Mifflin County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,143. The county was created on September 19, 1789, from parts of Cumberland County and Northumberland County. It was named for Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania. Mifflin County comprises the Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county is part of the Central Pennsylvania region of the state.

Geography

The county terrain is formed by the folded Appalachian Mountain ridges which run from southwest to northeast across the county. The terrain slopes to the northeast, with its highest point (Broad Mtn) East Northeast from the county's Northwest corner, just south of the county's border with Centre County. It measures Above sea level. The Juniata River flows northeast through the lower part of the county, exiting northeastward into Juniata County near Hawstone. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.

Mifflin County is located in, and has its boundaries defined by, the Ridge-and Valley Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania. The county is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.

US Route 322, a major divided highway, connects the county to the rest of the state on its route between Harrisburg and State College. US Route 522 also connects the county to the rest of the state on its route between Selinsgrove and Mount Union.

The county has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and average temperatures in downtown Lewistown range from 27.8 °F in January to 72.7 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

  • Centre County - north
  • Union County - northeast
  • Snyder County - east
  • Juniata County - south
  • Huntingdon County - west

Major highways

Protected areas

  • Reeds Gap State Park
  • Bald Eagle State Forest (part)
  • Rothrock State Forest (part)
  • Tuscarora State Forest (part)
  • State Game Lands Number 107 (part)
  • State Game Lands Number 112B (part)
  • White Mountain Wild Area (part of Bald Eagle State Forest)

Demographics

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Economy

Major employers in Mifflin County include:

  • Asher’s Chocolates
  • First Quality
  • Geisinger Health
  • Giant Food
  • Jarden Plastics
  • Lowe’s
  • Marlette Homes
  • Mifflin County School District
  • Overhead Door Corporation
  • Philips
  • Standard Steel
  • Trinity Packaging
  • Walmart

Education

thumb|250 px|right|Map of Mifflin County Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Public school districts

Most of the county is served by the Mifflin County School District, with the exception of Wayne Township and the boroughs of Newton-Hamilton and Kistler, which are part of the Mount Union Area School District.

  • Mifflin County School District
  • Mount Union Area School District (also in Huntingdon County)

Head Start preschool programs

Head Start is a federally and state funded preschool program for low income children. The program serves 3- and 4-year-olds. In order to participate the family income must be below federal poverty guidelines.

  • Coleman Head Start Center
  • McVeytown Head Start Center

Private schools

  • Sacred Heart provides a private, Catholic education from kindergarten through fifth grade.
  • Belleville Mennonite School, Beth-El Christian Day School, and Valley View Christian School provide Mennonite education through grade twelve.
  • Mifflin County Christian Academy located in Decatur Township provides Christian education from kindergarten through grade twelve as well as day care.
  • Several Old Order Amish schools provide education through grade eight.

Colleges and universities

Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology located in Lewistown provides post high school degrees in nursing, auto mechanics and electrical services and other technology driven careers.

The Lewistown branch of the South Hills School of Business and Technology offers associate degrees and other certifications in various areas of business, technology, and some health care. (Closed 2019)

The Penn State Learning Center in Lewistown offers both two-year and four-year degrees. Recently, the Learning Center opened a state-of-the-art science lab to be used by students attending the Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing.

Media

Radio stations

AM

  • WLUI 670 AM- Lewistown (simulcast on W225CK, 92.9 FM)
  • WKVA 920 AM- Lewistown (simulcast on W262DO, 100.3 FM)

FM

  • WRYV 88.7- Milroy
  • WJRC 90.9- Lewistown
  • WMRF 95.7- Lewistown
  • WVNW 96.7- Burnham
  • WCHX 105.5- Burnham

Television

Mifflin County does not have a local television station but it is provided with local coverage from the following stations outside of the county from both the Harrisburg and Johnstown/Altoona markets:

  • WHTM 27 Harrisburg (27.1 ABC, 27.2 ION, 27.3 GetTV, 27.4 Laff)
  • WPMT 43 York (43.1 FOX, 43.2 AntennaTV)
  • WHP 21 Harrisburg (21.1 CBS, 21.2 MyNetworkTV, 21.3 CW)
  • WGAL 8 Lancaster (8.1 NBC, 8.2 MeTV)
  • WTAJ 10 Altoona (10.1 CBS, 10.2 Escape, 10.3 Laff, 10.4 Grit)
  • WJAC 6 Johnstown (6.1 NBC, 6.2 MeTV, 6.3 Comet, 6.4 CW)
  • WATM 23 Altoona (23.1 ABC, 23.2 FOX, 23.3 ThisTV, 23.4 AntennaTV)
  • WWCP 8 Johnstown (8.1 FOX, 8.2 ABC)
  • WHVL 29 State College (29.1 MyNetworkTV, 29.2 Buzzr)

Newspapers

  • Lewistown Sentinel
  • County Observer
  • The Valley Newspaper

Communities

right|thumb|275px|Mifflin County, showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns.

Boroughs

  • Burnham
  • Juniata Terrace
  • Kistler
  • Lewistown (county seat)
  • McVeytown
  • Newton Hamilton

Census-designated places and unincorporated communities

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the US Census Bureau for the purpose of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities are listed here as well.

  • Alfarata
  • Allensville
  • Anderson
  • Atkinson Mills
  • Barrville
  • Belleville
  • Belltown
  • Cedar Crest
  • Church Hill
  • Granville
  • Hawstone
  • Highland Park
  • Little Kansas
  • Longfellow
  • Lumber City
  • Maitland
  • Mattawana
  • Menno
  • Milroy
  • Naginey
  • Potlicker Flats
  • Reedsville
  • Ryde
  • Shindle
  • Siglerville
  • Strodes Mills
  • Union Mills
  • Wagner
  • Woodland
  • Yeagertown

Townships

  • Armagh
  • Bratton
  • Brown
  • Decatur
  • Derry
  • Granville
  • Menno
  • Oliver
  • Union
  • Wayne

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Mifflin County.