Pennsylvania

PA Towns & Culture

Strategically positioned in western Pennsylvania midway between Pittsburgh, Erie, Chicago and New York City at the junction of Interstates 79, 80 & 376, Mercer County offers unique location advantages for business and industrial development and is indeed a great place to visit, live, work and invest.

Charming downtown areas feature unique specialty shops and art galleries. In addition Mercer County was selected as one of “Golf Digests” Top Golf Destinations. Outdoor adventures abound in the area with kayaking on the Shenango River’s 23 mile water trail, skydiving, fishing, hiking/biking trails and more. Two state parks, Maurice K. Goddard State Park and Pymatuning State Park, offer diverse recreational opportunities. Nearby McConnell’s Mill and and Moraine State Park in nearby Lawrence County, increase the outdoor offerings.

A one-hour drive to Pittsburgh and Cleveland further affords residents and businesses alike access to major league sporting events, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Small town living with an ease of access to major metropolitan areas, Mercer County truly offers the best of both worlds.

Community Facts, Figures & Statistics

Mercer County, Pennsylvania cost of living is 81.00/National average is 100
Size — 683 square miles
Population: 116,638
Median Age: 42.8 years
Under 18 Years: 21.6%
Age 65 and Over: 18.5%
Median Family Income: $54,160
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 23.5%
High School Degree or Higher: 82.3%
Source: 2010 U.S. Census

Economic Centers Population

Greenville Area: 27,597
Grove City Area: 15,718
Lakeview Area: 8,610
Mercer Area: 16,810
Shenango Valley: 47,903
(Including the cities of Sharon, Farrell and Hermitage)

Avenue of Flags

The avenue began during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, with an American ag added every day the Americans taken hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran remained in captivity. Eventually, there were 444 ags, many donated by local veterans and their families. Flagpoles and the labor to erect them were initially donated by local companies and the steelworkers union.

Buhl Farm Park

Buhl Farm Park was the creative idea of millionaire industrialist Frank H. Buhl in the early 1900's. Wanting to share their wealth with others, Mr. Buhl and his wife, Julia, did so in their home town. Frank Buhl saw a need and decided it was time to rectify the Sharon area's lack of recreational and cultural institutions. Between 1907 and 1911 he purchased 7 different parcels of farm land in Hickory Township (now known as the city of Hermitage), bordered by the Borough of Sharon (now known as the city of Sharon), and the Borough of Sharpsville. The parcels combined make up an area totaling 262.66 acres. Over 4 years of planning and strategizing took place and they were able to develop the land into a beautiful outdoor recreational park known as Buhl Farm.

Shopping

Sharon is home to some of the world’s largest family owned and operated retail stores of their kind. These stores have been featured on the Travel Channel, David Letterman, and more. Reyer’s the world’s largest shoe store, opened 1886, stocks over 100,000 pairs of brand name shoes in hard-to-find men’s, women’s and children’s sizes. The Winner, features four floors of savings on the latest fashions and accessories in petite, missy, and women sizes featuring luxurious evening-wear, career-wear, cruise-wear and bridal. Kraynak’s, established 1949 in Hermitage, is a truly a store for all seasons. There are three divisions of the Kraynak business — Santa’s Christmasland and Easter Bunny Lane, Kraynak’z Lawn and Garden Center and a group of six nurseries where trees and shrubs are grown for retail and wholesale sales. Kraynak's is a family owned business that promotes fair pricing and quality products. Many families over the years have made Kraynak's their store for all seasons. Daffin’s, the world’s largest candy store, features a wonderful selection of homemade chocolates, candies, cards, and gifts since 1949 and is home of the “Chocolate Kingdom.” These unique chocolate sculptures will delight all.

Creating handcrafted metal gift-ware since 1923, Wendell August continues to produce unique heirloom gifts for all of life’s special moments. Enjoy watching our skilled artisans and craftsman create one of a kind made in the USA gifts. Visit our history center and shop our Flagship store all located in the same building, a new state of the art facility.

The Grove City Premium Outlets, a beautiful open-air outlet center is considered on of Western Pennsylvania’s premiere shopping destination with over 130 brand-name outlet stores. You’ll find tax-free shopping on most clothing and shoes with savings of 25%-65% off everyday retail. Shop your favorite brands including Bose, Calvin Klein, Chico’s, Coach, J. Crew, The North Face, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour, Vera Bradley and many more.

PA Education

Schools

Mercer County, Pennsylvania, schools spend $14,469 per student. There are 15 pupils per teacher, 471 students per librarian, and 462 children per counselor in Mercer County, Pennsylvania schools.

There are:

• 12 Secondary School Systems
• 5 Parochial Schools
• 4 Career and Training Centers

Higher education choices include:

Butler County Community College
Clarion University
Gannon University
Grove City College
Penn State Shenango
Slippery Rock University
Thiel College
Westminster College
Youngstown State University

PA Travel & Highlights

The McKeever Environmental Learning Center is a natural wooded setting about 75 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania near Sandy Lake, Mercer County. Created by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in 1974, it’s primary purpose is to provide environmental education programs to assist people of all ages to become better stewards of the Earth’s resources.

The Mercer County Trails Association, Inc. was formed with the primary purpose of developing and maintaining multipurpose trails in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, for public use, exclusively for charitable purposes. The organization maintains three different trail sites including the Trout Island Trail, the Greenville-Jamestown Trail and the Lake Wilhelm Trail.

Locals know that everything about Pymatuning State Park is big. At 16,892 acres, it is one of the largest state parks in the commonwealth and home to the largest lake — The 17,088-acre Pymatuning Reservoir. Pymatuning is one of the most visited state parks in Pennsylvania. But the biggest thing about Pymatuning State Park is all the opportunities for fun! Visitors have a variety of choices including boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and enjoying other recreational opportunities. In addition to the state park facilities, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission operates a fish hatchery and visitor center, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission has wildlife viewing areas.

The Shenango River Lake is part of the flood control system operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers for the Beaver and Upper Ohio Rivers. Situated within the suburban Shenango Valley, the lake provides an array of outdoor opportunities including picnicking, camping, nature photography, warm water fishing, boating (six boat ramps available), water sports, canoeing the Shenango River and the Pymatuning Creek and hiking an interpretive trail.

Nearby International Airports

Pittsburgh International Airport — 59 miles
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport — 81 miles
Erie International Airport — 84 miles
Buffalo Niagara International Airport — 178 miles
Port Columbus International Airport — 186 miles

Nearby Domestic Airports

Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport — 14 miles
Venango Regional Airport — 45 miles
Akron-Canton Airport — 70 miles
DuBois Regional Airport — 94 miles