York (

Pennsylvania Dutch 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 ...

: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after the symbol of the House of York), is 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 ...

York County, Pennsylvania York County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Yarrick Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York. The county was created on August 19, 1749, from part of Lancaster ...

, United States. It is located in the south-central region of the state. The population within York's city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, a 7.0% increase from the 2000 census count of 40,862. When combined with the adjacent boroughs of West York and North York and surrounding Spring Garden, West Manchester, and Springettsbury townships, the population of Greater York was 108,386. York is the 11th largest city in

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, ...

History

18th century

York, also known as Yorktown in the mid 18th to early 19th centuries, was founded in 1741 by settlers from the

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 ...

region and named for the English city of the same name. By 1777, most of the area residents were of either German or Scots-Irish descent. York was incorporated as a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

on September 24, 1787, and as a city on January 11, 1887. York served as the temporary capital of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

from September 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778, during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

(1775–1783). Congress drafted and adopted the Articles of Confederation in York, though they were not ratified until March 1781. Congress met at the Court House (built 1754, demolished 1841, and rebuilt 1976 as Colonial Court House). York styles itself the first Capital of the United States, although historians generally consider it to be the fourth capital, after

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

and (for one day) Lancaster. The claim arises from the assertion that the Articles of Confederation was the first legal document to refer to the colonies as "the United States of America". The argument depends on whether the Declaration of Independence, which also uses the term, would be considered a true legal document of the United States, being drafted under and in opposition to British rule. This does not, however, prevent modern businesses and organizations in the York area, such as the First Capital Dispensing Co., First Capital Engineering and First Capital Federal Credit Union from using the name. The

Conway Cabal The Conway Cabal was a group of senior Continental Army officers in late 1777 and early 1778 who aimed to have George Washington replaced as commander-in-chief of the Army during the American Revolutionary War. It was named after Brigadier Gene ...

, a political intrigue against General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

, had its origins in the Golden Plough Tavern in York.

19th century

According to U.S. census reports from 1800 through 1840, York ranked within the nation's top 100 most populous urban areas. 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 ...

(1861–1865), York became the largest

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

town to be occupied by the Confederate army when the division of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Jubal Anderson Early Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was a Virginia lawyer and politician who became a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his U.S. Army commis ...

spent June 28–30, 1863, in and around the town while the

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

of John B. Gordon marched to the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

at Wrightsville and back. Early laid York under tribute and collected food, supplies, clothing, shoes, and $28,000 in cash from citizens and merchants before departing westward obeying the revised orders of

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...

. The sprawling York U.S. Army Hospital on Penn Commons served thousands of Union soldiers wounded at the battles of Antietam and Gettysburg. In the Postbellum era (1865–1877), York remained a regional center for local agriculture, but increasingly became an important industrial center, with such industries as

steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be ...

s, railroad manufacturing, and papermaking coming to the forefront. York also features some unique architecture ranging from colonial era buildings to large gothic churches.

20th century

The York Motor Car Co. built

Pullman automobile The Pullman was an American automobile manufactured in York, Pennsylvania by the York Motor Car Company from 1905 to 1909 and the Pullman Motor Car Company from 1909 to 1917. The Pullman automobile was named by industrialist Albert P. Broomell ...

s on North George St. from 1905 thorough 1917. An early and unique six-wheeled prototype was involved in one of the city's first known automobile accidents. Another model was driven to San Francisco and back over about one month to prove its reliability several years before the creation of the

Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 191 ...

which ran through town, connecting New York and San Francisco. The York area had also been home for more than 100 years to the Pfaltzgraff company, which built its first

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...

factory in the area in 1895 and continued manufacturing in York until 2005. Though now produced by the Hershey Company, the York Peppermint Pattie was created in York in 1940. Throughout the middle 20th Century, the black residents of the city were subject to hostile racial prejudice and social injustices. Between 1955 and 1970, the people of York experienced racial discrimination leading to riots, most notably the 1969 York Race Riot, which resulted in the death of Lillie Belle Allen and Henry C. Schaad. These murders were largely left ignored until 31 years later, when allegations of murder and racial prejudice were raised against the mayor at the time,

Charlie Robertson Charles Culbertson Robertson (January 31, 1896 – August 23, 1984) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher, and is best remembered for throwing a perfect game in 1922. He was the last surv ...

