Hamburg(Pennsylvania German:Hambarig) is aboroughinBerks County, Pennsylvania,United States. The population was 4,270 at the2020 census.[3]The town is thought to have been named afterHamburg,Germany, but this is likely to have been a corruption ofBad Homburg.

Hamburg, Pennsylvania
Hambarig
Aerial view of Hamburg
Aerial view of Hamburg
Location of Hamburg in Berks County, Pennsylvania
Location of Hamburg inBerks County, Pennsylvania
Hamburg is located in Pennsylvania
Hamburg
Hamburg
Location of Hamburg in Pennsylvania
Hamburg is located in the United States
Hamburg
Hamburg
Hamburg (the United States)
Coordinates:40°33′N75°59′W/ 40.550°N 75.983°W/40.550; -75.983
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyBerks
Area
• Total
1.96 sq mi (5.08 km2)
• Land1.89 sq mi (4.89 km2)
• Water0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2)
Elevation
397 ft (121 m)
Population
• Total
4,270
• Density2,262.85/sq mi (873.50/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5(EST)
• Summer (DST)UTC-4(EDT)
ZIP Code
19526
Area codes610 and 484
FIPS code42-32120
Websitehamburgboro.com

Geography

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Hamburg is located in northern Berks County at40°33′0″N75°59′0″W/ 40.55000°N 75.98333°W/40.55000; -75.98333(40.556271, −75.982667),[4]on the east bank of theSchuylkill River.It is bordered on the north, east, and south byWindsor Townshipand on the west, across the river, byWest HamburginTilden Township.

According to theU.S. Census Bureau,Hamburg has a total area of 1.9 square miles (5.0 km2), 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) of which is land and 0.08 square miles (0.2 km2), or 3.55%, of which is water.[3]

Climate

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It has a hot-summerhumid continental climate(Dfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 28.4 °F in January to 73.4 °F in July.[5]Thehardiness zoneis 6b.

Climate data for Hamburg, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 69
(21)
78
(26)
88
(31)
95
(35)
97
(36)
102
(39)
107
(42)
103
(39)
100
(38)
89
(32)
80
(27)
75
(24)
107
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 37.7
(3.2)
40.6
(4.8)
49.9
(9.9)
62.5
(16.9)
72.6
(22.6)
80.9
(27.2)
85.3
(29.6)
83.1
(28.4)
76.1
(24.5)
64.3
(17.9)
52.6
(11.4)
42.0
(5.6)
62.3
(16.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 28.8
(−1.8)
31.2
(−0.4)
39.9
(4.4)
51.1
(10.6)
61.4
(16.3)
70.3
(21.3)
74.8
(23.8)
72.8
(22.7)
65.4
(18.6)
53.4
(11.9)
42.9
(6.1)
33.8
(1.0)
52.1
(11.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 20.0
(−6.7)
21.9
(−5.6)
30.0
(−1.1)
39.8
(4.3)
50.3
(10.2)
59.6
(15.3)
64.4
(18.0)
62.5
(16.9)
54.7
(12.6)
42.4
(5.8)
33.2
(0.7)
25.6
(−3.6)
42.0
(5.6)
Record low °F (°C) −20
(−29)
−13
(−25)
−1
(−18)
10
(−12)
28
(−2)
35
(2)
37
(3)
39
(4)
30
(−1)
17
(−8)
6
(−14)
−10
(−23)
−20
(−29)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm) 3.45
(88)
2.73
(69)
3.70
(94)
3.72
(94)
4.08
(104)
4.96
(126)
5.15
(131)
4.92
(125)
5.09
(129)
4.47
(114)
3.32
(84)
3.89
(99)
49.48
(1,257)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.1
(13)
7.1
(18)
4.6
(12)
0.3
(0.76)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.5
(1.3)
3.7
(9.4)
21.3
(54)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) 11.1 9.1 10.4 12.0 13.7 12.3 11.4 11.3 10.2 11.2 9.3 10.6 132.6
Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) 4.3 3.6 2.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 2.0 12.5
Source:NOAA[6][7]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1800329
1830560
18501,035
18601,33428.9%
18701,59019.2%
18802,01026.4%
18902,1275.8%
19002,3158.8%
19102,301−0.6%
19202,76420.1%
19303,63731.6%
19403,7172.2%
19503,8052.4%
19603,747−1.5%
19703,9094.3%
19804,0112.6%
19903,987−0.6%
20004,1143.2%
20104,2894.3%
20204,270−0.4%
Sources:[8][9][10][2]

As of thecensus[9]of 2000, there were 4,114 people, 1,824 households, and 1,156 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,212.2 inhabitants per square mile (854.1/km2). There were 1,932 housing units at an average density of 1,038.9 per square mile (401.1/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.91%White,0.34%African American,0.12%Native American,0.32%Asian,0.49% fromother races,and 0.83% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 1,824 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% weremarried couplesliving together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $37,683, and the median income for a family was $50,957. Males had a median income of $37,650 versus $22,308 for females. Theper capita incomefor the borough was $20,689. About 5.1% of families and 6.2% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

History

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In 1779, Martin Kaercher Jr. received 250 acres (1.0 km2) of land from his father and divided it into building lots, naming the area "Kaercher Stadt". Hamburg was officially founded in 1787, generally thought to have been named after the "German Hamburg" due to the largely German population of the region. However, Martin Kaerscher Jr.'s father Johann Martin Kaerscher Sr. (1718-1787) emigrated in 1738 from Langenselbold in Hessia[11]which is far from the northern seaport of Hamburg, so it is likely that "Hamburg" is a corruption ofBad Homburgdue to the Blue Mountains' very similar appearance to theTaunusmountain range.[12][citation needed]

On July 1, 1798 Hamburg became the second town with postal designation in Berks County, preceded only by Reading.

