Fulton County, Pennsylvania

Fulton County
Fulton County
County
	The Fulton County Courthouse
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
	Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 39°55′N 78°07′W / 39.92°N 78.11°W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	April 19, 1850
Named for	Robert Fulton
Seat	McConnellsburg
Largest borough	McConnellsburg
Area
• Total	438 sq mi (1,130 km2)
• Land	438 sq mi (1,130 km2)
• Water	0.5 sq mi (1 km2) 0.1%
Population (2020)
• Total	14,556
• Density	33/sq mi (13/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	13th
Website	www.co.fulton.pa.us

Fulton County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,556,^[1] making it the fourth-least populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is McConnellsburg.^[2] The county was created on April 19, 1850,^[3] from a part of Bedford County and named after inventor Robert Fulton.^[4] The county is part of the Southwest Pennsylvania region of the state.^[a]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 438 square miles (1,130 km²), of which 438 square miles (1,130 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) (0.1%) is water.^[5] It is in the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay and, although most of the county is drained by the Potomac River, some northern and northeastern areas are drained by the Juniata River into the Susquehanna River. It has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in McConnellsburg range from 29.2 °F in January to 73.0 °F in July.^[6]

Adjacent counties

Geology

Fulton County is situated within the Ridge and Valley physiographic province, which is characterized by folded and faulted sedimentary rocks of early to middle Paleozoic age.^[7]

The stratigraphic record of sedimentary rocks within the county spans from the Cambrian Shadygrove Formation outcropping just south of McConnelsburg to the Pennsylvanian Allegheny Group at the northernmost tip of the county. No igneous or metamorphic rocks of any kind exist within Fulton county.

Mountain ridges within Fulton County include Rays Hill (along the western border with Bedford County), Town Hill, Sideling Hill, Scrub Ridge, and Meadow Grounds Mountain, and all these are held up by the Mississippian Pocono Formation, made of quartz sandstone and conglomerate. Rays Hill and Town Hill form a syncline, as do Scrub Ridge and Meadow Grounds Mountain, and Sideling Hill itself is a syncline. Dickeys Mountain and Tuscarora Mountain (along the eastern border with Franklin County) also form a syncline, but these ridges are held up by the Tuscarora Formation. Broad Top, located in the northeast corner of the county, is a plateau of relatively flat-lying rocks that are stratigraphically higher, and thus younger (Mississippian and Pennsylvanian), than most of the other rocks within the county. Broad Top extends into Huntingdon County to the north and Bedford County to the west.

All of Fulton County lies far to the south of the terminal moraine, and thus it was never glaciated.^[8] However, during the Pleistocene epoch, or "Ice Age," periglacial (meaning "around glacier" or simply "cold") processes dominated. Most of the county was most likely a tundra during the Pleistocene.

The Broad Top Coal Field is located in Wells Township in the northwestern corner of the county.^[9] The field contains bituminous coal. There are a few abandoned mines in the area, although acid mine drainage is not as much of an environmental problem in Fulton County as it is in adjacent Bedford and Huntingdon Counties.

Interesting geologic features within Fulton County include some of the following:

The Meadow Grounds syncline west of McConnellsburg.
A transpression structure is located on the east side of the Meadow Grounds syncline. This structure consists of a complex set of up-thrust fault blocks of Silurian and Devonian rocks bounded on all sides by north-trending faults.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	7,567	—
1860	9,131	20.7%
1870	9,360	2.5%
1880	10,149	8.4%
1890	10,137	−0.1%
1900	9,924	−2.1%
1910	9,703	−2.2%
1920	9,617	−0.9%
1930	9,231	−4.0%
1940	10,673	15.6%
1950	10,387	−2.7%
1960	10,597	2.0%
1970	10,776	1.7%
1980	12,842	19.2%
1990	13,837	7.7%
2000	14,261	3.1%
2010	14,845	4.1%
2020	14,556	−1.9%
^[10]

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 14,261 people, 5,660 households, and 4,097 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 people per square mile (13 people/km²). There were 6,790 housing units at an average density of 16 units per square mile (6.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.25% White, 0.66% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.04% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 0.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 40.8% were of German, 20.4% American, 8.3% Irish and 6.9% English ancestry.

There were 5,660 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.60 males.

Almost everyone who lives in Fulton County speaks English as their first language. The dominant form of speech in Fulton County is the Central Pennsylvania accent.

2020 census

Fulton County Racial Composition^[12]
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	13,726	94.3%
Black or African American (NH)	124	0.85%
Native American (NH)	25	0.17%
Asian (NH)	41	0.3%
Pacific Islander (NH)	3	0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH)	491	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	146	1%

