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Lehigh Valley
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The Lehigh Valley, also known as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley, is an official metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and Warren county on the western edge of New Jersey, in the United States.
The Lehigh Valley is the third most populous region of Pennsylvania, following metropolitan Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
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Encyclopedia
The Lehigh Valley, also known as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley, is an official metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and Warren county on the western edge of New Jersey, in the United States.
The Lehigh Valley is the third most populous region of Pennsylvania, following metropolitan Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The region is named for the Lehigh River, which runs through it.
Cities and location
The Lehigh Valley's principal cities are Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, comprising the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area. The traditional bounds of the region are The Poconos to the north, the Delaware River to the east, the boundaries of Berks County and Montgomery County to the southwest, and the boundary with Bucks County to the south. More recently, however, the area around Phillipsburg, New Jersey west of Pohatcong Mountain, parts of upper Bucks County around Quakertown, and portions of northeastern Berks County and southwestern Carbon County in Pennsylvania are considered outer parts of the Valley.
The Lehigh Valley is located approximately 50 miles (96 km) north of Philadelphia, the country's sixth largest city, 80 miles (129 km) east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital, and 70 miles (144 km) west of New York City, the country's largest city. The Valley is home to some 790,000 people. Recent census studies show it to be the fastest growing region of the state, due mostly to its growing popularity as a bedroom community for the highly-populated neighboring regions of Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City.
The Lehigh Valley is geologically and geographically part of the Great Appalachian Valley, a region largely made up of limestone that stretches along the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. The Lehigh Valley is so named because it is composed of an actual valley that lies between two mountain ranges, Blue Mountain to the north and South Mountain to the south.
Cities and towns with more than 10,000 people
Communities with fewer than 10,000 people
Census-designated places
Climate
The Lehigh Valley has four distinct seasons, which typically include humid summers, cold winters, and very short and mild springs and falls.
Industry
The Lehigh Valley is known historically for its production of steel, Portland cement and apparel. It has historically served as a major U.S. center of industrial manufacturing, though this role has diminished at least slightly in the 21st century as companies have shifted to Asia and other lower wage, off-shore locations for industrial mining and manufacturing.
Corporations
Companies based in the Lehigh Valley include Air Products & Chemicals (in Trexlertown), Bethlehem Steel (which ceased operations in 2003, in Bethlehem), Crayola LLC (in Easton), Buckeye Partners (in Emmaus), Just Born (in Bethlehem), Mack Trucks (in Allentown), Olympus Corporation USA (in Center Valley), PPL Corporation (in Allentown), and Rodale Press (in Emmaus).
The Lehigh Valley is also one of the larger areas on the east coast for the location of warehouses and distribution centers. This is due to the Lehigh Valley's central location in the BosWash megalopolis. Most of these distribution centers are located along the U.S. Route 22 and Interstate 78 corridors.
After the demise of Bethlehem Steel, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network (in Allentown), one of Pennsylvania's largest hospital systems, replaced it as the Lehigh Valley's largest employer. The Lehigh Valley's top five employers are: 1.) Lehigh Valley Hospital, 2.) St. Luke's Hospital (Bethlehem), 3.) Air Products & Chemicals, 4.) the Federal Government, and 5.) PPL Corporation.
Media
Television
The Lehigh Valley receives television service from Philadelphia, New York City and Scranton/Wilkes Barre. Lehigh Valley-based stations include:
- WBPH-TV, an affliate of FamilyNet, a Christian network. Licensed to Bethlehem but based in Allentown.
- WFMZ-TV, an independent commercial television station. Based in Allentown.
- WLVT-TV, a PBS station. Licensed to Allentown but based in Bethlehem.
Four major Philadelphia-based network stations serve the Lehigh Valley: KYW-TV (CBS), WCAU (NBC), WPVI (ABC) and WTXF (Fox). Other available Philadelphia stations include: WPHL-TV, WPSG, and others.
The Valley is also served by two New York City stations: WPIX and WWOR-TV; depending on cable providers, New York City network channels also are available.
Radio
Radio stations based in the Lehigh Valley include:
- WAEB-AM, a news, talk, and sports station (based in Allentown), owned by Clear Channel Communications, at 790 AM.
- WAEB-FM ("B104"), a contemporary/Top 40 music station (based in Allentown), owned by Clear Channel Communications, at 104.1 FM.
- WCTO ("Cat Country 96"), a country music station (based in Easton), owned by Citadel Broadcasting, at 96.1 FM.
