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25-649: McCandless is a township with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania , United States. The population was 29,709 at the 2020 census . It is a northern suburb of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area . McCandless is part of the North Allegheny School District and participates in the multi-municipality Northland Public Library . It has been ranked highly among Money Magazine' s "Best Places to Live". Though McCandless no longer operates under

50-472: A female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02. In the township the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

75-724: A quickly depreciating currency during the Revolutionary War . The legislation ordered for a plan to sell Iroquois land that was known as the Depreciation Lands at the time; this land included the North Hills . Soldiers redeemed their certificates by receiving cash or Iroquois land. Because of this, Iroquois unrest emerged and did not stop until the Iroquois were defeated in 1794. The first European settler in McCandless Township

100-1195: A tax collector and, in many townships, a panel of three auditors who annually audit all township accounts. The supervisors or commissioners of the township appoint a secretary and a treasurer, and may also appoint a township manager to coordinate township employees and operations. County governments may provide some or all municipal services to residents of townships, regardless of class and size, including trash collection or sewage processing. Some counties, though, leave individual municipalities to provide their own services; in some instances small groups of boroughs or townships may pool their resources to provide water, police, or other functions. The main areas of local services include police and fire protection, maintenance of local roads and streets, water supply, sewage collection and treatment, parking and traffic control, local planning and zoning, parks and recreation, garbage collection, health services, libraries, licensing of businesses and code enforcement. All municipalities in Pennsylvania, however, rely on county and state organized courts for probate, criminal, and civil court services. Under

125-472: A townhome neighborhood. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43 km), of which 16.5 square miles (43 km) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km), or 0.66%, is water. The municipality lies on the Allegheny Plateau and is characterized by generally hilly terrain. A floodplain lies in the area of Pine Creek, which cuts a deep valley through

150-497: A township of the first class and operate under the powers of the First Class Township Code, a township must have a population density of 300 inhabitants per square mile (120/km ) and voters therein must approve the change of classification in a referendum. The classes of townships differ primarily in the form of their administration. Townships of the second class are governed by a board of supervisors, elected at large by

175-470: The poverty line , including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over. Township (Pennsylvania) A township , under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , is the lowest level of municipal incorporation of government. All of Pennsylvania's communities outside of incorporated cities , boroughs , and one town have been incorporated into individual townships that serve as

200-689: The 17th century during the colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania prior to the American Revolution . Much of the province was then occupied by Native Americans , but the colonial administration in Philadelphia brought new counties and new settlements regularly. The first communities defined by the provincial state government tended to be rural, geographically large, and sparsely populated townships. Townships or portions of them tended to become boroughs after population growth or an increase in population density and, eventually, might to reincorporate at

225-600: The First Class Township Code, it is classified as a first-class township for certain purposes. The inclusion of the word "Town" in its name sometimes causes confusion, since with one exception , a "town" is not a municipal unit in Pennsylvania. Native American artifacts, primarily Iroquois Nation , have been found in areas of the township. Early written history includes a visit by George Washington and his guide, Christopher Gist , in 1753. The state of Pennsylvania enacted legislation in order to gain Continental Script,

250-559: The Pennsylvania constitution, each governmental entity has the right to choose its own form of self-government, and a limited ability to delegate powers and oversight to such entities as authorities, commissions and school boards. Any township, regardless of its class, may adopt a home rule charter, at which point it is no longer governed by the Pennsylvania Township Codes. While a home rule charter can incorporate unusual features, standard municipal functions are generally part of

275-546: The area. McKnight Road was built in the mid-1950s and became the primary access into the north suburban areas. Retail and office uses occupy some of the McCandless segment of the McKnight corridor. The Community College of Allegheny County opened a campus in the area in 1972. A new mixed-use development acting as a town center, McCandless Crossing , was completed in 2016 and serves as a strip mall as well as an apartment complex and

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300-587: The central portion of the township. McCandless has four borders, including Pine Township to the north, Hampton Township to the east, Ross Township to the south and the borough of Franklin Park to the west. As of the census of 2000, there were 29,022 people, 11,159 households, and 7,922 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,754.4 inhabitants per square mile (677.4/km). There were 11,697 housing units at an average density of 707.1 units per square mile (273.0 units/km). The racial makeup of

