Monroe County, Pennsylvania

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Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Monroe County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,327.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Stroudsburg.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is part of the Northeast Pennsylvania region of the state.Template:Efn The county was formed from sections of Northampton and Pike counties on April 1, 1836.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was named in honor of James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States.

The county borders Northampton County and the Lehigh Valley to its south, Pike and Wayne counties to its north, Carbon and Luzerne counties to its west, and the Delaware River and Warren County, New Jersey to its east. It is part of the New York metropolitan area, but also receives media from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia radio and television markets.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Monroe County was one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania, largely due to Pocono Mountain-related tourism and partly due to an influx of residents from New York City and its metropolitan area who sought a lower cost of living while still being close enough to commute to the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population increased by over 70% from 1990 to 2010, and the commercial and retail sectors expanded significantly, although population growth has since slowed.

The county is home to East Stroudsburg University.

The Lehigh River, a Template:Convert tributary of the Delaware River, flows southward through Monroe County and then into the Lehigh Valley, where it joins the Delaware River in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.5%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It has a humid continental climate (Dfb except for some Dfa in the southern and SE tiers) and the hardiness zone ranges from 5a to 6b. The area code is 570, except in the southwest where the Kunkletown exchange uses 610.

Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

Demographics

Template:US Census population

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, there were 169,842 people, 49,454 households, and 36,447 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 67,581 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 70.5% White Non-Hispanic, 13.2% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. 13.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.9% were of German, 16.8% Irish, 14.5% Italian, 8.8% Pennsylvania German, 5.4% Polish, 5.1% American and 5.1% English ancestry.

There were 49,454 households, out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 20.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.16.

As of the end of 2021, the median value of all homes in Monroe County was $210,972, an increase of 13% since the prior year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

2020 census

Monroe County Racial Composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 104,716 62.2%
Black or African American (NH) 22,823 13.6%
Native American (NH) 289 0.17%
Asian (NH) 3,947 2.34%
Pacific Islander (NH) 56 0.03%
Other/Mixed (NH) 7,938 4.72%
Hispanic or Latino 28,558 17%

Metropolitan Statistical Area

Template:See also The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has designated Monroe County as the East Stroudsburg, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to 2023, the area was designated as a metropolitan area.<ref name="White House">Template:Cite web</ref> As of the 2010 census the Metro area had a population of 169,842. The area ranks 12th most populous in the state of Pennsylvania and ranks 244th most populous in the United States.

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has also designated Monroe County as part of the larger Allentown-Bethlehem-East Stroudsburg, PA-NJ Combined Statistical Area.<ref name="White House" /> As of the 2020 US Census, the population of the CSA was 1,030,216, making it the third most populous Combined Statistical Area in Pennsylvania, and the 59th most populous in the United States. Monroe County was once part of the New York CSA, but as of 2023, Pike County is the only county in Pennsylvania grouped with New York's CSA.

Politics

Template:Unreferenced section In the 19th and early 20th century, Monroe was the most Democratic county in Pennsylvania. For much of the second half of the 20th century, Monroe County was a Republican stronghold. However, in recent years, party registration has leaned toward the Democratic Party, a result of continued migration to the county by former New York City residents, many of whom are Democrats. While in the 2004 U.S. presidential election the county was carried by Republican George W. Bush by a margin of four votes, beginning with the first campaign (2008) of Barack Obama, Democratic candidates carried Monroe County. In that election Obama carried the county by a 17-point margin, 58% to 41%–the first Democrat to win the county since 1964, and only the second since 1940. The other three 2008 statewide Democratic candidates also carried the county handily. Additionally, the Democratic presidential candidates carried the county in 2012 (Obama), 2016 (Hillary Clinton), and 2020 (Joe Biden). The Democratic streak ended in 2024 when Republican Donald Trump narrowly flipped the county, becoming the first Republican to win the county in two decades.

Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow |} Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot As of November 11, 2024, there are 120,056 registered voters in Monroe County.