- WDIY, a National Public Radio affiliate (based in Bethlehem), owned by Lehigh Valley Community Broadcasters Association, Inc., at 88.1 FM.
- WEEX ("ESPN Radio"), an ESPN sports radio station and the official station of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs AAA-level baseball team broadcasts (based in Easton), owned by Nassau Broadcasting, at 1230 AM and 1320 AM.
- WGPA ("Sunny 1100"), a talk, oldies and polka station (based in Bethlehem), at 1100 AM.
- WJRH, a Lafayette College radio station (based in Easton), at 104.9 FM.
- WLEV, a contemporary soft rock music station (based in Allentown), owned by Citadel Broadcasting, at 100.7 FM.
- WLVR, a Lehigh University radio station (based in Bethlehem), at 91.3 FM.
- WMUH, a Muhlenberg College radio station (based in Allentown), at 91.7 FM.
- WODE-FM ("The Hawk"), a classic rock music station (based in Easton), owned by Nassau Broadcasting Partners, at 99.9 FM.
- WSAN ("The Fox"), a Fox Sports radio station and the Lehigh Valley affiliate for Philadelphia Phillies radio broadcasts (based in Allentown), owned by Clear Channel Communications, at 1470 AM.
- WWYY ("The Bone"), an active rock music station (based in Belvidere), owned by Nassau Broadcasting Partners, at 107.1 FM.
- WXLV, a Lehigh Carbon Community College radio station (based in Schnecksville), at 90.3 FM.
- WZZO, a hard rock music station (based in Whitehall Township), owned by Clear Channel Communications, at 95.1 FM.
In addition, several public stations from outside the area maintain translators in the Lehigh Valley for re-broadcasting their signals, including WVIA-FM, a National Public Radio affiliate in Scranton; WWFM-FM, a classical music station operated by Mercer County Community College in New Jersey; and WXPN-FM, the University of Pennsylvania's station in Philadelphia. The Lehigh Valley also is within broadcasting range of most Philadelphia and several New York City radio stations.
Print media
Lehigh Valley-based daily newspapers include The Morning Call (in Allentown), which is owned by the Tribune Company, and The Express-Times (in Easton), the Valley's second largest circulation newspaper, which is owned by Advance Publications. Both daily newspapers have rich traditions, with their foundings dating back to the mid-1800s. With their foundings in 1883 and 1855, respectively, they are the Valley's two longest standing periodicals. As of 2007, The Morning Call is ranked as the 84th largest Sunday circulation newspaper in the nation, with 147,696 Sunday readers (93rd daily, with 108,886).
The Lehigh Valley also features Pulse Weekly, a weekly regional arts and entertainment publication. Other weekly publications include Merge Weekly, Lehigh Valley Exposed, and Metromix Lehigh Valley. Also, The Times News, based in Lehighton (in Carbon County), publishes a Bethlehem edition that covers the Lehigh Valley. The Lehigh Valley is home to Lehigh Valley Magazine, the region's oldest lifestyle publication, which focuses on prominent people, businesses and events in the Valley. Published bi-monthly, Lehigh Valley Magazine has the highest paid circulation of any magazine in the area. The Lehigh Valley is also the home of Lehigh Valley Marketplace, an 80,000 circulation regional business publication published seven times annually. The Lehigh Valley has two Spanish language newspapers, El Torero and La Cronica. Valley Social Magazine, the Valley's only luxury lifestyle magazine, is published bi-monthly and features the best of the Lehigh Valley region.
Wine
The Lehigh Valley AVA was designated an official American Viticultural Area in March, 2008. The wine region includes of vineyards, planted to several Vitis vinifera and French-American hybrid grape varieties. Fifteen to twenty percent of the wine produced commercially in Pennsylvania is made from grapes grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA.
Education
Colleges and universities
The Lehigh Valley is a center of post-secondary education, with seven four-year colleges and universities. These include:
The Lehigh Valley is also home to three two-year colleges:
High school education
As the third most populous metropolitan region in Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley is served by numerous school districts, public and private high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools.
Lehigh Valley-based high schools include:
The largest Lehigh Valley high schools (12 in all) compete athletically in the Lehigh Valley Conference, widely considered one of the most competitive athletic divisions in the state and nation. Most of the smaller schools compete in the Colonial League, also very competitive throughout the state, especially in football.
Famous people from the Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley is the birthplace or home to a number of famous Americans, including:
- Mario Andretti, former professional race car driver.
