The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a

geographic Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, a ...

region formed by the

Lehigh River The Lehigh River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Delaware River in eastern Pennsylvania. The river flows in a generally southward pat ...

in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the north by Blue Mountain, to the south by

South Mountain South Mountain or South Mountains may refer to: Canada * South Mountain, a village in North Dundas, Ontario * South Mountain (Nova Scotia), a mountain range * South Mountain (band), a Canadian country music group United States Landforms * Sout ...

, to the west by

Lebanon Valley The Lebanon Valley is a geographic region that lies between South Mountain and the Ridge and Valley Province of eastern Pennsylvania. The valley lies almost entirely within Lebanon and Berks counties in Pennsylvania. Portions of the valley lie ...

, and to the east by the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...

on Pennsylvania's eastern border with Warren County, New Jersey. The Valley is about long and wide. The Lehigh Valley's largest city is Allentown, the third largest city in Pennsylvania and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Lehigh County, with a population of 125,845 residents as of the 2020 census. The Allentown-

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital ...

- Easton metropolitan area, which includes the Lehigh Valley, is currently Pennsylvania's third most populous metropolitan area after those of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

and

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, and the nation's 68th largest metropolitan area with a population of 861,889 residents as of 2020. Lehigh County is among Pennsylvania's fastest-growing counties, and the Lehigh Valley leads Pennsylvania in terms of population growth in the 18-to-34 year old demographic. The region's core population centers are located in southern and central Lehigh and Northampton counties along

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

, Interstate 476,

Pennsylvania Route 309 Pennsylvania Route 309 (PA 309) is a state highway that runs for 134 miles (216 km) through eastern Pennsylvania. The route runs from an interchange between PA 611 and Cheltenham Avenue on the border of Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township n ...

, and U.S. Route 22. The Lehigh Valley has played a sizable and influential role in the country's founding and history. On June 21, 1774, patriots in the region were among the first to organize in opposition to British colonial governance, demanding formation of the

First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies that became the United States. It met from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after the British Nav ...

and establishing one of the colonies' first patriot militias that drove Loyalists out of the region and provided early resistance to British colonial governance."Revolution roused Valley"
''The Morning Call'', July 3, 2001 The Lehigh Valley helped inspire and then supported the Revolutionary War, establishing one of the first hospitals for treatment of wounded

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

troops at the Allentown location now occupied by the Farr Building.

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

and his commanders established two POW camps in Allentown, one at 8th and Hamilton Streets and another on Gordon Street, to house

Hessian mercenaries Hessians ( or ) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states o ...

captured at the

Battle of Trenton The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton the previous night, ...

,"History's headlines: Allentown's POW camps,"
WFMZ, September 1, 2015 and Washington visited the region following the Battle of Trenton and several additional times during and following the Revolution.
WFMZ, February 21, 2012 Allentown also played a historical role in protecting the

Liberty Bell The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independen ...

from British capture following the September 26, 1777 fall of Philadelphia to the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

, concealing the bell for nine months from September 1777 to June 1778 under floor boards in Allentown's Zion Reformed Church, an act that was later commemorated in 1962 with the establishment of the

Liberty Bell Museum The Liberty Bell Museum (also the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum) is a non-profit organization and museum located in Zion's United Church of Christ (formerly Zion's Reformed Church) in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern ...

inside this Allentown church. In the 19th century, significant numbers of Lehigh Valley volunteers contributed to the Union's preservation during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. In the war's first days, following the April 13, 1861 fall of Fort Sumpter, the Allen Infantry, a militia of volunteers from Allentown and its surrounding communities, responded to Lincoln's April 15, 1861 proclamation by deploying in defense of the national capital of Washington, D.C."Snyder, Laurie. ''47th Pennsylvania Volunteers: One Civil War Regiment's Story'', 2014."
/ref> Four months later, in August 1861, the Allen Infantry and other large numbers of Allentown-area volunteers played a key role in the formation of the Pennsylvania's 47th Regiment, which bolstered the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

's strength, helping lead the Union's military victories in the

Battle of St. Johns Bluff The Battle of St. John's Bluff was fought from October 1–3, 1862, between Union and Confederate forces in Duval County, Florida, during the American Civil War. The battle resulted in a significant Union victory, helping secure their control ...

, and later participated in daring raids against Confederate positions in the

Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the wa ...

, including in the 1864 Red River campaign in the Trans-Mississippi theater. Throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, the Lehigh Valley's leadership in

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

and

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

mining and then in its 20th century leadership in

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

and other heavy manufacturing proved central to the nation's

industrialisation Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

, contributing sizably to the American Industrial Revolution and the nation's rise as a global manufacturing and economic superpower. Lehigh Canal, whose construction began in 1818, permitted the Lehigh Valley to begin transporting mined coal and iron and ultimately steel components and products through the Lehigh River, a tributary of the

for which the Valley is named, to the nation's largest markets in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

, and elsewhere. Many Lehigh Valley companies contributed to the region's development as a global industrial leader, including

Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succ ...

, which grew to become one of the world's largest and most prominent manufacturers of steel in the 20th century. But the company later experienced a rapid downfall beginning in the early 1980s that included major layoffs and production cutbacks that worsened steadily, forcing the company into bankruptcy protection in 2001 and dissolution in 2003. As of 2020, the Lehigh Valley's total

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is of ...

(GDP) is $42.9 billion, driven by diverse industry sector contributions, including from its finance, manufacturing, health care and education, and information industry sectors, compared to its heavy manufacturing focus of the 20th century. The Valley is one of Pennsylvania's largest and fastest growing economies, experiencing 5% GDP growth between 2016 and 2017 alone. The region's primary commercial airport is Lehigh Valley International Airport; the airport's air traffic has grown considerably in the 21st century fueled by considerable increases in

air cargo Air cargo is any property carried or to be carried in an aircraft. Air cargo comprises air freight, air express and airmail. Aircraft types Different cargo can be transported by passenger, cargo or combi aircraft: * Passenger aircraft use th ...

traffic, which exceeded 210 million pounds in 2016. The Lehigh Valley is located within the U.S. Northeast megalopolis with ease of access and close proximity to many of the nation's largest population centers, airports, terminals, railways, and seaports, including New York City, which is to its east, and Philadelphia, which is to its southeast. The region is located geographically within a one-day drive to over a third of the U.S. population and over half of Canada's population, which has proven a helpful factor behind the region's 21st emergence as a national leader in warehousing,

logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

, and

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics * Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...

. Gains in these and other industry sectors in the Valley have helped offset the significant losses the region experienced from its late 20th century decline in heavy manufacturing. Since its settlement in the 1700s, the Lehigh Valley has been the birthplace or home to several notable Americans who have proven influential across a broad range of fields, including academia, art and music, business, government and politics, the military, professional and

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

-level athletics, and other fields.

