View source for Coatesville, Pennsylvania

{{short description|City in Pennsylvania, US}}
{{About|the Pennsylvania city|other uses|Coatesville (disambiguation){{!}}Coatesville}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Coatesville, Pennsylvania
| official_name      = 
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| other_name         = 
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Pennsylvania|City]]
| image_skyline      = US 30 BUS EB past 2nd Avenue Coatesville.jpeg
| image_caption      = Lincoln Highway in Coatesville
| image_flag         = Flag of Coatesville, Pennsylvania.png
| image_seal         = Seal of Coatesville, Pennsylvania.png
| seal_type          = Symbol
| image_map          = Chester County Pennsylvania incorporated and unincorporated areas Coatesville highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Location in [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester County]] and the U.S. state of [[Pennsylvania]].
| pushpin_map        = USA Pennsylvania#USA
| pushpin_label      = Coatesville
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Pennsylvania##Location in the United States
| coordinates        = {{coord|39|59|1|N|75|49|0|W|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Pennsylvania]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester]]
| subdivision_type3  = District
| subdivision_name3  = 
| established_title  = Incorporated
| established_date   = 1915
| leader_party       = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Jessica Black
| area_total_sq_mi   = 1.83
| area_land_sq_mi    = 1.81
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.02
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_ft       = 331
| elevation_max_ft   = 
| elevation_min_ft   = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_total   = 13350
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_sq_mi = 7383.85
| timezone1          = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset1        = -5
| timezone1_DST      = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = -4
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code        = 19320
| area_code_type     = 
| area_codes          = [[Area codes 610 and 484|610 and 484]]
| website            = {{URL|coatesville.org}}
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 42-14712
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='42'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 4.73
| area_land_km2      = 4.68
| area_water_km2     = 0.05
| population_density_km2 = 2850.18
}}

'''Coatesville''' is the only [[City (Pennsylvania)|city]] in [[Chester County, Pennsylvania]], United States. The population was 13,350 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Coatesville city, Pennsylvania |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/coatesvillecitypennsylvania |access-date=2022-07-03 |website=www.census.gov |language=en}}</ref> Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of [[Philadelphia]]. It developed along the [[Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike]] beginning in the late 18th century. It spans [[U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania|U.S. Route 30]], the "Main Line" highway that runs west of Philadelphia.

Coatesville developed in the early 20th century with the growth of the [[Lukens Steel Company]] and other industry. Its population declined after industrial restructuring, which reduced these jobs. Lukens was bought by the [[Bethlehem Steel]] Corporation in 1997. In 2002, Bethlehem was bought by the then Ohio-based [[International Steel Group]] (ISG). [[Mittal Steel Company]] acquired ISG and merged with [[Arcelor]] to form [[ArcelorMittal]]. In 2020, [[Cleveland-Cliffs]] acquired the United States operations of ArcelorMittal.

==History==
===Beginnings===
Varying cultures of Native Americans lived in this area. The first known settlement in the area which would be known as Coatesville was a historic [[Lenape]] village built along the [[Christina River|West Branch of the Brandywine River]]. This settlement was a post for [[fur trade|fur trading]] with the earliest American settlers. The Brandywine River has featured prominently in the history of Coatesville.

William Fleming, originally from [[Scotland]], is one of the earliest landowners on record. He built a log cabin in the area of Harmony Street and 5th Avenue and owned about {{convert|207|acre|km2}} of land bordering the Brandywine River.<ref name="mow">Mowday, Bruce Edward. ''Images of America: Coatesville''; Charleston, South Carolina; Arcadia Press; 2003; pp 7-8. {{ISBN|0-7385-1198-6}}.</ref>

Moses Coates, a prosperous farmer and the namesake of Coatesville, bought the cabin from Fleming's son in 1787. With the economy rising in the years after the United States gained independence, Moses Coates' son-in-law, Jesse Kersey, came up with a plan to develop the area by selling frontage on the recently completed [[Lancaster Turnpike]] which crossed through their land. The Lancaster Turnpike was the first toll road in the U.S., authorized in 1792 and completed in 1795. A tollgate was located within the present-day Coatesville city limits.<ref name="web">{{Cite web |url=http://www.coatesville.org/visitors/history.asp |title=City of Coatesville website |access-date=2011-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706061216/http://www.coatesville.org/visitors/history.asp |archive-date=2010-07-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Because Coatesville was located roughly halfway between [[Philadelphia]] and [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]] on the turnpike, it became a popular stopping place.