. Additionally, throughout the entire century, the city commonly held unopposed

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Cat ...

rallies and public meetings, despite continuous racial tensions. Though the murders of Allen and Schaad were solved and the perpetrators were apprehended, the actions, which originate back to the beginnings of the hate group, continue to present day.

21st century

In 2002, the city faced a budget shortfall of $1,000,000.

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

John S. Brenner's plan to raise the money by asking York County's 302,000 adult residents to donate $3.32 to the city received national attention. The plan, referred to by some as the "Big Mac" Plan, did not raise all the monies sought. After many years of attempting to secure funding for a stadium and a baseball team to play in it, the first decade of the century saw York realize both goals. In 2007, Santander Stadium, home of the York Revolution, opened in the Arch Street neighborhood. The stadium, along with other large projects such as the York County Judicial Center and the Codo 241 luxury apartment lofts, symbolizes York's extensive redevelopment efforts

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (1.14%) is water.

Climate

York has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

('' Dfa'') with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. The mean annual precipitation total of is fairly evenly spread throughout the year, and falls on an average of 126.6 days per annum. Record temperatures from the York COOP range from , set on July 2, 1901, down to , recorded on January 28, 1925, and January 21, 1994; at York Airport, with a considerably shorter period of record, the range is , set on July 22, 2011, down to as recently as March 6–7, 2015. The York COOP also holds the official statewide 24-hour precipitation record of set on June 22, 1972, due to the impact of

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, from the Caribbean to Canada, ...

Demographics

York is the largest principal city of the York–Hanover–Gettysburg CSA, a

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...

that includes the York–Hanover metropolitan area (York County) and the Gettysburg micropolitan area ( Adams County), which had a combined population of 473,043 at the 2000 census. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, York had a population of 44,800. Of which, 38.1% were Hispanic/Latino, 32.4% were non-hispanic White, 23.1% were non-hispanic Black, 0.8% were Asian, 0.2% were Native American or Pacific Islander, and 5.4% were mixed or other.

2010

As of the 2010 census, the city was 51.2% White, 28.0% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.2% Asian, and 6.3% were two or more races. 28.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 40,862 people, 16,137 households, and 9,246 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 18,534 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 59.75%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 25.13%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.42% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 9.40% from other races, and 3.83% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 17.19% of the population. There were 16,137 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.0% were married couples living together, 20.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.17. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,475, and the median income for a family was $30,762. Males had a median income of $26,792 versus $20,612 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,439. About 20.0% of families and 23.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

York was the home of dental equipment and false teeth giant,

Dentsply Sirona Dentsply Sirona is an American dental equipment manufacturer and dental consumables producer that markets its products in over 120 countries. It has factories in 21 countries. The present company is largely the result of a merger in 1993 in whic ...

, until the company moved its headquarters to North Carolina in 2019. Though founded in New York by four men, the company moved its headquarters to the site of its factory in the 1900s, where it was run by one of the four founders, George H. Whiteley. Whiteley was an experienced ceramist who was familiar with the process of making artificial teeth. Whiteley was sent by the group to oversee the factory and his family presided over the factory for multiple generations. Dentsply Sirona is a

NASDAQ The Nasdaq Stock Market () (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations Stock Market) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the US by volume, and ranked second ...

listed company, and internationally known throughout the dentistry business. York Barbell, located in Manchester Township, is a reseller of barbells and other equipment for weight training and

bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...

, and is the home of the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame. A large

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depre ...

motorcycle factory, which employs roughly half of Harley's production workforce, is located just northeast of York in Springettsbury Township. The York area is home to two major manufacturers of modern hydro-power water turbines, Voith Hydro in West Manchester Township and American Hydro in Hellam Township, both of which manufacture enormous parts in their plants. Spring Garden Township, directly south of York, is headquarters to York International, a Johnson Controls Company and one of the largest suppliers of

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. ...

systems in the United States. On February 2, 1998, a massive explosion occurred at the York International plant. A spark had set off a leak in the nearby propane storage house. The blast was felt up to 25 miles away, and blew out windows nearby as well as knocking down doors. About 20 people were injured in the blast and one person was killed, as the explosion occurred during a shift change. The Stauffer Biscuit Company, owned by Meiji Seika of Japan since February 2004, is based in York and has produced

animal cracker An animal cracker is a particular type of cracker, baked in the shape of an animal, usually an animal either at a zoo or a circus, such as a lion, a tiger, a bear, or an elephant. The most common variety is light-colored and slightly sweet, bu ...