History

The Lehigh Valley was settled in the first half of the 1700s by predominantly

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

immigrants fleeing war and religious oppression. Prior to their arrival, the region was inhabited by Lenape Indian tribes who hunted, fished, and quarried

jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref ...

in the region. Sons of provincial Pennsylvania founder

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

acquired much of the Lehigh Valley in the Walking Purchase in 1737 during the colonial period. Lenape Indians subsequently retaliated with raids against European settlers throughout the 1750s and early 1760s but were moved out of the region by the mid-1760s. The region was initially established in 1682 as part of Bucks County. In 1752, the region became part of Northampton County, and Lehigh County was later separated from Northampton County and formally established in 1812.

Shelter House Shelter House is a historic home located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1734, it is believed to be the oldest continuously occupied building structure in both Lehigh County and the Lehigh Valley and among the oldest still-standing bui ...

in Emmaus, constructed in 1734 by

Pennsylvania German The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...

settlers, is the oldest still-standing building structure in the Lehigh Valley and believed to be one of the oldest in the state.

American Revolutionary War

Allentown and its surrounding communities played an important and historic role in the emergence of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. Some of the first resistance to

British colonialism The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

began in Allentown and surrounding Lehigh County communities in the Lehigh Valley. As early as June 21, 1774, patriot forces in Allentown began meeting to formulate resistance plans to British colonial governance. On December 21, 1774, a

Committee of Observation In the American Revolution, committees of correspondence, committees of inspection (also known as committees of observation), and committees of safety were different local committees of Patriots that became a shadow government; they took control ...

was formally established by Allentown-area patriot militias. Following the signing of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

, the Colonial British government in Allentown began dissolving and these patriot militias ceased control, pressuring Tories out of the region.

and his

staff passed through Allentown following their victory at the

, traveling up

Lehigh Street Lehigh Street is a major road that connects Emmaus, Pennsylvania in the west to Allentown, Pennsylvania in the east in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. The road is one of six roads that enter and depart Allentown, the third largest city ...

, which was then called Water Street. Washington and his staff stopped at the foot of Lehigh Street at a large spring on what today is the property occupied by Wire Mill. They rested there, watered their horses, and then proceeded to their post of duty. Allentown supported the Revolution, establishing the first hospitals for treatment of wounded Continental Army troops at various city locations, including at the current location of the Farr Building at 739 Hamilton Street. Washington and his commanders also chose to establish two POW camps in Allentown, one at 8th and Hamilton Streets and another on Gordon Street, to house

captured at the

. In addition to visiting Allentown after his victory at the Battle of Trenton, Washington returned to the city and region several additional times during and following the Revolution. Allentown also played a historical role in protecting the

from British capture following the September 26, 1777 fall of Philadelphia to the

, concealing the Liberty Bell for nine months from September 1777 to June 1778 under floor boards in Allentown's Zion Reformed Church. After Washington and the Continental Army's defeat at the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe on September& ...

on September 11, 1777, the revolutionary capital of

was left defenseless and Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council, anticipating Philadelphia's fall, ordered that eleven Philadelphia bells, including the Liberty Bell (then known as the State House Bell), be taken down and moved to present day Allentown (then called Northampton Towne). Once arriving in Allentown, the Liberty Bell and other bells were hidden under floor boards at Zion Reformed Church on West Hamilton Street to protect them from being seized and melted down by the British Army for use as munitions. In 1962, inside this still-standing church at 622 West Hamilton Street in Allentown, the

was opened to commemorate this successful concealment of the Liberty Bell in Allentown during the American Revolution.

American Civil War

The region again proved influential in the

. Following the

's defeat at the

Battle of Fort Sumter The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia. It ended with the surrender by the United States Army, beginning the American Civil War. Fol ...

and Lincoln's April 15, 1861 proclamation calling for state militia to provide 75,000 volunteers to defend the national capital in Washington, D.C., Allentown immediately deployed its Allen Infantry, which defended Washington, D.C. from Confederate attack following Fort Sumter's fall. Also known as the Allen Guards, the Allen Infantry mustered in for duty on April 18, 1861. During the late summer and early fall of 1861, members of this unit and other volunteers from within and beyond the Lehigh Valley came together to form the

47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment The 47th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Formed by adults and teenagers from small towns and larger metropolitan areas of Pennsylvania, this regimen ...

, which was established on August 5 and later proved influential in expanding the Union Army's reach into the

, permitting it to launch successful attacks against Confederate positions in the

in 1862 and throughout the Red River campaign in the Trans-Mississippi theater and

Sheridan Sheridan may refer to: People Surname *Sheridan (surname) *Philip Sheridan (1831–1888), U.S. Army general after whom the Sheridan tank is named *Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), Irish playwright (''The Rivals''), poet and politician ...

's Shenadoah Valley campaign across Virginia in 1864. These victories helped to tip the Civil War in the Union's favor. On October 19, 1899, a monument in honor of the Lehigh Valley men killed in their volunteer service to the Union's preservation, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, was erected at Seventh and Hamilton Streets in Center City Allentown, where it still stands.

Industrial Revolution

The opening of the Lehigh Canal in 1827 contributed significantly to transforming Allentown and the Lehigh Valley from a rural agricultural area dominated by

-speaking people into one of the nation's first urbanized industrialized areas. The Lehigh Valley underwent significant

industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries and was a major manufacturing hub in the American Industrial Revolution. The Lehigh Valley is named for the

, which runs through the region. It owes much of its development and history to

anthracite coal Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the hig ...

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

, and ore that was only commercially possible with the development of the Lehigh Canal and the Lehigh Valley's extensive railway infrastructure that permitted these minerals and later the region's manufactured steel to be transported for sale in major national and overseas markets. The Lehigh Canal operated into the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, feeding ports up and down the

, the

Pennsylvania Canal The Pennsylvania Canal (or sometimes Pennsylvania Canal system) was a complex system of transportation infrastructure improvements including canals, dams, locks, tow paths, aqueducts, and viaducts. The Canal and Works were constructed and ass ...

