In 1788, when Allegheny County was formed, the area now known as Penn Hills was part of Pitt Township. On January 16, 1850, Robert Logan, Thomas Davison and Daniel Bieber were appointed by the court to review the boundaries of a new township to be formed from the northern part of Wilkins. This new township was formed and named Adams, until August 1850 when the action of the court was reconsidered to change the name to McNair Township. The name was again changed to Penn Township by Act of Assembly and approved on February 10, 1851. In 1958 Penn Township became Penn Hills Township, and in 1976 Penn Hills became a home rule municipality. The earliest population was given in 1860, when there were 1,821 people living in Penn Township. The population grew to 2,685 in 1870 and 3,291 in 1880.
Geography
Penn Hills is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of, of which is land and, or 1.40%, is water. Penn Hills uses the ZIP codes of 15235 and 15147; and the community is within area codes 412 and 878.
Communities within Penn Hills
Neighborhoods within Penn Hills include Blackridge, Churchill Valley, Crescent Hills, Eastmont, Eastvue, Laketon Heights, Lincoln Park, Milltown, Nadine, Newfield, North Bessemer, Penn Ridge, Point Breeze, Rosedale, Sandy Creek, Shannon Heights, Universal, Valemont Heights, Gascola, Shadow Shuttle, Frankstown West, Frankstown Estates, Eastwood, and Verona Hilltop.
As of the census of 2010, there were 42,329 people living in the township. The population density was 2,268.2 people per square mile. There were 20,355 housing units at an average density of 1,069.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 60.03% White, 37.03% African American, 0.98% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population. There is a sizable Italian American population in the township. There were 19,490 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91. In the township the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $39,960, and the median income for a family was $46,971. Males had a median income of $36,143 versus $27,331 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,161. About 5.6% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
School tax millage rate- The Penn Hills School District in 2017 was 27.56. This ranked 4th highest/most expensive out of Allegheny County's 45 school districts .
Transportation
runs through the southernmost part of Penn Hills, linking it and other eastern suburbs to downtown Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania Route 791, more commonly referred to as Rodi Road, connects heavily-traveled Frankstown Road with I-376 at its southern terminus. Numerous restaurants, fast food locations, stores, gas stations, and hotels can be found on Rodi, as many truckers and travelers using I-376 use the Penn Hills exit to refuel or stay overnight. For air travel, Pittsburgh International Airport, located in the western portion of the county, is most commonly used. However, the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin is also still in use. Several bus lines of the Port Authority of Allegheny County offer service to Downtown Pittsburgh, and the Port Authority also has several routes and "flyers" located in Penn Hills.
State Legislature - 32nd District - Anthony M. DeLuca
Government and politics
The Penn Hills Government Center is located at 102 Duff Road. This is the home to all municipal offices, including the Penn Hills Police Department and Penn Hills EMS. All public safety divisions are dispatched by Allegheny County 911. Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Department Station 1 - 7520 Mt. Carmel Rd Station 2 - 5806 Verona Rd Station 3 - 1701 Leechburg Rd Station 4 - 1002 Center Ave Station 5 - 2797 Robinson Blvd Station 6 - 2240 Main St - CLOSED - DE-CERTIFIED Station 7 - 125 Universal Rd Fire Marshal - 102 Duff Rd Fire Academy - 102 Duff Rd