  • Democratic: 51,318 (42.74%)
  • Republican: 43,711 (36.41%)
  • Independent: 19,275 (16.06%)
  • Minor Party: 5,752 (4.79%)

Other county offices

  • Controller, Erik Diemer, Democratic
  • Coroner, Thomas Yanac, Democratic
  • District Attorney, Mike Mancuso, Democratic
  • Prothonotary, George Warden, Republican
  • Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills, Kate Best, Democratic
  • Sheriff, Nick Cirranello, Democratic
  • Treasurer, Theresa Johnson, Republican

State Representatives

Source:<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

State senator

United States Representatives

United States Senators

Governor

Transportation

Public transportation

Public transportation throughout the county is provided by the Monroe County Transit Authority (MCTA), known as the "Pocono Pony".<ref>Monroe County Transit Authority. Gomcta.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2013.</ref> MCTA operates a fixed route bus system<ref>Pocono Pony Bus Routes. Gomcta.com (June 8, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-08-09.</ref> and a paratransit curb to curb service for eligible populations.<ref>Monroe County Transportation Authority, The Pocono Pony's Shared Ride Service. Gomcta.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2013.</ref>

New Jersey Transit is restoring train tracks in northwestern New Jersey along the Lackawanna Cut-off. This would, potentially, also involve the train to go to Scranton from Hoboken, which would go through the Poconos, marking the first time since the early 1970s when the Erie Lackawanna Railroad stopped running daily trains through the area.

Major highways

I-80 eastbound in Monroe County

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Education

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Colleges and universities

Public school districts

Map of Monroe County public school districts

They are:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

Charter schools

  • Evergreen Community Charter School, Cresco

Technology schools

  • Monroe Career and Technical Institute, Bartonsville

Private schools

  • Art Learning Center, East Stroudsburg
  • Character Builders Christian Academy, Pocono Pines
  • Monsignor McHugh School, Cresco - Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, **closed in 2020**<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Notre Dame Elementary School, East Stroudsburg
  • Notre Dame High School, East Stroudsburg
  • St Pauls Lutheran Pre-School, East Stroudsburg
  • Stroudsburg 7th Day Adventists School, Stroudsburg
  • Triumphant & Excellence Academy 1, East Stroudsburg
  • Triumphant & Excellence Academy 2 TEA Institute, Tobyhanna
  • Triumphant Living Heritage, Marshalls Creek
  • Victory Baptist Christian School, Brodheadsville
  • The Growing Concern Elementary School, Stroudsburg <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Private schools are as reported in EdNA school database maintained and published by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2011

Industry

The Tobyhanna Army Depot, the U.S. Department of Defense's largest center for the repair and fabrication of electronic systems, is located in Monroe County.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was identified in 2004 as the largest employer in northeastern Pennsylvania.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Parks and trails

The view from Big Pocono State Park at Camelback Mountain

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which "includes nearly Template:Convert of mountains, valleys and floodplains," is partially located in Monroe County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county also has Pennsylvania state parks, such as Big Pocono State Park and parts of the Delaware State Forest, Gouldsboro State Park, and Tobyhanna State Park.<ref name="VisitPA">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Appalachian Trail passes through Monroe County. David Pierce wrote in the Pocono Record, "The Template:Convert public footpath—from Georgia to Maine—has a particularly scenic but rugged section that straddles Monroe County’s southern border..." He stated that "trail hiking has long been an integral part of Monroe County's identity..."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During the Revolutionary War in 1779, General John Sullivan marched his troops through Monroe County on their expedition to fight the Iroquois tribe in New York State.<ref name="Sullivan2">Template:Cite news</ref> There are many historical markers identifying the Sullivan Trail.<ref name="Sullivan1">Template:Cite web</ref> Sergeant Moses Fellows of the Third New Hampshire Regiment described the area as "...very poor & Barren and I think as never will Be Settled.”<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The Long Pond Conservation Easement has over Template:Convert of public access land with numerous trail systems. It's one of the most extensive public access trail systems in Monroe County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Dixon Miller State Forest – this is an extensive trail system in Long Pond, PA.<ref name="trails.dcnr.pa.gov">Template:Cite web</ref>

Jonas Mountain Nature Preserve is over Template:Convert of Trail system that encompasses an old mountain ridge, and Jonas Creek.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge has elaborate Trail systems, and public access.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mount Wismer is a scenic hike in Monroe County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Nothstein Preserve is an elaborate wooded trail system in the Poconos <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Chestnut mountain nature preserve is a many acre preserve atop the Plateau.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The county is home to the Tannersville Cranberry Bog, the southernmost boreal bog in the Eastern United States.