, and transoceanic demand, and was integral to the industrialization of the greater

Delaware Valley The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...

region. The Morris Canal, the

feeder of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. and locks at New Hope on the Delaware Canal were built to fuel anthracite energy needs of Trenton, Newark,

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In 1899,

was formed in

in the Lehigh Valley. The company developed into the nation's second largest manufacturer of

, and its steel was used in developing many of the nation's earliest and largest infrastructure and building projects, including the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, and Rockefeller Center in New York City, Merchandise Mart in Chicago, the George Washington Bridge, George Washington, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Verrazzano, and Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Bridges, and warships and other military equipment that proved essential in American-led victories in both World Wars. The company's ascent during the 20th century was very prominently associated with the emergence of the U.S. as both a world leader in global manufacturing and as the world's largest economy, and its demise has sometimes been pointed to as one of the nation's most prominent first stumbling points in the face of foreign competition and other economic challenges that emerged in the late 20th century and contributed to the nation's emergence of its Rust Belt. Following nearly a century of global leadership, growth, and profitability in steel manufacturing, Bethlehem Steel abruptly reported operating losses of $1.5 billion in 1982, citing foreign competition from Asian economies and costly U.S. governmental regulations and labor costs for the losses. The company abruptly reduced operations, resulting in considerable Lehigh Valley layoffs and a dramatic related economic downturn in the region. The company continued functioning on a vastly reduced scale for a period, but ultimately ceased steel manufacturing entirely at its primary Bethlehem manufacturing plant in 1995. In 2001, the company filed for bankruptcy protection and, in 2003, the company was dissolved. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the downturn and ultimate demise of Bethlehem Steel, once one of the most iconic and prominent symbols of American global economic power and leadership, emerged as an example cited by those who believe American global economic leadership is now in either gradual or even rapid descent.

Geography

The Lehigh Valley is geology, geologically and geography, geographically part of the Great Appalachian Valley, a geographic region made up of limestone that stretches along the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. The Lehigh Valley is so named because it is located geographically within an actual valley formed by the

that lies between two mountain ridges, Blue Mountain in the Valley's north and

in the Valley's south. The Lehigh Valley is the lower part of the drainage basin of the Lehigh River.

Cities and location

2017 - Hamilton Street Christmas Skyline - Allentown PA

The Lehigh Valley has three principal cities: Allentown,

, and Easton. The region is located between two of the nation's largest population centers, west of

, the nation's List of United States cities by population, largest and List of largest cities, world's 30th largest city, and north of

, the nation's List of United States cities by population, sixth largest and List of largest cities, world's 67th largest city. The region borders Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Carbon County and the Coal Region to its north, the

and Warren County, New Jersey to its east, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Bucks and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery Counties in suburban

to its south, and Berks County, Pennsylvania, Berks and Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Schuylkill Counties to its west.

Cities

* Allentown (125,845) *

(75,781) * Easton (28,127)

Municipalities with more than 10,000 people

* Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem Township (23,730) * Emmaus (11,652) * Forks Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Forks Township (14,721) * Hanover Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Hanover Township (Northampton) (10,866) * Lehigh Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh Township (10,526) * Lower Macungie Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lower Macungie Township (31,964) * Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Lower Saucon Township (10,772) * Northampton, Pennsylvania, Northampton (10,395) * North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, North Whitehall Township (15,655) * Palmer Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Palmer Township (20,691) * Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Salisbury Township (13,505) * South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, South Whitehall Township (19,180) * Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Upper Macungie Township (26,377) * Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Upper Saucon Township (14,808) * Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Whitehall Township (26,738)

Municipalities with fewer than 10,000 but more than 5,000 people

* Ancient Oaks, Pennsylvania, Ancient Oaks * Bangor, Pennsylvania, Bangor * Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, Breinigsville * Bushkill Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Bushkill Township * Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, Catasauqua * Chestnut Hill, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Chestnut Hill * Hellertown, Pennsylvania, Hellertown * Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Lower Nazareth Township * Moore Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Moore Township * Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Nazareth * Plainfield Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Plainfield Township * Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Upper Milford Township * Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Upper Mount Bethel * Upper Nazareth Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Upper Nazareth Township * Washington Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Washington Township (Lehigh) * Washington Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Washington Township (Northampton) * Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Williams Township * Wilson, Pennsylvania, Wilson

Municipalities with fewer than 5,000 people

* Alburtis, Pennsylvania, Alburtis * Allen Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Allen Township * Bath, Pennsylvania, Bath * Chapman, Pennsylvania, Chapman * Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, Coopersburg * Coplay, Pennsylvania, Coplay * East Allen Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, East Allen Township * East Bangor, Pennsylvania, East Bangor * Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania, Fountain Hill * Freemansburg, Pennsylvania, Freemansburg * Glendon, Pennsylvania, Glendon * Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Hanover Township (Lehigh) * Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Heidelberg Township * Lower Milford Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lower Milford Township * Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Lower Mount Bethel Township * Lowhill Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lowhill Township * Lynn Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lynn Township * Macungie, Pennsylvania, Macungie * North Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, North Catasauqua * Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, Pen Argyl * Portland, Pennsylvania, Portland * Roseto, Pennsylvania, Roseto * Slatington, Pennsylvania, Slatington * Stockertown, Pennsylvania, Stockertown * Tatamy, Pennsylvania, Tatamy * Walnutport, Pennsylvania, Walnutport * Weisenberg Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Weisenberg Township * West Easton, Pennsylvania, West Easton * Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, Wind Gap

