53 Facts About Lehigh Valley

1.

Lehigh Valley, known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania.

FactSnippet No. 540,390
2.

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area, which includes the Lehigh Valley, is currently Pennsylvania's third most populous metropolitan area after those of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the nation's 68th largest metropolitan area with a population of 861, 889 residents as of 2020.

FactSnippet No. 540,391
3.

Lehigh County is among Pennsylvania's fastest-growing counties, and the Lehigh Valley leads Pennsylvania in terms of population growth in the 18-to-34 year old demographic.

FactSnippet No. 540,392
4.

Lehigh Valley has played a sizable and influential role in the country's founding and history.

FactSnippet No. 540,393
5.

The Lehigh Valley helped inspire and then supported the Revolutionary War, establishing one of the first hospitals for treatment of wounded Continental Army troops at the Allentown location now occupied by the Farr Building.

FactSnippet No. 540,394
6.

Lehigh Canal, whose construction began in 1818, permitted the Lehigh Valley to begin transporting mined coal and iron and ultimately steel components and products through the Lehigh River, a 109-mile-long tributary of the Delaware River for which the Valley is named, to the nation's largest markets in New York City, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and elsewhere.

FactSnippet No. 540,395
7.

Many Lehigh Valley companies contributed to the region's development as a global industrial leader, including Bethlehem Steel, which grew to become one of the world's largest and most prominent manufacturers of steel in the 20th century.

FactSnippet No. 540,396
8.

Gains in these and other industry sectors in the Lehigh Valley have helped offset the significant losses the region experienced from its late 20th century decline in heavy manufacturing.

FactSnippet No. 540,397
9.

Since its settlement in the 1700s, the Lehigh Valley has been the birthplace or home to several notable Americans who have proven influential across a broad range of fields, including academia, art and music, business, government and politics, the military, professional and Olympic-level athletics, and other fields.

FactSnippet No. 540,398
10.

Lehigh Valley was settled in the first half of the 1700s by predominantly German immigrants fleeing war and religious oppression.

FactSnippet No. 540,399
11.

In 1752, the region became part of Northampton County, and Lehigh Valley County was later separated from Northampton County and formally established in 1812.

FactSnippet No. 540,400
12.

On October 19, 1899, a monument in honor of the Lehigh Valley men killed in their volunteer service to the Union's preservation, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was erected at Seventh and Hamilton Streets in Center City Allentown, where it still stands.

FactSnippet No. 540,401
13.

The Lehigh Valley underwent significant industrialization throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries and was a major manufacturing hub in the American Industrial Revolution.

FactSnippet No. 540,402
14.

Lehigh Valley is named for the Lehigh River, which runs through the region.

FactSnippet No. 540,403
15.

The Lehigh Canal operated into the Great Depression, feeding ports up and down the Delaware River, the Pennsylvania Canal, and transoceanic demand, and was integral to the industrialization of the greater Delaware Valley region.

FactSnippet No. 540,404
16.

Lehigh Valley developed into the nation's second largest manufacturer of steel, and its steel was used in developing many of the nation's earliest and largest infrastructure and building projects, including the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, and Rockefeller Center in New York City, Merchandise Mart in Chicago, the George Washington, Verrazzano, and Golden Gate Bridges, and warships and other military equipment that proved essential in American-led victories in both World Wars.

FactSnippet No. 540,405
17.

Lehigh Valley abruptly reduced operations, resulting in considerable Lehigh Valley layoffs and a dramatic related economic downturn in the region.

FactSnippet No. 540,406
18.

Lehigh Valley continued functioning on a vastly reduced scale for a period, but ultimately ceased steel manufacturing entirely at its primary Bethlehem manufacturing plant in 1995.

FactSnippet No. 540,407
19.

Lehigh Valley is geologically and geographically part of the Great Appalachian Valley, a geographic region made up of limestone that stretches along the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains.

FactSnippet No. 540,408
20.

The Lehigh Valley is so named because it is located geographically within an actual valley formed by the Lehigh River that lies between two mountain ridges, Blue Mountain in the Valley's north and South Mountain in the Valley's south.

FactSnippet No. 540,409
21.

The Lehigh Valley is the lower part of the drainage basin of the Lehigh River.

FactSnippet No. 540,410
22.

Lehigh Valley has three principal cities: Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton.

FactSnippet No. 540,411
23.

Lehigh Valley has four distinct seasons, which typically include hot and humid summers, cold winters, and short and mild springs and falls.

FactSnippet No. 540,412
24.

Lehigh Valley has a total population of 861, 889 residents as of the 2020 U S census, making it the third largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and 68th largest metropolitan area in the nation.

FactSnippet No. 540,413
25.

The Lehigh Valley's population is expected to increase by 227, 000 people by 2040, making it one of the fastest-growing areas in the state and nation.

