jersey
ceased passenger operations into the area, from Jersey City, New Jersey
, in 1967 in conjunction with the Aldene Connection
. In 1974, passenger service was restored to Phillipsburg under state (New Jersey) subsidy. That service was terminated in 1984. Current operator New Jersey Transit
has looked at restoring rail service to Phillipsburg, New Jersey
; there are no official plans to extend service over the border into Pennsylvania at present. Currently, freight operator Norfolk Southern Railway
heavily serves the region, with a major classification yard
in Allentown.
In November 2008, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), along with both Lehigh and Northampton Counties, commissioned a study to explore the merits of expanding the New Jersey Transit
line to the Lehigh Valley, which would potentially include stops in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. The Lehigh Valley is currently the largest metro area by population on the East Coast of the United States without passenger rail service of any kind.
, a major east-west highway, runs through the southern part of the Valley, duplexed with Pennsylvania Route 309
. I-78 runs from Harrisburg
in the west to the Holland Tunnel
and New York City in the east.
U.S. Route 22
is a major freeway that runs through the Valley from Kuhnsville
in the western part of the Valley to Easton
in the eastern part of the Valley. U.S. Route 22 starts in Cincinnati, Ohio in the west, running through the Valley to Newark, New Jersey
in the east. A third highway, Pennsylvania Route 33
, runs north-south through the Lehigh Valley, from the Poconos in the north to Northampton County in the south.
The fourth major highway in the Valley is Interstate 476
, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
. It stretches 131 miles (210.8 km) from Chester
in the south to the Scranton
-Wilkes Barre
area in the north.
Other major roads in the Valley include MacArthur Road (PA 145)
, a divided local road that leads to the Lehigh Valley Mall
and its surrounding commercial district. Cedar Crest Boulevard, a north-south highway, runs from North Whitehall Township in the north through west-side Allentown to Emmaus in the south. Lehigh Street
runs from northeast to southwest, originating in downtown Allentown and ending in Emmaus. Tilghman Street runs from Fogelsville
in the west to continue as Union Boulevard into Bethlehem in the east. Tilghman Street runs through most of Allentown and also intersects with Cedar Crest Boulevard, Pennsylvania Route 100
, Pennsylvania Route 309 and several other major Lehigh Valley highways.
of the Bell System
went into effect) until 1994. With the region's growing population, however, Lehigh Valley areas were afforded area code 610
in 1994. Today, the Lehigh Valley is covered by 610. An overlay area code, 484, was added to the 610 service area in 1999. A plan to introduce area code 835 as an additional overlay was rescinded in 2001.
was designated an official American Viticultural Area
in March, 2008. The wine region includes 230 acres (93 ha) of vineyard
s, planted to several Vitis vinifera
and French-American hybrid
grape varieties
. Fifteen to twenty percent of the wine produced commercially in Pennsylvania is made from grapes grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA.
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...
as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
, Northampton
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
, Berks
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, and Carbon
Carbon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...
counties in eastern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Warren
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
county on the western edge of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, in the United States.
The Lehigh Valley is the fastest growing and third most populous region in the state of Pennsylvania with a population of 821,623 residents as of the 2010 U.S. Census. It is eclipsed in total population only by the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. It is the 64th most populated metropolitan area
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
in the entire United States. The region is named for the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
, which runs through it, and it is part of the Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...
.
Cities and location
The Lehigh Valley's principal cities are AllentownAllentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, and Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, comprising the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area. The traditional bounds of the region are The Poconos
The Poconos
The Pocono Mountains is a region located in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The Poconos, located chiefly in Monroe and Pike counties , are an upland of the larger Allegheny Plateau...
to the north, the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
to the east, the boundaries of Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
and Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
to the southwest, and the boundary with Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
to the south. More recently, however, the area around Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, known locally as P'burg, is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950....
west of Pohatcong Mountain
Pohatcong Mountain
Pohatcong Mountain is a ridge, approximately 6 mi long, in the Appalachian Mountains of northwestern New Jersey in the United States. It extends from west Phillipsburg northeast approximately to Allamuchy Township, NJ. The ridge continues on north past Washington as Upper Pohatcong Mountain....
, parts of upper Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
around Quakertown
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979. The borough is south of Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas...
, and portions of northeastern Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
and southwestern Carbon County
Carbon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...
in Pennsylvania are considered outer parts of the Valley.
The Lehigh Valley is located approximately 50 miles (96 km) north of Philadelphia, the country's fifth largest city, 80 miles (129 km) east of Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania's capital, and 70 miles (144 km) west of New York City, the country's largest city. The area is home to more than 820,000 people as of the 2010 U.S. Census. Recent census studies show it to be the fastest growing region in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, due in part to its growing popularity as a bedroom community
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
for the highly-populated neighboring regions of Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City as well as its favorable business climate and much lower cost of living in comparison to surrounding areas.
The Lehigh Valley is geologically
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and geographically
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
part of the Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...
, a region largely made up of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
that stretches along the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. The Lehigh Valley is so named because it is composed of an actual valley that lies between two mountain ranges, Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
to the north and South Mountain
South Mountain (eastern Pennsylvania)
South Mountain is a colloquial name applied to features in the mountain range extending south and south west from the Lehigh Valley to the Lebanon Valley regions of Pennsylvania. At times, it also been known as Durham Hills, Reading Hills, and the Lehigh Mountains...
to the south. Lehigh Valley also is considered part of the historic Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pennsylvania Dutch Country refers to an area of southeastern Pennsylvania, United States that by the American Revolution had a high percentage of Pennsylvania Dutch inhabitants. Religiously, there was a large portion of Lutherans. There were also German Reformed, Moravian, Amish, Mennonite and...
.
Municipalities with more than 10,000 people
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Hanover Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania Hanover Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Hanover Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Hanover Township was 10,866 at the 2010 census.-Geography:... Lehigh Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania Lehigh Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Lehigh Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Lehigh Township was 9,728 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania Lower Macungie Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. As of the 2010 Census, the township had a population of 30,633.... Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania Lower Saucon Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Lower Saucon Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley.... North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania North Whitehall Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of North Whitehall Township was 14,731 at the 2000 census.... Palmer Township, Pennsylvania Palmer Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Palmer Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.... |
Phillipsburg, New Jersey Phillipsburg, known locally as P'burg, is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950.... Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Salisbury Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The township borders Allentown Bethlehem, and Emmaus, in the Lehigh Valley region.... South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania South Whitehall Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley area of the state. The population of South Whitehall Township was 18,028 at the 2000 census... Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania Upper Macungie Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Upper Macungie Township was 20,063 as of the 2010 U.S... Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania Upper Saucon Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley.... |
Municipalities with fewer than 10,000 people
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East Bangor, Pennsylvania East Bangor is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt .The population of East Bangor was 1,172 at the 2010 census.-Geography:... East Side, Pennsylvania East Side is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 290 at the 2000 census.-Geography:East Side is located at .... Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania Fountain Hill is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Fountain Hill was 4,614 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Freemansburg, Pennsylvania Freemansburg is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Freemansburg is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Freemansburg was 1,897 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Frelinghuysen Township, New Jersey -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,083 people, 722 households, and 578 families residing in the township. The population density was 88.9 people per square mile . There were 755 housing units at an average density of 32.2 per square mile... Glendon, Pennsylvania Glendon is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Glendon is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Glendon was 367 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glendon is located at .... Hackettstown, New Jersey Hackettstown is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 9,724. The town is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley.... Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Hanover Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Hanover Township is a suburb of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The township's population was 1,913 at the 2000 census.... Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Heidelberg Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Heidelberg Township was 3,279 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Hellertown, Pennsylvania Hellertown is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Hellertown is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley.The population of Hellertown was 5,606 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Hardwick Township, New Jersey -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,464 people, 502 households, and 410 families residing in the township. The population density was 40.1 people per square mile . There were 530 housing units at an average density of 14.5 per square mile... Hope Township, New Jersey -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,891 people, 697 households, and 538 families residing in the township. The population density was 102.2 people per square mile . There were 747 housing units at an average density of 40.4 per square mile... Knowlton Township, New Jersey - Local government :The Knowlton Township Committee consists of Mayor Frank Van Horn , Deputy Mayor Ronald Farber , Theresa Capriccio , René Mathez and Scott Odorizzi .... Lehighton, Pennsylvania Lehighton is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, north by west of Philadelphia. In the past, it developed early industries because of water power from the Lehigh River. With the location of a repair facility here and its regional operations, the Lehigh Valley Railroad became for years a... |