[[Peter Bisaillon|Pierre Bizallion]], a French fur trader, settled in the area in the early 18th century. He was said to serve as an interpreter between [[William Penn]] and Native American peoples.<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pacheste/chester_twplist_caln_1881his.htm Chester Co PA; Caln; 1881 HISTORY<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The Veterans Administration Hospital now occupies a large piece of the roughly {{convert|500|acre|km2}} of land that was once owned by Bizallion.

===19th century===
Before Coatesville became a city, the only one in Chester County, it was called Bridge-Town, after the two bridges crossing the Brandywine River.  A village named "Midway", named after its station owned by the [[Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad]] midway between Philadelphia and Lancaster, was formed in 1834<ref name="web"/> on the western bank of the Brandywine. The village of Midway and the village of Bridge-Town merged in 1867 to become the borough of Coatesville.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Coatesville|volume=6|page=603}}</ref> Coatesville citizens voted to become a city in 1915.

Coatesville exploited the natural energy of the Brandywine River. Jesse Kersey, Moses Coates' son-in-law, partnered with the ironmaster [[Isaac Pennock]] and purchased over {{convert|110|acre|km2}} of Moses Coates' farm along both sides of the Brandywine River in 1810. They formed the [[Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory]], the forerunner of [[Lukens Steel Company|Lukens Steel]]. Charles Lukens, MD, married Isaac Pennock's daughter Rebecca in 1813. Following her husband's death in 1825, [[Rebecca Lukens]] took over the operations of the mill, purchasing it from her mother. She directed operations through a period of turmoil and market panic, developing it into a prosperous mill. Rebecca Lukens was one of the first women to operate a major corporation in the United States.<ref>[http://www.steelmuseum.org/rebecca.htm "Rebecca Lukens"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130415204722/http://www.steelmuseum.org/rebecca.htm |date=2013-04-15 }}, National Steel Heritage Museum</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:Lukens Main Office.JPG|thumb|right|Main Office of Lukens Steel]]
As Lukens Steel grew so did Coatesville, eventually becoming known as the "[[Pittsburgh]] of the East."<ref name="mow"/>  By the beginning of the 20th century the population had grown to 6,000, attracting immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe to its industrial jobs, as well as both black and white migrants from the rural South. Tensions rose in the city as the population rapidly became more diverse.

In August 1911, steelworker [[Lynching of Zachariah Walker|Zachariah Walker]] was [[Lynching|lynched]] in Coatesville; he had left his wife and children in [[Virginia]] while seeking better work. This African-American man was accused of killing Deputy Constable/[[Coal and Iron Police]]man Edgar Rice, a popular figure in town. Walker claimed self-defense and was hospitalized after his arrest. He was dragged from the hospital and burned to death in front of a mob of hundreds in a field south of the city. Fifteen men and teenage boys were indicted, but all were acquitted at trials. The lynching was the last in Pennsylvania and is said to have left a permanent stain on the city's image.<ref name="mow"/><ref name="smith">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160201152533/http://www.dailylocal.com/article/DL/20110813/TMP01/308139966 Eric S. Smith, "Zachariah Walker's lynching haunts the city"], ''Daily Local News'' (Chester County), 13 August 2011, accessed 5 January 2016</ref>

Walker's murder was investigated by the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]] (NAACP), which called for an end to lynching nationwide.<ref name="mow"/> Pennsylvania passed a state anti-lynching law in 1923. But, even after passage of an anti-lynching House bill in the 1920s, no federal law was passed because of the power of the Democratic southern bloc in the Senate. At that time, it represented only white southerners; African Americans had been [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disfranchised]] in the South since the turn of the century.
 