Census-designated places and villages

* Ackermanville, Pennsylvania, Ackermanville * Balliettsville, Pennsylvania, Balliettsville * Beersville, Pennsylvania, Beersville * Belfast, Pennsylvania, Belfast * Berlinsville, Pennsylvania, Berlinsville * Best Station, Pennsylvania, Best Station * Butztown, Pennsylvania, Butztown * Cementon, Pennsylvania, Cementon * Center Valley, Pennsylvania, Center Valley * Cetronia, Pennsylvania, Cetronia * Cherryville, Pennsylvania, Cherryville * Chickentown, Pennsylvania, Chickentown * Christian Springs, Pennsylvania, Christian Springs * Colesville, Pennsylvania, Colesville * Danielsville, Pennsylvania, Danielsville * DeSales University, Pennsylvania, DeSales University * Dorneyville, Pennsylvania, Dorneyville * Eagle Point, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Eagle Point * Eastlawn Gardens, Pennsylvania, Eastlawn Gardens * East Texas, Pennsylvania, East Texas * Egypt, Pennsylvania, Egypt * Emanuelsville, Pennsylvania, Emanuelsville * Emerald, Pennsylvania, Emerald * Flicksville, Pennsylvania, Flicksville * Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, Fogelsville * Franks Corner, Pennsylvania, Franks Corner * Friedensville, Pennsylvania, Friedensville * Fullerton, Pennsylvania, Fullerton * Gauff Hill, Pennsylvania, Gauff Hill * Germansville, Pennsylvania, Germansville * Hanoverville, Pennsylvania, Hanoverville * Hensingersville, Pennsylvania, Hensingersville * Hokendauqua, Pennsylvania, Hokendauqua * Hollo, Pennsylvania, Hollo * Hosensack, Pennsylvania, Hosensack * Ironton, Pennsylvania, Ironton * Jacksonville, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Jacksonville * Katellen, Pennsylvania, Katellen * Klecknersville, Pennsylvania, Klecknersville * Kuhnsville, Pennsylvania, Kuhnsville * Lanark, Pennsylvania, Lanark * Laurys Station, Pennsylvania, Laurys Station * Limeport, Pennsylvania, Limeport * Locust Valley, Pennsylvania, Locust Valley * Lynnport, Pennsylvania, Lynnport * Martins Creek, Pennsylvania, Martin's Creek * Mickleys, Pennsylvania, Mickleys * Middletown, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Middletown * Moorestown, Pennsylvania, Moorestown * Morgan Hill, Pennsylvania, Morgan Hill * Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, Mount Bethel * Neffs, Pennsylvania, Neffs * Newburg, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Newburg * New Smithville, Pennsylvania, New Smithville * New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, New Tripoli * Old Orchard, Pennsylvania, Old Orchard * Old Zionsville, Pennsylvania, Old Zionsville * Orefield, Pennsylvania, Orefield * Palmer Heights, Pennsylvania, Palmer Heights * Pleasant Corners, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Pleasant Corners * Powder Valley, Pennsylvania, Powder Valley * Raubsville, Pennsylvania, Raubsville * Scherersville, Pennsylvania, Scherersville * Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, Schnecksville * Schoenersville, Pennsylvania, Schoenersville * Seidersville, Pennsylvania, Seidersville * Shimerville, Pennsylvania, Shimerville * Sigmund, Pennsylvania, Sigmund * Slatedale, Pennsylvania, Slatedale * Slateford, Pennsylvania, Slateford * Stiles, Pennsylvania, Stiles * Summit Lawn, Pennsylvania, Summit Lawn * Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, Trexlertown * Treichlers, Pennsylvania, Treichlers * Vera Cruz, Pennsylvania, Vera Cruz * Walbert, Pennsylvania, Walbert * Wanamakers, Pennsylvania, Wanamakers * Wassergass, Pennsylvania, Wassergass * Werleys Corner, Pennsylvania, Werleys Corner * Wescosville, Pennsylvania, Wescosville * West Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, West Catasauqua * Zionsville, Pennsylvania, Zionsville * Zucksville, Pennsylvania, Zucksville

Metropolitan and Combined Statistical Areas

The Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan statistical area, Metropolitan Statistical Area that includes Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Carbon County in the Coal Region, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern

, and Warren County, New Jersey, Warren County in the Skylands Region, Skylands region of northwest

. As of the 2020 census, it is the 68th largest metropolitan area in the nation with a population of 861,889.www.whitehouse.gov
/ref>

Climate

The Lehigh Valley has four distinct seasons, which typically include hot and humid summers, cold winters, and short and mild springs and falls. It has a humid continental climate (''Dfa''/''Dfb'') and the hardiness zone ranges from 5b in higher elevation locations in northern Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Carbon County to 6b (the principal zone in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton, and southern Warren County, New Jersey, Warren Counties). The 1991-2020 hardiness zone for the airport and lower elevations is 7b.

Demographics

The Lehigh Valley has a total population of 861,889 residents as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, making it the Pennsylvania metropolitan areas, third largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and 68th largest metropolitan area in the nation. A 2018 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 87.1% of the Lehigh Valley's population was White American, 4.6% was Black people, Black or African American, 0.1% was Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American Indian, 2.3% was Asian American, 0.1% was Native Hawaiian, 0.1% were Pacific Islander Americans, 4.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% belonged to two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 11.3% of the population and represent the Lehigh Valley's fastest-growing demographic. Lehigh County is in the top 1% of all U.S. counties for inward migration from international locations, according to Select USA, a United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce program. The Lehigh Valley as a whole leads Pennsylvania in terms of population growth in the 18-to-34 year old demographic, according to 2020 census data. The Lehigh Valley's population growth is partly a result of a growing influx of residents from

and New York (state), New York seeking to take advantage of the region's lower cost of living, its employment opportunities, and its close proximity to two of the largest cities in the country,

and

. The Valley's population is expected to increase by 227,000 people by 2040, making it one of the fastest-growing areas in the state and nation. Median household income for the region increased from $57,288 to $62,507 between 2015 and 2019.

Economy

The Lehigh Valley's economy has been known historically and globally for its leadership throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in heavy manufacturing. Beginning in the 1980s, however, the region's manufacturing sector declined rapidly as a result of foreign competition, trade practices, operational costs, regulations, and other factors. The most prominent example was the plight of

, once the nation's second largest manufacturer of steel. Headquartered in

, Bethlehem Steel suspended most of its operations in the early 1980s and ultimately declared bankruptcy in 2001 and was dissolved in 2003. Since the late 20th century, the Lehigh Valley has begun to recover from the loss of its once powerful manufacturing base and other industry sectors have emerged in the region, providing a more diversified regional economy. As of 2020, the Valley's top five industries were: 1.) finance, 2.) manufacturing, 3.) health care and education, 4.) professional and business services, and 5.) information. Other major industry sectors in the area include transportation, retail trade, and restaurants and hospitality. As of 2020, the Lehigh Valley's total

was $42.9 billion.

Bethlehem Steel

The Lehigh Valley is known historically for its production of

, Portland cement, silk, and clothing, apparel.

, founded in 1899 and based in

, was a foundation of the Lehigh Valley's economy for nearly a century from 1899 through the early 1980s. At the pinnacle of its success, Bethlehem Steel was the nation's second largest and one of the world's largest steel manufacturers. Bethlehem Steel was instrumental in the development of many of the nation's most prominent 20th century infrastructure projects. Its steel was used to build 28 Liberty Street, Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, and the Waldorf Astoria New York, Waldorf Astoria hotel in

and Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Among major bridges, the company's steel was used to construct the George Washington Bridge and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and the Peace Bridge between Buffalo, New York, Buffalo and Fort Erie, Ontario. The Franklin D. Roosevelt, Roosevelt administration relied heavily on Bethlehem Steel during World War II, utilizing the company to produce the steel necessary for shipbuilding, ammunition, and other military equipment that proved essential to the Allies of World War II, Allies' ability to prevail in these conflicts. In the late 20th century, however, a variety of factors, including the practices of foreign competitors, began eroding Bethlehem Steel's once historical global leadership in steelmaking. In 1982, the company announced it was discontinuing most of its operations. In 2001, the company declared bankruptcy. In 2003, it was dissolved. Throughout the late 20th century, other heavy manufacturing companies in the Lehigh Valley that once served as backbones for the region's economy suffered similarly, either downsizing significantly or dissolving, which destabilized the region considerably. In the early 2000s, seeking to replace the heavy manufacturing companies that had been the region's foundation for decades, the Lehigh Valley began developing other economic sectors, including financial services, health care, life sciences, and technology. The Lehigh Valley also began emerging as a national warehouse and distribution hub, largely due to its proximity to many of the largest U.S. markets and relatively lower operating costs compared to other Northeast United States, Northeast U.S. regions. More recently, a movement to reestablish manufacturing activities in the U.S., driven by customer demand for American-made products, faster product delivery, increased overseas wages, and inflated costs and extended timeframes for shipping has led to some renewed growth in the Valley's manufacturing sector. Several large companies from China and Germany have invested tens of millions of dollars into developing significant operations in the Lehigh Valley, which has generated thousands of new jobs in the region.