Macungie, Pennsylvania Macungie is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the second oldest borough in the county and a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.-History:... Nazareth, Pennsylvania Nazareth is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 6,023 at the 2000 census.Nazareth is located seven miles northwest of Easton, four miles north of Bethlehem and twelve miles northeast of Allentown... Northampton, Pennsylvania Northampton is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The borough is located in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania... North Catasauqua, Pennsylvania North Catasauqua is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. North Catasauqua in located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. The borough was founded in 1907... Palmerton, Pennsylvania Palmerton is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the coal region of the state. It is a part of lower Carbon County, which is considered part of the Lehigh Valley and the greater Allentown Metropolitan Area.... Parryville, Pennsylvania Parryville is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 478 at the 2000 census. Parryville is located southeast of Lehighton and north of Bowmanstown off Route 248 and northwest of Palmerton... Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania Pen Argyl is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, north of Easton, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.-Population:In 1900, 2,784 people lived in Pen Argyl, and in 1910, 3,967 people lived here... Portland, Pennsylvania Portland is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Portland is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.The population of Portland was 579 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Roseto, Pennsylvania Roseto is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Roseto is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.The population of Roseto was 1,653 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Slatington, Pennsylvania Slatington is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is located 15 miles northwest of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state... Stockertown, Pennsylvania Stockertown is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The small borough contains large industries, such as, Hercules Cement, Polymer Products, and Praxair. The Borough is located within a 2-mile radius and provides... Tatamy, Pennsylvania Tatamy is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Tatamy is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is named for Moses Tunda Tatamy.The population of Tatamy was 930 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... |
Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania Williams Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Williams Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Williams Township was 4,470 at the 2000 census.-History:... Walnutport, Pennsylvania Walnutport is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Incorporated in 1909, Walnutport is located in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania along the Lehigh River.The population of Walnutport was 2,043 at the 2000 census. The U.S... Washington, New Jersey Washington is a borough in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 6,461. The borough is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley.... Washington Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Washington Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley area of the state.The population of Washington Township was 6,588 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Washington Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania Washington Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Washington Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state... West Easton, Pennsylvania West Easton is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. West Easton is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, in the greater Easton area.The population of West Easton was 1,152 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Wilson, Pennsylvania Wilson is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley region, and is adjacent to Easton, the smallest and easternmost of the Lehigh Valley's three cities.... Wind Gap, Pennsylvania Wind Gap is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Wind Gap is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt .The population of Wind Gap was 2,720 at the 2010 census.-Geography:... White Township, New Jersey -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,245 people, 1,668 households, and 1,179 families residing in the township. The population density was 155.1 people per square mile . There were 1,770 housing units at an average density of 64.7 per square mile... |
Census-designated places and villages
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Brass Castle, New Jersey Brass Castle is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Washington Township, in Warren County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 1,507.... Eastlawn Gardens, Pennsylvania Eastlawn Gardens is a census-designated place in Upper Nazareth Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Eastlawn Gardens is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.... Fullerton, Pennsylvania Fullerton is a census-designated place in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Fullerton is a suburb of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Fullerton was 14,268 at the 2000 census.... Great Meadows-Vienna, New Jersey Great Meadows-Vienna is a census-designated place located within Independence Township and Liberty Township, in Warren County, New Jersey, United States... |
Hokendauqua, Pennsylvania Hokendauqua is a census-designated place in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Hokendauqua is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It uses the Whitehall zip code of 18052. The population of Hokendauqua was 3,411 at the... Middletown, Northampton County, Pennsylvania Middletown is a census-designated place in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Middletown was 7,378 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Old Orchard, Pennsylvania Old Orchard is a census-designated place in Palmer Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.As of the 2000 census, Old Orchard had a total population of 2,443.-Geography:... Oxford, New Jersey Oxford is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Oxford Township, in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. The population was 2,283 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oxford is located at .... |
Palmer Heights, Pennsylvania Palmer Heights is a census-designated place in Palmer Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Palmer Heights was 3,612 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Pleasant Corners, Pennsylvania Pleasant Corners is an unincorporated community located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania at the intersections of Pennsylvania Route 100 and Pennsylvania Route 309, in the United States. It is part of the Lehigh Valley region of the state.... Weissport East, Pennsylvania Weissport East is a census-designated place in Franklin Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,936 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Weissport East is located at .... Zionsville, Pennsylvania Zionsville is a village mostly in Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, and also in Lower Milford Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its zip code is 18092. The West Branch Hosensack Creek forms its natural SE boundary and drains it via the Hosensack Creek to the Perkiomen Creek... |
Climate
The Lehigh Valley has four distinct seasons, which typically include humid summers, cold winters, and very short and mild springs and falls.Demographics
As of the 2008 American Community SurveyAmerican Community Survey
The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly . It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census...
conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Lehigh Valley had a population of 808,210. 87.1% of the population were White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 4.6% were Black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
or African American, 0.1% were American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, 2.3% were Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Americans made up 0.1%, 4.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% belonged to two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 11.3% of the population.
Economy
The most common industries for residents in are area include educational services, construction and health care as of 2009.History
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...
and apparel
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
. It had served as a major U.S. center of industrial manufacturing since the 1800's but this role has diminished significantly in the 21st century as companies have moved to off-shore locations for these activities.
Once a formidable industrial and manufacturing powerhouse serving the entire United States, the nationwide decline of this industry has led the Lehigh Valley to shift its economic focus more towards financial services, health care, life sciences and technology as well as becoming a distribution hub for some of the largest U.S. markets due to it's comparatively low cost of living and close proximity to some of the nation's largest metropolitan areas.
The Lehigh Valley was much less impacted by the post 2006 housing bubble crash compared to surrounding areas and the U.S. as a whole in that, while sales have been sluggish at times, real estate values have not been significantly eroded and have even seen gradual increases since 2009.
Largest employers
After the demise of Bethlehem Steel, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health NetworkLehigh Valley Hospital
Lehigh Valley Hospital, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is the largest hospital in the Lehigh Valley and the flagship hospital of the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network .-Lehigh Valley Health Network:...
(in Allentown), one of Pennsylvania's largest hospital systems, replaced it as the Lehigh Valley's largest employer. As of 2008, the Lehigh Valley's top ten employers are: 1.) Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, 2.) St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network
St. Luke's Health Network
St. Luke's Health Network is the second largest health care provider in the Lehigh Valley . Its main hospital, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1872. The three other hospitals of the network are located in Allentown, PA, Quakertown, PA, and Coaldale, PA, providing a total 734...
, 3.) Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is an international corporation whose principal business is selling gases and chemicals for industrial uses. Air Products' headquarters is in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. Air Products is the Lehigh...
, 4.) PPL Corporation
PPL (utility)
PPL, formerly known as PP&L or Pennsylvania Power and Light, is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. It currently controls about 19,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania and Montana, and delivers electricity to...
, 5.) Giant-Carlisle, 6.) Sodexo, 7.) B. Braun Medical
B. Braun Melsungen
B. Braun Melsungen AG is a German medical and pharmaceutical company, which has offices and facilities in 50 countries. Its headquarters are located in the small town of Melsungen, in central Germany...
, 8.) Wegmans Food Markets
Wegmans Food Markets
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a family-owned U.S. regional supermarket chain headquartered in Gates, New York, near Rochester. Wegmans has more than 75 stores spread across the mid-Atlantic region, in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts...
, 9.) Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
and 10.) Mack Trucks
Mack Trucks
Mack Trucks is an American truck-manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. A wholly owned subsidiary of Renault Véhicules Industriels since 1990, Mack Trucks is currently a subsidiary of AB Volvo. The company's headquarters are located in Greensboro, North Carolina...
.
Business and economic demographics
The Lehigh Valley is centrally located in the Northeast MegalopolisNortheast megalopolis
The Northeast megalopolis or Boston–Washington megalopolis is the heavily urbanized area of the United States stretching from the the northern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts to the southern suburbs of Washington, D.C. On a map, the region appears almost as a perfectly straight line. As of 2000,...
with ease of access and close proximity to several of the largest markets, population centers, airports, terminals, railways and seaports in the United States including both the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. The Lehigh Valley is also situated within a one day drive to more than one third of the total population of both the United States and Canada.
However, the Lehigh Valley has a much lower cost of living, more affordable real estate, lower taxes and a more affordable labor pool than most other Northeastern US
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
regions. These attributes and others, such as sizable investments in business development and a friendlier regulatory environment, provide the area with an attractive business climate in comparison to surrounding states and areas.
Due in large part to the aforementioned comparably favorable business climate, the Lehigh Valley has experienced some success in luring large, established businesses as well as new startup companies
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
from nearby states such as New York and New Jersey, bringing with them upwards of thousands of new jobs to the area. Large companies such as Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
have praised the region for its commitment to business investments and incentives, citing them as a major reason for continuing expansions and increased hiring in the Lehigh Valley.
Large national and international companies based in the Lehigh Valley include LSI Corporation
LSI Corporation
LSI Corporation is an electronics company based in Milpitas, California that designs semiconductors and software that accelerate storage and networking in datacenters and mobile networks.-History:...
(in Allentown), Avantor Performance Materials (Center Valley), Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products & Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is an international corporation whose principal business is selling gases and chemicals for industrial uses. Air Products' headquarters is in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. Air Products is the Lehigh...
(in Trexlertown), Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
(which ceased operations in 2003, in Bethlehem), Crayola LLC (in Easton), Buckeye Partners (in Emmaus
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Emmaus is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located five miles southwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Emmaus was 11,313 at the 2000 census...
), Heidelberg Cement (in Fogelsville), Just Born
Just Born
Just Born is a candy manufacturer based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Their tagline is "A great candy isn't made...it's Just Born."...
(in Bethlehem), Lutron Electronics (in Coopersburg), Mack Trucks
Mack Trucks
Mack Trucks is an American truck-manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. A wholly owned subsidiary of Renault Véhicules Industriels since 1990, Mack Trucks is currently a subsidiary of AB Volvo. The company's headquarters are located in Greensboro, North Carolina...