TheCentre Turnpikewas created in 1812, running between theReadingandPottsville.Hamburg began to grow rapidly due to the close proximity of a major roadway. Eight years later, theSchuylkill Canalwas completed, followed quickly by railroad lines. Both of these advances in infrastructure had stops in Hamburg and helped spur population growth.

In 1837, Hamburg was officially organized as a borough.

TheHamburg Historic District,Hamburg Armory,andHamburg Public Libraryare listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[13]

Education

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TheHamburg Area School Districtis geographically the largest in all of Berks County with a size of 103 square miles (270 km2). Within this area there are on average 2600 students, ranging from kindergarten to high school. The school district includes the towns of Hamburg andShoemakersville,as well as the rural townships ofPerry,Tilden,Upper Bern,Upper Tulpehocken,andWindsor.

There are two elementary schools, one located in Tilden Township and the other located in Shoemakersville, that teach to students K-5. From there both schools combine into one middle school, grades 6–8, and then finally one high school, grades 9–12. Both the high school and middle school are located within Hamburg and are separated by less than 0.5 miles (800 m). There is also a nearby private high school,Blue Mountain Academygrades 9–12, that has an average enrollment of 204 students.

Of the 10 churches located in the Hamburg area, six of them offer a weekly Sunday or Sabbath school services. Many of these churches also have preschool programs for children too young to attend kindergarten.

Transportation

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I-78/US 22westbound in Hamburg

As of 2015, there were 24.49 miles (39.41 km) of public roads in Hamburg, of which 5.03 miles (8.10 km) were maintained by thePennsylvania Department of Transportation(PennDOT) and 19.46 miles (31.32 km) were maintained by the borough.[14]

TheInterstate 78/U.S. Route 22freeway passes through the borough, with access from Exit 30 (North 4th Street). It is 28 miles (45 km) west ofAllentownand 54 miles (87 km) east ofHarrisburg,the state capital.Pennsylvania Route 61passes through the southern part of the borough, leading south 16 miles (26 km) toReadingand north 18 miles (29 km) toPottsville.

Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority(BARTA) provides bus service to Hamburg along Route 20, which heads south along PA 61 to theBARTA Transportation Centerin Reading. There is apark and ridelot at theRedner'sin Hamburg that is served by BARTA.[15]Schuylkill Transportation Systemprovides bus service to Hamburg along Route 80, which heads north intoSchuylkill CountytoUnion Station Intermodal Transit Centerin Pottsville.[16]

Passenger rail service connected Hamburg at one time to Reading and Philadelphia to the east and Pottsville to the west via thePhiladelphia and Reading main line.[17]Service ended in 1981 whenSEPTAdiscontinued thePottsville Line.[18]TheReading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroadprovides freight service to Hamburg, with a branch line running south from Hamburg toTempleand itsReading Divisionmainline passing through West Hamburg.[19]

Attractions

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TheReading Railroad Heritage Museum,located at 500 S 3rd Street, is dedicated to the preservation of the Reading Railroad. Featuring a permanentmodel train layoutand several pieces of rolling stock from various eras before theConrailmerger in 1976, the museum is open year-round on Saturdays and Sundays.

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^"ArcGIS REST Services Directory".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOctober 12,2022.
  2. ^ab"Census Population API".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOct 12,2022.
  3. ^ab"Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Hamburg borough, Pennsylvania".U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived fromthe originalon February 12, 2020.RetrievedMarch 6,2014.
  4. ^"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".United States Census Bureau.2011-02-12.Retrieved2011-04-23.
  5. ^"PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University".Prism.oregonstate.edu.Retrieved2022-03-20.
  6. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedAugust 9,2021.
  7. ^ "Station: Hamburg, PA".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedAugust 9,2021.
  8. ^"Census of Population and Housing".U.S. Census Bureau.Retrieved11 December2013.
  9. ^ab"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.Retrieved2008-01-31.
  10. ^"Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012".Population Estimates.U.S. Census Bureau. Archived fromthe originalon 11 June 2013.Retrieved11 December2013.
  11. ^https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LZLC-TSY/johann-martin-kaercher-1718-1787[bare URL]
  12. ^https://dl101.zlibcdn.com/dtoken/374d6f7fc21c252afaeab52872e1c6e6Archived2021-05-24 at theWayback Machine[bare URL]
  13. ^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.July 9, 2010.
  14. ^"Hamburg Borough map"(PDF).PennDOT.RetrievedMarch 13,2023.
  15. ^"Route 20 schedule"(PDF).BARTA. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 22, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 21,2017.
  16. ^"Southern Loop 80 bus schedule"(PDF).Schuylkill Transportation System.RetrievedDecember 9,2019.
  17. ^Bowen, Eli (1854).Philadelphia and Reading Railroad: Passenger Time Table.
  18. ^Williams, Gerry (1998).Trains, Trolleys & Transit: A Guide to Philadelphia Area Rail Transit.Piscataway, New Jersey: Railpace Company. p. 47.ISBN978-0-9621541-7-1.
  19. ^Reading & Northern Railroad System Map(Map). Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad.RetrievedJuly 16,2017.
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