Largest employers

As of 2019, the Lehigh Valley's top five employers are: 1.) Lehigh Valley Health Network, 2.) St. Luke's University Health Network, St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network, 3.) Amazon (company), Amazon, 4.) Lehigh Valley Physician Group, and 5.) Mack Trucks.

Business and economic environment

The Lehigh Valley is one of the fastest-growing and largest economies in

with a total Gross domestic product, GDP of $43.8 billion that saw a five percent increase between 2016 and 2017 alone driven by strong manufacturing, financial, health care, and professional services industry segments. It is centrally located in the Northeast megalopolis with ease of access and close proximity to several of the largest U.S. markets, population centers, airports, terminals, railways, and seaports, including the

and

metropolitan areas. The Lehigh Valley is within a one-day drive to over a third of the U.S. population and to over half the population of Canada.Lehigh Valley job forecast good
''Morning Call'' (2012-11-26). Retrieved on 2013-07-23. The Valley has a lower cost of living, more affordable real estate, lower taxes, and a larger and more affordable labor pool than many other Northeastern United States, Northeastern U.S. metropolitan regions. These attributes and others, including sizable investments in business development incentive programs and a friendlier regulatory environment, provide the area with a comparatively favorable business climate compared to surrounding metropolitan areas.Allentown: Chemical material producer Avantor moves headquarters from New Jersey to Center Valley
''Morning Call'' Due in large part to this comparably favorable business climate and mature business support programs, the Lehigh Valley has been very successful in luring established businesses as well as new Startup company, startup companies from higher cost areas such as New York and New Jersey, generating thousands of new jobs and significant new investments in the region. Large companies such as Amazon.com have praised the Lehigh Valley for its commitment to business support, infrastructure investment, and incentive programs, citing these as major reasons for their continuing expansions and increased hiring in the region and Allegiant Air, a low-cost budget airline, opened a new flight base at the Lehigh Valley International Airport in February 2020, noting the area's rapid growth, lower operational business costs, and its proximity to popular destinations as significant reasons for expanding their Lehigh Valley International Airport flights. Other large national and international companies either based in the Lehigh Valley or with significant operations there include Broadcom Corporation (in Allentown), Avantor Performance Materials (in Allentown), Air Products (in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, Trexlertown), Crayola (in Easton), Buckeye Partners (in Emmaus), HeidelbergCement (in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, Fogelsville), Just Born (in Bethlehem, maker of Peeps candies), Mack Trucks (in Allentown), C. F. Martin & Company, Martin Guitar (in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Nazareth), Olympus Corporation (in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, Center Valley), OraSure Technologies (in Bethlehem), PPL Corporation (in Allentown), Wind Creek Bethlehem (in Bethlehem), Dun & Bradstreet (in Center Valley), Victaulic (in Easton), and others. The Lehigh Valley was recognized by business publication ''Site Selection (magazine), Site Selection Magazine'' in 2014, 2017, 2018, and again in 2019 as being the second-best performing region of its size for economic development in the nation and the best performing region in the entire Northeastern United States, Northeast U.S.. It was ranked by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune'' in 2015 as one of the top 10 best places in the U.S. to locate corporate finance and information technology operations, including call and IT support centers. Allentown, the Lehigh Valley's largest city, was cited as a "national success story" in April 2016 by the Urban Land Institute for its downtown redevelopment and transformation that has led to $1 billion worth of new development projects there between 2015 and 2019, one of only six communities nationally to achieve this distinction. The Lehigh Valley is one of the leading areas on the East Coast of the United States, East Coast for warehouses and distribution centers. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as the nation's "second Inland Empire" for freight. Large national companies that own and operate warehouses and distribution centers in the Lehigh Valley include Amazon.com, B. Braun Melsungen, B. Braun, Samuel Adams (beer), Boston Beer Company (brewer of Samuel Adams (beer), Samuel Adams brand beer), BMW, Bridgestone, FedEx SmartPost, FedEx Ground, Home Depot, J. C. Penney, Nestlé Purina PetCare, Nestlé Purina, ShopRite (United States), ShopRite, Stitch Fix, The Coca-Cola Company, Ocean Spray (cooperative), Ocean Spray, Phillips Pet Food and Supplies, True Value, Uline, Zulily, and others. Most of these warehouses and distribution centers are located along the Valley's southern U.S. Route 22,

, and Interstate 476 corridors, which provide direct access to numerous major markets throughout the Northeast U.S. and beyond. In 2018, due to this direct access and proximity to major markets, FedEx Ground constructed their largest distribution hub in the country in the Lehigh Valley near Lehigh Valley International Airport. This new hub can process up to 45,000 packages per hour and currently employs over 2,000 people. By 2030, it is expected to have a total size of square feet and employ over 3,000 people. It opened in September 2018 at a cost of $335 million to build. The Boston Beer Company operates its largest U.S. production brewery facility in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, Breinigsville in the Lehigh Valley, which produces over 2/3rds of all Samuel Adams beer globally. The company continues to upgrade and expand operations at this facility and has cited the location as central to its overall corporate success. Additionally, Ocean Spray (cooperative), Ocean Spray, a popular maker of juice drinks and other fruit products, produces 40 percent of its total national beverage volume at its Lehigh Valley plant in Breinigsville. Due to Pennsylvania's lack of an excise tax on cigars and the Lehigh Valley's close proximity to major markets, the region is home to some of the nation's largest cigar distributors and retailers.