Racial violence was spreading all across America during the [[Red Summer]] of 1919 and the local African-American community was on edge. On July 8, 1919, the black community of [[1919 Coatesville call to arms|Coatesville formed a large armed protection group]] to prevent the rumoured lynching of a rape suspect. When the armed group surrounded the jail to prevent the attack, they learned that there was no suspect and no lynch mob.

In 1929, the [[Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center|Coatesville VA Medical Center]] was built with an original mission to provide neuropsychiatric care to veterans. In 2013, the Medical Center, with its distinctive architecture of Colonial Revival and Classical Revival, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Medical Center now provides a range of health care services to more than 19,000 Veterans in Pennsylvania and Delaware.<ref>{{cite web |title=History - Coatesville VA Medical Center |url=https://www.va.gov/coatesville-health-care/about-us/history/ |website=va.gov |date=9 June 2021 |publisher=U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs |access-date=7 April 2022}}</ref>

The school system expanded to keep up and the religious community became more diverse, with Roman Catholic churches founded and [[Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County|Beth Israel Congregation]], one of Chester County's few synagogues. In 1932 there were a total of 22 churches of various denominations in the city.

After [[World War II]] the steel industry began a long decline, but in the 1960s Lukens Steel was still the largest employer in Chester County, with over 10,000 workers. It finally started to restructure due to industry changes, was sold several times, and its workers were reduced in number to 5,000 and eventually to 2,000.<ref name="mow"/>

===21st century===
[[File:Trinity Episcopal Church Coatesville.JPG|thumb|left|Episcopal Church of the Trinity, 323 East Lincoln Highway]]
Since the turn of the century, Coatesville has invested in redevelopment, encouraging private projects. It has torn down [[public housing]] and encouraged new [[single family home|single family]] and [[townhouse]] developments. A new [[Marriott Courtyard]] hotel, built along Route 82 on the outskirts of Coatesville, opened in May 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailylocal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120504/NEWS01/120509721/marriott-courtyard-opens-in-coatesville |title=Marriott Courtyard opens in Coatesville |last1=Smith |first1=Eric S. |date=May 5, 2012 |work=Daily Local News (Chester Co., PA) |publisher=dailylocal.com |access-date=2012-04-12}}</ref> <!--The city has major opportunity to redefine itself as 4 out of 5 of its census tracts are eligible to receive several federal and state economic development grants for economic redevelopment and population health. As of January 2017, city leadership has yet to produce the required action plans to appropriately seize these opportunities. The latest activity involves hedging all economic development on the downtown area only, partnering with Wells Fargo amongst others without an effort to complete a population health plan for the city first, a formula for gentrification. A lack of consensus actions has plagued the city throughout the new millennium and is the reason for a cycle of starts and stops, the most popular involving an eminent domain dispute regarding the attempted creation of a city owned golf course. See Coatesville Growing Greater [http://www.coatesvillegrowinggreater.org/ www.coatesvillegrowinggreater.org] -->

The redevelopment plans have generated controversy.<ref>[http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2008/02/20/past%20stories/19956696.txt Authority, council seek to close rift - dailylocal.com<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314140852/http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2008/02/20/past%20stories/19956696.txt |date=2012-03-14 }}</ref> The city was involved in a 5-year [[eminent domain]] dispute with a local landowner in neighboring [[Valley Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania|Valley Township]]. It was resolved without the need to seize the property, but displeasure with the events resulted in the city voters turning out four incumbent city councilpersons in the November 2005 general elections. Two of the four new councilpersons were ordained [[Pentecostal]] and [[Methodist]] ministers, respectively. The city council fired the city solicitor, and accepted the resignation of the city manager (who had negotiated with the Valley Township landowner). The assistant manager, police chief, and city treasurer also resigned.

