Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

{{Infobox settlement

|name = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

| other_name = Harrisbarrig

|settlement_type = [[List of capitals in the United States|State capital]]

|official_name = City of Harrisburg

|nickname =

|motto = "En la rou Justita"

|image_skyline = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania photomontage.JPG

|imagesize = 250px

|image_caption = From top to bottom, left to right: [[Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)|Harrisburg skyline]]; [[Market Square, Harrisburg|Market Square]] in [[Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Downtown Harrisburg]]; [[Pennsylvania State Capitol]]; [[FNB Field]]; [[Walnut Street Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)|Walnut Street Bridge]]; [[Susquehanna River]]

|image_seal = HarrisburgPAseal.png

|seal_size = 72

|image_map = File:Dauphin County Pennsylvania incorporated and unincorporated areas Harrisburg highlighted.svg

|mapsize = 300px

|map_caption = Location of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

| pushpin_map = Pennsylvania#USA

| pushpin_label = Harrisburg

| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Pennsylvania##Location within the United States

|pushpin_relief = yes

| subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_type1 = [[List of states and territories of the United States|State]]

|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|County]]

|subdivision_name = {{USA}}

|subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Pennsylvania}}

|subdivision_name2 = [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin]]

|leader_title = [[List of mayors of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Mayor]]

|leader_name = [[Eric Papenfuse]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])

|leader_title1 = [[City Controller]]

|leader_name1 = Charlie DeBrunner (D)

|leader_title2 = [[Harrisburg City Council|City Council]]

|leader_name2 = {{Collapsible list

|title = [[Harrisburg City Council|Council Members]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://harrisburgcitycouncil.com/ |title=Harrisburg City Council Homepage |website=Harrisburgcitycouncil.com |access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref>

|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;

|frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;

|list_style = text-align:left;display:none;

|1 = Wanda D. Williams (President)

|2 = Sandra R. Reid (Vice President)

|3 = Brad Koplinski

|4 = Ben Allatt

|5 = Susan Brown Wilson

|6 = Jeff Baltimore

|7 = Shamaine Daniels

}}

|leader_title3 = [[Pennsylvania Senate|State Senate]]

|leader_name3 = [[John DiSanto]] (R)

|leader_title4 = [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives|State Representative]]

|leader_name4 = [[Patty Kim (politician)|Patty Kim]] (D)

|government_type = [[Mayor-council government|Mayor-Council]]

|established_title = European settlement

|established_date = About 1719

|established_title2 = [[Municipal Corporation|Incorporated]]

|established_date2 = 1791

|established_title3 = [[Charter city|Charter]]

|established_date3 = March 19, 1860

|founder = [[John Harris, Sr.]]

|named_for = [[John Harris, Sr.]]

|area_magnitude =

|total_type = City

|unit_pref = Imperial

|area_total_sq_mi = 11.86

|area_total_km2 = 30.73

|area_land_sq_mi = 8.12

|area_land_km2 = 21.03

|area_water_sq_mi = 3.75

|area_water_km2 = 9.70

|area_urban_sq_mi = 259.7

|area_urban_km2 = 672.6

|area_metro_sq_mi =

|area_metro_km2 =

|population_as_of = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]

|population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|title=State and county quick facts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4232800.html|publisher=U. S. Census Bureau|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601065636/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/4232800.html|archive-date=2012-06-01}}</ref>

|population_note =

|population_total = 49528

|population_density_sq_mi = 6068.60

|population_metro = 577941 ([[Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area|98th]])

|population_density_metro_sq_mi =

|population_urban = 444474 (86th)

|population_density_urban_sq_mi =

|population_blank1_title = [[Combined statistical area|CSA]]

|population_blank1 = 1271801([[Harrisburg–York–Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area|46th]])

|population_demonym = Harrisburger, Harrisburgian

|timezone = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]

|utc_offset = −5

|timezone_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]

|utc_offset_DST = −4

|postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]]s

|postal_code = 17101-17113, 17120-17130, 17140, 17177

|area_code_type = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]