Retail shopping

The Lehigh Valley has several retail establishments. The largest is the Pennsylvania Route 145/MacArthur Road Corridor, just north of Allentown, which is anchored by Lehigh Valley Mall and Whitehall Mall. Other Lehigh Valley malls include Palmer Park Mall in Easton, South Mall in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, South Whitehall Township, and Westgate Mall (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), Westgate Mall in Bethlehem. In October 2006, an additional Lehigh Valley mall, The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley. located off Pennsylvania Route 309, Route 309 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Upper Saucon Township within the Lehigh Valley opened. The Promenade is roughly half the size of the Lehigh Valley Mall but features higher end stores not available in Lehigh Valley Mall. In 2011, The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem opened at Wind Creek Bethlehem in Bethlehem, becoming the first outlet mall in the Lehigh Valley. Yocco's Hot Dogs, the regionally-famous fast food establishment founded in 1922 and known for their hot dogs and cheesesteaks, maintains four Lehigh Valley locations, including two in Allentown, one in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, Fogelsville, and one in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, Trexlertown.

Media

Television

The Lehigh Valley is part of the

television market, the nation's List of United States television markets, fourth largest television market, and also receives television stations from the

and Scranton, Pennsylvania, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre television markets. Lehigh Valley-based stations include WBPH-TV (a Christian television licensed to

with studios in Allentown), WFMZ-TV (an independent commercial television station atop

in Allentown), and WLVT-TV (the Public Broadcasting Service, PBS station licensed to Allentown with studios in Bethlehem).

Radio

The Lehigh Valley is home to over 35 radio stations, including both English and Spanish-language stations and a range of formats, including all-news radio, all-news, sports radio, talk radio, and NPR. Lehigh Valley station music formats include Contemporary hit radio, Top 40, hip hop music, hip hop, Rhythmic contemporary, rhythmic, country music, country, oldies, polka, soft rock, classic rock, hard rock, and several campus radio stations.

Newspapers

Lehigh Valley-based daily newspapers include ''The Morning Call'' and ''The Express-Times'', both of which have been media sources in the Lehigh Valley dating back to the mid-1800s. Two magazines cover the region: ''Lehigh Valley Style'' is a regional lifestyle publication based in Easton. ''Lehigh Valley Magazine'', based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, is the region's oldest lifestyle publication.

Film

List of films shot in the Lehigh Valley, Multiple movies have been fully or partially filmed in the Lehigh Valley, including M. Night Shyamalan's ''Glass (2019 film), Glass'' in 2019, indie dark-comedy ''Getting Grace'' starring Daniel Roebuck, Taylor A. Purdee's folk rock musical film, musical ''Killian & the Comeback Kids'', and others.

Education

Colleges and universities

Seven colleges and universities are based in the Lehigh Valley: * Cedar Crest College (in Allentown) * DeSales University (in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, Center Valley) * Lafayette College (in Easton) * Lehigh University (in

) * Moravian University (in Bethlehem) * Muhlenberg College (in Allentown) * Penn State Lehigh Valley (in Center Valley) The Lehigh Valley has two two-year colleges: * Lehigh Carbon Community College (with campuses in Allentown, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Carbon County and Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, Schnecksville) * Northampton Community College (with campuses in Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem Township and Monroe County, Pennsylvania, Monroe County)

High school education

Liberty High School, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

The Lehigh Valley is the third most populous metropolitan region in Pennsylvania and served by multiple large school districts, public and private high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, including: The largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountains, The Poconos (18 in all) compete athletically in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. Smaller Lehigh Valley high schools compete in the Colonial League.

Sports

1955 - Allentown School District Stadium

Cyclists on the valley preferred cycling center track 2

Football

College football

The Lehigh Valley is home to the nation's longest-standing college football rivalry in the nation. Known simply as "The Rivalry (Lafayette–Lehigh), The Rivalry," Lafayette Leopards football, Lafayette College in Easton and Lehigh Mountain Hawks football, Lehigh University in

have played each other 157 times since 1884, making it the List of NCAA college football rivalry games, most-played rivalry in college football history. Two other Lehigh Valley colleges, Moravian University in Bethlehem and Muhlenberg Mules, Muhlenberg College in Allentown, have competitive collegiate football programs; Muhlenberg plays their home football games at Scotty Wood Stadium on the Muhlenberg campus in Allentown.

National Football League

From 1996 until 2012, the Lehigh Valley hosted the pre-season Training camp (National Football League), training camp for the National Football League, NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, which was held each summer on Goodman Stadium and other the football fields at Lehigh University in Bethlehem. On August 5, 2012, Garrett Reid, the 29-year-old son of then Eagles head coach Andy Reid, was found dead in his Lehigh University dorm room during training camp from a heroin overdose. The following year, in 2013, following the Garrett Reid overdose and the hiring of new head coach Chip Kelly, the Eagles chose to move their training camp to the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia.

Gymnastics

Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center in Allentown has been the training ground for numerous

and U.S. national gymnastics champions. In 2003, CNN aired a highly critical documentary on the center, ''Achieving the Perfect 10'', which depicted its as a hugely demanding and excessively competitive training program.

High school athletics

The 18 largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountains, Pocono Mountain regions compete athletically in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC), one of the nation's premier athletic divisions. An additional 14 Lehigh Valley high schools too small to compete in the EPC belong to the Colonial League. The EPC has produced numerous professional and Olympics, Olympic athletes, including Major League Baseball, MLB, the National Basketball Association, NBA, and the National Football League, NFL professional athletes. The EPC's high school football, football, basketball, field hockey, and scholastic wrestling, wrestling teams are often ranked among the nation's best. In high school field hockey, Emmaus High School in Emmaus has won 33 consecutive EPC championships as of 2021. The Lehigh Valley's high school wrestling programs have been described as "among the nation’s best in the sport for nearly three decades" and ''WIN'' magazine has ranked the region's wrestling programs best in the nation.

Professional baseball

In 2008, Coca-Cola Park, an 8,278-seat Minor League Baseball, Minor League baseball stadium, opened in east-side Allentown. The stadium is the home field for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. The team previously played as the Ottawa Lynx from 1993 until moving to Allentown in 2008. The club's move to the Lehigh Valley brought the franchise closer to

and the Phillies' large Lehigh Valley fan base. The team's name is a reference to pig iron, which is used in steelmaking for which the Lehigh Valley area is known worldwide. Groundbreaking ceremonies for Coca-Cola Park were held September 6, 2006, and construction was completed in December 2007. The stadium's first game was March 30, 2008, featuring the Phillies major league team playing the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Professional ice hockey

On September 10, 2014, the PPL Center, an 8,500-seat arena in Center City Allentown, was opened as the new home arena for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, and for other sporting and entertainment events. The Phantoms began play at PPL Center with their 2014–15 AHL season, 2014–15 season. The arena takes up the entire block between Seventh and Eighth Streets and Hamilton Boulevard and Linden Street.

Roller derby

Lehigh Valley Roller Derby (LVRG) is a Women's Flat Track Derby Association league based at Bethlehem Municipal Ice Rink in Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley. The league's teams compete nationally and internationally.