[[Coatesville, Pennsylvania arsons|A series of arsons]] took place in the city from 2007 to early 2009.<ref name="ABC0219">{{Citation |last1=Thomas |first1=Pierre |last2=Date |first2=Jack |last3=Cook |first3=Theresa |title=2 Arrests in Devastating Pa. House Fires |newspaper=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=2009-02-19 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/FedCrimes/story?id=6913226&page=1 |publisher=ABC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210130246/https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/FedCrimes/story?id=6913226&page=1 |archive-date=2013-12-10 |url-status=dead |access-date=2013-12-03 }}</ref> A December 2008 fire at a Strode Avenue home resulted in the death of Irene Kempest, an 83-year-old World War II [[Holocaust survivor]]. A  fire the following month on the 300 block of Fleetwood Street burned 17 [[row houses]], causing $2 million in damage and leaving dozens of people homeless.
By March 2009, police had arrested six suspects in the fires. A total of nearly 70 fires occurred during this period. On June 8, 2010 one man, pleading no-contest due to [[mental illness]], was sentenced to a 60-year prison sentence for five of the fires, one of which resulted in Kempest's death.<ref name="Philly2010">{{Citation |last=Brady Shea |first=Kathleen |title=Coatesville arsonist sentenced to 60 years |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=2010-06-08 |url=http://articles.philly.com/2010-06-08/news/24961431_1_arson-fires-work-camp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911103932/http://articles.philly.com/2010-06-08/news/24961431_1_arson-fires-work-camp |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 11, 2012 |publisher=ABC News |access-date=2013-12-03}}</ref> Another man pleaded guilty to the Fleetwood Street fire and eight others, receiving a sentence of 12.5 to 25 years with an order to pay $2.5 million in restitution.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/09/18/news/srv0000009419693.txt |title=Serial arsonist pleads guilty |author=Rellahan, Michael P. |date=September 18, 2010 |work=Daily Local News (Chester Co., PA) |publisher=dailylocal.com |access-date=2011-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928122606/http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/09/18/news/srv0000009419693.txt |archive-date=2012-09-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Twenty of the nearly 70 fires over the two-year span remain unsolved.<ref name="Philly2010"/>

In 1969, Lukens Steel forged steel beams for the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] during its construction in [[New York City]].<ref name=CBS>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/world-trade-center-steel-beams-returning-home/ |title=World Trade Center Steel Beams Returning Home |date=April 14, 2010 |work=[[CBS News]] |publisher=CBSNews.com |access-date=2011-09-05}}</ref> Some of these [[trident]] beams, known as "trees", remained standing after the [[9/11 Terrorist Attacks]]. Ten of the "trees" that remained were transported to Coatesville on April 15, 2010. They are to be used{{when|date=July 2025}} as a part of the proposed [[National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum]]{{update inline|date=July 2025}}.<ref name=CBS/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.world-architects.com/en/architecture-news/insight/memorializing-9-11-with-wtc-steel|title=Memorializing 9/11 with World Trade Center Steel|work=World Architects|publisher=world-architects.com |access-date=2022-04-07}}</ref>

Twenty-one sites including the [[Coatesville Historic District]], [[Clement Atkinson Memorial Hospital]], [[High Bridge (Coatesville, Pennsylvania)|High Bridge]], [[Abram Huston House and Carriage House]], [[Lukens Historic District]], [[Lukens Main Office Building]], [[National Bank of Coatesville Building]], [[Terracina]], [[Carver Court]], and [[Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center]] are resources listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{cite web |title=National Register of Historic Places - Digital Archive on NPGallery |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP |website=npgallery.nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service-U.S. Department of the Interior |access-date=7 April 2022}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|1.9|sqmi}}, of which 0.53% is water.

===Climate===
Coatesville has a typical Northeast climate with cold, snowy winters and hot humid summers. It has a hot-summer [[humid continental climate]] (''Dfa'') and the [[hardiness zone]] is 6b bordering 7a.