|area_code = [[Area codes 717 and 223|717 and 223]]

|coordinates = {{coord|40|16|11|N|76|52|32|W|region:US-PA|display=inline,title}}

|elevation_m = 98

|elevation_ft = 320

|elevation_max_ft =

|elevation_min_ft =

|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]

|blank_info = 42-32800<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>

|blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID

|blank1_info = 1213649<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>

----

|blank2_name = [[Interstate Highway System|Interstates]]

|blank3_name = Waterways

|blank3_info = [[Susquehanna River]]

|blank4_name = Primary Airport

|blank4_info = [[Harrisburg International Airport]]- MDT (Major/International)

|blank5_name = Secondary Airport

|blank5_info = [[Capital City Airport (Pennsylvania)|Capital City Airport]]- CXY (Minor)

|blank6_name = Public transit

|blank6_info = [[Capital Area Transit (Harrisburg)|Capital Area Transit]]

|website = [http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/ www.harrisburgpa.gov]

| footnotes = {{designation list|embed=yes|designation1=Pennsylvania|designation1_date=September 23, 1946<ref name="PAHMDB">{{cite web|url=http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_historical_marker_program/2539/search_for_historical_markers |title=PHMC Historical Markers Search |work=Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission |publisher=Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | format=Searchable database | access-date=2014-01-25}}</ref>}}

}}

'''Harrisburg''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ær|ɪ|s|b|ɜːr|ɡ}} {{respell|HARR|iss|burg}}; [[Pennsylvania German language|Pennsylvania German]]: ''Harrisbarrig''){{citation needed|date=June 2017}} is the capital city of the [[Pennsylvania|Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]] in the [[United States]], and the [[county seat]] of [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin County]]. With a population of 49,271, it is the [[List of cities in Pennsylvania by population|13th largest city]] in the Commonwealth. According to 2018 estimates of the Census Bureau,<ref>https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/harrisburgcitypennsylvania#qf-headnote-a</ref> the population is 51.8% Black or African American, 22.6% White, 21.8% Latino, 5.4% Asian, and 0.4% Native American while 3.9% identify as two or more races. It lies on the east bank of the [[Susquehanna River]], {{convert|107|mi|km}} west of [[Philadelphia]]. Harrisburg is one of two anchor cities of the [[Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area]], which had a 2019 estimated population of 577,941,<ref name="census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html |title=2010 Census |publisher=census.gov |access-date=2014-05-25 }}</ref> making it the fourth most populous metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and [[List of metropolitan statistical areas|96th most populous]] in the United States. It is the largest city of the [[Harrisburg–York–Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area]], also known as the Lower [[Susquehanna Valley]] region

Harrisburg played a notable role in American history during the [[American frontier|Westward Migration]], the [[American Civil War]] and the [[Industrial Revolution]]. During part of the 19th century, the building of the [[Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works|Pennsylvania Canal]], and later the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]], allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the [[Northeastern United States]]. The [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] ship USS ''Harrisburg'', which served from 1918 to 1919 at the end of World War I, was named in honor of the city. In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, [[Heavy industry|heavy manufacturing]], [[agriculture]], and food services (nearby [[Hershey, Pennsylvania|Hershey]] is home of the [[The Hershey Company|chocolate maker]], located just {{convert|10|mi|km}} east).

The [[Pennsylvania Farm Show]], the largest free indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, was first held in Harrisburg in 1917 and has been held there every early-to-mid January since then.<ref>[http://www.pabookstore.com/75fashhiofpe.html 75th Farm Show: A History of Pennsylvania's Annual Agricultural Exposition] Dan Cupper, Accessed January 29, 2010.</ref> Harrisburg also hosts an annual [[Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show|outdoor sports]] show, the largest of its kind in North America, an [[Pennsylvania Auto Show|auto show]], which features a large static display of new as well as classic cars and is renowned nationwide, and Motorama, a two-day event consisting of a car show, [[Motocross|motocross racing]], remote control car racing, and more. Harrisburg is also known for the [[Three Mile Island accident]], which occurred on March 28, 1979, near [[Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Middletown]].