Running events

The Lehigh Valley Health Network Via Marathon, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network, features a certified marathon, five-person team relay, a training run, and 5K walk annually in September. The course follows the Lehigh River Canal Towpath from Allentown to Easton. The marathon came under scrutiny in 2015 when Mike Rossi (DJ), Mike Rossi achieved viral fame after allegedly cheating in the marathon to qualify for the Boston Marathon. In response, Via Marathon organizers added timing mats and video surveillance on the course. Lehigh University's Paul Short Run is held annually at the Goodman Cross Country Course; participation has climbed to over 5,000 runners spread throughout 14 college and high school races. The Emmaus 5K race is held annually in mid-October, coinciding with Emmaus' annual Halloween parade.

Track cycling

The Lehigh Valley is home to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, a cycling velodrome in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, Breinigsville that hosts professional and amateur cycling competitions, including Union Cycliste Internationale-sponsored competitions. Valley Preferred Cycling Center has given rise to several Olympics, Olympian cycling medal winners.

Culture

The Allentown Art Museum, located in Center City Allentown, is the Lehigh Valley's largest museum with over 11,000 works of art. Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center and Lafayette College's smaller Williams Center for the Arts host a variety of plays, concerts, and performances throughout the year. The Allentown Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Diane Wittry since 1995, performs at Allentown's historic Miller Symphony Hall. The Banana Factory, located in South Bethlehem Downtown Historic District, South Bethlehem, has several art studios and galleries open to the public.

Recreation

Amusement park

The Lehigh Valley is home to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, a popular amusement and water park, located in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, South Whitehall Township. Dorney Park is known nationally for its elaborate roller coasters and water rides.

Casino

In 2009, Sands Casino Resort, an $879 million casino, hotel and apartment complex then owned by the Las Vegas Sands opened in

, bringing legalized table and sports gambling to the Lehigh Valley for the first time. In 2018, the casino was renamed Wind Creek Bethlehem following its $1.3 billion sale to Wind Creek Hospitality. Wind Creek Bethlehem is one of only 13 authorized gaming sites in Pennsylvania.

Festivals

Several large festivals are held annually in the Lehigh Valley. The Great Allentown Fair, first held in 1852, is held annually in late August through early September at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown. Musikfest, a large, 10-day music festival, is held annually in

each August. Das Awkscht Fescht, an antique car festival, is held annually the beginning of August in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Macungie's Memorial Park. Blues, Brews, and Barbeque, launched in 2014, is held annually in May in Center City Allentown. Mayfair (festival), Mayfair, a three-day arts festival, is held annually the end of May on the campus of Cedar Crest College in Allentown.

Golf and skiing

The Valley's multiple golf courses include Saucon Valley Country Club in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Upper Saucon Township, which hosted the 2009 U.S. Women's Open. Others include Allentown Municipal Golf Course, Brookside Country Club in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Macungie, Green Pond Country Club in Bethlehem, Lehigh Country Club on Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown, Olde Homestead Golf Club in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, New Tripoli, Riverview Country Club in Easton, Shepherd Hills Golf Club in Wescosville, Pennsylvania, Wescosville, Steel Club in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, Hellertown, Southmoore Golf Course in Bath, Pennsylvania, Bath, Wedgewood Golf Course in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, Coopersburg, Willow Brook Golf Course in Northampton, Pennsylvania, Northampton, and others.

Ice sports and skiing

The region's primary ski resorts, ski resort is Bear Creek Mountain Resort, a 23 slope resort in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Macungie. Three Lehigh Valley locations exist for ice skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating. Steel Ice Center is on East 1st Street in Bethlehem, The Rink Ice Arena is in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, and the City of Bethlehem maintains a covered 23,000-square-foot outdoor ice rink from November through March. Bethlehem Skateplaza on Steel Avenue in Bethlehem is a city park for skateboarding and freestyle BMX.

Parks and zoo

The Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, Schnecksville is a zoo open year-round. The Lehigh Valley has List of city parks and recreation facilities of Allentown, Pennsylvania, a number of public parks, including the Lehigh Parkway along the

in Allentown and the Trexler Nature Preserve in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, Schnecksville.

Transportation

Air transportation

The Lehigh Valley's primary commercial airport is Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Hanover Township in the Lehigh Valley, roughly north-northeast of Allentown, northwest of

, and west-southwest of Easton. The airport was utilized by 851,000 passengers in 2020. Allegiant Air recently completed a significant expansion at the airport. The Valley is also served by Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport, a two-runway general aviation facility located off Allentown's

, used predominantly by private aviation. Other general-aviation airports include Braden Airpark (also owned by the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority) in Easton, Hackettstown Airport in eastern Warren County, New Jersey, and Jake Arner Memorial Airport in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, Lehighton.

Bus transportation

Public bus service in Lehigh Valley is available through the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, known as LANta. In New Jersey, bus service is provided by NJ Transit, including to Centre Square in Easton. The Lehigh Valley has several commercial bus services, including Greyhound Lines, Klein Transportation, and Trailways Transportation System, Trailways, and others, that provide transportation to and from

, Reading, Pennsylvania, Reading, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg and other regional destinations throughout the day. Additionally, OurBus provides service to and from Philadelphia, Martz Group, Martz Trailways provides transport from the region to Scranton, Pennsylvania, Scranton via Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre. It also provides service to Philadelphia as an Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach route that connects to Amtrak at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Chinatown bus lines operates multiple roundtrip bus lines daily between Manhattan and Wind Creek Bethlehem in Bethlehem; as of 2014, more than 3,000 passengers daily utilized Chinatown bus lines' service from Manhattan to Wind Creek Bethlehem.

Commercial rail

The Lehigh Valley is a major national thruway for commercial rail transport with roughly 65 commercial trains passing through the Valley daily. The region's largest freight rail operator is Norfolk Southern Railway, which uses two former rail lines, Lehigh Valley Railroad's Lehigh Line (Norfolk Southern), Lehigh Line and Reading Company, Reading Railroad's Reading Line. Norfolk Southern Railway has major classification rail yards in both Allentown and Bethlehem.

Passenger rail

Passenger train service in the Valley is available just outside the Lehigh Valley at Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Doylestown ( southeast), at Annandale, New Jersey (roughly east), and at Hackettstown station in Hackettstown, New Jersey ( northeast). The Valley's closest Amtrak station is Bryn Mawr station (SEPTA Regional Rail), Bryn Mawr SEPTA, miles south of the Valley. Two major passenger rail hubs, 30th Street Station in

and Pennsylvania Station (Newark), Newark Penn Station in Newark, are roughly southeast and west, respectively.