{{Weather box
| location     = Coatesville, Pennsylvania
| single line  = Yes
| metric first = Yes
| Jan high F = 38.7
| Feb high F = 40
| Mar high F = 50.4
| Apr high F = 62.2
| May high F = 72.9
| Jun high F = 81.3
| Jul high F = 85.8
| Aug high F = 83.7
| Sep high F = 77.7
| Oct high F = 66.3
| Nov high F = 53.4
| Dec high F = 41.6
| year high F = 62.8
| Jan low F = 20.8
| Feb low F = 20.9
| Mar low F = 29.4
| Apr low F = 38.8
| May low F = 49.1
| Jun low F = 58.3
| Jul low F = 63.2
| Aug low F = 61.3
| Sep low F = 54.3
| Oct low F = 42.3
| Nov low F = 32.8
| Dec low F = 23.8
| year low F = 41.2
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.6
| Feb precipitation inch = 3.3
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.8
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.7
| May precipitation inch = 3.9
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.5
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.4
| Aug precipitation inch = 4.5
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.7
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.3
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.3
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.8
| year precipitation inch = 45.8
| source 1 = Weatherbase<ref name=Weatherbase>
{{cite web
|url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=716072&cityname=St-Andrews-New-Brunswick
|publisher=Weatherbase
|title=Weatherbase.com
|year=2013
}}
Retrieved on October 24, 2013.
</ref> 
| date     = October 2013
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 2025
|1880= 2766
|1890= 3680
|1900= 5721
|1910= 11084
|1920= 14515
|1930= 14582
|1940= 14006
|1950= 13826
|1960= 12971
|1970= 12331
|1980= 10698
|1990= 11038
|2000= 10838
|2010= 13100
|2020= 13350
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Census 2020|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/coatesvillecitypennsylvania/PST045219}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:42&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=Oct 12, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Coatesville city, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pennsylvania: 1990, Part 1 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-40-1.pdf}}</ref>
!Pop 2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pennsylvania: 2000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2002/dec/phc-1-40-pt1.pdf}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Coatesville city, Pennsylvania|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US4214712&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Coatesville city, Pennsylvania|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US4214712&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 1990
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|6,079
|4,040
|3,565
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,137
|55.07%
|37.28%
|27.21%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |23.50%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|4,322
|5,235
|5,841
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,864
|39.16%
|48.30%
|44.59%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |43.93%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|15
|30
|37
|style='background: #ffffe6; |24
|0.14%
|0.28%
|0.28%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.18%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|51
|49
|109
|style='background: #ffffe6; |149
|0.46%
|0.45%
|0.83%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.12%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|N/A
|1
|9
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|N/A
|0.01%
|0.07%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|21
|19
|27
|style='background: #ffffe6; |79
|0.19%
|0.18%
|0.21%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.59%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|N/A
|299
|504
|style='background: #ffffe6; |741
|N/A
|2.76%
|3.85%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.55%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|550
|1,165
|3,008
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,355
|4.98%
|10.75%
|22.96%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |25.13%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''11,038'''
|'''10,838'''
|'''13,100'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''13,350'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2010 census===
The [[2010 United States census]]<ref>[https://archive.today/20190521214830/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table U.S. Census Bureau] . Retrieved 2011-9-6.</ref> stated there were 13,100 people, 4,498 households, and 2,889 families residing in the city, with a [[population density]] of 6,894.7 people per square mile (2,673.5/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the city was 38.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 46.4% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.5% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.8% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 8.9% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5.3% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 23.0% of the population.

There were 4,498 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 27.7% had a female householder with no spouse present, 8.2% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 35.8% were non-families. 42.4% of all households had individuals under 18 living in them, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.46.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.4% under the age of 18. The median age was 31 years. The population was 50.6% female and 49.4% male.

Coatesville had 4,998 housing units, of which 90.2% were occupied. Of the occupied housing units, 37.5% were owner-occupied.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $29,912, and the median income for a family was $36,375. Males had a median income of $31,782 versus $24,774 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $14,079. About 18.3% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey,  the racial makeup was 25.9% [[Non-Hispanic whites|non-Hispanic White]], 46.2% [[African Americans|African American]], 24.5% [[Hispanic (U.S. census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]], and 4.8% two or more races.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/coatesvillecitypennsylvania/POP060210|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Coatesville city, Pennsylvania|website=www.census.gov|language=en|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref>

==Government==

The city is a [[Local government in Pennsylvania#City|third class city]] and is governed by a [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]] form of government. There are seven council members, one for each of the five voting wards and two elected at-large.

