Stop for a cup of coffee on a country drive and you may be served by a woman with a Mennonite bonnet and strike up a conversation with a man whose Scotch-Irish ancestors settled these valleys over 200 years ago. Luster found himself refreshed by the sight of the region's rolling mountains and baffled by the wariness of the game fish which inhabit the world-renowned streams here, one still frequented by former President Jimmy Carter. The University campus and the surrounding town of State College lie approximately 120 miles east of Pittsburgh and 150 miles west of Philadelphia. The state capitol, Harrisburg, is about 80 miles away. State College has been ranked by Psychology Today as one of the least stressful communities in the nation.
Residents enjoy a high standard of living and the public schools have been cited for excellence.
Experts describe the weather here as moderate, generally not reaching extremes of temperature or precipitation, though there are exceptional storms or the occasional cold snap or hot spell. Because the area is such a pleasant place to live and work, it is growing rapidly. The Centre Region, consisting of the Borough of State College and surrounding townships, currently has a population of nearly 72,000 residents. The Centre Region also has experienced growth in industrial and service industries. A number of corporations maintain offices or manufacturing plants within the community.