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

, 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 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.

Climate

Montour has a humid continental climate and average monthly temperatures in Danville range from 26.9 °F in January to 72.3 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

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.
There are three major anticlines and synclines in Montour County. These are the White Deer Anticline, the Lackawanna Syncline, and the Milton Anticline. These are located in the northern, central, and Montour Ridge areas of the county, respectively. These features are situated in a northeast–southwest alignment. They were formed by regional compression and uplift approximately 200 million years ago, during the Permian Period. During the Pleistocene Period, the Illinoian glacial advance reached Montour County, although the Wisconsin glacial advance stopped slightly short of it. There are alluvial deposits in many of the river valleys in the county, especially there two streams or rivers meet. These deposits were formed fairly recently, geologically speaking.
The water supply for Montour County comes primarily from the Susquehanna River, as well as wells and springs. The rural areas especially depend on wells for their water supply, but Danville mostly uses the Susquehanna River. Wells drilled into Silurian rock have a tendency to be highly hard and prone to developing sinkholes. However, the Keyser, Wills Creek, and Tonoloway Formations are considerably better at producing water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 18,136. The median age was 43.6 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.6 males age 18 and over.
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.
There were 8,083 housing units, of which 7.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.0% were owner-occupied and 28.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 17,55217,20616,10596.24%94.19%88.80%
Black or African American alone 1822373200.99%1.29%1.76%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 812270.04%0.06%0.14%
Asian alone 2323236681.27%1.76%3.68%
Pacific Islander alone 0200.00%0.01%0.00%
Other race alone 1010220.05%0.05%0.12%
Mixed race or Multiracial 851535070.46%0.83%2.79%
Hispanic or Latino 1673244870.91%1.77%2.68%
Total18,23618,26718,136100.00%100.00%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 . 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 , 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.

Government

State senate

  1. 16 provides a wide variety of services to children living in Montour County. These include early intervention, special education support services, driver education on road training, speech and hearing therapy and autistic support. Services for children during the preschool years are provided without cost to their families when the child is determined to meet eligibility requirements.
Danville Area Head Start

Public school districts

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