=== Council Members ===
''{{As of|2021|11|5|df=US|lc=y}}:'' 
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Ward
! Council member
! Party
! Term ends
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| 1 || {{Sort name|last=Simpson|first=Edward|nolink=y}}||[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]|| 2023
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
|2
| {{Sort name|last=Folks|first=Donald|nolink=y}}|| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] || 2025
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
|3
| {{Sort name|last=Hunt|first=C. Arvilla|nolink=y}}|| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] || 2023 
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
|4
| {{Sort name|last=Green|first=Carmen|nolink=y}}|| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] || 2025 
|- {{Party shading/Republican}}
| 5 || {{Sort name|last=Lavender-Norris|first=Linda|nolink=y}}||[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]|| 2023
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| rowspan="2" | At-Large || {{Sort name|last=Al Amin|first=Khadijah|nolink=y}}|| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] || 2025 
|- {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| {{Sort name|last=Allen|first=Charrisse|nolink=y}}||[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]|| 2025
|}

==Education==
[[Coatesville Area School District]]<!--UNI 06240--> is the school district for the municipality.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st42_pa/schooldistrict_maps/c42029_chester/DC20SD_C42029.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st42_pa/schooldistrict_maps/c42029_chester/DC20SD_C42029.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Chester County, PA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2024-12-13}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st42_pa/schooldistrict_maps/c42029_chester/DC20SD_C42029_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

==Transportation==
{{stack|[[File:2022-09-04 10 48 30 View west along U.S. Route 30 (Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass) just west of the exit for Pennsylvania State Route 82 in Coatesville, Chester County, Pennsylvania.jpg|right|thumb|US 30 westbound in Coatesville]]}}
As of 2018, there were {{convert|31.15|mi}} of public roads in Coatesville, of which {{convert|6.50|mi}} were maintained by [[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]] (PennDOT) and {{convert|24.65|mi}} were maintained by the city.<ref name=PennDOTmap>{{cite web|url=https://gis.penndot.gov/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Type5/15301.pdf|title=Coatesville City map|publisher=PennDOT|access-date=March 12, 2023}}</ref>

The main east–west road serving Coatesville is [[U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania|US 30]], which bypasses the city to the north on a [[freeway]] and provides access to [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]] to the west and [[Philadelphia]] to the east. [[U.S. Route 30 Business (Downingtown, Pennsylvania)|US 30 Business]] runs east–west through the heart of the city on [[Lincoln Highway]]. [[Pennsylvania Route 82|PA 82]] is the main north–south road in Coatesville, running along Strode Avenue, Lincoln Highway, and North 1st Avenue, and heading north to [[Elverson, Pennsylvania|Elverson]] and south to [[Kennett Square, Pennsylvania|Kennett Square]]. [[Pennsylvania Route 340|PA 340]] passes to the north of the city while [[Pennsylvania Route 372|PA 372]] begins at PA 82 in Coatesville and heads west on Valley Road to [[Parkesburg, Pennsylvania|Parkesburg]] and [[Atglen, Pennsylvania|Atglen]].<ref name=adcchester>{{cite map|publisher=[[ADC Map]]|title=Chester County, Pennsylvania |year=2006|edition=17th|scale= 1"=2000'|isbn=0-87530-778-7}}</ref>

[[File:Coatesville station - August 2022.jpg|thumb|right|Coatesville Amtrak station]]
A general aviation airport, [[Chester County G. O. Carlson Airport]], which allows private and corporate aircraft to easily access the town, is located about {{convert|3|mi|km}} west in neighboring Valley Township. The nearest airport with commercial air service is the [[Philadelphia International Airport]] in Philadelphia.