s since 1871; it is currently based in Spring Garden Township. Just north of York in East Manchester Township is one of only four Starbucks roasting facilities in the world. The York area also boasts a

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenue ...

facility in West Manchester Township which assembles various military tanks and equipment. The

Glatfelter Glatfelter is a leading global supplier of engineered materials with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability. The company's high quality, technology-driven, innovative and customizable nonwovens solutions can be found in products that a ...

manufacturing company, founded in 1864, is headquartered in York, though announced in February 2020 its plans to relocate to

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...

in mid-year. Glatfelter had sold its nearby Spring Grove paper mill in 2018. Christmas Tree Hill, a popular national Christmas, home decor, and gift retailer, is based in York since its founding in 1971. Their flagship location is housed in the historic Meadowbrook Mansion, constructed in East York in the early 1800s. The six columns on the mansion's front porch were reused from the second York County Courthouse cupola, which had been at 28 East Market Street from 1841 until taken down in 1898 to make room for the third courthouse.

Arts and culture

Architecture

Historic sites included the 1741 Golden Plough Tavern, the 1751 General Horatio Gates House, the 1766 York Meetinghouse, the 1863 Billmeyer House, the 1888 York Central Market, and the 1907

Moorish Revival Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centu ...

Temple Beth Israel. Other notable buildings are the Laurel-Rex Fire Company House,

Forry House Forry House is a historic home located at York, York County, Pennsylvania. Built in 1809 by Rudolph Forry, it is a -story, limestone dwelling with a gable roof and two gable end brick chimneys. ''Note:'' This includes It was added to the Na ...

, Farmers Market, Barnett Bobb House, Cookes House, United Cigar Manufacturing Company building, Stevens School, York Dispatch Newspaper Offices, and York Armory. The city is home to four national historic districts: Fairmount Historic District, Northwest York Historic District, Springdale Historic District, and York Historic District.

Fairgrounds and vendors

Much of York's culture represents the city's evolving role as an agricultural and industrial center. The historic York State Fair, which claims to be the country's oldest, traces its roots to 1765. It runs every year in late July for 10 days, encompassing an entire week and two weekends. In addition to typical fair attractions, such as rides, games and contests, it also wins regional recognition for hosting many musical artists, such as

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

Gretchen Wilson Gretchen Frances Wilson (born June 26, 1973) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single " Redneck Woman", a number-one hit on the '' Billboard'' country charts. The ...

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single " Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bil ...

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961), known professionally as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He released his first four studio albums—1993's '' Toby Keith'', 1994's ''Boomtown'', 19 ...

, and

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom ...

. The fairgrounds, branded the York Expo Center, also hosts the annual

National Street Rod Association The National Street Rod Association or NSRA is an organization that hosts a number of Hot Rod and Muscle Car shows in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or Ameri ...

Street Rod Nationals East, the largest annual street rod event in the Eastern US. The event brings thousands of street rods into the city for a few days in June. On Friday afternoon the city holds a parade through the center of the city for participating vehicles. York City Recreation and Parks helps sponsor the Olde York Street Fair each year on

Mothers Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...

, the second Sunday of May – a tradition since the early 1980s. In recent years more than 150 art, craft and food vendors have lined Market and George streets. Average attendance was 60,000 people as of 2004, according to city officials.

Theatre

York is home to DreamWrights Center for Community Arts,

The Belmont Theatre The Belmont Theatre, formerly York Little Theatre, is a community theater in York, Pennsylvania, founded on February 5, 1933, as part of the Little Theatre Movement. Early years The theatre initially borrowed space from the local Women's Club, t ...

, The Pullo Center at Penn State York, and the Appell Center for the Performing Arts (formerly Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center), which brings many nationally acclaimed acts to the York area. Performers here have included

Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artis ...

, Bill Cosby, B.B. King, Béla Fleck, and

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...

. The historic Capitol Theatre also features many independent and foreign films, making it the only venue in York (and sometimes the entire Susquehanna Valley) to feature some rare, yet critically acclaimed films. The Strand Studio has also branched out and offers live music, usually jazz & acoustic, for the community. In 2017, DreamWrights underwent the largest renovation in its 20-year history, adding a second performance space among other improvements.