Politics

United States presidential election results for Fulton County, Pennsylvania^[13]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	6,824	85.41%	1,085	13.58%	81	1.01%
2016	5,694	83.47%	912	13.37%	216	3.17%
2012	4,814	77.38%	1,310	21.06%	97	1.56%
2008	4,642	73.61%	1,576	24.99%	88	1.40%
2004	4,772	76.10%	1,475	23.52%	24	0.38%
2000	3,753	71.01%	1,425	26.96%	107	2.02%
1996	2,665	54.75%	1,620	33.28%	583	11.98%
1992	2,558	50.93%	1,588	31.61%	877	17.46%
1988	3,086	66.42%	1,532	32.97%	28	0.60%
1984	3,254	71.14%	1,309	28.62%	11	0.24%
1980	2,740	64.90%	1,342	31.79%	140	3.32%
1976	2,219	54.76%	1,737	42.87%	96	2.37%
1972	2,515	66.24%	1,192	31.39%	90	2.37%
1968	2,200	55.37%	1,174	29.55%	599	15.08%
1964	1,747	44.37%	2,180	55.37%	10	0.25%
1960	2,698	61.61%	1,672	38.18%	9	0.21%
1956	2,370	56.50%	1,819	43.36%	6	0.14%
1952	2,127	55.12%	1,718	44.52%	14	0.36%
1948	1,760	50.65%	1,684	48.46%	31	0.89%
1944	2,084	54.03%	1,758	45.58%	15	0.39%
1940	2,108	51.46%	1,982	48.39%	6	0.15%
1936	2,085	46.02%	2,431	53.65%	15	0.33%
1932	1,410	41.83%	1,921	56.99%	40	1.19%
1928	2,179	66.82%	1,054	32.32%	28	0.86%
1924	1,160	47.64%	1,207	49.57%	68	2.79%
1920	1,292	50.19%	1,231	47.82%	51	1.98%
1916	802	39.62%	1,199	59.24%	23	1.14%
1912	317	15.34%	1,080	52.25%	670	32.41%
1908	974	45.45%	1,098	51.24%	71	3.31%
1904	1,100	48.48%	1,137	50.11%	32	1.41%
1900	1,039	45.27%	1,224	53.33%	32	1.39%
1896	1,083	45.83%	1,246	52.73%	34	1.44%
1892	918	42.74%	1,210	56.33%	20	0.93%
1888	951	42.93%	1,230	55.53%	34	1.53%

Although Fulton County traditionally voted Democratic in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and Democrats held the edge in voter registration in the county until between 1984 and 1998, it has displayed strong tendencies to vote for Republican candidates since the New Deal era. In the 2004 United States presidential election, George W. Bush carried the county by a massive 52.6% margin over John Kerry, making it Bush's strongest county in the slightly Democratic state, which Kerry won by a 2.5% margin over Bush. In 2008, John McCain carried Fulton by a 48.6% margin over Barack Obama, McCain's best showing in Pennsylvania, which Obama won by a 10.3% margin over McCain.^[13] The county voted for Donald Trump in 2016 by a 70.8% margin, the highest in the state. The county has voted for the Republican in every presidential election since 1964. In 2006, Rick Santorum and Lynn Swann received more than 60% of the Fulton County vote despite their defeats statewide. In the 2012 election, Fulton County was the only county in Pennsylvania where Barack Obama won less than 25% of the white vote.^[14]

Voter registration

As of February 5, 2024, there are 9,319 registered voters in the county. There are 6,851 registered Republicans, 1,523 registered Democrats, 674 voters registered non-affiliated voters, and 271 voters registered to other parties.^[15]

Chart of Voter Registration

Republican (73.52%)

Democratic (16.34%)

Independent (7.23%)

Other Parties (2.91%)

Law and government

United States Senate

Education

Public school districts

Transportation

Major highways

PA 16 - known as the Buchanan Trail, meets its western terminus in McConnellsburg; serves as a major two-lane through route across South-Central Pennsylvania, as it travels toward Waynesboro in Franklin County
PA 26 - this long Central Pennsylvania main street sees its final two miles run through the rural corner of Union Township, as it departs a long Bedford County stretch, before reaching the Maryland border
US 30 - a winding portion of the famous Lincoln Highway, the highway travels away from I-76, which parallels through most of the state's central mountains, to run across the county between the truck stop-lined Breezewood (East Providence Township) in Bedford County toward Franklin County's Chambersburg; although two-lane for its entire route, there is a limited access segment as the highway makes a short freeway bypass around McConnellsburg. the road serves as one of the county's two major arteries, largely oriented east/west, with its bypass intersecting US-522 just north of McConnellsburg.
I-70 - just prior to entering the county, the route breaks from its consignment with I-76, and it travels due south through a rural swath of the western portion of the county, as it connects with I-68 just across the Maryland line, along its way to Baltimore
I-76 / Penna Turnpike - a portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, this toll interstate has one exit as it crosses the northern portion of the county; the Sideling Hill travel center is located Taylor Township
PA 475 - a relatively short and highly rural range highway, it meets its southern terminus in Dublin Township, as it travels north through sparsely populated portions of Huntingdon County
PA 484 - this short highway runs entirely within the county, serving the purpose of connecting I-70 with PA 26, as it runs across Union and Bethel Townships
US 522 - this route enters from Maryland to the south as part of a brief consignment with I-70, which it departs three miles into the county; the road serves as one of the county's two major arteries, largely oriented north–south, as it runs through McConnellsburg, past the county's only shopping center and through one of its only two stoplights, on its way to a junction with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Dublin Township and toward Huntingdon County. it intersects with the US 30 bypass just north of McConnellsburg.
PA 643 - just seven miles in length, this very short access route connects I-70 with the hills of Bethel and Brush Creek Townships
PA 655 - this highway serves as a long, rural ridge route through the state's central mountains; its southern terminus is with the Maryland boundary in Thompson Township and it exits the county via Taylor Township toward Huntingdon County in the north
PA 731 - one of the shortest numbered routes in Pennsylvania, this five mile road connects I-70 with Route 484, as it runs entirely through Union Township
PA 913 - a very rural access route through Bedford and Huntingdon Counties, this road's final miles are in Wells and Taylor Township
PA 915 - a mountain ridge cut-off-road, this highway travels from rural Bedford County along a valley setting toward its terminus with I-70 in Brush Creek Township
PA 928 - a rural bi-state connector, this road travels from Ayr Township to the Maryland border via Thompson Township

Other

Fulton County is one of only two counties in Pennsylvania with no known active railroad lines of any kind, the other being Sullivan County.^[17]

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Fulton County: