Bristol, Pennsylvania

| pop_est_as_of =

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| population_est =

| blank_name = FIPS code

| blank_info = 42-08760

| area_total_km2 = 5.07

| area_land_km2 = 4.40

| area_water_km2 = 0.67

| population_density_km2 = 2242.41

Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Center City in Philadelphia opposite Burlington, New Jersey, on the Delaware River.

Bristol was settled in 1681 and first incorporated in 1720. After 1834, it became very important to the development of the American Industrial Revolution as the terminus city of the Delaware Canal, providing greater Philadelphia with the day's high quality anthracite coal from the Lehigh Canal via Easton. The canal and a short trip on the Delaware River also gave the town access to the mineral resources available in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York via of the Morris Canal, the Delaware and Hudson Canal, and the Delaware and Raritan Canal, respectively, and connected the community to those markets and trade from New York City.

Although its charter was revised in 1905, the original charter remains in effect, making it the third-oldest borough in Pennsylvania after Chester and Germantown. As of the 2020 census, Bristol had a population of 9,861. Its current mayor is Joseph A. Saxton. It is served by SEPTA's Trenton Line.

Bristol is located southeast of Allentown and northeast of Philadelphia.

History

thumb|The historic [[King George II Inn, founded in 1681 in downtown Bristol, the oldest United States–based inn, November 2010]]

thumb|House on Mill Street, built in 1781, November 2010

thumb|Grundy Mills Complex, a former textile mill in Bristol, March 2011

thumb|Bristol Borough's [[Harriman Historic District, March 2011]]

thumb|Bristol Borough Hall, March 2024

Samuel Clift founded the Borough of Bristol, having received a land grant from Edmund Andros, who was then governor of New York. The grant became effective on March 14, 1681 (new style) or March 4, 1681 (old style) at the same time as William Penn's Charter from Charles II became effective. Clift was required by the grant to maintain ferry service across the Delaware River to Burlington, New Jersey, and to run a public house or inn. The inn later became known as the George II.

Bristol Borough was settled in 1681, and named after Bristol, England. It was originally used as a port and dock. It is rich in history, with many historic and restored houses along the streets of Radcliffe and Mill. In 1697, the Pennsylvania Provincial Council ordered that a town be laid out in the location. A petition was submitted by Joseph Bond, Anthony Burton, John Hall and William Wharton to the Council for incorporation, and was granted in 1702.

Until 1725, Bristol Borough served as county seat of Bucks County.

From its earliest days, it was a center of textile mills, Delaware Canal, it became a transshipment gateway connecting the anthracite barges floating down the Lehigh Canal's end terminal at Easton to Philadelphia. Bristol Borough was chosen to terminate the Delaware Canal because it already had regular shipping connections to other parts of Philadelphia and Delaware River ports by both the era's typical animal powered barges and coastal/inland shipping vessels. Its docks also had regular ferry services to New Jersey and other points east from as early as 1681 Consequently, later, the Pennsylvania Railroad would also connect to the anthracite flowing through the canals, to the riverine barge and boat traffic, and to provide rail depots servicing the manufacturies. Even before the canal, Bristol Borough was located along a main land route to New York City,

By the 1880s, Bristol Borough was home to many factories, including companies manufacturing wall paper and carpet. The residential area that developed around the shipyards was soon named Harriman, Pennsylvania, and most of the housing built therein is still in use today. but most of the manufacturing in WW-II was not directly related to the war.

In March 2023, there was a chemical spill in the Delaware River, caused by an equipment failure at the Trinseo chemical plant in Bristol.

Demographics

As of a 2014 estimate, the borough was 69.2% Non-Hispanic White, 16.4% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American and Alaskan Native, 0.2% Asian, 3.5% Some other race, and 3.4% were Two or more races. 15.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry

As of the 2010 census, the borough was 81.1 White, 9.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 3.5% were two or more races. 14.2% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. There are 661 veterans living in Bristol Borough. There were 9,726 people, 4,237 households, and 3,926 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,207 housing units at an average density of .

There were 4,004 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.20. In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough in 2016 was $42,962. Males had a median income of $28,653 versus $19,278 for females. About 8.2% of families and 16% of the population were below the poverty line.

Geography

Bristol Borough is located at (40.103382, -74.851448). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and (10.81%) is water.

Education

The Bristol Borough School District comprises two public schools: Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School (K-6) and Bristol High School (7-12).

Other schooling opportunities in Bristol are offered through the Roman Catholic parish school of St. Mark Church (K-8), located in the borough. Conwell-Egan Roman Catholic School in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania provides private/parochial schooling for children in grades 9-12. Higher education in Bristol Borough includes Pennco Tech.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Bristol has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > , at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ , at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are slightly humid in Bristol, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on 07/06/2010, and the highest daily average mean dew point was on 08/13/2016. The average wettest month is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was on 08/27/2011.

During the winter months, the average annual extreme minimum air temperature is . Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was on 01/22/1984. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < . The average annual snowfall (Nov-Apr) is between and . Ice storms and large snowstorms depositing ≥ 12 inches (30 cm) occur once every few years, particularly during nor’easters from December through February.

Transportation

As of 2017 there were of public roads in Bristol, of which were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and were maintained by the borough.

U.S. Route 13 passes southwest-northeast through Bristol on Bristol Pike, heading southwest toward Bensalem and Philadelphia and northeast toward Levittown and Trenton, New Jersey. US 13 connects to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 95) at the Delaware Valley interchange north of Bristol, just west of the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge over the Delaware River that connects the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the New Jersey Turnpike. Pennsylvania Route 413 passes north-south along the western edge of Bristol, heading north on Veterans Highway toward Langhorne and south to the Burlington-Bristol Bridge over the Delaware River that leads to Burlington, New Jersey. PA 413 connects to Interstate 95 at an interchange north of Bristol.

The Bristol station is served by SEPTA Regional Rail's Trenton Line that provides service between Center City Philadelphia and the Trenton Transit Center. Trains along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor pass through Bristol but do not stop; the nearest Amtrak station is in Trenton. SEPTA provides Suburban Bus service to Bristol along Route 128, which runs between the Neshaminy Mall and the Oxford Valley Mall, and Route 129, which runs between the Frankford and Knights Bus Loop in Northeast Philadelphia and the Oxford Valley Mall. TMA Bucks operates the Bristol Rushbus, which offers peak-hour shuttles between a connection with the Trenton Line train at the Bristol station and certain businesses in Bristol.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler, among U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Bristol has a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian Oak (104) with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern Hardwood Forest (25). The plant hardiness zone is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of .

Daniel W. Bursch, astronaut
John F. Cordisco, former State Representative and Bucks County Democratic Committee Chairman
Tony DiStefano, former professional motocross racer
John Thompson Dorrance, chemist and inventor of condensed soup
Ileen Getz, actress, 3rd Rock from the Sun
Joseph R. Grundy, textile manufacturer and U.S. Senator
William Edward Hanford, chemist
Lauren Holly, actress
Eddie James, convicted murderer executed in Florida
Jeff Manto, professional baseball player
Joe McEwing, professional baseball player
Joseph McIlvaine, U.S. Senator
David Miscavige, leader of the Church of Scientology
Mike Missanelli, Philadelphia sports personality
William Rodman, U.S. Congressman
Ryan Samsel, arrested for his participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
Charlie Saxton, actor
Will Thomas, novelist
David Todd, record promoter and producer
Joanna Fox Waddill, American Civil War nurse known as the Florence Nightingale of the Confederacy
Todd Weiner, professional football player