BEAVER FALLS, PA

Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 9,005 at the 2020 census. It is located 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles (9 km) north of its confluence with the Ohio River.

History

In the 1870s, Beaver Falls was home to a Chinatown and had up to 225 Chinese residents, brought in to work at Beaver Falls Cutlery Company.

On May 31, 1985, an F3 tornado hit just north of the city as it went across northern portions of Beaver County, as part of the 1985 United States-Canadian tornado outbreak.

The population declined nearly 50% between 1940 and 2000, which is attributed mostly to its central location in the Rust Belt.

Geography

Beaver Falls is located at (40.758865, -80.319737).

Climate

Beaver Falls experiences a humid continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. The hottest month is July with a mean temperature of and the coldest month is January with a mean temperature of .

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,920 people, 3,798 households, and 2,259 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,681.6 people per square mile (1,806.7/km²). There were 4,380 housing units at an average density of 2,067.1 per square mile (797.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.82% White, 17.53% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.

Transportation

The closest airport to the city is Beaver County Airport. Though located in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh International Airport is within close proximity of Beaver Falls, and is easily accessible by way of I-376 (former PA 60).

Notable people