In 2010 ''[[Forbes]]'' rated Harrisburg as the second best place in the U.S. to raise a family.<ref>{{Cite news| url = https://www.forbes.com/2010/06/04/best-places-family-lifestyle-real-estate-cities-kids | title = America's Best Places to Raise a Family | work=[[Forbes]] | first=Francesca | last=Levy | date=June 7, 2010}}</ref> Despite the city's recent financial troubles, in 2010 ''[[The Daily Beast]]'' website ranked 20 metropolitan areas across the country as being recession-proof, and the Harrisburg region landed at No. 7.<ref name="beast">{{cite news|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/08/harrisburg_area_ranked_among_t.html| year=2010| title=Harrisburg area ranked among Top 10 recession-proof cities| newspaper=[[The Patriot-News|Harrisburg Patriot News]]| access-date=2011-01-15}}</ref> The financial stability of the region is in part due to the high concentration of [[Government of Pennsylvania|state]] and [[Federal government of the United States|federal]] government agencies.

==History==

===Founding===

Harrisburg's site along the [[Susquehanna River]] is thought to have been inhabited by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] as early as 3000 BC. Known to the Native Americans as "Peixtin", or "[[Paxtang, Pennsylvania|Paxtang]]", the area was an important resting place and crossroads for Native American traders, as the trails leading from the Delaware to the Ohio rivers, and from the Potomac to the Upper Susquehanna intersected there. The first European contact with Native Americans in Pennsylvania was made by the Englishman, [[John Smith of Jamestown|Captain John Smith]], who journeyed from [[Virginia]] up the Susquehanna River in 1608 and visited with the [[Susquehannock|Susquehanna]] tribe. In 1719, [[John Harris, Sr.]], an English trader, settled here and 14 years later secured grants of {{convert|800|acre|km2}} in this vicinity. In 1785, [[John Harris, Jr.]] made plans to lay out a town on his father's land, which he named Harrisburg. In the spring of 1785, the town was formally surveyed by [[William Maclay (politician)|William Maclay]], who was a son-in-law of John Harris, Sr. In 1791, Harrisburg became incorporated, and in October 1812 it was named the Pennsylvania state capital, which it has remained ever since. The assembling here of the highly sectional Harrisburg Convention in 1827 (signaling what may have been the birth of lobbying on a national scale) led to the passage of the high [[Tariff of 1828|protective-tariff bill]] of 1828.<ref>W. Kesler Jackson, "Robbers and Incediaries: Protectionism Organizes at the Harrisburg Convention of 1827," Libertarian Papers 2, 21 (2010).</ref> In 1839, [[William Henry Harrison]] and [[John Tyler]] were nominated for [[President of the United States|president]] and [[Vice President of the United States|vice president of the United States]] at the first [[1839 Whig National Convention|national convention]] of the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]] of the United States, which was held in Harrisburg.

===Pre-industry: 1800–1850===

Before Harrisburg gained its first industries, it was a scenic, pastoral town, typical of most of the day: compact and surrounded by farmland. In 1822, the impressive brick capitol was completed for $200,000.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gilbert, Stephanie Patterson|url=http://www.old8thward.com/pdf/PattersonGilbertweb.pdf|title=Harrisburg's Old Eight Ward: Constructing a Website for Student Research|access-date=2011-04-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100508145003/http://www.old8thward.com/pdf/PattersonGilbertweb.pdf|archive-date=2010-05-08|url-status=dead}}</ref>

It was Harrisburg's strategic location which gave it an advantage over many other towns. It was settled as a trading post in 1719 at a location important to Westward expansion. The importance of the location was that it was at a pass in a mountain ridge. The Susquehanna River flowed generally west to east at this location, providing a route for boat traffic from the east. The head of navigation was a short distance northwest of the town, where the river flowed through the pass. Persons arriving from the east by boat had to exit at Harrisburg and prepare for an overland journey westward through the mountain pass. Harrisburg assumed importance as a provisioning stop at this point where westward bound pioneers transitioned from river travel to overland travel. It was partly because of its strategic location that the state legislature selected the small town of Harrisburg to become the state capital in 1812.