Heritage

The York County History Center (YCHC) is a not-for-profit educational institution that preserves and uses its collections, historic sites, and museums to encourage exploration of the history and culture of York County, Pennsylvania. YCHC maintains eight historical sites that demonstrate 300 years of York County's history. The YCHC was founded in 1999 after a merger of the Historical Society of York County and the Agricultural and Industrial Museum of York County (AIM). Currently, the YCHC historical sites include the Worker's House (c. 1875), Golden Plough Tavern (c.1741), the Barnett Bobb Log House (1812), the Bonham House (c.1885) and old Eastern Market House (c.1886). In 1992, AIM acquired an industrial complex consisting of six buildings (c.1874 to 1955); three of the buildings were renovated and now house the industrial portion of the collection. The YCHC hosts a variety of events throughout the year, and holds the rights to the Murals of York, a group of murals that depict York's history. The History Center purchased a former

Met-Ed FirstEnergy Corp is an electric utility headquartered in Akron, Ohio. It was established when Ohio Edison acquired Centerior Energy in 1997. Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the distribution, transmission, and generation of electri ...

steam plant in York in late 2015, and plans to turn it into a new history center. In 2016, what was the York County Heritage Trust rebranded as the York County History Center.

Music

The York Factory Whistle holds the world record for the loudest music without amplification from a non-musical instrument. Every Christmas Eve the whistle uses a

compressor A compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. An air compressor is a specific type of gas compressor. Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can tr ...

to create air pressure, then releases it through a series of tubes using a device much like a

slide whistle A slide whistle (variously known as a swanee or swannee whistle, lotos flute piston flute, or jazz flute) is a wind instrument consisting of a fipple like a recorder's and a tube with a piston in it. Thus it has an air reed like some woodw ...

. (Prior to 2010, the pressure was created using steam produced by a

boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central ...

.) The music has had a loudness of 140 dB and can be heard 10 to 12 miles away with proper weather conditions. Various Christmas music is played for a short time around midnight. It is thought that this annual tradition was started around 1925. Other sources put the tradition back to at least 1888. After the hosting New York Wire Cloth Company plant closed in 2013,

Metso Metso Oyj was a Finnish industrial machinery company focusing on providing technology and services for mining, aggregates, and oil and gas, recycling, pulp and paper and other process industries. On 30 June 2020, Metso's partial demerger and ...

moved the whistle to their factory in York and the annual concert tradition has continued. Metso announced in August 2015 that it would close its York plant by the end of March 2016. As of December 2017, the building was still owned by Metso and the annual 25-minute York Factory Whistle Concert remained scheduled, along with two daytime rehearsal sessions. By December 2018, the hosting factory building was owned by 240 Arch LLC, and the air compressor (to be moved there for rehearsals and the concert) is trailer-mounted. Another early Christmas concert and Saturday-before practice were announced for 2019. The alternative rock band Live is from York. Many of Live's songs are about the town including "Shit Towne" from their most successful album ''

Throwing Copper ''Throwing Copper'' is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Live, released on April 26, 1994, on former MCA Records subsidiary Radioactive Records. It was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and was recorded at P ...

''. York is home to many veteran as well as up-and-coming talented artists and musicians from all genres including funk, blues, jazz, rock, experimental, country, and bluegrass. The rock band Hexbelt is known for its brand of "Susquehanna Hexbelt Swing" music. York hosts a variety of open mics and underground venues such as the Sign of the Wagon and The Depot. Astro Lasso, an electronic

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

band from York managed by Frankie Muniz, toured with We the Kings in 2017. The York chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, performing as the White Rose Chorus, was founded in 1945.

Shopping

The area's main shopping centers are York Galleria and

West Manchester Town Center West Manchester Town Center is an open-air shopping center in West Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania, west of the city of York. It replaces the former West Manchester Mall, an enclosed, one-story shopping mall. History Crown America ...

Sports

Baseball

The York Revolution plays in the independent

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. After 36 years without professional baseball, the Revolution arrived in 2007 to fill the void left by the departed York White Roses. The Revolution are named after the city's colonial past, when the

met in York and passed the Articles of Confederation during the Revolutionary War. The Revolution continue the old baseball rivalry between York and the nearby city of Lancaster. The Revolution play at PeoplesBank Park in York's Arch Street neighborhood. The stadium features a plaza and statue in honor of MLB

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

third baseman

Brooks Robinson Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (born May 18, 1937) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "the Human Vacuum Cleaner" or "Mr. Hoover", he is generally co ...