(in Allentown), Olympus Corporation
Olympus Corporation
is a Japan-based manufacturer of optics and reprography products. Olympus was established on 12 October 1919, initially specializing in microscope and thermometer businesses. Its global headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, while its USA operations are based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania,...
USA (in Center Valley
Center Valley, Pennsylvania
Center Valley is an unincorporated village one mile north of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
), PPL Corporation
PPL (utility)
PPL, formerly known as PP&L or Pennsylvania Power and Light, is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. It currently controls about 19,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania and Montana, and delivers electricity to...
(in Allentown), Rodale Press (in Emmaus), Synchronoss Technologies (Bethlehem) and many others.
The Lehigh Valley is also one of the largest areas on the east coast for the location of warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
s and distribution center
Distribution center
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers. A distribution center is a principal part, the order...
s. Companies that own and operate warehouses and distribution centers in the Lehigh Valley include Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, B. Braun
B. Braun Melsungen
B. Braun Melsungen AG is a German medical and pharmaceutical company, which has offices and facilities in 50 countries. Its headquarters are located in the small town of Melsungen, in central Germany...
, Boston Beer Company
Boston Beer Company
Samuel Adams is an American brand of beer brewed by the Boston Beer Company and its associated contract brewers. The company was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, Harry M. Rubin, and Lorenzo Lamadrid in Boston, Massachusetts, USA...
(brewer of Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams (beer)
Samuel Adams is an American brand of beer brewed by the Boston Beer Company and its associated contract brewers. The company was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, Harry M. Rubin, and Lorenzo Lamadrid in Boston, Massachusetts, USA...
brand beer), BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, FedEx SmartPost, Firestone
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
, Home Depot, J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, Nestle Purina
Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is the pet food division of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., following its acquisition of the American Ralston Purina Company on December 12, 2001 and subsequent merger with Nestlé's Friskies PetCare Company. As a wholly owned subsidiary, it is headquartered at the General...
, ShopRite
ShopRite (United States)
ShopRite Supermarkets is a retailers' cooperative chain of supermarkets in the northeastern United States, with stores in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
, The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
, True Value
True Value
True Value Company is a retailer-owned hardware cooperative with over 5,000 independent retail locations worldwide. Members of the True Value cooperative own their individual stores and operate independently of True Value Company....
, Uline
Uline
Uline is a distributor of shipping, industrial, and packing materials to businesses throughout North America. Uline distributes more than 20,000 products, featuring more than 1,000 corrugated box sizes...
and many others. Most of these distribution centers are located along the U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22 is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.US 22 also carries the names of the William...
, Interstate 78
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 is an Interstate Highway in the Northeast United States, running 144 miles from Interstate 81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown, Pennsylvania, and western and northern New Jersey to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in New York City.I-78 is a major road...
and Interstate 476
Interstate 476
Interstate 476 is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania designated between Interstate 95 near Chester and Interstate 81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor through eastern Pennsylvania....
corridors.
Due to Pennsylvania's lack of an excise tax on cigars
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
, the Lehigh Valley is also home to some of the United States' largest cigar distributors and retailers.
Renewable energy
The Lehigh Valley boasts one of the largest solar panel installations in Pennsylvania and is a leading producer of solar and other renewable energy in the region. Pennsylvania is ranked fourth in the nation in the production of renewable, notably solar, energy. As an example, Air Products & ChemicalsAir Products & Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is an international corporation whose principal business is selling gases and chemicals for industrial uses. Air Products' headquarters is in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. Air Products is the Lehigh...
, in Trexlertown, installed and maintains a 15-acre solar farm which generates more than half the required electricity for their corporate headquarters, saving an estimated $250,000 per year in utility costs. The comparatively large solar industry in the Lehigh Valley is due mostly to a combination of federal, state and local incentive programs which make using renewable energy sources more lucrative and cost effective than in years past.
Retail shopping
The Lehigh Valley is home to many retail establishments. The largest retail area of the Lehigh Valley is the Pennsylvania Route 145Pennsylvania Route 145
Pennsylvania Route 145 , unofficially known as "the gateway to Allentown", is a long north–south state highway in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania...
/MacArthur Road Corridor, just north of Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. It is anchored by the Lehigh Valley Mall
Lehigh Valley Mall
The Lehigh Valley Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is the largest shopping mall in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania....
and the Whitehall Mall
Whitehall Mall
The Whitehall Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania in the United States.The mall is located northeast of Allentown, on MacArthur Road at its intersection with Grape Street. It is located directly across Grape Street from the Lehigh Valley Mall...
.
Other malls in the region include Palmer Park Mall
Palmer Park Mall
The Palmer Park Mall is an indoor one-story shopping mall of located in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. The mall is located at the intersection of PA Route 248 and Park Avenue in Palmer Township, Northampton County.The mall has over 50 stores and is anchored by...
(in Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
), Phillipsburg Mall
Phillipsburg Mall
Phillipsburg Mall is an indoor shopping mall located along U.S. Route 22. Despite its name, the mall is actually located on the border of Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township in Warren County, New Jersey, just east of Phillipsburg...
(in Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, known locally as P'burg, is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950....
), South Mall
South Mall
The South Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania in the United States, immediately outside of the city of Allentown....
(in Salisbury Township
Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Salisbury Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The township borders Allentown Bethlehem, and Emmaus, in the Lehigh Valley region....
), and the Westgate Mall
Westgate Mall (Bethlehem)
Westgate Mall is an indoor shopping mall in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Lehigh Valley. It is located near US Route 22 on Schoenersville Road.-History:...
(in Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
). In October 2006, a new Valley-based shopping mall, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley is a lifestyle center in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States.It is located near the Stabler Center near Center Valley, Pennsylvania...
, was opened. Located off Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
in Upper Saucon Township
Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Saucon Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley....
, The Promenade is roughly half the size of the Lehigh Valley Mall, but features more upscale stores. In 2011, The Shoppes at Sands
The Shoppes at Sands
The Shoppes at Sands is an indoor shopping mall located inside the Sands Casino Resort located in Bethlehem, PA. It opened on November 1, 2011, with a grand opening scheduled for February 16, 2012....
opened at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, becoming the first outlet mall in the Lehigh Valley.
Yocco's Hot Dogs
Yocco's Hot Dogs
Yocco's Hot Dogs is a regionally-famous hot dog and cheesesteak establishment with six restaurants, each located in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. Yocco's was founded in 1922 by Theodore Iacocca, uncle of Lee Iacocca...
, the regionally-famous fast food establishment known for their hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
s and cheesesteak
Cheesesteak
A cheesesteak, also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheese steak, or steak and cheese, is a sandwich made from thinly-sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese in a long roll...
s, maintains six locations, all of which are based in the Lehigh Valley. Its original restaurant, founded in 1922, is still located at its original center city Allentown location, on West Liberty Street. Five additional Yocco's locations can be found in the Lehigh Valley (in west-side Allentown, east-side Allentown, Emmaus, Fogelsville
Fogelsville, Pennsylvania
Fogelsville is a village in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, in Upper Macungie Township, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
, and Wescosville
Wescosville, Pennsylvania
Wescosville is an unincorporated town located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. The town is located between Allentown, Pennsylvania and Trexlertown, Pennsylvania in Lower Macungie Township. It is split between the Allentown zip codes of 18103, 18104, and 18106...
).
Television
The Lehigh Valley receives television service from Philadelphia, New York City and ScrantonScranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
/Wilkes Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
. Lehigh Valley-based stations include WBPH-TV
WBPH-TV
WBPH-TV is a television station in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania DMA. The station, owned by Sonshine Family Television Corporation, broadcasts programming as a FamilyNet affiliate, Worship Network programming, special interest programs that are produced in-house, and religious programming...
, an affiliate of FamilyNet
FamilyNet
FamilyNet is a broadcast television network owned by ComStar Media Fund and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The network was founded in 1979 as the National Christian Network, and took the name FamilyNet in 1988 under the ownership of Jerry Falwell. The channel was acquired by InTouch Ministries in...
, a Christian network licensed to Bethlehem but based in Allentown; WFMZ-TV
WFMZ-TV
WFMZ-TV, virtual channel 69 , is a general interest independent television station in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which is part of the Philadelphia DMA. Its studio and transmitter are located on South Mountain in Allentown.-Background:...
, an independent commercial television station based in Allentown; and WLVT-TV
WLVT-TV
WLVT-TV "PBS 39" is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station serving the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania in the United States.The station signed on September 7, 1965 as a National Educational Television affiliate...
, a PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
station licensed to Allentown but based in Bethlehem.
Radio
The Lehigh Valley is home to over fifteen radio stations, spanning multiple formats, including news, talk, and sportsTalk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, CHR/pop music, country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, National Public Radio, sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
, oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
, polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
, hot adult contemporary, soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
, classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, and a variety of college radio stations.
Print media
Lehigh Valley-based daily newspapers include the Allentown The Morning CallThe Morning Call
The Morning Call is a daily newspaper based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The newspaper is owned by the Tribune Company, whose other publications include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun....
and the Easton The Express-Times
The Express-Times
The Express-Times is a daily newspaper published in Easton, Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on local news. It has won awards in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.-Ownership:...
