Horsham Township, Pennsylvania

History

As of the census of 2020, there were 26,564 people and 9,469 households residing in the township. The population density was 1,533.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 83.0% White, 2.8% African American, 0.1% Native American, 8.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.7% of the population.

The age distribution was 4.5% under 5, 24.0% under 18, and 16.1% 65 and over.

The median income for a household in the township was $103,917. The per capita income for the township was $51,306. About 2.7% of the population was below the poverty line.

Business and industry

Horsham Township has a diverse and growing business community.

Major Employers located in Horsham

• Janssen Biotech, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary
• Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary
• Benjamin Obdyke, a building materials manufacturer
• Bimbo Bakeries USA, corporate headquarters
• SofterWare, Inc., corporate headquarters
• Penn Mutual, corporate headquarters
• UPS, operates a Hub in Horsham
• Arris International, a supplier of telecommunications equipment

Education

The Hatboro-Horsham School District serves the township along with nearby Hatboro. Educational institutions include:

• Simmons Elementary School
• Hallowell Elementary School
• Blair Mill Elementary School
• Crooked Billet Elementary School
• Keith Valley Middle School
• Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School

All Hatboro-Horsham schools have received blue ribbon honors from both the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the United States Department of Education for demonstrating excellence in education.

Parks and recreation

Horsham Township Parks & Recreation has 815 acres of parkland including public parks, a community center and a trail system. The parks contain playground equipment, sand volleyball, tennis courts, picnic pavilions and fields for baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and football.

The Horsham Township Trail System is a bicycle and pedestrian network which provides ready access to parks, schools, library, neighborhoods, retail centers and business parks. The Power Line Trail runs across the township along a PECO Energy right-of-way.

Horsham Township has three golf courses: Commonwealth National Golf Club (an Arnold Palmer-designed course), Squires Golf Club, and Talamore Country Club.

Graeme Park is a 42-acre historic park located in Horsham Township, featuring the Keith House, the only surviving residence of a colonial Pennsylvania governor. The mansion has remained virtually intact since the late 18th century.

Infrastructure

Transportation

As of 2019 there were 116.49 mi of public roads in Horsham Township, of which 23.70 mi were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 92.79 mi were maintained by the township.

Numbered routes serving Horsham Township include Pennsylvania Route 63, which runs northwest–southeast along the southwestern border on Welsh Road; Pennsylvania Route 152, which runs north–south through the western part of the township on Limekiln Pike; Pennsylvania Route 309, which passes north–south through the far western corner of Horsham Township along Bethlehem Pike; Pennsylvania Route 463, which runs northwest–southeast through the center of the township along Horsham Road, and Pennsylvania Route 611, which heads north–south through the eastern part of Horsham Township along Easton Road. Other major roads in the township include Blair Mill Road, which runs southwest–northeast along the southeastern boundary of Horsham Township; Butler Pike, which runs southwest–northeast, beginning in the township at Limekiln Pike and heading southwest towards Ambler: County Line Road, which runs northwest–southeast along the northeastern border with Bucks County; Dresher Road/Meetinghouse Road, which runs southwest–northeast in the eastern section of Horsham Township; Lower State Road, which runs southwest–northeast along the northwestern boundary of the township; and Norristown Road, which begins at Horsham Road in the center of the township and heads west to Maple Glen. The Willow Grove Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is located to the south in neighboring Upper Moreland Township, connecting to Pennsylvania Route 611.

SEPTA provides bus service within Horsham Township. The Route 55 bus follows Pennsylvania Route 611 through the township and heads north to Doylestown and south to Willow Grove and Olney Transportation Center in North Philadelphia. Three additional bus routes serve the business parks in the southern portion of Horsham Township. The Route 310 bus, known as the Horsham Loop, connects the Horsham business parks to the Willow Grove Park Mall. Horsham Township operates the Horsham Office Parks Shuttle (h.o.p.s), which connects the Horsham business parks with the Fort Washington station along SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line during weekday rush hours.

Utilities

Electricity and natural gas in Horsham Township is provided by PECO Energy Company, a subsidiary of Exelon. Trash and recycling collection in the township is provided by private haulers including Arthur Moore, Republic Services, Waste Management, Advanced Disposal, Horizon Waste, and Whitetail Disposal, Inc. Cable, telephone, and internet service to the area is provided by Xfinity and Verizon. Horsham Township is served by area codes 215, 267, and 445.

The Horsham Water and Sewer Authority provides water and sewer service in the township. The water system in Horsham Township consists of 15 wells, five above-ground storage tanks, and 103 mi of distribution lines, serving 7,042 customers. In addition to water supplied from wells, the authority also purchases water from the North Wales Water Authority. Multiple groundwater wells in the township are contaminated with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from the former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove site, leading to the authority having to close wells to install treatment systems to decontaminate the water. Portions of the township receive water from Aqua Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of Aqua America. The sewer system operated by the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority consists of five drainage districts, three of which are in the Pennypack Creek watershed and two of which are in the Neshaminy Creek watershed. Wastewater from the two districts in the Neshaminy Creek watershed, serving the central and western portions of the township, is treated at the Park Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant operated by the authority. Wastewater from the three districts in the Pennypack Creek watershed, serving the southern and eastern portions of the township, is treated at a wastewater treatment plant operated by the Upper Moreland-Hatboro Joint Sewer Authority, which the authority has an agreement with.

''Money'' magazine citations

• In 2013 Money recognized Horsham as 34th Best Place to Live in America.
• In 2011 Money recognized Horsham at 31st Best Place to Live in America.
• In 2009 U.S. News & World Report recognized Horsham as one of the Best Places to Live in Pennsylvania.
• In 2007 Money recognized Horsham as 15th Best Place to Live in America.

References

References

1. "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. "QuickFacts Horsham Township".
3. "QuickFacts Horsham Township".
4. [[Pennsylvania Code]] [http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/346/chapter33/chap33toc.html Title 346, Sec. 33.1-101 ''et seq.''] {{webarchive. link. (2011-09-27)
5. "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University". Prism.oregonstate.edu.
6. "Montgomery County Election Results". Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
7. "DVRPC > Site Search".
8. "Census 2020".
9. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. "Powerline Trail (PA)". Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
11. "Horsham Township map". PennDOT.
12. (2015). "Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Highway Map". [[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
13. "SEPTA Official Transit & Street Map Suburban". SEPTA.
14. "Route 55 bus schedule". SEPTA.
15. "Horsham Office Park Shuttle (H.O.P.S)". Horsham, Pennsylvania.
16. "PECO: Company Information". PECO Energy Company.
17. (July 17, 2017). "Electric Service Tariff". PECO Energy Company.
18. (August 30, 2017). "Gas Service Tariff". PECO Energy Company.
19. "Trash Collection & Recycling". Horsham Township.
20. "Area Code 215 and 267 Map". [[Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission]].
21. (14 November 2016). "Water Service". Horsham Water and Sewer Authority.
22. (February 14, 2018). "Horsham Water Quality Update". Horsham Water and Sewer Authority.
23. (March 11, 2013). "Rates and Rules Governing the Distribution of Water". Aqua Pennsylvania.
24. (14 November 2016). "Sewer Service". Horsham Water and Sewer Authority.