A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Fayette County | |
|---|---|
 Fayette County Courthouse | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania | |
 Pennsylvania's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 39°55′N 79°39′W / 39.92°N 79.65°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| Founded | September 26, 1783 |
| Named for | Marquis de Lafayette |
| Seat | Uniontown |
| Largest city | Uniontown |
| Area | |
| • Total | 798 sq mi (2,070 km2) |
| • Land | 790 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
| • Water | 8.0 sq mi (21 km2) 1.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 128,804 |
| • Density | 163/sq mi (63/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 14th |
| Website | www |
Fayette County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, adjacent to Maryland and West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 128,804.[1] Its county seat is Uniontown.[2] The county was created on September 26, 1783, from part of Westmoreland County and named after the Marquis de Lafayette.[3] The county is part of the Southwest Pennsylvania region of the state.[a]
Fayette County is part of the Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The southern border of Fayette County is the southern border of Pennsylvania at both the Pennsylvania–Maryland state line (the Mason–Dixon line) and the Pennsylvania–West Virginia state line.
History
 |
The first Europeans in Fayette County were explorers, who had used an ancient American Indian trail that bisected the county on their journey across the Appalachian Mountains. In 1754, when control of the area was still in dispute between France and Great Britain, 22-year-old George Washington fought against the French at the Battle of Jumonville Glen and Fort Necessity. British forces under Washington and General Edward Braddock improved roads throughout the region, making the future Fayette County an important supply route.
During the Revolutionary War, Fayette County was plagued by attacks from British-allied Indians and remained isolated as a frontier region. Also retarding settlement was a border dispute with Virginia; Virginia's District of West Augusta and Pennsylvania's Westmoreland County both claimed the area. In 1780 the dispute was settled by the federal government in favor of Pennsylvania, and Fayette County was formed from Westmoreland County in 1783.
Fayette County settlers provided the new United States government with an early test of authority in the 1793 Whiskey Rebellion, when farmers rebelled against tax collectors to protest a new liquor tax. President George Washington called out the militias to restore order. However, they were talked out of any violent action by owner of Friendship Hill and future Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin. Fayette County continued to be important to travelers in the early 1800s. The National Road provided a route through the mountains of the county for settlers heading west. The shipyards in Brownsville on the Monongahela River built ships for both the domestic and international trade.
As Pittsburgh developed its industries in the mid-19th century, Fayette County became a center of coal mining and coke production. From the 1880s to the early 1900s, the area's great expansion in steel production became nationally important, and labor unions shaped national policies. Both new European immigrants and African Americans in the Great Migration from the rural South were attracted to the Pittsburgh area for industrial jobs. The historic Scottish and German farming communities established in the earlier 19th century were soon overshadowed by the wave of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe. The region's wealth has been concentrated largely among the old English and Scottish families who had established businesses and political power in Pittsburgh prior to and in the advent of industrialization, often building the new manufacturing concerns, as did Andrew Carnegie.
By World War II, Fayette County had a new unionized working class that enjoyed increased prosperity. In the 1950s, however, the coal industry fell into decline. In the 1970s, the restructuring and collapse of American steel resulted in a massive loss of industrial jobs and hard times in the area. The population has declined since the peak in 1940, as residents have had to move elsewhere for work. The loss of union jobs caused many working families to drop out of the middle class. Only a few mines are being worked in the 21st century, but natural resources remain crucial to the local economy. The region is slowly transitioning toward the service sector, with an increase in jobs in fields such as telemarketing.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 798 square miles (2,070 km2), of which 790 square miles (2,000 km2) is land and 8.0 square miles (21 km2) (1.0%) is water.[4] The western portion of the county contains rolling foothills and two valleys along the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers. The eastern portion of the county is highly mountainous and forested. Many coal mines are located within the area.[5]
Adjacent counties
- Westmoreland County (north)
- Somerset County (east)
- Garrett County, Maryland (southeast)
- Preston County, West Virginia (south)
- Monongalia County, West Virginia (southwest)
- Greene County (west)
- Washington County (northwest)
National protected areas
Climate
Fayette has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb).