, both with rich traditions dating back to the mid-1800s. The Lehigh Valley also features Pulse Weekly
Pulse Weekly
The Valley Beat is a weekly magazine based in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania....
(a weekly regional arts and entertainment publication), Lehigh Valley Magazine (the region's oldest lifestyle publication), Lehigh Valley Exposed
Lehigh Valley Exposed
Lehigh Valley Exposed is an alternative weekly tabloid newspaper based in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. It is available free across the Lehigh Valley in bars, restaurants, and boxes on street corners....
(an alternative news and entertainment weekly), and four Spanish language newspapers, Al Dia, El Hispano, El Torero, and La Cronica. Lehigh Valley community publications include The Blue Mountain Town & Country Gazette in the northern part of the Valley.
Education
Colleges and universities
The Lehigh Valley is a center of post-secondary education, with seven four-year colleges and universities. These include:- Cedar Crest CollegeCedar Crest CollegeCedar Crest College is a private liberal arts women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. During the 2006-2007 academic year, the college had 1,000 full-time and 800 part-time undergraduates and 85 graduate students...
(in AllentownAllentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
) - DeSales UniversityDeSales UniversityDeSales University is a private Catholic university for men and women, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before 2001, it was known as Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales.- History :...
(in Center ValleyCenter Valley, PennsylvaniaCenter Valley is an unincorporated village one mile north of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
) - Lafayette CollegeLafayette CollegeLafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
(in EastonEaston, PennsylvaniaEaston is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
) - Lehigh UniversityLehigh UniversityLehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
(in BethlehemBethlehem, PennsylvaniaBethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
) - Moravian CollegeMoravian CollegeMoravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:...
(in BethlehemBethlehem, PennsylvaniaBethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
) - Muhlenberg CollegeMuhlenberg CollegeMuhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
(in AllentownAllentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
) - Penn State Lehigh ValleyPenn State Lehigh ValleyPenn State Lehigh Valley is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Center Valley, outside of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
(in Center ValleyCenter Valley, PennsylvaniaCenter Valley is an unincorporated village one mile north of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 309 and Pennsylvania Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
)
The Lehigh Valley is also home to three two-year colleges:
- Lehigh Carbon Community CollegeLehigh Carbon Community CollegeLehigh Carbon Community College is a two-year community college located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. The school serves as the primary granter of associate degrees in the Allentown area....
(with campuses in AllentownAllentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Carbon CountyCarbon County, PennsylvaniaAs of the census of 2000, there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...
and SchnecksvilleSchnecksville, PennsylvaniaSchnecksville is a census-designated place in North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Schnecksville is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
) - Lehigh Valley CollegeLehigh Valley CollegeLehigh Valley College was a college owned by Career Education Corporation, a for-profit educational company. The college was located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, in Center Valley which is approximately outside of Philadelphia and offered associate degree programs in a variety of vocational...
(in AllentownAllentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
) (defunct since 2008) - Northampton Community CollegeNorthampton Community CollegeNorthampton Community College is a community college in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, USA, just outside the city of Bethlehem. The college, founded in 1967, also has a second campus in Pocono Township in neighboring Monroe County...
(with campuses in Bethlehem TownshipBethlehem Township, PennsylvaniaBethlehem Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Bethlehem Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state and is a suburb of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania....
and Monroe CountyMonroe County, Pennsylvania-National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there are 176,567 people, 49,454 households, and 36,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 228 people per square mile...
)
High school education
As the third most populous metropolitan region in Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley is served by numerous school districts, public and private high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools.Lehigh Valley-based high schools include:
|
Northampton Area High School Northampton Area High School is the secondary school in the Northampton Area School District, located in Northampton, Pennsylvania, in the United States.... (in Northampton) Northern Lehigh High School Northern Lehigh High School is a public high school located in Slatington, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. It is the only high school in the Northern Lehigh School District.... (in Slatington) New Tripoli, Pennsylvania New Tripoli is a small rural village in Lynn Township, in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.The village is located at the intersection of Madison Street and Pennsylvania Route 143 near Pennsylvania Route 309 in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania... ) Notre Dame High School (Easton, Pennsylvania) Notre Dame High School also known as Notre Dame Green Pond, is a private, Roman Catholic high school near Easton, Pennsylvania, United States, in Bethlehem Township. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown.-Background:... (in Bethlehem Township) Parkland High School (Allentown, Pennsylvania) Parkland High School, located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, is a public high school serving students in grades 9 to 12. It is the only high school for the Parkland School District.... (in South Whitehall Township) Pen Argyl Area High School Pen Argyl Area High School is a four-year public high school located in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Pen Argyl Area School District.Its colors are green and white and its mascot is the Green Knight.... (in Pen Argyl) Pius X High School (Pennsylvania) Pius X High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Bangor, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown.-Background:... (in Bangor) Roberto Clemente Charter School Roberto Clemente Charter School is a Title I charter school located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States.The school, which is located at 4th and Walnut Streets in Allentown, serves students in grades 6 through 12.... (in Allentown) Salisbury High School (Pennsylvania) Salisbury High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA.-History:Salisbury Township was started in 1753, and the educational system consisted of single room schools, however as time passed the need for an organized school... (in Salisbury Township) Saucon Valley High School Saucon Valley High School is a four-year public high school in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located at 2100 Polk Valley Road, Hellertown, PA, 18055, within Northampton County.... (in Hellertown) Southern Lehigh High School Southern Lehigh High School is a four-year public high school located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Southern Lehigh School District.... (in Center Valley) Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania) Whitehall High School is a public high school, based in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley region, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Whitehall-Coplay School District. As of the 2006-2007 academic school year, 1,393 students attend the... (in Whitehall Township) Wilson Area High School Wilson Area High School is a four-year public high school located in Wilson, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States... (in Wilson) |
The largest Lehigh Valley high schools (12 in all) compete athletically in the Lehigh Valley Conference
Lehigh Valley Conference
The Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. Smaller Lehigh Valley high schools compete in the Colonial League. In addition to its exceptional high school athletic teams, the Lehigh Valley is known nationally for their excellent math
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
team, the Lehigh Valley Fire. The team has won the ARML
American Regions Mathematics League
The American Regions Mathematics League , is an annual high school mathematics team competition held simultaneously at four locations in the United States: the University of Iowa, Penn State, UNLV, and the newly added site at the University of Georgia. Past sites have included San Jose and at Duke...
competition in 2005 and every year since 2009. They also placed highly in previous years.
Sports
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh Valley Storm | BNEFF | Football | J. Birney Crum Stadium J. Birney Crum Stadium J. Birney Crum Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The stadium seats 15,000 and is used by several area high schools and the Pennsylvania Stoners of the NPSL and the Northampton Laurels of the WPSL soccer teams. J... |
2010 | 0 |
| Lehigh Valley IronPigs Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania... |
IL International League The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States... |
Baseball | Coca-Cola Park | 2008 | 0 |
| Lehigh Valley Steelhawks Lehigh Valley Steelhawks The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks are a professional indoor football team set to begin play in the Indoor Football League for the 2011 season. Based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the Steelhawks will play their home games at Stabler Arena.... |
IFL Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an... |
Indoor football | Stabler Arena Stabler Arena Stabler Arena is Lehigh University's 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, located on its Goodman Campus in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States... |
2011 | 0 |
| FC Sonic Lehigh Valley FC Sonic Lehigh Valley FC Sonic Lehigh Valley is an American soccer team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Keystone Division.The team plays... |
NPSL National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league... |
Soccer | Lehigh University's Ulrich Sports Complex | 2009 | 0 |
| Northampton Laurels FC | WPSL Women's Premier Soccer League The Women's Premier Soccer League is a national women's soccer league in the United States and Puerto Rico, and is on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the W-League and below Women's Professional Soccer.... |
Soccer | J. Birney Crum Stadium J. Birney Crum Stadium J. Birney Crum Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The stadium seats 15,000 and is used by several area high schools and the Pennsylvania Stoners of the NPSL and the Northampton Laurels of the WPSL soccer teams. J... |
2005 | 0 |
| Pennsylvania Stoners Pennsylvania Stoners Pennsylvania Stoners is an American soccer team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2007, the team plays in National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Eastern Keystone Division.The team plays its home... |
NPSL National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league... |
Soccer | J. Birney Crum Stadium J. Birney Crum Stadium J. Birney Crum Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The stadium seats 15,000 and is used by several area high schools and the Pennsylvania Stoners of the NPSL and the Northampton Laurels of the WPSL soccer teams. J... |
1979 | 1 (1980) |
| Lehigh Valley Cricket Club | PCL | Cricket | Lehigh Valley Velodrome | 1995 | 0 |
Philadelphia Eagles, Lehigh Valley Storm and Lehigh Valley Steelhawks
The Lehigh Valley is the home of pre-season training camp for the NFL'sNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, which is held each summer on the practice fields of Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
in Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
. The camp, which attracted in excess of 20,000 fans daily in July 2007, draws some of the largest crowds of any NFL team's pre-season camp.
