Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Conshohocken ( ; Lenape: "Kanshihàkink") is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront commercial and residential development. In the regional slang, it is sometimes referred to by the colloquial nickname Conshy ( ). The name "Conshohocken" comes from the Unami language, from either "Kanshi'hak'ing", meaning "Elegant-ground- place", or, more likely, "Chottschinschu'hak'ing", which means "Big-trough-ground-place" or "Large-bowl-ground-place", referring to the big bend in the  Tulpe'hanna (Turtle River, or modern Schuylkill River). The sister community of West Conshohocken is located on the opposite side of the Schuylkill River. Geography. Conshohocken is located at (40.077135, -75.302009). According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (2.97%) is water. Conshohocken fronts the Schuylkill River. A rather sharp bend in the river at Conshohocken gives the Schuylkill Expressway, which hugs the far bank, a curve that is well known to regional radio listeners as the Conshohocken curve. Railroad tracks line both river banks, reflecting  the valley's heavy industrial past as well as its continuing rail activity including Norfolk Southern and SEPTA. A rail trail portion of the Schuylkill River Trail also passes through. Politics and history. Conshohocken was first settled about 1820, and was for several years known as Matson's Ford; in 1830 it was laid out as a town and received its present name, a Native American word meaning “pleasant valley.” The Pennsylvania guide, compiled by the Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration, briefly described Conshohocken in 1940: Conshohocken has a city manager form of government with a mayor and  a seven-member borough council. The mayor is Yaniv Aronson. The borough is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Madeleine Dean), the 148th State House District (represented by Rep. Mary Jo Daley) and the 7th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Vincent Hughes). On September 1, 2021, the borough suffered severe damage and disruption from flooding caused by heavy rainfall associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Demographics. As of the 2010 census, the borough was 88.7% White, 6.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.8% Asian, and 1.7% were two or more races. 3.5% of  the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry . As of the census of 2000, there were 7,589 people, 3,329 households, and 1,834 families residing in the borough. The population density was 7,720.4 people per square mile (2,989.9/km). There were 3,518 housing units at an average density of 3,578.9 per square mile (1,386.0/km). The racial makeup of the borough was 89.88% White, 7.77% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population. There were 3,329 households , out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.02. In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64 , and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $43,599, and the median income for a family was $50,601. Males had a median income of $36,299 versus $30,541 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $22,128. About 4.2% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under  age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over. According to the 2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate, the median household income in the borough had risen to $73,750. The median income for a family was $88,049, and the per capita income was $41,144. 5.3% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of children under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 and over. Climate. Conshohocken is in the outer rim of a humid subtropical climate ("Cfa"). January is on average the coldest month, and July is  on average the hottest. The hardiness zone is 7a. Transportation. Conshohocken is served by two SEPTA Regional Rail stations, both of which are along the Manayunk/Norristown Line. The main one is officially located at Washington and Harry Streets, and the other is at Spring Mill at the end of East North Lane, south of Hector Street. Two interstate highways pass just outside of the borough: I-76 (locally known as the Schuylkill Expressway) and I-476 (locally referred to as "the Blue Route"). Education. Residents of Conshohocken are served by the Colonial School District. Private schools in the area include AIM  Academy and The Miquon School. Conshohocken Catholic School, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, closed in 2012.