Coatesville is served by the [[Coatesville (Amtrak station)|Coatesville Amtrak Station]], which serves ''[[Keystone Service]]'' trains along the [[Keystone Corridor]].<ref name=chescorideguide/> Until 1997, the station also served [[SEPTA]]'s [[Paoli/Thorndale Line|R5]] regional rail line from Philadelphia, which is now the [[Paoli/Thorndale Line]] and ends east of Coatesville in [[Thorndale, Pennsylvania|Thorndale]]. On March 7, 2019, it was announced that SEPTA service would return to Coatesville in the future with a new station to be built near the current Amtrak station that would serve an extension of the Paoli/Thorndale Line service.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rodgers|first=Lucas|title=SEPTA Regional Rail set to return to Coatesville|work=Daily Local News|location=West Chester, PA|date=March 7, 2019|url=https://www.dailylocal.com/news/septa-regional-rail-set-to-return-to-coatesville/article_6da699ba-4120-11e9-a87a-cbb866b9a0c2.html|access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>  On July 13, 2021, the [[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]] announced that it was soliciting bids for the construction of the new station, to be built at Third Avenue and Fleetwood Street, with construction to be completed by 2025.<ref name="DLN2021">{{Cite news|author=MediaNews Group|title=Coatesville train station bids authorized; construction to start this year|url=https://www.dailylocal.com/local-news/coatesville-train-station-bids-authorized-construction-to-start-this-year/article_9b826dfc-e496-11eb-a04a-ef202acc99e6.html|date=2021-07-14|access-date=2021-07-15|website=Daily Local News|language=en}}</ref> The [[Reading Company]] formerly had its own passenger station on the [[Wilmington and Northern Branch]], located at the northwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and 1st Avenue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Insurance maps of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, April 1921 |url=https://digital.libraries.psu.edu/digital/collection/maps1/id/5459 |access-date=May 29, 2022 |website=digital.libraries.psu.edu}}</ref>

Two bus services serve Coatesville. The Coatesville Link, which is operated by [[Krapf's Transit]] and managed by the [[Transportation Management Association of Chester County]] (TMACC), serves multiple points of interest between Coatesville and Parkesburg. [[SEPTA Suburban Bus]] [[SEPTA Route 135|Route 135]] connects Coatesville with [[Downingtown, Pennsylvania|Downingtown]], [[Exton, Pennsylvania|Exton]], and [[West Chester, Pennsylvania|West Chester]].<ref name=chescorideguide>{{cite map|publisher=Chester County Planning Commission|title=Chester County Ride Guide|url=http://www.chescorideguide.org/Map.cfm|access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> In addition, TMACC managed The Outfitter, which formerly provided bus service from Coatesville to the [[Urban Outfitters]] distribution center in [[Gap, Pennsylvania|Gap]] before it was discontinued on January 31, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Outfitter to Launch February 8th|date=4 February 2021 |publisher=TMACC|url=https://www.tmacc.org/post/the-outfitter|access-date=February 22, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Outfitter schedule|publisher=TMACC|url=https://www.tmacc.org/_files/ugd/07ba20_7a537a6680164f5399941d2d008d1ae8.pdf|access-date=February 22, 2022}}</ref>