The Lehigh Valley Storm, a semi-professional football team, is also based in Bethlehem. The Lehigh Valley will also soon be home to the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks
The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks are a professional indoor football team set to begin play in the Indoor Football League for the 2011 season. Based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the Steelhawks will play their home games at Stabler Arena....
, an Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
team, who will begin playing their home games at Stabler Arena
Stabler Arena
Stabler Arena is Lehigh University's 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, located on its Goodman Campus in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in Bethlehem in 2011.
IronPigs baseball
In early 2008, Coca-Cola Park, an 8,100-seat Minor League baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
stadium, opened in east-side Allentown. The stadium hosts the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
' AAA-level International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
franchise. The team previously played as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (1989–2006) and Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
(2007). The club's move to the Lehigh Valley brought the franchise closer to Philadelphia and the Phillies' large eastern Pennsylvania fan base. The team’s name is a reference to pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
, a key ingredient in the steel-making process for which the Lehigh Valley area is known worldwide.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Coca-Cola Park were held September 6, 2006, and construction was completed in December 2007. The stadium hosted its first game on March 30, 2008, when the Phillies major league team faced the IronPigs.
Stabler Arena
Lehigh University's Stabler ArenaStabler Arena
Stabler Arena is Lehigh University's 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, located on its Goodman Campus in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, an indoor arena, is in Bethlehem, in the Lehigh Valley. Stabler hosts regular sporting and concert events. The arena is also home to Lehigh University men's and women's college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
teams.
"The Rivalry"
The Lehigh Valley is also home to a strong collegiate football rivalry, between two local colleges: Easton's Lafayette CollegeLafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
and Bethlehem's Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
. The two teams have played each other 146 times since 1884, making it the longest uninterrupted rivalry in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
.
High school athletics
The 12 largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley compete athletically in the Lehigh Valley ConferenceLehigh Valley Conference
The Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. The conference has produced numerous professional and Olympic-level athletes, and its football, basketball and wrestling teams are often ranked among the best in the nation. In USA Today's
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
annual ranking of the nation's top high school sports teams, Liberty High School
Liberty High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
For schools with similar names, see Liberty High School.Liberty High School is a public high school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
was ranked second in the Eastern United States in football in 2008 and 20th among all high schools nationally. Parkland High School
Parkland High School (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Parkland High School, located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, is a public high school serving students in grades 9 to 12. It is the only high school for the Parkland School District....
was ranked fifth in the East in football in 2002 and 11th among all high schools nationally. And Allentown Central Catholic High School
Allentown Central Catholic High School
Allentown Central Catholic High School is a private, parochial school located at 301 North Fourth Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
was ranked seventh in girls' basketball in the East in both 2001–02 and 2002–03.
Currently, seven former athletes from Lehigh Valley Conference schools are on active professional athletic rosters, including four in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(Dan Koppen
Dan Koppen
Daniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
center from Whitehall High School
Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania)
Whitehall High School is a public high school, based in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley region, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Whitehall-Coplay School District. As of the 2006-2007 academic school year, 1,393 students attend the...
; Tim Massaquoi
Tim Massaquoi
Arnold Timothy Massaquoi is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan...
, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
tight end from Parkland High School
Parkland High School (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Parkland High School, located near Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, is a public high school serving students in grades 9 to 12. It is the only high school for the Parkland School District....
; Jim Molinaro
Jim Molinaro
James Anthony Molinaro is an American football player who last played offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys.-High school career:...
, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
offensive tackle from Bethlehem Catholic High School; and Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart (American football)
Tony Alexander Stewart is an American football tight end, who is currently a free agent.Stewart was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 5th round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Penn State....
, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
tight end from Allentown Central Catholic High School
Allentown Central Catholic High School
Allentown Central Catholic High School is a private, parochial school located at 301 North Fourth Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
); one in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(Aaron Gray
Aaron Gray
Aaron Michael Gray is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA.-High school career:...
, Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
center from Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
); and one in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(Brian Schneider
Brian Schneider
Brian Duncan Schneider is an American Major League Baseball catcher.-Early life:Schneider was born in Jacksonville, Florida to Peter and Karen Schneider...
, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
catcher from Northampton Area High School
Northampton Area High School
Northampton Area High School is the secondary school in the Northampton Area School District, located in Northampton, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
).
An additional 14 Lehigh Valley high schools too small to compete in the Lehigh Valley Conference compete in the Colonial League.
Gymnastics
Parkettes National Gymnastics Training CenterParkettes National Gymnastics Training Center
Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center, or Parkettes for short, is a gymnastics club located in Allentown, Pennsylvania that had its beginnings in the early 1960s with a middle school gymnastics program in Allentown that gradually grew into an intramural program and then into a facility that...
, which has been the training ground for numerous Olympians and U.S. national gymnastics champions, is based in Allentown. In 2003, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
aired a documentary on Parkettes, Achieving the Perfect 10
Achieving The Perfect 10
Achieving The Perfect 10, is a made for CNN documentary movie released on August 10, 2003, about young girls training gymnastics at the highly competitive Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
, which depicted it as a hugely demanding and competitive training program.
Running events
The Lehigh Valley hosts the Lehigh Valley 15K Road Race annually each September. It is one of the premiere eastern Pennsylvania running events. Via of the Lehigh Valley, Inc., sponsors the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon, also held in September. The event features a certified marathon, five-person team relay, 20 miles (32.2 km) training run and 5K walk. The 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) course follows the Lehigh River Canal Towpath from Allentown to Easton.Arts
The Allentown Art MuseumAllentown Art Museum
The Allentown Art Museum is an art museum located in the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was founded in 1934 by a group organized by noted Pennsylvania impressionist painter, Walter Emerson Baum. With its collection of over 13,000 works of art, the Allentown Art Museum...
, based in center city Allentown, is the Lehigh Valley's largest museum. The museum's collection includes more than 11,000 works of art. Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center
Zoellner Arts Center
Zoellner Arts Center is an arts center located on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It opened in 1997, and houses the following facilities:...
and Lafayette College's smaller Williams Center for the Arts host a wide variety of plays, concerts and performances throughout the year.
Lehigh Valley in popular music
The Lehigh Valley is the subject of four rock music songs, one folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
song and one ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
reggae album:
- "Cheeses...(of Nazareth)Cheeses...(of Nazareth)Cheeses... is an album by Five Iron Frenzy released in 2003. It contains a number of rarities and live tracks as a thank you to fans; the band would break up at the end of 2003...
," an album by Five Iron FrenzyFive Iron FrenzyFive Iron Frenzy is a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011....
(2003). - "Speedway at Nazareth," a song by Mark KnopflerMark KnopflerMark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
(appears on Sailing to PhiladelphiaSailing to PhiladelphiaSailing to Philadelphia is the second solo album by Mark Knopfler, released on 26 September 2000. The title track is drawn from Thomas Pynchon's novel about Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, the two English surveyors who established the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland, Delaware and...
) (2000). - "AllentownAllentown (song)"Allentown" is a song by American singer Billy Joel, which first appeared on Joel's The Nylon Curtain album, accompanied by a conceptual music video. It later appeared on Joel's Greatest Hits: Volume II , 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert , The Essential Billy Joel , and "12 Gardens Live" albums...
," a song by Billy JoelBilly JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
(appears on The Nylon CurtainThe Nylon CurtainThe Nylon Curtain is the eighth studio album by Billy Joel. It was released by Columbia Records on September 23, 1982 and produced by Phil Ramone....
) (1982). - "200 Years Old," a song by Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
(appears on Bongo FuryBongo FuryBongo Fury is a mostly live album released by Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart in 1975. The live portions were recorded on May 20 & 21, 1975 at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas...
) (1975). - "The WeightThe Weight"The Weight" is a song written by Robbie Robertson. It was released by The Band as Capitol Records single 2269 in 1968, and appeared one week later on the group's debut album Music from Big Pink. The song is listed as #41 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time published in 2004, and...
," a song by The BandThe BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
(appears on Music from Big PinkMusic from Big PinkMusic from Big Pink is the 1968 debut album by rock band The Band. It features the well-known song, "The Weight". The music was composed partly in 'Big Pink', a house shared by Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson in West Saugerties, in upstate New York...
) (1968). - "Allentown JailAllentown Jail"Allentown Jail" is a folk song. Written by Irving Gordon, it tells the story of a man who is caught stealing a diamond for his girlfriend and ends up in the Allentown jail....
," a song by Irving GordonIrving GordonIrving Gordon was an American songwriter.-Biography:Irving Gordon was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, he studied violin, and after attending public schools in New York City, went to work in the Catskill Mountains at some of the resort hotels in the area...
and recorded by Jo StaffordJo StaffordJo Elizabeth Stafford was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s...
(1951).
Several music videos have been filmed in the Lehigh Valley, including:
- "Bed of RosesBed of Roses (song)"Bed of Roses" is a rock song released by Bon Jovi in November 1992, from the album Keep the Faith. Jon Bon Jovi wrote the song in a hotel room while suffering from a hangover and the lyrics reflects his feelings at the time...
" and "In These ArmsIn These Arms"In These Arms" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan and Richie Sambora. It was released in 1993 as the third single from the band's 1992 album Keep the Faith.-Chart success:...
