Northampton, Pennsylvania 2025

northampton,PennsylvaniaNorthampton is a city located in the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the state's Lehigh Valley region. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 28,817. Northampton is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 in 2020.

Northampton was incorporated in 1814 and was named after Northampton, England. Before its incorporation, the area consisted mainly of farms and was known as "The Forks" because the Delaware and Lehigh rivers meet there. Easton and Allentown, two neighboring cities, were also developed at the confluence of the Delaware River and its tributaries. The 15th anniversary of the city's incorporation was marked in 1829 with a parade, oratory, and a dinner.

The city's heritage is mostly German and European, but people from other countries, including Syria, Poland, and Puerto Rico, have also settled in Northampton. Beginning in the late 19th century, the city became a significant producer of cement, nicknamed the "Cement City." Construction on the Delaware Canal began in 1827 but was curtailed by the advent of the railroads in 1856. The Lehigh and New England Railroad once had a major rail yard in the city. Before the 1970s, Bethlehem Steel's Northampton Plant was the main employer in the city, but it is now idle.

The city of Northampton sponsors several annual events, including the Northampton Halloween Parade, Blues, Brews, and BBQ Festival, and the holiday event, "A Festive Night." Downtown, along Main Street, hosts Community Days, and the Northampton County Fair has been held every August since 1974. The city's public parks include the 56-acre Penndaw Preserve near the city's downtown and four parks located along the Lehigh Canal Parkway: Canal Street Park, Sand Island Park, Riverview Park, and Penn Alliance Park.

The downtown area includes the Northampton County Historical Society and Museum, Sigal Museum, and the historic Samuel/Rohland Farm. The farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings in 1978 and was purchased by Northampton County in 1979. The historic Shafer's Farm, now a museum, was bought by Northampton County in 1977. The Easton-Nazareth Pike connects Northampton and Easton. Among the city's 12 neighborhoods is the Old Slate Quarries Neighborhood near the border with Bath. Older historic homes are found in the downtown neighborhoods, such as the Samuel Rea House, built in 1760, and the 1730 Farm House on Market Street. The Oldest House, on North Main Street, has served as the Northampton County Historical Society and Museum since 1946.

The city is home to various art museums, galleries, and historical societies. It has diverse restaurants and bakeries, among them several pizzerias, and one of the oldest diners in the country, the 1930s Skyline Diner on US Route 22. Arndt's Lutheran Church at 1001 Washington Avenue is one of Northampton County's historic Lutheran and Michigan-style churches, built in 1929. Its carillon belfry houses 22 bells, among them 13 change ringing bells. There are also four other churches in the city, the Northampton Moravian Church on West Main Street, the Christ Reformed Church on Market Street, the Trinity Evangelical Reformed Church, and the First Presbyterian Church.

Northampton is part of the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, PA-NJ, Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lehigh Valley Combined Statistical Area.