Clearfield County
County
Clearfield County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°00′N 78°28′W / 41°N 78.47°W / 41; -78.47
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	January 29, 1822
Seat	Clearfield
Largest city	DuBois
Area
• Total	1,154 sq mi (2,990 km2)
• Land	1,145 sq mi (2,970 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	80,562
• Density	70/sq mi (27/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	15th
Website	www.clearfieldco.org
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated	September 17, 1982[1]

Clearfield County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 80,562.^[2] The county seat is Clearfield,^[3] and the largest city is DuBois. The county was created in 1804 and later organized in 1822.^[4]

Clearfield County comprises the DuBois, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the State College–DuBois, PA Combined Statistical Area. The county is part of the North Central Pennsylvania region of the state.^[a]

History

Clearfield County was formed by the Act of Assembly by the second Governor of Pennsylvania at the time, Thomas McKean on March 26, 1804. The county was created from parts of the already created counties of Huntingdon and Lycoming. The name for the county was most likely derived from the many cleared fields of the valleys surrounding Clearfield Creek and West Branch of the Susquehanna River, formed by the bison herds and also by old corn fields of prior Native Americans tribes.

Location of county government

The first board of county commissioners to the county were Roland Curtin, James Fleming and James Smith, all appointed by Governor McKean in 1805. The first act the commissioners did was to create a local government or seat of the newly created county. They came upon land owned at the time by Abraham Witmer at a village known as Chincleclamousche, named after the Native American chief of the Cornplanter's tribe of Senecas. Clearfield became the new name of the old village.

Early industry

The two major industries of the county in the mid-1800s until the early 1900s was lumber and coal. Lumber was still being floated down the West Branch of the Susquehanna up until 1917. Coal remains the main industry of the county to this day. Founded in 1955, the Hepburnia Coal Company mines and ships coal in addition to several other lines of business.^[5]

Clearfield County Conspiracy Trials

No case tried in the county has caused as much comment as the union conspiracy trials. In all there were fifty-six persons, primarily miners in the Houtzdale region, who were charged with conspiracy as organized strikers.

The first case, against John Maloney and fifty-three others, was tried in 1875, before a jury with Judge Orvis presiding. All were found guilty, although they seem to have been solely peacefully picketing.^[6] Four were sentenced to one year's imprisonment and eight, to six months; the others' sentences were suspended. As every organized labor society in the United States was interested in the result, the events of the trial and verdict were telegraphed throughout the country^[7]

This proceeding was followed by the trial of the remaining two offenders, who were union representatives, John Siney and Xingo Parks. Siney was then the President of the Miners’ National Association (MNA); he had come to Houtzdale and delivered an address of support for the union strike, for which he was arrested. Parks was an able organizer for the MNA. Federal Senator Matthew H. Carpenter of Wisconsin defended both men. At trial, Siney was acquitted; Parks was found guilty of inciting unlawful assembly and sentenced to one year's imprisonment, but pardoned within a month from the time sentence was pronounced.^[8]

These cases led in the next year to a liberalization of the Pennsylvania conspiracy law, through amendment providing that only "force, threat, or menace of harm to person or property" would be illegal.^[9]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,154 square miles (2,990 km²), of which 1,145 square miles (2,970 km²) is land and 9.2 square miles (24 km²) (0.8%) is water.^[10] It is the third-largest county in Pennsylvania by land area and fourth-largest by total area. The West Branch Susquehanna River flows through the county, bisecting the county seat along the way.

The mountainous terrain of the county made traffic difficult for early settlers. Various Native American paths and trails crossing the area were used intermittently by settlers, invading armies, and escaped slaves travelling north along the Underground Railroad. A major feature located in Bloom Township, within the county, is known as Bilger's rocks and exhibits fine examples of exposed sandstone bedrock that was created during the formation of the Appalachian Mountains.

The shape of Clearfield County bears an amazing resemblance to that of the state of Arkansas.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Climate

The county has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb). Average monthly temperatures in DuBois range from 24.6 °F in January to 68.6 °F in July, while in Clearfield borough they range from 23.8 °F in January to 69.3 °F in July and in Osceola Mills they range from 24.4 °F in January to 69.1 °F in July.^[11]

Demographics

As of the census^[13] of 2000, there were 83,382 people, 32,785 households, and 22,916 families residing in the county. The population density was 73 people per square mile (28 people/km²). There were 37,855 housing units at an average density of 33 units per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.40% White, 1.49% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.9% were of German, 13.6% American, 10.2% English, 9.9% Irish, 9.1% Italian and 6.0% Polish ancestry.

There were 32,785 households, out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.

2020 census

Micropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget^[15] has designated Clearfield County as the DuBois, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (µSA). As of the 2010 census^[16] the micropolitan area ranked sixth most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 65th most populous in the United States, with a population of 81,642. Clearfield County is also a part of the State College–DuBois, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of both Clearfield and Centre County areas, along with the State College area. The combined statistical area ranked the ninth most populous in Pennsylvania and 125th most populous in the U.S. with a population of 235,632.

Politics and government

Voter registration

As of February 6, 2024, there were 47,456 registered voters in Clearfield County.^[17]

• Republican: 29,296 (61.34%)
• Democratic: 12,904 (27.02%)
• Independent: 3,653 (7.65%)
• Third Party: 1,910 (4.00%)

The county trends Republican in statewide and federal elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, while Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton winning pluralities in the county, with the former by 88 votes. In 2006, Democrat Bob Casey Jr. received 55% of its vote when he unseated incumbent Republican US Senator Rick Santorum and Ed Rendell received 50.2% of the vote against Lynn Swann. Each of the three row-office statewide winners carried Clearfield in 2008.