Montour County, Pennsylvania

Montour County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,136. Its county seat is Danville. The county is named for Andrew Montour, a prominent Métis interpreter who served with George Washington during the French and Indian War. It encompasses 132 sq mi, making it the smallest county by land area in the state. The county is part of the Central Pennsylvania region of the state.

Montour County is part of the Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Fort Bosley, located near the present day border of Derry Township and the Borough of Washingtonville, was the county's only fortified location during the Revolutionary War.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.6%) is water. It is the smallest county by area in Pennsylvania. A total of 45% of Montour County is wooded. The entire county sits inside the Susquehanna River watershed. The other major streams in Montour County include Chillisquaque Creek and Mahoning Creek.

Adjacent counties

Lycoming County (north)
Columbia County (east)
Northumberland County (south & west)

Major highways

Geology

thumb|Scenery of southern Montour County

thumb|Scenery of northern Montour County

thumb|left|Montour Ridge in [[Liberty Township, Montour County, Pennsylvania|Liberty Township]]

Montour County is located in the Ridge-and-Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountains. A total of 65% of the soils in the county are well-drained. The Muncy Hills are located in the northern part of the county and Montour Ridge is located in the southern part of the county, not far from the Susquehanna River. Montour Ridge also is home to the highest elevation in the county, 1425 feet above sea level. The lowest elevation is 440 feet above sea level, at the Susquehanna River.

The sedimentary rocks in Montour County are from either the Devonian Period or the Silurian Period. The Devonian Period rocks are more common than Silurian Period rocks, making up two thirds of the county. These rocks are prevalent in the Muncy Hills and the lowlands in the southern portion of the county. The Devonian Period rocks in Montour County include the Catskill Formation, the Marcellus Shale, the Helderburg Formation, the Mahantango Formation, the Oriskany Formation, the Marine Beds, and the Onondaga Formation. The other one third of the rocks in Montour County are from the Silurian Period. Rocks from this period are prevalent on Montour Ridge and the adjacent valley and the hills to the northwest of Washingtonville. These areas consist of the Wills Creek formation, the Tonoloway Formation, the Bloomsburg Formation, the Tuscarora Formation, the Clinton Group, and the McKenzie Formation.

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<br />1790-1960 1900-90<br />1990-2000 2010

2010-20 2025

The racial makeup of the county was 89.6% White, 1.8% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.7% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.7% of the population.

45.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 54.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 7,513 households in the county, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.0% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Pop 2010

!% 2000

!% 2010

|White alone (NH)

|17,552

|17,206

|style='background: #ffffe6; |16,105

|96.24%

|94.19%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |88.80%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|182

|237

|style='background: #ffffe6; |320

|0.99%

|1.29%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.76%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|12

|style='background: #ffffe6; |27

|0.04%

|0.06%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.14%

|Asian alone (NH)

|232

|323

|style='background: #ffffe6; |668

|1.27%

|1.76%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.68%

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|10

|style='background: #ffffe6; |22

|0.05%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.12%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|85

|153

|style='background: #ffffe6; |507

|0.46%

|0.83%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.79%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|167

|324

|style='background: #ffffe6; |487

|0.91%

|1.77%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.68%

|Total

|18,236

|18,267

|style='background: #ffffe6; |18,136

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,236 people, 7,085 households, and 4,817 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 7,627 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.67% White, 1.01% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 33.2% were of German, 13.2% American, 8.1% Irish, 6.6% English, 5.7% Italian and 5.6% Polish ancestry.

There were 7,085 households, out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98.

In Montour County, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.00 males.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Montour County as the Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. census the metropolitan area ranked 20th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 368th most populous in the United States with a population of 82,562. Montour County is also a part of the larger Bloomsburg-Berwick-Sunbury, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Montour County as well as Columbia, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties in Pennsylvania. The Combined Statistical Area ranked 8th in the State of Pennsylvania and 115th most populous in the United States with a population of 264,739.

Economy

There are approximately 350 farms in Montour County. The majority of these farms produce beef, hogs, and dairy. Limestone is mined in some areas in the county.

Montour County has traditionally been heavily Republican, with it voting for every Republican presidential candidate since 1944, with the exception of Barry Goldwater. Donald Trump won it by just over 21% in 2020, down from his 28-point margin in 2016 and slightly better than Mitt Romney's margin in 2012.

The county is run by three locally elected commissioners, each of whose term of office lasts for four years.

State senate

Lynda Schlegel Culver, Republican, Pennsylvania's 27th Senatorial District

State House of Representatives

Mike Stender, Republican, Pennsylvania's 108th Representative District

Danville Area Head Start

Public school districts

Danville Area School District (also in Northumberland County)
Warrior Run School District (also in Northumberland and Union Counties)

Private schools

As reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Education - EdNA. February 2014

Alternative Education Program - Danville
Breezy Meadow - Danville
Chillisquaque Valley Parochial School - Bloomsburg
County Line Parochial School - Danville
Creek Side School - Turbotville
Danville Child Development Center - Danville
Danville Mennonite School - Danville
Delong Alternative Educ Program - Washingtonville
Limestone Mennonite Parochial School - Milton
Ridgeview Amish School - Watsontown
St Cyril Kindergarten - Danville
St Joseph School - Danville
The Learning Tree Child Care Center, LLC - Danville

CSIU16 School Directory 2014

Library

Thomas Beaver Free Library - Danville

Communities

right|thumb|250 px|Map of Montour County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels 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 one case, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Montour County:

Boroughs

Danville (county seat)
Washingtonville

Townships

Anthony Township
Cooper Township
Derry Township
Liberty Township
Limestone Township
Mahoning Township
Mayberry Township
Valley Township
West Hemlock Township

Unincorporated communities

Exchange
Kaseville
Limestoneville
Mausdale
Mechanicsville
Mexico
Mooresburg
Ottawa
Ridgeville

Population ranking

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

† county seat

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Rank

!City/Town/etc.

!Municipal type

!Population (2010 Census)

|- style="background-color:#FFF5EE;"

| 1

| † Danville

| Borough

| 4,699