| Climate data for Uniontown, Pennsylvania (1981-2010; Extremes 1974–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
77 (25) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
97 (36) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
95 (35) |
88 (31) |
77 (25) |
102 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39 (4) |
43 (6) |
51 (11) |
63 (17) |
72 (22) |
81 (27) |
84 (29) |
83 (28) |
76 (24) |
65 (18) |
54 (12) |
43 (6) |
63 (17) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20 (−7) |
22 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
37 (3) |
46 (8) |
56 (13) |
60 (16) |
59 (15) |
51 (11) |
40 (4) |
32 (0) |
24 (−4) |
40 (4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) |
−16 (−27) |
−3 (−19) |
15 (−9) |
23 (−5) |
33 (1) |
37 (3) |
34 (1) |
29 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
−1 (−18) |
−14 (−26) |
−22 (−30) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.8 (71) |
2.7 (69) |
3.8 (97) |
4.0 (100) |
4.4 (110) |
4.3 (110) |
4.8 (120) |
3.9 (99) |
3.6 (91) |
2.9 (74) |
3.5 (89) |
3.2 (81) |
43.9 (1,111) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.4 (21) |
7.2 (18) |
4.6 (12) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
4.4 (11) |
25.9 (65.3) |
| [citation needed] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 13,318 | — | |
| 1800 | 20,159 | 51.4% | |
| 1810 | 24,714 | 22.6% | |
| 1820 | 27,285 | 10.4% | |
| 1830 | 29,172 | 6.9% | |
| 1840 | 33,574 | 15.1% | |
| 1850 | 39,112 | 16.5% | |
| 1860 | 39,909 | 2.0% | |
| 1870 | 43,284 | 8.5% | |
| 1880 | 58,842 | 35.9% | |
| 1890 | 80,006 | 36.0% | |
| 1900 | 110,412 | 38.0% | |
| 1910 | 167,449 | 51.7% | |
| 1920 | 188,104 | 12.3% | |
| 1930 | 198,542 | 5.5% | |
| 1940 | 200,999 | 1.2% | |
| 1950 | 189,899 | −5.5% | |
| 1960 | 169,340 | −10.8% | |
| 1970 | 154,667 | −8.7% | |
| 1980 | 159,417 | 3.1% | |
| 1990 | 145,351 | −8.8% | |
| 2000 | 148,645 | 2.3% | |
| 2010 | 136,606 | −8.1% | |
| 2020 | 128,804 | −5.7% | |
| [6] | |||
As of the 2010 census,[7] there were 136,606 people, 59,969 households, and 41,198 families residing in the county. The population density was 188 inhabitants per square mile (73/km2). There were 66,490 housing units at an average density of 84 units per square mile (32/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.30% White, 4.71% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.8% were of German, 13.2% Italian, 11.4% Irish, 9.2% American, 8.4% Polish, 7.9% English and 6.6% Slovak ancestry.
There were 59,969 households, out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% were married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.50% 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 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 115,322 | 89.5% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 5,703 | 4.43% |
| Native American (NH) | 166 | 0.13% |
| Asian (NH) | 376 | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 160 | 0.12% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 5,499 | 4.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,578 | 1.23% |
Government
The County of Fayette is governed by a three-member publicly elected commission. The three commissioners serve in both executive and legislative capacities. By state law, the commission must have a minority party member, guaranteeing a political split. Each member serves a four-year term. Current commissioners are Democrat Vince Vicites and Republicans David Lohr and Scott Dunn.
In October 2015, Sidney Bush, the first African-American elected to county office, was sworn in as controller. She served briefly before being replaced by Democrat Scott Abraham. Bush became Chief Deputy/Accounts Receivable for the county.[9][10]
The Fayette County Court of Common Pleas serves as the primary judicial arm in the region. Judges are elected to ten-year terms in accordance with Commonwealth law. Additionally, district judges serve throughout the county and rule on minor offenses. Current judges are President Judge John F. Wagner Jr., Steve P. Leskinen, Nancy Vernon, Linda Cordaro, and Joseph M. George Jr.[11]
Politics
Fayette County has grown more Republican each presidential cycle since 1992.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 41,251 | 66.24% | 20,469 | 32.87% | 559 | 0.90% |
| 2016 | 34,590 | 63.94% | 17,946 | 33.17% | 1,563 | 2.89% |
| 2012 | 26,018 | 53.48% | 21,971 | 45.16% | 660 | 1.36% |
| 2008 | 26,081 | 49.35% | 25,866 | 48.95% | 897 | 1.70% |
| 2004 | 25,045 | 45.78% | 29,120 | 53.23% | 542 | 0.99% |