Roads

The Lehigh Valley is accessible from four major highways: * Interstate 476, the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, is a toll highway that runs from Chester, Pennsylvania, Chester in the south to Scranton, Pennsylvania, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre region in the north. *

is a major east–west highway that runs through the southern part of the Valley and is duplexed with

. I-78 runs from Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, Lebanon County in the west to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in the east. *Pennsylvania Route 33 runs north–south through the Lehigh Valley from the Pocono Mountains, Poconos in the north to Northampton County in the south. *U.S. Route 22 is a major freeway that runs through the Valley from Kuhnsville, Pennsylvania, Kuhnsville in the western part of the Valley to Easton in the Valley's east. The highway extends from Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio in the west through the Valley to Newark, New Jersey at its eastern terminus. Other major Lehigh Valley roads include: *Cedar Crest Boulevard is a north–south highway that runs from North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, North Whitehall Township in the north through West Allentown to Emmaus in the south. *

runs northeast to southwest, originating in Center City Allentown and terminating in Emmaus. *Pennsylvania Route 145, MacArthur Road (PA 145) is a divided local road that leads to the Lehigh Valley Mall and its surrounding commercial district. *State Route 1002 (Lehigh County, Pennsylvania), Tilghman Street runs from Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, Fogelsville in the west, continuing as Union Boulevard to Bethlehem in the east. Tilghman Street runs through most of Allentown, intersecting with Cedar Crest Boulevard, Pennsylvania Route 100, Pennsylvania Route 309, and several other major Lehigh Valley highways.

Telecommunications

The Lehigh Valley area initially was served only by the Area codes 215, 267, and 445, 215 area code from 1947 (when the North American Numbering Plan of the Bell System went into effect) until 1994. With the region's growing population, the Lehigh Valley was granted Area codes 610, 484, and 835, area code 610 in 1994. Today, the Lehigh Valley is mainly covered by 610. An area code overlay, overlay area code, 484, was added to the 610 service area in 1999. Area code 835 is expected to become available in the Lehigh Valley in 2022.

Wine

The Lehigh Valley AVA, which was designated an official American Viticultural Area in March 2008, includes of vineyards planted to several ''Vitis vinifera'' and hybrid grapes, French-American hybrid grape variety (biology), varieties. Blue Mountain Vineyards in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, New Tripoli accounts of over of the 230 acres and has won national and international awards. Fifteen to twenty percent of all wine produced commercially in Pennsylvania comes from grapes grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA.Lauer-Williams, Kathy (2008)
"Lehigh Valley wineries earn recognition"
''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. April 17, 2008.

Notable people from the Lehigh Valley

Since its settlement in the 18th century, the Lehigh Valley has been the birthplace or home to several famous Americans, including: * Mario Andretti, former professional race car driver * Michael Andretti, professional racing team owner and race car driver * Saquon Barkley, professional football player, New York Giants * Chuck Bednarik, former professional football player, Philadelphia Eagles, 1967 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee * Stephen Vincent Benét, former novelist and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet * Leon Carr, former Broadway theatre, Broadway songwriter and composer * Jack Coleman (actor), Jack Coleman, television actor, ''Dynasty (1981 TV series), Dynasty'', ''Heroes (U.S. TV series), Heroes'', ''The Office (American TV series), The Office'', and ''Castle (TV series), Castle'' * Michaela Conlin, television actress, ''Bones (TV series), Bones'' * H.D., former poet and novelist * Jimmy DeGrasso, heavy metal music, heavy metal drummer, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper (band), Alice Cooper Band, Megadeth, Dokken, and Ratt * Dane DeHaan, television and film actor, ''In Treatment'', ''Chronicle (film), Chronicle'', ''A Cure for Wellness'', and ''Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets'' * Devon (actress), Devon, adult film actress * Keith Dorney, former professional football player, Detroit Lions * Jonathan Frakes, actor, ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' * Mike Hartenstine, former professional football player, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings * Bob Heffner, former professional baseball player, Boston Red Sox, California Angels, and Cleveland Indians * Tim Heidecker, actor, comedian, musician, ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' and ''Decker (TV series), Decker'' * Larry Holmes, former boxing heavyweight champion * Todd Howard, video game designer, ''Fallout (series), Fallout'' and ''The Elder Scrolls'' * Lee Iacocca, former president and chief executive officer, Chrysler * Keith Jarrett, jazz musician * Michael Johns (policy analyst), Michael Johns, healthcare executive and former White House presidential speechwriter * Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"), actor and former professional wrestler * Billy Kidman, former professional wrestler and WWE producer * Daniel Dae Kim, film and television actor, ''Lost (TV series), Lost'' * Steve Kimock, rock musician * Brian Knobbs, former professional wrestler * Dan Koppen, former professional football player, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots * Carson Kressley, fashion consultant, Bravo (US TV channel), Bravo's ''Queer Eye (2003 TV series), Queer Eye'' * Lisa Ann, adult film actress * Varvara Lepchenko, professional tennis player * Jonathan Linton, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills * William Marchant (playwright), William Marchant, former playwright and screenwriter * Kristen Maloney, 2000 Summer Olympics gymnast * Ed McCaffrey, former professional football player, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers * Kate Micucci, actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter * Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins and former president and general manager, Detroit Lions * Lara Jill Miller, actress and voice actress, ''Gimme a Break!'' and ''The Amanda Show'' * Marty Nothstein, former Olympic gold medal winner, track cycling * Andre Reed, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee * Ian Riccaboni, author and Ring of Honor professional wrestling sports broadcaster * Daniel Roebuck, actor, ''Matlock (TV series), Matlock'', ''Lost (TV series), Lost'', ''Glee (TV series), Glee'', and ''Grimm (TV series), Grimm'' * Jimmie Schaffer, former professional baseball player, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals * Brian Schneider, former professional baseball player, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals * Amanda Seyfried, actress, ''Veronica Mars'', ''Big Love'', ''Mamma Mia! (film), Mamma Mia!'', and ''Les Misérables (2012 film), Les Misérables'' * Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals * Dana Snyder, voice actor, Adult Swim's ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' * Christine Taylor, actress and wife of actor Ben Stiller * Jonathan Taylor Thomas, actor, ''Home Improvement (TV series), Home Improvement'' * Bobby Weaver, 1984 Summer Olympics gold medal winner, wrestling * Lauren Weisberger, author, ''The Devil Wears Prada (novel), The Devil Wears Prada'' * Cindy Werley, 1996 Summer Olympics field hockey player * Jordan White (musician), Jordan White, rock musician * David Zinczenko, founder and chief executive officer, Galvanized, and author, ''Eat This, Not That'' * David Zippel, Tony Awards, Tony-award-winning lyricist, ''City of Angels (musical), City of Angels''