, a one-time member of the aforementioned White Roses, with whom he made his professional baseball debut in 1955. Robinson currently serves as a special assistant and advisor to Opening Day Partners, the group largely responsible for bringing professional baseball back to York. PeoplesBank Park has the distinction of having the tallest wall in baseball. At 37 feet, 8 inches, the left field wall of York's ballpark surpasses the height of the Green Monster at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and Boston Braves (baseball), since 1953, i ...

, the home of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Football

The people of York (the ''White Rose City'') and the similar city of Lancaster (the ''Red Rose City'') across the

often engage in rivalry and competition that has its roots in the

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the throne of England, English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These w ...

. Both cities take their names from the English cities,

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

and Lancaster, from which the opposing

royal houses A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. ...

took their names in the 15th-century wars. The War of the Roses All-Star Game is played in York every year over the weekend of

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...

. The game pits the best high school football players in their senior seasons from the York- Adams League against a similar team from the Lancaster-

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

League. As the game only involves seniors and occurs during the first weekend of the PIAA District 3 football playoffs (players on teams which qualify for the playoffs do not participate), it is the final high school football game for each of the participants. Former

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...

, and

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...

defensive lineman Chris Doleman graduated from York's William Penn High School. York was the birthplace of former New York Giants Linebacker Andre Powell, former Miami Dolphins running back Woodrow (Woody) Bennett, former Los Angeles Raiders and Atlanta Falcons Tackle/Guard

Lincoln Kennedy Tamerlane Lincoln Kennedy (born Tamerlane Fizel Kennedy Jr.; February 12, 1971) is a former football offensive tackle. He played college football at Washington, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. A first-round selection in the 19 ...

and former Atlanta Falcons safety Omar Brown.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...

Bruce Arians Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the h ...

, is also a graduate of William Penn Senior High School (1970). New York Giants Offensive Tackle William Beatty is also a York, Pennsylvania native. Former

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

fullback Jon Witman graduated from Eastern York High School. The

York Capitals The Central Penn Capitals (formerly the York Capitals) were a professional indoor football team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Capitals played as members of American Indoor Football (AIF) from 2013 to 2016. The club was established in 20 ...

indoor football team was founded in 2012 and began play with the American Indoor Football league in April 2013. The team moved to Harrisburg after its 2015 league championship and was renamed the Central Penn Capitals before it folded in 2016.

Other sports

The Bob Hoffman Auditorium at York Barbell hosts a variety of

powerlifting Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effo ...

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 ...

lifting, strongman and

competitions and shows. York is home to the "Plywood Hoods", a group of BMX freestylers, including Kevin Jones, who gained broad acclaim in the 1980s and 1990s. York is also the home of the York County Silver Bullets semiprofessional football team (Colonial Football Alliance). In their 2006 inaugural season, they had a record of 5–5 and gained a playoff berth, though lost in the first round. "The Pogo Squad", a group of about twelve extreme pogo performers, is located in York. They participate in area events, including the York St. Patrick's Day Parade, and perform shows. A photo of one member's pogo stunt against a sunset background won first place out of over 800 entries in a 2007 York newspaper photo contest. York was home to the Thunder D'ohm Skateboard Park, now defunct. There has been a new park built entitled "Reid Menzer Memorial Skatepark", named for a York Catholic High School student who was killed riding a skateboard like a streetluge. York US30 was a drag strip just outside York. It held the 1965 Super Stock championships – "the largest one day drag race" in the United States. An annual Musclecar Madness event is held in York to commemorate the defunct strip. York will host the 2019

PDGA The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and sustainable growth of disc golf. The PDGA is the global governing body of disc golf. The organization promotes the ...

Amateur

Disc Golf Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...

World Championships, having won against six other tournament-hosting bids. The tournament director will be Chas Ford. Disc golf courses to be used include those at

Gifford Pinchot State Park Gifford Pinchot State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in northern York County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was named in honor of noted conservationist and former Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot. The fourth chief of the Uni ...

Codorus State Park Codorus State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Heidelberg, Manheim, Penn, and West Manheim Townships in southwestern York County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park was created around Lake Marburg, an artificial lake covering ...

, Muddy Run, and more. The week-long event will take place in mid-July.