- Michael Andretti, professional racing team owner, former professional race car driver.
- Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles, Pro Football Hall of Fame member.
- Stephen Vincent Benét, author.
- Leon Carr, Broadway composer and television advertising songwriter.
- Jack Coleman, actor, NBC's Heroes .
- Michaela Conlin, actress, Fox's Bones.
- H.D., writer, poet.
- Jimmy DeGrasso, former drummer, Megadeth.
- Charlie Dent, member of Congress.
- Devon, adult film actress.
- Keith Dorney, former professional football player, Detroit Lions.
- Jonathan Frakes, actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Peter Gruner, professional wrestler.
- Bob Heffner, former professional baseball player, Boston Red Sox, California Angels and Cleveland Indians.
- Larry Holmes, former boxing heavyweight champion.
- Lee Iacocca, former chairman, Chrysler Corporation.
- Keith Jarrett, jazz musician.
- Michael Johns, health care executive, former White House speechwriter.
- Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"), actor, former professional wrestler.
- Daniel Dae Kim, actor, ABC's Lost.
- Steve Kimock, rock musician.
- John Kline, member of Congress.
- Dan Koppen, professional football player, New England Patriots.
- Brian Knobbs, former professional wrestler.
- Carson Kressley, fashion consultant, Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
- William Marchant, playwright and screenwriter.
- Kristen Maloney, gymnast, former Olympian.
- Ed McCaffrey, former professional football player, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers.
- Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, former President and General Manager, Detroit Lions.
- Lara Jill Miller, voice actress, Cartoon Network's The Life and Times of Juniper Lee.
- Marty Nothstein, Olympic gold medal winner, track cycling.
- Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins.
- Daniel Roebuck, actor, ABC's Lost.
- Brian Schneider, professional baseball player, New York Mets.
- Amanda Seyfried, model and actress, The CW's Veronica Mars and HBO's Big Love.
- Sheetal Sheth, actress, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World.
- Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.
- Dana Snyder, voice actor, Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
- Christine Taylor, actress, wife of actor Ben Stiller.
- Jonathan Taylor Thomas, actor, ABC's Home Improvement.
- Boris Vallejo, artist.
- Bobby Weaver, Olympic gold medal winner, freestyle wrestling.
- Lauren Weisberger, author, The Devil Wears Prada.
- Cindy Werley, former Olympic field hockey player.
- Dan Yochum, former professional football player, Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos.
- David Zippel, Tony-award winning lyricist, City of Angels.
Athletics and entertainment
Philadelphia Eagles
The Lehigh Valley is the home of pre-season training camp for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, which is held each summer on the practice fields of Lehigh University in Bethlehem. The camp, which attracted in excess of 20,000 fans daily in July 2007, draws some of the largest crowds of any NFL team's pre-season camp.
IronPigs baseball
In early 2008, Coca-Cola Park, an 8,100-seat Minor League baseball stadium, opened in east-side Allentown. The stadium hosts the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Philadelphia Phillies' AAA-level International League franchise. The team previously played as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (1989-2006) and Ottawa Lynx (2007). The club's move to the Lehigh Valley brought the franchise closer to Philadelphia and the Phillies' large eastern Pennsylvania fan base. The team’s name is a reference to pig iron, a key ingredient in the steel-making process for which the Lehigh Valley area is known worldwide.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for Coca-Cola Park were held September 6, 2006, and construction was completed in December 2007. The stadium hosted its first game on March 30, 2008, when the Phillies major league team faced the IronPigs.
Stabler Arena
Lehigh University's Stabler Arena, an indoor arena, is in Bethlehem, in the Lehigh Valley. Stabler hosts regular sporting and concert events. The arena is home to Lehigh University men's and women's college basketball teams and also to the Lehigh Valley Outlawz, an indoor football team that plays in the Continental Indoor Football League.
Minor League ice hockey
On February 12, 2009, the owners of the Philadelphia Phantoms, the minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, announced their interest in moving the team to Allentown. The team would play their home games at a proposed new arena to be built on either the Lehigh River front or adjacent to Coca-Cola Park. The team currently plays their home games at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, which has largely been replaced by the newer Wachovia Center and is scheduled for demolition in late 2009.
"The Rivalry": Lehigh vs. Lafayette
The Lehigh Valley is also home to a strong collegiate football rivalry, between two local colleges: Easton's Lafayette College and Bethlehem's Lehigh University. The two teams have played each other 144 times since 1884, making it the longest uninterrupted rivalry in all of college football.