FactSnippet No. 540,414
26.

Lehigh Valley's economy has been known historically and globally for its leadership throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in heavy manufacturing.

FactSnippet No. 540,415
27.

Since the late 20th century, the Lehigh Valley has begun to recover from the loss of its once powerful manufacturing base and other industry sectors have emerged in the region, providing a more diversified regional economy.

FactSnippet No. 540,416
28.

Lehigh Valley is known historically for its production of steel, Portland cement, silk, and apparel.

FactSnippet No. 540,417
29.

The Lehigh Valley began emerging as a national warehouse and distribution hub, largely due to its proximity to many of the largest U S markets and relatively lower operating costs compared to other Northeast U S regions.

FactSnippet No. 540,418
30.

Several large companies from China and Germany have invested tens of millions of dollars into developing significant operations in the Lehigh Valley, which has generated thousands of new jobs in the region.

FactSnippet No. 540,419
31.

Lehigh Valley is one of the fastest-growing and largest economies in Pennsylvania with a total GDP of $43.

FactSnippet No. 540,420
32.

The Lehigh Valley is within a one-day drive to over a third of the U S population and to over half the population of Canada.

FactSnippet No. 540,421
33.

The Valley has a lower cost of living, more affordable real estate, lower taxes, and a larger and more affordable labor pool than many other Northeastern U S metropolitan regions.

FactSnippet No. 540,422
34.

Lehigh Valley is one of the leading areas on the East Coast for warehouses and distribution centers.

FactSnippet No. 540,423
35.

Lehigh Valley continues to upgrade and expand operations at this facility and has cited the location as central to its overall corporate success.

FactSnippet No. 540,424
36.

Yocco's Hot Dogs, the regionally-famous fast food establishment founded in 1922 and known for their hot dogs and cheesesteaks, maintains four Lehigh Valley locations, including two in Allentown, one in Fogelsville, and one in Trexlertown.

FactSnippet No. 540,425
37.

Lehigh Valley-based stations include WBPH-TV, WFMZ-TV (an independent commercial television station atop South Mountain in Allentown), and WLVT-TV (the PBS station licensed to Allentown with studios in Bethlehem).

FactSnippet No. 540,426
38.

Lehigh Valley is home to over 35 radio stations, including both English and Spanish-language stations and a range of formats, including all-news, sports radio, talk radio, and NPR.

FactSnippet No. 540,427
39.

Lehigh Valley-based daily newspapers include The Morning Call and The Express-Times, both of which have been media sources in the Lehigh Valley dating back to the mid-1800s.

FactSnippet No. 540,428
40.

Two magazines cover the region: Lehigh Valley Style is a regional lifestyle publication based in Easton.

FactSnippet No. 540,429
41.

Lehigh Valley Magazine, based in Harrisburg, is the region's oldest lifestyle publication.

FactSnippet No. 540,430
42.

Lehigh Valley is the third most populous metropolitan region in Pennsylvania and served by multiple large school districts, public and private high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, including:.

FactSnippet No. 540,431
43.

Lehigh Valley is home to the nation's longest-standing college football rivalry in the nation.

FactSnippet No. 540,432
44.

From 1996 until 2012, the Lehigh Valley hosted the pre-season training camp for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, which was held each summer on Goodman Stadium and other the football fields at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

FactSnippet No. 540,433
45.

The club's move to the Lehigh Valley brought the franchise closer to Philadelphia and the Phillies' large Lehigh Valley fan base.

FactSnippet No. 540,434
46.

Lehigh Valley Roller Derby is a Women's Flat Track Derby Association league based at Bethlehem Municipal Ice Rink in Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley.

FactSnippet No. 540,435
47.

Lehigh Valley is home to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, a cycling velodrome in Breinigsville that hosts professional and amateur cycling competitions, including Union Cycliste Internationale-sponsored competitions.

FactSnippet No. 540,436
48.

Lehigh Valley Preferred Cycling Center has given rise to several Olympian cycling medal winners.

FactSnippet No. 540,437
49.

Three Lehigh Valley locations exist for ice skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating.

FactSnippet No. 540,438
50.

Public bus service in Lehigh Valley is available through the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, known as LANta.

FactSnippet No. 540,439
51.

Lehigh Valley has several commercial bus services, including Greyhound Lines, Klein Transportation, and Trailways, and others, that provide transportation to and from New York City, Philadelphia, Reading, Harrisburg and other regional destinations throughout the day.

FactSnippet No. 540,440
52.

Lehigh Valley is a major national thruway for commercial rail transport with roughly 65 commercial trains passing through the Valley daily.

FactSnippet No. 540,441
53.

Since its settlement in the 18th century, the Lehigh Valley has been the birthplace or home to several famous Americans, including:.

FactSnippet No. 540,442