Government

York was featured during the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, when

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

's Michele Norris and

Steve Inskeep Steven Alan Inskeep (; born June 16, 1968) is an American journalist who is currently a host of ''Morning Edition'' and ''Up First'' on National Public Radio. Prior to being host of ''Morning Edition'', Inskeep covered the Pentagon, the 2000 pres ...

chose to showcase the city in "The York Project: Race & the '08 Vote." The program was aired as a 7-part series and featured different York citizens discussing race relations, racial perceptions, and the emotions inspired by the 2008 election. Norris stated that York was chosen due to its central location in a battleground state, its rich history (including its strained race relations), and demographics. On June 19, 2009, Norris announced on the air that she was taking time off to write a book inspired by her conversations "with a diverse group of voters" in York, and ''The Grace of Silence: A Memoir'' was published in September 2010. In 2009,

Kim Bracey C. Kim Bracey is an American politician. She served as the 24th Mayor of York, Pennsylvania, from January 4, 2010, to January 2, 2018. She was the first African American mayor of the city and the second woman to hold the office. Betty Marshall, ...

won the Democratic primary and became the favored candidate for mayor. She won the general election in November against Republican opponent Wendell Banks and took office on the first Monday in 2010 as the city's first African-American and second woman mayor. Bracey won reelection in November 2013 against

Libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...

challenger Dave Moser. Michael Helfrich defeated Bracey by only 133 votes in 2017. A Democratic city council president, Helfrich ran for mayor as a Republican after losing the Democratic primary election to Bracey by just over 300 votes. Helfrich was inaugurated as mayor on January 2, 2018.

Education

York and the surrounding area are served by the York City, Dallastown, Eastern York, West York, Central York, York Suburban, Southern York County, Red Lion, Northeastern York,

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maids ...

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

, South Western, Spring Grove, York County School of Technology and South Eastern public school districts. Some of the private Christian schools in the area include, Christian School of York, Shrewsbury Christian Academy, and York Catholic High School. There are also a number of charter schools in the area. Lincoln Charter School was established in 2000, Helen Thackston Charter School in 2009, and York Academy Regional Charter School in 2011. The city is home to

York College of Pennsylvania York College of Pennsylvania is a private college in Spring Garden Township, York County, Pennsylvania, Spring Garden Township, Pennsylvania. It offers more than 70 baccalaureate majors in professional programs, the sciences, and humanities to 3 ...

, which was founded in 1787;

Penn State York Penn State York is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Spring Garden Township, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 742 students as of 2021. The York campus was established in 1939 to provide technical education and to allow ...

; Harrisburg Area Community College's York Campus; YTI Career Institute (YTI), which offers accredited degree and diploma programs in the business, healthcare, and culinary fields; York Time Institute, which offers diplomas in clock repair and restoration. The city used to house the Art Institute of York-Pennsylvania, formerly Bradley Academy for the Visual Arts, until its closure in 2017, as well as the Yorktowne Business Institute (YBI) & School of Culinary Arts .

Media

York is unusual in that it supports two daily newspapers, despite its relatively small size. The '' York Daily Record/Sunday News'' is published mornings, seven days a week, and '' The York Dispatch'' is published Monday through Friday mornings. The Dispatch was an afternoon paper until 2014. The Daily Record/Sunday News currently has the lead in terms of circulations of the daily newspapers. York is part of the Susquehanna Valley (

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in ...

/ Lancaster/

) media market. The Fox affiliate WPMT 43, has its base of operations in York. York has a

Public, educational, and government access Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...

(PEG) cable TV station called WRCT (White Rose Community Television) wrct.tv which used to be YCAT ( York Community Access Television). The pop music radio station, WSBA AM 910, achieved high ratings in York, and nearby Harrisburg and Lancaster, during the 1960s and 1970s. WSBA, now a news-talk station, was the flagship station of

Susquehanna Broadcasting The Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff Company was a conglomerate of companies that started in the 19th century with Johann George Pfaltzgraff's emigration from Germany to York, Pennsylvania (in the Susquehanna Valley). Johann Pfaltzgraff was a potter and ...

, which had its corporate offices in York. Other radio stations in York include WVYC from York College, WARM FM, WQXA FM, and WOYK. FM stations licensed to York include:

Infrastructure

Fire department and public safety

The City of York is served by the York City Fire Department (Company 99). The YFD operates out of four fire stations, located throughout the city, and maintains a fire apparatus fleet of 6 engines, 2 trucks, 1 service, and other support units. The YFD staffs 3 engines, 1 truck and 1 duty Chief 24-hours a day. The YFD responds to approximately 2,700 emergency calls annually. The city and surrounding area are also served by York Area United Fire and Rescue (Company 89), First Capital EMS (MICU 5), UPMC LifeTeam EMS (MICU 2), York City Police, York County Regional Police, Spring Garden Township Police, as well as other police departments, ambulance stations, and fire companies.