Resorts

Inn At Pocono Manor in May 2015
The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort

Two of the earliest Pocono resorts, founded by rival factions of the Philadelphia Quaker community, were located in Monroe County: Inn at Buck Hill Falls (1901) and Pocono Manor (1902).<ref name=PoconosBook>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=PoconoManorArticle1>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MorningCall1">Template:Cite news</ref> These resorts did not allow liquor or dancing, and evening dress was discouraged.<ref name=InquirerArticle1>Template:Cite news</ref> The Quakers "brought a quiet, unostentatious style to the region,"<ref name=InquirerArticle1 /> but their hotels later developed from religious retreats into "luxurious mountain resorts."<ref name=PoconoManorArticle2>Template:Cite news</ref> Buck Hill's stone facade became a model for close to 300 stately stone-and-shingle homes in the region.<ref name=InquirerArticle1 /> Pocono Manor offers sweeping vistas of the eastern and western Pocono region and has been referred to as the "Grand Lady of the Mountains."<ref name="BaltimoreSun1">Template:Cite news</ref> Buck Hill closed in 1990 and the Inn at Pocono Manor was mostly destroyed by fire in 2019.<ref name="InquirerArticle1" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Skytop Lodge, built in 1928, is also located in Monroe County and has been described as a "Dutch Colonial-style manor house."<ref name="MorningCall1" /><ref name=HistoricHotels>Template:Cite web</ref> Designed in reaction to the Quaker resorts, it had a dance floor and served liquor in a basement bar.<ref name="InquirerArticle1" /> Skytop offers thirty miles of hiking trails, and the main building "is surrounded by Template:Convert of wood, glacial bogs, hemlock gorges, beaver marshes, and cascading waterfalls."<ref name="BaltimoreSun1" />

The Buckwood Inn opened in Monroe County in 1911 and included the first golf course to be designed by renowned golf architect A. W. Tillinghast.<ref name="Tillinghast1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=StandardSpeaker>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bandleader Fred Waring purchased the resort in 1943, renamed it the Shawnee Inn, and broadcast his radio shows from there.<ref name="Squeri p. 182">Squeri (2002), p. 182</ref> The Shawnee Inn is a Spanish colonial revival building with white-Moorish architecture and Spanish tiled roofs,<ref name=InquirerArticle1 /> and it was identified in the 1990s as the only resort on the banks of the Delaware River.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=CourierNews>Template:Cite news</ref>

Mount Airy Lodge, which expanded from an eight-room inn into the largest Pocono resort, was located in Monroe County.<ref name=MountAiry1 /><ref name=MountAiry3 /> It heavily advertised in the New York media market with the catchy jingle, "Beautiful Mount Airy Lodge."<ref name="MountAiry4">Template:Cite news</ref> Headliners, such as Bob Hope, Milton Berle, and Connie Francis, performed in the Crystal Room, Mount Airy's 2,000-seat theater. Comedian Mickey Freeman said, "The food was lousy, but it was a legalized orgy." The Template:Convert resort's heyday was in the 1960s and 1970s before closing in 2001.<ref name=MountAiry3>Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2007 the Mount Airy Casino Resort opened on the site.<ref name=MountAiry1>Template:Cite news</ref>

As of July 2015, there were three resorts in Monroe County with indoor water parks: Great Wolf Lodge, Aquatopia at Camelback Resort, and Kalahari Resort.<ref name=WaterparkArticle>Template:Cite news</ref>

Communities

Map of Monroe County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The only boroughs or towns being over 15,000 in population in the 2020 Census are Coolbaugh, Middle Smithfield and Stroud.

The following cities, boroughs, and townships are located in Monroe County:

Boroughs

Townships

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Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.