" by Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
(filmed at Stabler ArenaStabler ArenaStabler Arena is Lehigh University's 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, located on its Goodman Campus in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in BethlehemBethlehem, PennsylvaniaBethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
). - "BreathBreath (Breaking Benjamin song)-Charts:-External links:*....
" by Breaking BenjaminBreaking BenjaminBreaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
(filmed at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem). - "Dirty Little SecretDirty Little Secret"Dirty Little Secret" is the first single by the rock band The All-American Rejects from their second studio album Move Along. It was released on June 6, 2005, to modern rock radio stations, and later to contemporary hit radio on July 12. "Dirty Little Secret" is an electric pop rock song that...
" by The All-American RejectsThe All-American RejectsThe All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor....
(filmed at Dorney Park & Wildwater KingdomDorney Park & Wildwater KingdomDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features nine roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom....
in South Whitehall Township and various Allentown locations). - "So EmotionalSo Emotional"So Emotional" is a song recorded by American pop/ R&B singer Whitney Houston. The song was the third single from her second album Whitney, and was released on November 12, 1987....
" by Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
(filmed at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem).
In addition, the heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
group Nazareth
Nazareth (band)
Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
is named for Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Nazareth is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 6,023 at the 2000 census.Nazareth is located seven miles northwest of Easton, four miles north of Bethlehem and twelve miles northeast of Allentown...
, in the Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh Valley in film and television
- The Lehigh Valley is featured prominently in the 2010 documentary Most Valuable PlayersMost Valuable Players (film)Most Valuable Players is a 2010 documentary film directed/produced by Matthew D. Kallis and written/produced by Christopher Lockhart, about The Freddy Awards, an annual awards ceremony recognizing outstanding high school musical theatre in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania and New Jersey...
about The Freddy AwardsThe Freddy AwardsThe Freddy Awards, also known as the Freddys, are an annual recognition of outstanding high school musical theatre in the Lehigh Valley area, including the Northampton County and Lehigh County in Pennsylvania, and Warren County in New Jersey...
. The 2003 CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
documentary Achieving the Perfect 10Achieving The Perfect 10Achieving The Perfect 10, is a made for CNN documentary movie released on August 10, 2003, about young girls training gymnastics at the highly competitive Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
is based on the area and was filmed there.
Lehigh Valley in literature
In recurring Sarah StrohmeyerSarah Strohmeyer
Sarah Strohmeyer is an award-winning American author of crime novels and of books about human relations between men and women. Her works include The Cinderella Pact, The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives, The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, and the Bubbles Yablonsky series...
novels, the fictional character Bubbles Yablonsky
Bubbles Yablonsky
Bubbles Yablonsky is the fictional protagonist of the Bubbles series of screwball mysteries by Sarah Strohmeyer. She first appeared in Bubbles Unbound, published in 2001; as of 2006, she has appeared in six novels by Strohmeyer strictly about Bubbles, with an extra cameo in Strohmeyers "The...
, resides in the Lehigh Valley.
Recreation
The Lehigh Valley is home to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features nine roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom....
, a popular amusement and water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
. Located in South Whitehall Township
South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania
South Whitehall Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley area of the state. The population of South Whitehall Township was 18,028 at the 2000 census...
, Dorney Park is known nationally for its elaborate roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s and water rides.
The region's ski resorts are Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area and Blue Mountain Ski Area
Blue Mountain Ski Area
Blue Mountain is a ski resort located near Palmerton, Pennsylvania, on Blue Mountain in the northern part of the Lehigh Valley, in Pennsylvania...
. Bear Creek is a 21 slope resort located outside of Macungie, Pennsylvania
Macungie, Pennsylvania
Macungie is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is the second oldest borough in the county and a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.-History:...
. Blue Mountain is located near Danielsville, Pennsylvania
Danielsville, Pennsylvania
Danielsville is a village northeast of Northampton in Northampton County, Pennsylvania along PA 946. The U.S. postal code for Danielsville, PA is 18038....
. The Poconos
The Poconos
The Pocono Mountains is a region located in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The Poconos, located chiefly in Monroe and Pike counties , are an upland of the larger Allegheny Plateau...
, which feature some of the East Coast's best-known ski
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
resorts, is approximately 30 miles (48.3 km) north of the Lehigh Valley. Several large lakes used for boating and fishing also are located there. The Pocono 500
Pocono 500
The 5-hour Energy 500 is the first of two stock car races held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in mid-June, the other being the Pennsylvania 500, usually held in early August. The Pocono 500 replaced a 400-mile race at Texas World Speedway on...
, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, is run each June at Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
in the Poconos.
New Jersey shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
beaches are approximately 70 miles (112.7 km) to 140 miles (225.3 km) to the east and southeast of the Lehigh Valley.
Dutch Springs
Dutch Springs
Dutch Springs is a spring-fed quarry lake located north of the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Since 1980, a commercial recreation area, with facilities for scuba diving, has operated at the location.-History:...
, the nation's largest SCUBA
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
amusement park, is in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth Township. Over 40,000 divers annually utilize the facilities, which have sunken "treasures" to enhance the underwater experience. In addition to scuba diving, kayaking and paddle boats are available. The facility has a water park, camping grounds, and picnic areas.
In 2009, Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, an $879 million casino, hotel and apartment complex owned by the Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an integrated resort company based in Paradise, Nevada, USA.-History:Founded in 1988, the company was the owner and operator of the Sands Hotel, which was demolished in 1996 to make room for The Venetian, which opened in 1999....
opened in Bethlehem, bringing legalized gambling to the Lehigh Valley for the first time. It is one of only 13 authorized gaming sites in Pennsylvania.
Four large festivals are held each year in the Lehigh Valley. Musikfest
Musikfest
Musikfest is a music festival that has been held each August in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA since 1984. The festival begins on the first Friday in August and ends on Sunday ten days later....
, a large, 10-day music festival, is held in Bethlehem each August. Mayfair
Mayfair (festival)
Mayfair is a music and arts festival held annually at Cedar Beach Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It has been held Memorial Day weekend since 1986. Admission is $5.-2010 Performers:...
, an arts and crafts festival, is held in Allentown's Cedar Beach Park each May. In September, one of the largest celtic heritage festivals in America, The Celtic Classic, is held in Bethlehem. The Great Allentown Fair
Great Allentown Fair
The Great Allentown Fair is an annual fair and agricultural show that is held at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is operated by the Lehigh County Agricultural Society...
has been held on the grounds of the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown annually in late August through early September for more than 150 years.
Ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
(including ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
and speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
) is popular in the Lehigh Valley and the region has three facilities. The Steel Ice Center is the premier ice skating facility, in Bethlehem on East 1st Street, not far from the Sands Casino. The Rink, formerly Lehigh Valley Ice Arena, is in Whitehall (north of Allentown) just off MacArthur Road (Route 145) on 7th Street. Each facility has two ice surfaces and public skate times are available at both facilities. The City of Bethlehem also opens a covered outdoor rink (one ice surface) annually from November through March.
Transportation
Air transportation
The Lehigh Valley is served by air transportation through Lehigh Valley International AirportLehigh Valley International Airport
Lehigh Valley International Airport , formerly Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton International Airport, is a public airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania....
, in the Lehigh Valley's Hanover Township
Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Hanover Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Hanover Township is a suburb of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The township's population was 1,913 at the 2000 census....
, three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown.
The Valley is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport
Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport
Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport is a public use airport located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. The airport is located on Lehigh Street, two nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is owned by the Lehigh-Northampton Airport...
, a two-runway general aviation facility located off Allentown's Lehigh Street
Lehigh Street
Lehigh Street is a major road that connects Emmaus, Pennsylvania in the west to Allentown, Pennsylvania in the east, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. Queen City is used predominantly by private aviation. The airport was awarded General Aviation Airport of the year by the Eastern Region of the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
in 2006.
Bus transportation
Public bus service in Lehigh Valley is available through the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, known as LANTA. In New Jersey, bus service is provided by New Jersey TransitNew Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
.
Several private bus lines, including Bieber Tourways, Susquehanna Trailways and Trans-Bridge Lines
Trans-Bridge Lines
Trans-Bridge Lines is a line-run operator servicing the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania and the southwestern Skylands Region of New Jersey with line run service between New York City and the Lehigh Valley, via the I-78 corridor daily, and charter and casino service in the same region...
, provide bus service from various Valley locations to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
, Philadelphia's Greyhound Terminal
Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal
The Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal is the primary intercity bus station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at 1001 Filbert Street in Center City Philadelphia, immediately north of The Gallery at Market East shopping mall and the SEPTA Market East Station, a few hundred feet east of the...
, Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
's Bus Terminal
Atlantic City Bus Terminal
The Atlantic City Bus Terminal is a regional bus station and a major stop for New Jersey Transit buses in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Located at the 1900 block of Atlantic Avenue, the station is now only half its size as part of it was built for a Polo Ralph Lauren store in the Atlantic City Outlets...
, and other regional locations.