325-823: The characteristics of more-urbanized areas that might be associated with "towns." Because Pennsylvania's constitution provides for a progression of municipal structures based on population growth, it is not uncommon to have a township and borough of the same or similar name, generally adjacent within the same county. The 'town-like' borough might be partially or wholly surrounded by the remaining township from which it had split off. The government of Cold Spring Township ceased to function in 1961, when there were no candidates for office. Pennsylvania townships typically vary in size from 6 to 40 square miles (16–104 km ). There are two classifications of townships, first class and second class. The commonwealth initially incorporates all townships as second class townships. To become

350-432: The electorate of the whole township for overlapping six-year terms. The number of supervisors can be increased to five by referendum. Townships of the first class, by contrast, have a board of commissioners. Between five and fifteen commissioners sit on this panel; they can be elected either at large or by wards within the township; and they serve for overlapping terms of four years in office. Other elected officials include

375-595: The highest ridges just west of the Allegheny Front . The Front extends from central Pennsylvania through Maryland and into eastern West Virginia. The plateau is bordered on the west by glacial till plains in the north, generally north of the Ohio River , and the Bluegrass Region south of the Ohio River . Elevations vary greatly. In the glaciated Allegheny Plateau, relief may only reach one hundred feet or less. In

400-455: The legal entities providing local self-government functions. In general, townships in Pennsylvania encompass larger land areas than other municipalities , and tend to be located in suburban , exurban , or rural parts of the commonwealth. As with other incorporated municipalities in Pennsylvania, townships exist within counties and are subordinate to or dependent upon the county level of government. Townships in Pennsylvania were created in

425-548: The level of city. Initially, each municipal organization begins as a second-class township. When a sufficient population density, currently 300 people per square mile, was attained, the township had the option of holding a referendum and, if it passed, became a first-class township. The municipality could proceed to the level of borough or city in a similar fashion. Historically, this progression has often included border adjustments or mergers with other boroughs or townships. Many communities remain townships in spite of growth that brings

450-526: The mix regardless of how offices and powers are allocated within the jurisdiction. "Citizen's Guide to Pennsylvania Local Government, 2010" Allegheny Plateau The plateau extends southward into western West Virginia , eastern Kentucky , and Tennessee , where it is instead called the Cumberland Plateau . The plateau terminates in the east at the Allegheny Mountains , which are

475-434: The park, 2.5 square miles (6.5 km), are located in McCandless. This area represents approximately 15.2% of the town. Between 1930 and 1950, the town more than doubled its population (from 2,653 to 6,488). By 1960, the population had redoubled (14,582) and has since doubled again. At the 2000 census, the number of households in the town was 11,159. Expanding population and traffic brought more diversified development into

500-511: The rail stations in the Highland and Ingomar areas. By 1931, the Harmony Line was closed because of the growing usage of the automobile. Allegheny County Commissioner E. V. Babcock initiated the establishment of Allegheny County's North Park. He purchased the land and later sold it to the county at cost. North Park was founded in 1927 by Allegheny County. Approximately 1,600 acres (6.5 km) of

525-406: The township was 94.58% White , 1.29% African American , 0.05% Native American , 3.19% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.14% from other races , and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.70% of the population. There were 11,159 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 6.1% had

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550-481: The unglaciated Allegheny Plateau in southeastern Ohio and westernmost West Virginia, relief is typically in the range of two hundred to four hundred feet. Absolute highest elevations in this area are often in the range of 900 to 1,500 feet (270 to 460 m). By the Allegheny Front, however, elevations may reach well over 4,000 feet (1,200 m), with relief of up to 2,000 feet (610 m). The Allegheny Plateau

575-507: Was 1,482 persons. During the 1800s McCandless Township was primarily a farming community. During the War of 1812 , an important supply route for the transportation of war materials from Pittsburgh to Commodore Perry's forces on Lake Erie passed through the area. In 1908 an interurban commuter railroad , the Harmony Line, allowed area residents to easily commute to Pittsburgh. A concurrent oil boom resulted in rapid early development, centered on

600-414: Was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $ 62,159, and the median income for a family was $ 73,482. Males had a median income of $ 57,415 versus $ 33,319 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 31,792. About 2.2% of families and 4.0% of the population were below

625-439: Was James Duff, who had purchased 400 acres (1.6 km) in 1796. Farming increased in the area, and in 1849, meetings were held, presided over by Daniel Vogel, for the purpose of forming a local government. The township was founded in 1851 and called "Taylor Township". The area was incorporated in 1857 as a second class township and renamed "McCandless Township" in honor of District Judge Wilson McCandless . The published population

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