High school athletics
The 12 largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley compete athletically in the Lehigh Valley Conference. The conference has produced numerous professional and Olympic-level athletes, and its football, basketball and wrestling teams are often ranked among the best in the nation. In USA Today's annual ranking of the nation's top high school sports teams, Liberty High School was ranked second in the Eastern United States in football in 2008 and 20th among all high schools nationally. Parkland High School was ranked fifth in the East in football in 2002 and 11th among all high schools nationally. And Allentown Central Catholic High School was ranked seventh in girls' basketball in the East in both 2001-02 and 2002-03.
Currently, seven former athletes from Lehigh Valley Conference schools are on active professional athletic rosters, including four in the National Football League (Dan Koppen, New England Patriots center from Whitehall High School; Tim Massaquoi, Buffalo Bills tight end from Parkland High School; Jim Molinaro, Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle from Bethlehem Catholic High School; and Tony Stewart, Oakland Raiders tight end from Allentown Central Catholic High School); one in the National Basketball Association (Aaron Gray, Chicago Bulls center from Emmaus High School); and one in Major League Baseball (Brian Schneider, New York Mets catcher from Northampton Area High School).
Running events
The Lehigh Valley hosts the Lehigh Valley 15K Road Race annually each September. It is one of the premiere eastern Pennsylvania running events. Via of the Lehigh Valley, Inc., sponsors the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon, also held in September. The event features a certified marathon, five-person team relay, 20-mile training run and 5K walk. The 26.2 mile course follows the Lehigh River Canal Towpath from Allentown to Easton.
Arts
The Allentown Art Museum, based in center city Allentown, is the Lehigh Valley's largest museum. The museum's collection includes more than 11,000 works of art. Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center and Lafayette College's smaller Williams Center for the Arts host a wide variety of plays, concerts and performances throughout the year.
Lehigh Valley in popular music
The Lehigh Valley is the subject of four rock music songs, one folk music song and one ska reggae album:
Recreation
The Lehigh Valley is home to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, a popular amusement and water park. Located in South Whitehall Township, Dorney Park is known nationally for its elaborate roller coasters and water rides.
The region's ski resorts are Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area and Blue Mountain Ski Area. Bear Creek is a 21 slope resort located outside of Macungie, Pennsylvania. Blue Mountain is located near Danielsville, Pennsylvania. The Poconos, which feature some of the East Coast's best-known ski resorts, is approximately north of the Lehigh Valley. Several large lakes used for boating and fishing also are located there. The Pocono 500, a NASCAR Nextel Cup race, is run each June at Pocono Raceway in the Poconos.
New Jersey shore beaches are approximately to to the east and southeast of the Lehigh Valley.
Dutch Springs, the nation's largest SCUBA amusement park, is located in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth Township. Over 40,000 divers annually utilize the facilities, which have sunken "treasures" to enhance the underwater experience. In addition to scuba diving, kayaking and paddle boats are available. The facility has a water park, camping grounds, and picnic areas.
In 2009, Sands BethWorks, a casino, hotel and apartment complex owned by the Las Vegas Sands is scheduled to open in Bethlehem, bringing legalized gambling to the Lehigh Valley for the first time.
Four large festivals are held each year in the Lehigh Valley. Musikfest, a large, 10-day music festival, is held in Bethlehem each August. Mayfair, an arts and crafts festival, is held in Allentown each May. In September, one of the largest celtic heritage festivals in America, The Celtic Classic, is held in Bethlehem. The Great Allentown Fair has been held on the grounds of the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown annually in late August through early September for more than 150 years.
Retail
The Lehigh Valley is home to many retail establishments. The largest retail area of the Lehigh Valley is the Pennsylvania Route 145/MacArthur Road Corridor, just north of Allentown. It is anchored by the Lehigh Valley Mall and the Whitehall Mall.
Other malls in the region include Palmer Park Mall (in Easton), Phillipsburg Mall (in Phillipsburg, New Jersey), South Mall (in South Whitehall Township), and the Westgate Mall (in Bethlehem). In October 2006, a new Valley-based shopping mall, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, was opened. Located off Route 309 in Upper Saucon Valley Township, The Promenade is roughly half the size of the Lehigh Valley Mall, but features more upscale stores.