Rail
Passenger service to the region ceased in 1981, when several rail operators opted to curtail long-distance services. From the south, SEPTA Regional RailSEPTA Regional Rail
The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...
limited their services to their electrified-only territory, with trains going only as far north as Lansdale
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Early in the 20th century, its industries included agricultural implement works, a canning factory, foundries, brickyards, a silk mill, and manufacturers of cigars, stoves, shirts, rope, iron drain pipe,...
and Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
. (In the early and mid twentieth century golden age of passenger rail, the Reading Railroad provided rail service south and west of the area.) To the east, the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
ceased passenger operations into the area, from Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, in 1967 in conjunction with the Aldene Connection
Aldene Connection
The Aldene Connection is a connection between two railroad lines in Roselle Park, New Jersey, United States, one formerly belonging to the Central Railroad of New Jersey , the other formerly of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, allowing trains on the New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line to travel from...
. In 1974, passenger service was restored to Phillipsburg under state (New Jersey) subsidy. That service was terminated in 1984. Current operator New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
has looked at restoring rail service to Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, known locally as P'burg, is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950....
; there are no official plans to extend service over the border into Pennsylvania at present. Currently, freight operator Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
heavily serves the region, with a major classification yard
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
in Allentown.
In November 2008, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), along with both Lehigh and Northampton Counties, commissioned a study to explore the merits of expanding the New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
line to the Lehigh Valley, which would potentially include stops in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. The Lehigh Valley is currently the largest metro area by population on the East Coast of the United States without passenger rail service of any kind.
Roads
The Lehigh Valley has four major highways: Interstate 78Interstate 78
Interstate 78 is an Interstate Highway in the Northeast United States, running 144 miles from Interstate 81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown, Pennsylvania, and western and northern New Jersey to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in New York City.I-78 is a major road...
, a major east-west highway, runs through the southern part of the Valley, duplexed with Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
. I-78 runs from Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
in the west to the Holland Tunnel
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland. Unusual for an American public works project, it is not named for a government official, politician, or local hero or...
and New York City in the east.
U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22 is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.US 22 also carries the names of the William...
is a major freeway that runs through the Valley from Kuhnsville
Kuhnsville, Pennsylvania
Kuhnsville is a small unincorporated village in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Along with the adjacent villages of Chapmans and Ruppsville , Kuhnsville forms the eastern edge of the transportation and warehousing business district centered on Fogelsville. It uses the...
in the western part of the Valley to Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
in the eastern part of the Valley. U.S. Route 22 starts in Cincinnati, Ohio in the west, running through the Valley to Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
in the east. A third highway, Pennsylvania Route 33
Pennsylvania Route 33
Pennsylvania Route 33 is a -long limited-access state highway in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. South of the US 22 interchange, the route is called the Gen. Anthony Clement McAuliffe 101st Airborne Memorial Highway....
, runs north-south through the Lehigh Valley, from the Poconos in the north to Northampton County in the south.
The fourth major highway in the Valley is Interstate 476
Interstate 476
Interstate 476 is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania designated between Interstate 95 near Chester and Interstate 81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor through eastern Pennsylvania....
, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
. It stretches 131 miles (210.8 km) from Chester
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
in the south to the Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
-Wilkes Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
area in the north.
Other major roads in the Valley include MacArthur Road (PA 145)
Pennsylvania Route 145
Pennsylvania Route 145 , unofficially known as "the gateway to Allentown", is a long north–south state highway in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania...
, a divided local road that leads to the Lehigh Valley Mall
Lehigh Valley Mall
The Lehigh Valley Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is the largest shopping mall in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania....
and its surrounding commercial district. Cedar Crest Boulevard, a north-south highway, runs from North Whitehall Township in the north through west-side Allentown to Emmaus in the south. Lehigh Street
Lehigh Street
Lehigh Street is a major road that connects Emmaus, Pennsylvania in the west to Allentown, Pennsylvania in the east, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
runs from northeast to southwest, originating in downtown Allentown and ending in Emmaus. Tilghman Street runs from Fogelsville
Fogelsville, Pennsylvania
Fogelsville is a village in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, in Upper Macungie Township, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
in the west to continue as Union Boulevard into Bethlehem in the east. Tilghman Street runs through most of Allentown and also intersects with Cedar Crest Boulevard, 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....
, Pennsylvania Route 309 and several other major Lehigh Valley highways.
Telecommunications
The Lehigh Valley area was once served only by the 215 area code from 1947 (when the North American Numbering PlanNorth American Numbering Plan
The North American Numbering Plan is an integrated telephone numbering plan administered by Neustar which encompasses 24 countries and territories, including the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 nations of the Caribbean...
of the Bell System
Bell System
The Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
went into effect) until 1994. With the region's growing population, however, Lehigh Valley areas were afforded area code 610
Area codes 610 and 484
Area codes 610 and 484 are telephone area codes which serve the eastern and southeastern regions of Pennsylvania. The area includes the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Reading, along with much of the Delaware Valley , including most of the Philadelphia Main Line...
in 1994. Today, the Lehigh Valley is covered by 610. An overlay area code, 484, was added to the 610 service area in 1999. A plan to introduce area code 835 as an additional overlay was rescinded in 2001.
Wine
The Lehigh Valley AVALehigh Valley AVA
The Lehigh Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. The AVA includes portions of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon, and Monroe counties...
was designated an official American Viticultural Area
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....
in March, 2008. The wine region includes 230 acres (93 ha) of vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s, planted to several Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
and French-American hybrid
Hybrid grapes
Hybrid grapes are grape varieties that are the product of a crossing of two or more Vitis species. This is in contrast to crossings between grape varieties of the same species, typically Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine. Hybrid grapes are also referred to as inter-specific crossings...
grape varieties
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
. Fifteen to twenty percent of the wine produced commercially in Pennsylvania is made from grapes grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA.
Famous people from the Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley is the birthplace or home to a number of famous Americans, including:- Mario AndrettiMario AndrettiMario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
, former professional race car driver. - Michael AndrettiMichael AndrettiMichael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
, professional racing team owner, former professional race car driver. - Chuck BednarikChuck BednarikCharles Philip Bednarik is a former professional American football player, known as one of the most devastating tacklers in the history of football and the last two-way player in the National Football League...
, former professional football player, Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
member. - Stephen Vincent BenétStephen Vincent BenétStephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. Benét is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, John Brown's Body , for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929, and for two short stories, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "By...
, author. - Leon CarrLeon CarrLeon Carr was a prolific American songwriter, composer, arranger, pianist and conductor, best known for his marketing jingles used in advertisements for Mounds candy , Chevrolet Leon Carr (June 10, 1910 – March 27, 1976) was a prolific American songwriter, composer, arranger, pianist and...
, Broadway composer and television advertising songwriter. - Jack Coleman, actor, NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
. - Michaela ConlinMichaela ConlinMichaela Conlin is an American stage and television actress best known for her work on the Fox TV series Bones, as Angela Montenegro.-Early life:...
, actress, FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's BonesBones (TV series)Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
. - H.D.H.D.H.D. was an American poet, novelist and memoirist known for her association with the early 20th century avant-garde Imagist group of poets such as Ezra Pound and Richard Aldington...
, writer, poet. - Jimmy DeGrassoJimmy DeGrassoJimmy DeGrasso is an American heavy metal drummer. He is currently the drummer for F5.DeGrasso was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and graduated from Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1981....
, drummer, Alice Cooper bandAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, former drummer, MegadethMegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. - Charlie DentCharlie DentCharles "Charlie" Dent is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes all of Northampton County, most of Lehigh County, and small parts of Berks and Montgomery Counties....
, member of Congress. - Devon, adult film actress.
- Keith DorneyKeith DorneyKeith Robert Dorney is a former offensive lineman for the National Football League's Detroit Lions.-High school and college career:...
, former professional football player, Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. - Jonathan FrakesJonathan FrakesJonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
, actor, Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
. - Peter Gruner, professional wrestler.
- Bob HeffnerBob HeffnerRobert Frederic Heffner is an American former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Cleveland Indians and California Angels . He batted and threw right-handed.Through his major league career Heffner was used both as starter and reliever...
, former professional baseball player, Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, California AngelsLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimThe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
and Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. - Tim HeideckerTim HeideckerTim Heidecker is an American actor, comedian, musician, writer and director. He is one half of the comedy team of Tim and Eric...
, actor, comedian, co-star, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is an American sketch comedy television series, created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which premiered February 11, 2007 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim comedy block and ran until May 2010...
. - Larry HolmesLarry HolmesLarry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
, former boxing heavyweight champion. - Lee IacoccaLee IacoccaLido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for engineering the Mustang, the unsuccessful Ford Pinto, being fired from Ford Motor Company, and his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s...
, former chairman, ChryslerChryslerChrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
Corporation. - Keith JarrettKeith JarrettKeith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer who performs both jazz and classical music.Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey, moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in jazz, jazz fusion, and classical music; as...
, jazz musician. - Michael JohnsMichael Johns (executive)Michael Johns is an American health care executive, former federal government of the United States official and conservative policy analyst and writer.-Biography:...
, health care executive, former White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
speechwriter. - Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"), actor, former professional wrestler.
- Daniel Dae Kim, actor, ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. - Steve KimockSteve Kimock-External links:** at the Internet Archive's live music archive* at the Internet Archive's live music archive* at Internet Archive's live music archive*, San Francisco, April 3, 1999*, Unofficial Fan Forum...