==Notable people==<!--consensus reached to standardize this heading per WP:WikiProject Cities/US Guideline -->
<!-- NOTICE * * * NOTICE * * * NOTICE * * * * * * * * * * * *NOTICE * * * NOTICE * * * NOTICE
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* [[Whittier C. Atkinson]], founder of the [[Clement Atkinson Memorial Hospital]]
* [[Vince Belnome]], MLB infielder, [[Tampa Bay Rays]]
* [[Walt Downing]], NFL center for the [[San Francisco 49ers]] (1978–1983)
* [[John A. Gibney Jr.]], [[United States district judge]] of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia]]
* [[Calvin Grove]], professional boxer who won the [[IBF]] featherweight title in 1988
* [[Richard Hamilton (basketball)|Richard Hamilton]], NBA All-Star guard for the [[Detroit Pistons]] and the [[Chicago Bulls]]
* [[Ralph Hudson]], last person to be put to death by the state of [[List of people executed in New Jersey|New Jersey]]
* [[Billy Joe (American football)|Billy Joe]], 1963 rookie of the year for AFL [[Denver Broncos]]; member of the NFL champion [[New York Jets]], 1969
* [[Joseph C. Keech]] (1833–1915), member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofchester00heat/page/84/mode/2up |title=A History of Chester County Pennsylvania |editor-last=Heathcote |editor-first=C. W. |publisher=National Historical Association, Inc. |year=1932 |page=84 |via=[[Archive.org]] |access-date=2023-12-20}}{{Open access}}</ref>
* [[Ray Keech]], auto racing pioneer in the 1920s, won the [[1929 Indianapolis 500]]
* [[Terrance Laird]], NCAA Division I collegiate sprinter
* [[Rodney Linderman]], founding member of punk band The Dead Milkmen, grew up in the Coatesville area
* [[Rebecca Lukens]], owner of [[Lukens Steel Company]], first American female CEO of an industrial company
* [[Mary Alice Dorrance Malone]], [[billionaire]] Campbell Soup heiress, lives in Coatesville<ref name="forbes1">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/mary-alice-dorrance-malone/ |title=Mary Alice Dorrance Malone |magazine=Forbes.com |access-date=2017-06-24}}</ref>
* [[Ed Marion]] (1927–2008), National Football League referee and union executive<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-obituary-for-e/152533771/ "Edward P. Marion,"] ''Philadelphia Inquirer,'' April 30, 2008, p. B12.</ref>
* [[Fred Mascherino]], musician and vocalist, [[Taking Back Sunday]], [[The Color Fred]], [[Terrible Things]]
* [[Charles Moore (athlete)|Charles Moore]], Olympic champion, [[400 m hurdles]], [[Helsinki 1952]]
* [[Derrick Morgan (American football)|Derrick Morgan]], defensive end, [[Tennessee Titans]]
* [[John Parke|John Grubb Parke]], [[Union Army|Union]] general during the [[American Civil War]]
* [[Rod Perry (actor)|Rod Perry]], actor best known for his role as Sgt. David "Deacon" Kay in the 1970s TV series ''[[S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series)|S.W.A.T.]]''
* [[Susan Richardson]], actress, best known for her role as Susan Bradford on the television series ''[[Eight Is Enough]]''
* [[Chris Scott (chef)|Chris Scott]], chef and restaurateur<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Campbell-Schmitt |first=Adam |date=28 January 2019 |title=You Won't Find 'Gentrified Soul Food' at Chris Scott's Connecticut Restaurant |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/news/chris-scott-birdman-bridgeport-ct-interview |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=[[Food & Wine]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Rapp |first=Julia |date=2023-02-10 |title=Coatesville Chef's Amish Soul Food Celebrates Black History |url=https://vista.today/2023/02/coatesville-chefs-amish/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=[[VISTA.Today]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[George A. Spratt]] (1870–1934), inventor and aviation pioneer associated with the [[Wright brothers]]
* [[Zack Steffen]], professional soccer player for [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
* [[Essie Mae Washington-Williams]], daughter of Senator Strom Thurmond, grew up in Coatesville
* [[Avery Storm]], born in Coatesville
* [[Johnny Weir]], figure skater, Olympian, and TV personality
* [[John L. Withrow]], minister, author

==Legacy==
*In 2006, a Pennsylvania historical marker was placed along PA 82 in East Fallowfield, where Zachariah Walker was lynched.<ref name="smith"/><ref>Dennis Downey, with Raymond Hyser, ''Coatesville and the Lynching of Zachariah Walker'' (revised 20th anniversary edition, 2011)</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite magazine |last=Rodriguez |first=Ismael Jr. |date=August 2020 |title=Local Citizen Helps VFW Post Commemorate Its Namesake |magazine=VFW Magazine |volume=107 |number=10 |location=Kansas City, Mo. |publisher=[[Veterans of Foreign Wars|Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States]] |pages=38–40 |issn=0161-8598 |quote=A history enthusiast delved deep into the past to uncover the friendship that forged and chartered a Pennsylvania VFW Post more than a century ago.}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Coatesville, Pennsylvania}}
* {{official website}}

{{Geographic location
| Centre    = Coatesville
| North     = [[File:PA-82.svg|20px]] [[Elverson, Pennsylvania|Elverson]]
| Northeast = 
| East      = [[File:US 30.svg|20px]] [[Exton, Pennsylvania|Exton]], [[Philadelphia]]
| Southeast = 
| South     = [[File:PA-82.svg|20px]] [[Kennett Square, Pennsylvania|Kennett Square]]
| Southwest = 
| West      = [[File:US 30.svg|20px]] [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]]
| Northwest = 
| image     = 
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Articles relating to Coatesville, Pennsylvania
| list  = 
{{Chester County, Pennsylvania}}
{{PA Home Rule Municipality}}
}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Coatesville, Pennsylvania| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Chester County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Cities in Pennsylvania]]