Transportation

Bus service

York is served, through public transportation, by Rabbit Transit, which operates multiple bus routes in the city and the surrounding suburbs. In 2006 a rabbitEXPRESS bus route was established to transport commuters to

and back, making six round trips weekdays. Rabbit Transit introduced a new route on February 2, 2009, that provides three daily round trips between York and

Timonium, Maryland Timonium is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 9,926. Prior to 2010 the area was part of the Lutherville-Timonium CDP. The Maryland State Fair is held in T ...

. The $5 fare each way covers 80% of the operating costs. In addition to Rabbit Transit the city has a Greyhound/Trailways bus depot where service through Harrisburg to

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...

, or to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. is provided by

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and ...

Bieber Transportation Group Bieber Transportation Group was an American bus company based in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, operating intercity commuter buses, charter buses, and tours. The company provided bus service from the Reading and Lehigh Valley regions of eastern Pennsyl ...

formerly provided service to

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 ...

along a route running by way of Lancaster,

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...

, and

and a route running by way of Lancaster, Reading, and the Lehigh Valley until service was discontinued on April 1, 2018. Intercity bus service to New York City was restored by OurBus on July 1, 2018.

Rail

Lancaster, 24 miles to the east, has frequent

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

train service to

. As recent as the late 1960s the station was the site of several train departures a day, run by the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

heading north to

and south, towards

and

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morg ...

, including the ''

Buffalo Day Express The ''Buffalo Day Express'' was a long-distance north–south Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train from Washington, D.C. to Buffalo, New York. It had a second branch that originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and at times, from New York, New ...

,'' the ''Northern Express,'' the '' Spirit of St. Louis'' and shuttle cars for the ''

Penn Texas The ''Penn Texas'' was a named passenger train of the Pennsylvania Railroad that ran from New York City's Pennsylvania Station to St. Louis' Union Station from 1948 to 1970. The train also had a branch from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Washington, ...

.'' The last '' Red Arrow'' bound for Detroit departed from York in the latter half of the 1950s. Rail advocates have suggested commuter rail service could be started between York and Philadelphia with much of the necessary infrastructure already in place, using

SEPTA The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five c ...

's system. Transportation planners say this is too expensive, with bus and van services more feasible. The former Pennsylvania Railroad station for York now lies along the

York County Heritage Rail Trail Heritage Rail Trail County Park is a National Recreation Trail rail-with-trail in Pennsylvania built in 1999 by the York County Rail Trail Authority (YCRTA). It connects with the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail in Maryland. The trail runs along t ...

across from the baseball park.

Major roads

U.S. Route 30 * I-83

Interstate 83

Airports

York does not have any commercial airports, though the small York Airport (THV) is located 7 miles southwest in Thomasville. The nearest major airports are Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) and

Harrisburg International Airport Harrisburg International Airport is a public airport in Middletown, Pennsylvania, nine miles (15 km) southeast of Harrisburg. It is owned by the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority., effective September 16, 2022 The airport code ...

(MDT).

Notable people

List of people from York, Pennsylvania The following people were all born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with York, Pennsylvania. References {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of People From York, Pennsylvania York, Pennsylvania York York is a cathedral city with Ro ...

In popular culture

York is the hometown of the protagonist of John Grisham's 2009 novel '' The Associate''. At the book's end, the protagonist happily abandons a well-paid but highly unpleasant job in a giant Wall Street law firm, returning to his hometown to work there with his lawyer father.

Sister cities

York is twinned with: *

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province ...

, France (since 1954) *

Leinfelden-Echterdingen Leinfelden-Echterdingen ( Swabian: ''Laefälda-Ächdordeng'') is a town in the district of Esslingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located approximately 10 km south of Stuttgart, near the Stuttgart Airport and directly adjacent t ...

, Germany (since 1981)

References

External links

*
City of York
(official site)
York Town Square history blog
{{Authority control Former capitals of the United States Pennsylvania in the American Civil War County seats in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1741

Cities in York County, Pennsylvania 1741 establishments in Pennsylvania Cities in Pennsylvania