As of the 2000 census,

Economy

Mars National Bank, founded in 1900, has its headquarters located in the borough, with seven branches located in Butler and Allegheny counties.

Culture

thumb|The Mars New Year's celebration takes place when the planet makes [[Timekeeping on Mars|one revolution around the Sun]]

Because of its unique name, and proximity to Pittsburgh, Mars has on occasion received national media attention. In 2011, a representative from The Walt Disney Company invited students from Mars Elementary School to attend the Pittsburgh premiere of Mars Needs Moms, after reading a featured article on the town by msnbc.com. Mars was the only school nationwide invited to the film's premiere.

The borough has also been a location for films and television commercials. The 1988 comedy drama film The Prince of Pennsylvania and the 1996 comedy film Kingpin were filmed throughout the borough. In 2000, a Kraft salad dressing commercial was filmed in downtown.

Canadian musician John Southworth named his first album Mars, Pennsylvania after the town, which he had passed through many years earlier on a school trip.

Mars was the inspiration for the fictional town of Athena, Pennsylvania, the setting for the 2015 fictional trilogy, Benjamin's Field, by local author J. J. Knights.

Mars is home to the popular roadside attraction the Mars "Spaceship" or "Flying Saucer". It is also home to the Mars Station, one of the last railroad depots still standing from the now defunct Pittsburgh and Western Railroad.

Education

The Mars Area School District serves the boroughs of Mars and Valencia, as well as Adams Township and Middlesex Township in Butler County. The Mars Fightin' Planets are one of the many teams located in the north Pittsburgh area.

Transportation

thumb|[[Mars Station, Pennsylvania]]

Lakehill Airport is a small closed airport, due to the expansion of Amherst Village. The next closest airports are the Butler County Airport and the Zelienople Municipal Airport.

The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad operates on the P&W Subdivision in Mars. It makes occasional rounds to Austin's Bleach in Downieville and to a small transfer with the Allegheny Valley Railroad in Bakerstown. The AVR will also on occasion bring long loads of railcars through Mars to Harmony Junction in Eidenau. This usually occurs when there are too many cars to handle at the transfer point in Bakerstown.

The largest and busiest road in Mars is Pennsylvania Route 228. It is an important link for commuters because it connects with Pennsylvania Route 8 and Pennsylvania Route 356 to the east, and with Interstate 79 and U.S. Route 19 to the west. Commuters on PA 228 can easily reach Interstate 76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) via I-79 or US 19 in Cranberry Township. The second busiest road in Mars is the Mars-Evans City Road, which was originally Pennsylvania Route 855. It is an important connecting road for Mars and the borough of Evans City. The Red Belt of the Allegheny County Belt System is located three miles south of Mars.

Notable people

  • William Eythe, film and stage actor and playwright of the 1940s
  • Chloe and Christi Lukasiak, former stars on Dance Moms
  • Robbie Sigurdsson, Icelandic ice hockey player and member of the Icelandic national team
  • Jeff Wassmann, artist, writer and theorist
  • David Bednar, MLB all-star pitcher
  • Will Bednar, professional baseball pitcher
  • JJ Wetherholt, professional baseball player

Sources

  • An Historical Gazetteer of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Mechling Bookbindery., 2006, .

References

  • Mars website