Yocco's Hot Dogs, the regionally-famous fast food establishment known for their hot dogs and cheesesteaks, maintains six locations, all of which are based in the Lehigh Valley. Its original restaurant, founded in 1922, is still located at its original center city Allentown location, on West Liberty Street. Five additional Yocco's locations can be found in the Lehigh Valley (in west-side Allentown, east-side Allentown, Emmaus, Fogelsville, and Wescosville).
Transportation
Air transportation
The Lehigh Valley is served by air transportation through Lehigh Valley International Airport , located in the Lehigh Valley's Hanover Township, three miles (5 km) northeast of Allentown.
The Valley is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport, a two-runway general aviation facility located off of Allentown's Lehigh Street. Queen City is used predominantly by private aviation. The airport was awarded General Aviation Airport of the year by the Eastern Region of the Federal Aviation Administration in 2006.
Other regionally-located airports include Philadelphia International Airport (in Philadelphia) and Newark Liberty International Airport (in Newark, New Jersey).
Bus transportation
Public bus service in Lehigh Valley is available through the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, known as LANTA.
Several private bus lines, including Bieber Tourways, Susquehanna Trailways and Trans-Bridge Lines, provide bus service from various Valley locations to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, Philadelphia's Greyhound Terminal, Atlantic City's Bus Terminal, and other regional locations.
Rail
Passenger service to the region ceased in 1981, when several rail operators opted to curtail long-distance services. From the south, SEPTA Regional Rail limited their services to their electrified-only territory, with trains going only as far north as Lansdale and Doylestown, Pennsylvania. (In the early and mid twentieth century golden age of passenger rail, the Reading Railroad provided rail service south and west of the area. ) To the east, the Central Railroad of New Jersey ceased operations into the area, from Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1972. Current operator New Jersey Transit has looked at restoring rail service as far west as Phillipsburg, New Jersey; there are no official plans to extend service over the border into Pennsylvania at present. Currently, freight operator Norfolk Southern Railway heavily serves the region, with a major classification yard in Allentown.
In November 2008, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), along with both Lehigh and Northampton Counties, commissioned a study to explore the merits of expanding the New Jersey Transit line to the Lehigh Valley, which would potentially include stops in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton.
Roads
The Lehigh Valley has four major highways: Interstate 78, a major east-west highway, runs through the southern part of the Valley, duplexed with Pennsylvania Route 309. I-78 runs from Harrisburg in the west to the Holland Tunnel and New York City in the east.
U.S. Route 22 is a major freeway that runs through the Valley from Kuhnsville in the western part of the Valley to Easton in the eastern part of the Valley. U.S. Route 22 starts in Cincinnati, Ohio in the west, running through the Valley to Elizabeth, New Jersey in the east. A third highway, Pennsylvania Route 33, runs north-south through the Lehigh Valley, from the Poconos in the north to Northampton County in the south.
The fourth major highway in the Valley is Interstate 476, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It stretches from Chester in the south to the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area in the north.
Other major roads in the Valley include MacArthur Road (PA 145), a divided local road that leads to the Lehigh Valley Mall and its surrounding commercial district. Cedar Crest Boulevard, a north-south highway, runs from North Whitehall Township in the north through west-side Allentown to Emmaus in the south. Lehigh Street runs from northeast to southwest, originating in downtown Allentown and ending in Emmaus. Tilghman Street runs from Fogelsville in the west to MacArthur Road (PA 145) in the east. Tilghman Street runs through most of Allentown and also intersects with Cedar Crest Boulevard, Pennsylvania Route 100, Pennsylvania Route 309 and several other major Lehigh Valley highways.
County statistics
| Geographic Area | July 1, 2005 | Census 2000 | 1990 Census | 1980 Census | 1970 Census | | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA | 790,535 | 740,395 | 686,688 | 635,481 | 594,382 | | Carbon County, Pennsylvania | 61,959 | 58,802 | 56,846 | 53,285 | 50,573 | | Lehigh County, Pennsylvania | 330,433 | 312,090 | 291,130 | 272,349 | 255,304 | | Northampton County, Pennsylvania | 287,767 | 267,066 | 247,105 | 225,418 | 214,368 | | Warren County, New Jersey | 110,376 | 102,437 | 91,607 | 84,429 | 73,960 | | Allentown, Pennsylvania | 105,231 | 106,632 | 105,301 | 103,758 | 109,871 | | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | 68,114 | 71,329 | 71,428 | | | | Easton, Pennsylvania | | 26,263 | 26,276 | | |
See also
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