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Unincorporated communities

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Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Monroe County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 East Stroudsburg Borough 9,840
2 Arlington Heights CDP 6,333
3 † Stroudsburg Borough 5,567
4 Sierra View CDP 4,813
5 Penn Estates CDP 4,493
6 Indian Mountain Lake (partially in Carbon County) CDP 4,372
7 Saw Creek (mostly in Pike County) CDP 4,016
8 Mount Pocono Borough 3,170
9 Emerald Lakes CDP 2,886
10 Sun Valley CDP 2,399
11 Effort CDP 2,269
12 Brodheadsville CDP 1,800
13 Pocono Pines CDP 1,409
14 Mountainhome CDP 1,182
15 Saylorsburg CDP 1,126
16 Gouldsboro (mostly in Wayne County) CDP 890
17 Delaware Water Gap Borough 746

Watersheds

Monroe County has three major watersheds, all of which are part of the Delaware River Watershed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Brodhead Watershed,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Aquashicola Pohopoco Watershed,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Tobyhanna Tunkhannock Watershed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate

Pocono Plateau Region

According to the Trewartha climate classification system, the higher elevation Pocono Plateau Region of Monroe County has a Temperate Continental climate (Dc) with warm summers (b), cold winters (o) and year-around precipitation (Dcbo). Dcbo climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ Template:Convert, four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥ Template:Convert, all months with an average mean temperature < Template:Convert and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are comfortably humid on the Pocono Plateau, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > Template:Convert. Since 1981, the highest air temperature was Template:Convert on July 15, 1995, and the highest daily average mean dew point was Template:Convert on January 8, 2006. July is the peak month for thunderstorm activity which correlates with the average warmest month of the year. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was Template:Convert on September 30, 2010. During the winter months, the plant hardiness zone is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of Template:Convert.<ref name="USDA">Template:Cite web</ref> Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was Template:Convert on January 21, 1994. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < Template:Convert. The average snowiest month is January which correlates with the average coldest month of the year. Ice storms and large snowstorms depositing ≥ Template:Convert of snow occur nearly every year, particularly during nor’easters from December through March.

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Ridge and Valley Region

According to the Trewartha climate classification system, the lower elevation Ridge and Valley section of Monroe County has a Temperate Continental climate (Dc) with hot summers (a), cold winters (o) and year-around precipitation (Dcao). Dcao climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ Template:Convert, four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥ Template:Convert, at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ Template:Convert and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are slightly humid in the Ridge and Valley, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > Template:Convert. Since 1981, the highest air temperature was Template:Convert on July 22, 2011, and the highest daily average mean dew point was Template:Convert on January 8, 2006. July is the peak month for thunderstorm activity which correlates with the average warmest month of the year. The average wettest month is September which correlates with tropical storm remnants during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was Template:Convert on August 10, 2005. During the winter months, the plant hardiness zone is 6a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of Template:Convert.<ref name="USDA" /> Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was Template:Convert on January 21, 1994. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < Template:Convert. The average snowiest month is January which correlates with the average coldest month of the year. Ice storms and large snowstorms depositing ≥ Template:Convert of snow occur once every couple of years, particularly during nor’easters from December through March.

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Ecology

Long Pond

Long Pond is an inland freshwater wetland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Nature Conservancy's Hauser Nature Center is a destination for hiking and ecological tourism in Long Pond.<ref name="nature.org">Template:Cite web</ref>

Pocono Plateau Region

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, the higher elevation Pocono Plateau Region of Monroe County would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Hardwood (106) with a dominant vegetation form of Northern hardwood forest (26).<ref name="Conservation Biology Institute">Template:Cite web</ref> The peak spring bloom typically occurs in early-May and peak fall color usually occurs in early-October. The plant hardiness zone is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of Template:Convert.<ref name="USDA" />

Ridge and Valley Region

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, the lower elevation Ridge and Valley section of Monroe County would have a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian Oak (104) with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern Hardwood Forest (25).<ref name="Conservation Biology Institute" /> The peak spring bloom typically occurs in late-April and peak fall color usually occurs in mid-October. The plant hardiness zone is 6a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of Template:Convert.<ref name="USDA" />

Glacial Till Barrens

Located in the vicinity of Big Pocono State Park, Blakeslee, and Long pond. The Glacial Till Barrens are best exeplified by the Long Pond Conservation Easement. Which has public access trail systems. Glacial Till Barrens are found in Dixon Miller State Forest,<ref name="trails.dcnr.pa.gov"/> and within the Bethlehem Authority property. One of the only such ecosystems in the entire state of Pennsylvania. The Glacial till barrens are mesic (meaning moist), and yet have species that are more typical of far northern climates.<ref name="nature.org"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

References

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