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Learn about the three commissioners who lead Montgomery County, PA, and their roles and responsibilities. Find out how to stay informed with the latest news, events, and programs from the county.
- Departments
County Administration. Learn about all the various...
- Prothonotary
One Montgomery Plaza. 425 Swede Street. Norristown, PA...
- County Courts
Montgomery County is the 38th Judicial District of the...
- Recorder of Deeds
Welcome. The Montgomery County Recorder of Deeds office was...
- Clerk of Courts
Public access to case information is available in the Clerk...
- Administration
County Courts. Boards & Commissions. Find out about the...
- Doing Business
Stay up to date with all the latest proposals and bids...
- Parks, Trails, & Historic Sites
Montgomery County’s Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites hours...
- How Do I
Access the county's budget, most recent agendas, road...
- Board of Assessment Appeals
Our mission is to serve the taxpayers and taxing authorities...
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Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia and Allegheny counties. The county is part of the Southeast Pennsylvania region of the state.
- Building A Dense Transportation Network
- Rail Competition Builds
- Mills, Mines, and Manufacturing
- Social Disparities
- Camp William Penn
- Development Patterns
- Willow Grove Naval Air Station
- Coping with Economic Success
- Planning For The Future
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Beginning in the early 1800s, the county embarked on an era of turnpike construction. Companies built hard-surface, all-weather roads to serve forges and mills, and the freight hauling necessary to operate them. They maintained those roads by selling stock and collecting tolls. Across the nineteenth century, turnpike companies built at least two hu...
In 1884, the Pennsylvania Railroad built a competing line along the Schuylkill River to haul both freight and passengers. After World War II the fortunes of anthracite coal declined as the nation relied more on oil and natural gas, and both rail lines eventually ceased hauling coal. Rail lines pushed development northward beyond the well-traveled s...
Many streams flowed into the Schuylkill River, including the Wissahickon, Plymouth, Sandy Run, Skippack, Pennypack, and Perkiomen Creeks. Early settlers erected dams and built mills to produce grain, lumber, oil, paper and powder. In 1795 the county boasted ninety-six gristmills, sixty-one sawmills, six fulling mills, and ten paper mills. The Langs...
Even with its diverse and productive economic base, Montgomery County always included residents who did not share in its prosperity. The early European settlers who worked modest-size farms owned some African-descended slaves, though in small numbers. The first U.S. census in 1790 reported a total of 118 enslaved people in the county. By the 1810 c...
The county’s diversity stemmed not only from differences between towns, but even within towns, one of the best examples being Cheltenham Township immediately across the county border from Philadelphia. One prominent nineteenth-century resident, railroad tycoon and financier Jay Cooke (1821-1905), contributed significantly to that town’s social mix....
In the 1950s, the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike played a significant role in shaping the county’s development. Philadelphia’s business leaders saw the turnpike as an opportunity to link the city to the national highway network, and they vigorously supported construction of the Schuylkill Expresswayin 1958 to connect downtown Philadelphi...
Finally, near the eastern edge of Montgomery County, the Willow Grove turnpike exit at the intersection with Route 611 served the already-existing employment center at Willow Grove Naval Air Station, an airfield built originally in 1926 when Harold Pitcairn (1897-1960) tested airplanes there. The field served as a military base in World War II.(Its...
The county’s enviable economic growth created winners and losers among its towns. Highways made it convenient to locate production near off-ramps instead of in older population centers. Many companies operating in the county’s older manufacturing centers moved to new facilities. Newer retail developments lured customers away from older shopping dis...
The twentieth century transformed a county that had once boasted a sizable rail network into a suburban landscape shaped largely by highways. Travel from suburb to suburb increased, creating a pattern that was ill-served by rail lines constructed to carry passengers back and forth to Philadelphia. According to the 2015 American Community Survey, 80...
Learn about the history, geography, and economy of Montgomery County, the most populous county in the Philadelphia region. Explore its early settlement by Quakers and Germans, its transportation network, and its transformation from a rural to a suburban area.
Discover the history, attractions, and activities of Montgomery County, Pa., home to Valley Forge National Historical Park. Find hotels, restaurants, events, and more in this official visitors guide.
Find something fun to do this weekend or any day in Montgomery County PA! From festivals to cool attractions and local treasures, there's something for everyone.
Learn about the colonial, revolutionary, and industrial history of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, from its Native American origins to its diverse communities today. Explore the historical sites and resources of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, PA.
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