, rock musician. - John KlineJohn Kline (politician)John Paul Kline is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. The district includes most of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, including Apple Valley, Inver Grove Heights, Burnsville and Eagan. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:Kline was born...
, member of Congress. - Dan KoppenDan KoppenDaniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, professional football player, New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. - Brian KnobbsBrian KnobbsBrian Yandrisovitz , better known as Brian Knobbs, is an American professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Jerry Sags.-The Nasty Boys:...
, former professional wrestler. - Carson KressleyCarson KressleyCarson Lee Kressley was the fashion expert on the American television program Queer Eye, where he was one of the show's "Fab Five" members. He is also the motivational host of the TV show How to Look Good Naked.-Biography:...
, fashion consultant, Bravo's Queer EyeQueer EyeQueer Eye is an American reality television series that premiered on the Bravo cable television network in July 2003. The program's name was changed from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy after the third season to broaden the scope of its content...
. - Jonathan LintonJonathan LintonJonathan C. Linton is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League...
, former professional football player, Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - William MarchantWilliam MarchantWilliam Marchant was a playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for writing the play that served as the basis for the 1957 Walter Lang movie, The Desk Set....
, playwright and screenwriter. - Kristen MaloneyKristen MaloneyKristin Ann Maloney , also known as Kristen Maloney, is a retired gymnast from Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, United States, who was coached by Jack Carter in the 2000 Olympics and won bronze in the Team Event. Maloney was also the U.S...
, gymnastGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, former Olympian. - Ed McCaffreyEd McCaffreyEdward Thomas McCaffrey is a former American football wide receiver who played for the New York Giants , San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
, former professional football player, Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. - Kate MicucciKate MicucciKate Micucci born March 31, 1980) is an American actress, comedian and singer-songwriter, whose first major television exposure was as Stephanie Gooch in Scrubs, and later as Shelly in Raising Hope...
, actress, singer-songwriter - Matt MillenMatt MillenMatthew George "Matt" Millen is an American former National Football League linebacker and a former executive. Millen played for the Oakland Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins. In Millen's 12-year NFL playing career, he played on four Super Bowl-winning teams...
, former professional football player, Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, former President and General Manager, Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and current broadcaster, NFL on FoxNFL on FOXNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
. - Lara Jill MillerLara Jill MillerLara Jill Miller is an American television, stage and voice actress.-Biography:Miller was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on April 20, 1967. She graduated from Allentown's William Allen High School...
, voice actress, Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's The Life and Times of Juniper LeeThe Life and Times of Juniper LeeThe Life and Times of Juniper Lee was an American animated television series, created by Judd Winick and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The show premiered on Cartoon Network on May 30, 2005. The series ended on April 9, 2007...
. - Marty NothsteinMarty NothsteinMartin "Marty" Wayne Nothstein is an American professional road bicycle racer and track cyclist. He is a 3-time world champion in track events and an Olympic gold and silver medalist.-Early life:...
, Olympic gold medal winner, track cycling. - Andre ReedAndre ReedAndre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
, former professional football player, Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. - Daniel RoebuckDaniel RoebuckDaniel James Roebuck is an American television film actor, writer and producer, primarily in films, soap operas and television.-Life and career:...
, actor, ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. - Brian SchneiderBrian SchneiderBrian Duncan Schneider is an American Major League Baseball catcher.-Early life:Schneider was born in Jacksonville, Florida to Peter and Karen Schneider...
, professional baseball player, Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - Amanda SeyfriedAmanda SeyfriedAmanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11, and at 15 began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and moving on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My...
, model and actress, The CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
's Veronica MarsVeronica MarsVeronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
and HBO's Big LoveBig LoveBig Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
. - Shadow GalleryShadow GalleryShadow Gallery is an American progressive metal band formed in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, United States, during the early 1980s, originally under the name Sorcerer. After changing their name to Shadow Gallery and recording a short 8-track demo, the band was signed to Magna Carta Records in 1991...
, progressive metalProgressive metalProgressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band - Sheetal ShethSheetal ShethSheetal Sheth is an actress who is known for her wide range of roles in an impressive body of work in film, television, and theater. She has starred in many feature films, perhaps best known for starring opposite Albert Brooks in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World...
, actress, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim WorldLooking for Comedy in the Muslim WorldLooking for Comedy in the Muslim World is a 2006 film starring and directed by Albert Brooks. It was shown at the Dubai International Film Festival.-Synopsis:...
. - Curt SimmonsCurt SimmonsCurtis Thomas "Curt" Simmons is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1947–50 and 1952-67. With right-hander Robin Roberts, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Simmons was one of the twin anchors of the starting rotation of the "Whiz Kids", the Philadelphia Phillies' ...
, former professional baseball player, California AngelsLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimThe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. - Dana SnyderDana SnyderDana Snyder is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian, best known for playing Master Shake on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force show, and the film Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, both part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim franchise.- Early life :Dana Snyder was born in...
, voice actor, Cartoon NetworkCartoon NetworkCartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
. - Christine TaylorChristine TaylorChristine Taylor-Stiller is an American actress.- Early life :Taylor was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Joan, a homemaker, and Skip Taylor, an owner of a security company. She grew up in neighboring Wescosville, Pennsylvania...
, actress, wife of actor Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
. - Jonathan Taylor ThomasJonathan Taylor ThomasJonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol...
, actor, ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Home Improvement. - Boris VallejoBoris VallejoBoris Vallejo is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter, and model....
, artist. - Bobby WeaverBobby WeaverRobert Brooks Weaver, Sr. was a freestyle wrestler who won a gold medal at 48 kg at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles...
, Olympic gold medal winner, freestyle wrestling. - Lauren WeisbergerLauren WeisbergerLauren Weisberger is an American novelist and author of the 2003 bestseller The Devil Wears Prada, a speculated roman à clef of her real life experience as a put-upon assistant to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour....
, author, The Devil Wears Prada. - Cindy WerleyCindy WerleyCindy Werley is a former Olympic field hockey forward from the United States, who made her international debut for the Women's National Team in 1994...
, former Olympic field hockey player. - Jordan White (musician)Jordan White (musician)Jordan White is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter from Pennsylvania.-Early life and education:Born in Cranford, New Jersey, White was raised in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, part of the Lehigh Valley region of the state, where he learned to play guitar and classical piano...
, rock musician - Dan YochumDan YochumDan Yochum is a former offensive lineman for the Montreal Alouettes from 1972–1980 and the Edmonton Eskimos in 1980 of the Canadian Football League...
, former professional football player, Montreal AlouettesMontreal AlouettesThe Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and Edmonton EskimosEdmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
. - David ZippelDavid ZippelDavid Joel Zippel is an American musical theatre lyricist.-Biography:Zippel was born in Easton, Pennsylvania. He is a 1976 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. While there, he wrote a "bizarre political musical" called Rotunda...
, Tony-award winning lyricist, City of AngelsCity of Angels (musical)City of Angels is a musical comedy with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by David Zippel, and book by Larry Gelbart. The musical weaves together two plots, the "real" world of a writer trying to turn his book into a screenplay, and the "reel" world of the fictional film.-Productions:City of Angels...
.
County statistics
| Geographic Area | July 1, 2005 | Census 2000 United States Census, 2000 The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census... |
1990 Census United States Census, 1990 The Twenty-first United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 248,709,873, an increase of 9.8 percent over the 226,545,805 persons enumerated during the 1980 Census.... |
1980 Census United States Census, 1980 The Twentieth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4 percent over the 203,184,772 persons enumerated during the 1970 Census.-Census questions:... |
1970 Census United States Census, 1970 The Nineteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 203,392,031, an increase of 13.4 percent over the 179,323,175 persons enumerated during the 1960 Census.-Data availability:... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA | 790,535 | 740,395 | 686,688 | 635,481 | 594,382 |
| Carbon County, Pennsylvania Carbon County, Pennsylvania As of the census of 2000, there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile... |
61,959 | 58,802 | 56,846 | 53,285 | 50,573 |
| Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Lehigh County, Pennsylvania -Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year.... |
330,433 | 312,090 | 291,130 | 272,349 | 255,304 |
| Northampton County, Pennsylvania Northampton County, Pennsylvania As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of... |
287,767 | 267,066 | 247,105 | 225,418 | 214,368 |
| Warren County, New Jersey Warren County, New Jersey Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere... |
110,376 | 102,437 | 91,607 | 84,429 | 73,960 |
| Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently... |
105,231 | 106,632 | 105,301 | 103,758 | 109,871 |
| Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,... |
68,114 | 71,329 | 71,428 | ||
| Easton, Pennsylvania Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County.... |
26,263 | 26,276 | 26,234 |
External links
- Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
- Discover Lehigh Valley (Formerly Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau).
- Beyond Steel: An Archive of Lehigh Valley Industry and Culture.
- "Famous People from the Lehigh Valley," The Baltimore Sun.
- Lehigh Valley news at The (Allentown) Morning Call newspaper.
- Lehigh Valley Online.
- "Living in the Greater Lehigh Valley," by The Allentown Morning Call.
- See Lehigh Valley.