About

Penn Township Westmoreland County was established as a Township in 1855 and is a Township of the First Class. Penn Township was the next to the last Township to be created in Westmoreland County. It became a First Class Township by vote of the Township electorate in 1957 becoming effective January 1, 1958.

Penn Township is a “bedroom community” where most residents who have jobs commute to employment centers nearby. What makes Penn Township a great place to live, invest in, or raise a family is its location within the excellent Penn-Trafford School District. Other factors include close access to jobs, many regional amenities of the greater Pittsburgh – Laurel Highlands. Moreover, residents enjoy good local government services, emergency services, youth recreation organizations, parks and recreation system and public library. Since 1855, the people of Penn Township have maintained a local government worthy of such a great place to live.

The Township is the largest municipality of the Penn-Trafford School District. It is situated in the west-central area of Westmoreland County along the Allegheny County line. The Municipal building in Harrison City is roughly eight (8) miles west of Greensburg and twenty-five (25) miles by car east of downtown Pittsburgh. The Township was incorporated on February 23, 1855, following the development of the Pennsylvania Railroad and came from land formerly in Hempfield, North Huntingdon and Franklin Townships. The Township has a total area of 30 square miles and maintains 100 miles of roads. The Township is part of the Turtle Creek Watershed.

At its founding the Township was roughly forty (40) square miles. After becoming a Township, many acres of developed land have been subtracted from the Township to create Penn Borough, Jeannette and Manor Borough.

The 2010 Census placed the Penn Township’s total population at 20,005 representing a 2.1% increase since the 2000 US Census. This continues a trend of population increase for the Township. Since 1960, the Township’s population has increased by nearly ninety percent (86.9%) when the total reported by the Census was 10,702. Between 1990 and 2000 Penn Township was one of the fastest growing Townships in western Pennsylvania adding 3,646 residents (22.9% growth). However, according to the American Community Survey of the US Census, the Penn Township 2017 estimated population was only 19,384.