Keeping in mind that the
geography and
geology of Pennsylvania present many
landscapes that are dominated by hills, streams, deep valleys, and mountain ridges, the
list of municipalities of Pennsylvania range from higher numbers of entities with small populations in sparsely populated large regions, to those large in population, with less relative territory having denser populations. Pennsylvania's municipal classes are:
townships,
boroughs and
cities. Most such subdivisions are entirely contained within a
county. Some, like
Bethlehem, cross county lines. It is not unusual for a borough to be adjacent to, and sometimes nearly surrounded by a township of the same name. In some instances, such as with the case of Thornbury Township in Chester County and Delaware County, two townships with the same name will border each other in adjoining counties. Below the county level of organized services, everyone in Pennsylvania lives under the jurisdiction of at least two types of municipal governments. The first type of municipal government will provide
police and fire protection, maintenance of local roads and streets, water supply, sewage collection and treatment, parking and
traffic control, local planning and
zoning, parks and recreation,
garbage collection, health services, libraries, licensing of businesses, and code enforcement. The second type will administer the local schools, claim a separate portion of taxes and are called
school districts. Organized along practical geographic lines, an occasional Area school district will cross county boundaries, though most are located within county regions providing community ties across multiple municipalities. The sense of belonging to a community in Pennsylvania is often tied to area High School sports teams. Due to historic legalisms,
Bloomsburg is the only officially designated and incorporated "town" in Pennsylvania. The mostly uninhabited, township-sized area of the
East Fork Road District was classified as a
sui generis district, unlike any other in the state, until its 2004 dissolution.
Unincorporated communities Unincorporated communities in the state of Pennsylvania are well-defined communities that are part of one or more incorporated municipalities but are not independent municipalities in their own right. They have no elected form of government and have no authority granted to them by the state or county, but have a historical authority all their own. Often they are little more than neighborhoods once serviced by a
railway station, that once had a post office in the 19th century, or were clustered as supporting community housing for a local industry, which may no longer exist. Many unincorporated communities though, often overshadow the true municipal government.
King of Prussia is an example of an unincorporated community that tends to be better known than
Upper Merion, the municipality King of Prussia actually resides in.
Villages Villages in Pennsylvania are often small unincorporated communities within a township. Many villages are identified by familiar PennDOT signs along a state highway even though the community has not chosen to incorporate into a borough.
Lahaska is an example of typical village in eastern Pennsylvania.
Census-designated place These are areas recognized by the
United States Census Bureau for enumeration purposes. Many Census-designated places are also names of villages or post offices that tie a community together. The steep forested landscape and terrains of Pennsylvania generally forced settlements into relatively small areas that had appropriate conditions making it easy to build. Modern heavy machinery has broadened the scope of where housing settlements and business can be situated, but at the cost of moving a lot of
soils and rocks.
Township Townships in Pennsylvania were the first form of land grants established by
William Penn, and are generally large in area with a sparse population centered on one or a few clusters of homes and a handful of businesses. They have existed in one form or another since the
Province of Pennsylvania was established. They were usually large tracts of land given to a person, a family, or a group of people by Penn or his heirs. Townships can be of the first or second class, the difference being the powers and offices of the municipal government or its officials. All begin as second class townships, and when certain legal requirements are met, the township may become a first-class township by a referendum of the township's voters, provided it meets population threshold requirements. Many that qualify prefer to continue as second class townships (established by voter referendum). Representation in a second-class township is by a board of supervisors elected at-large for 6 year terms. Representation in a first-class township is by a board of commissioners that can consist of anywhere from five commissioners elected at large to boards with 7-15 elected by wards to four-year terms; though via home rule petitions, some townships have also maintained at-large representation, or mixed geographical wards and at-large election organization. By law there is always an odd number of township commissioners. A second-class township usually has three supervisors, elected at large for six-year terms. A referendum may allow a second-class township's board of supervisors to expand to five members. Some townships have home-rule charters, which allow for a mayor/council form of government.
Borough What outside Pennsylvania many would think are called "towns" are by law officially boroughs (often also spelled as boros) which are generally smaller than cities in terms of both geographic area and population. Most cities in Pennsylvania were once incorporated as a borough before becoming a city, and both began under the constitution as a township. Boroughs are not strictly classified by population and are administered through the borough legal code. Each borough elects a mayor and a council of three, five, seven, or nine members with broad powers, as determined by home rule measures. Some boroughs have even numbers of council members. The borough offices of
tax assessor,
tax collector and
auditor are elected independently. The borough council can also hire a
borough manager to enforce ordinances and carry out the day-to-day business of the town's administration and dictates of its council. The definition of boroughs is a town or district that is an administrative unit, in particular. Nineteen boroughs have also adopted home rule charters. That borough ceased to exist when all of Philadelphia's municipalities were
consolidated in 1854. The borough of
Chester Heights has a unique distinction of incorporating into a borough out of
Aston Township by a tax revolt.
District From the late 18th century until the
Philadelphia Act of Consolidation in 1854, districts were politically independent
municipalities made up of densely populated neighborhoods adjacent to but outside the legal boundaries of the
City of Philadelphia.
Northern Liberties,
Southwark, and
Spring Garden were among the ten largest municipalities by population in the United States. ==City==