The grandeur of the Colonial Revival capitol dominated the quaint town. The streets were dirt, but orderly and platted in grid pattern. The Pennsylvania Canal was built in 1834 and coursed the length of the town. The residential houses were situated on only a few city blocks stretching southward from the capitol. They were mostly one story. No factories were present but there were blacksmith shops and other businesses.<ref name="Eggert, Gerald G. 1993. p58">Eggert, Gerald G., Harrisburg Industrializes: The Coming of Factories to an American Community. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993. p58</ref>

===American Civil War===

During the [[American Civil War]], Harrisburg was a significant training center for the [[Union Army]], with tens of thousands of troops passing through [[Camp Curtin]]. It was also a major rail center for the Union and a vital link between the Atlantic coast and the Midwest, with several railroads running through the city and spanning the Susquehanna River. As a result of this importance, it was a target of [[General]] [[Robert E. Lee]]'s [[Army of Northern Virginia]] during its two invasions. The first time during the 1862 [[Maryland Campaign]], when Lee planned to capture the city after taking [[Harpers Ferry, West Virginia]], but was prevented from doing so by the [[Battle of Antietam]] and his subsequent retreat back into Virginia. The second attempt was made during the [[Gettysburg Campaign]] in 1863 and was more substantial. The [[Skirmish of Sporting Hill]] took place in June 1863 in [[Camp Hill, Pennsylvania|Camp Hill]], just {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} west of Harrisburg.

During the first part of the 19th century, Harrisburg was a notable stopping place along the [[Underground Railroad]], as [[History of slavery in the United States|escaped slaves]] being transported across the Susquehanna River were often fed and supplied before heading north towards Canada.<ref>[http://alpha.dickinson.edu/departments/hist/NEHworkshops/NEH/resource/ugrrDocs.htm#harrisburg] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920215954/http://alpha.dickinson.edu/departments/hist/NEHworkshops/NEH/resource/ugrrDocs.htm |date=2006-09-20 }}</ref>

On July 3, 1863, the artillery barrage that marked the beginning of [[Pickett's Charge]] of the [[Battle of Gettysburg]] was heard from Harrisburg, almost 40 miles away.<ref>''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_8-53Rn7pY GETTYSBURG - The Artillery Duel- YouTube[2] ]''</ref>

===Industrial rise: 1850–1920===

Harrisburg's importance in the latter half of the 19th century was in the steel industry. It was an important railroad center as well. [[Iron and steel industry|Steel and iron]] became dominant industries. Steel and other industries continued to play a major role in the local economy throughout the latter part of the 19th century. The city was the center of enormous railroad traffic and its steel industry supported large furnaces, rolling mills, and machine shops. The Pennsylvania Steel Company plant, which opened in nearby [[Steelton, Pennsylvania|Steelton]] in 1866, was the first in the country; later operated by [[Bethlehem Steel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.steeltonpa.com/history.asp |title=Brief History| website=Steelton Boro Website|date=2008 |access-date=2016-02-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306040045/http://www.steeltonpa.com/history.asp |archive-date=2013-03-06 }}</ref>

Its first large scale iron foundries were put into operation shortly after 1850.<ref name="Eggert, Gerald G. 1993. p58"/>

As industries nationwide entered a phase of great expansion and technological improvement, so did industries – and in particular the steel industry – in Harrisburg. This can be attributed to a combination of factors that were typical of what existed in other successful industrial cities: rapid rail expansion; nearby markets for goods; and nearby sources for raw product.

With Harrisburg poised for growth in steel production, the Borough of Steelton became the ideal location for this type of industry. It was a wide swath of flat land located south of the city, with rail and canal access running its entire 4 mile length. There was plenty of room for houses and its own downtown section. Steelton was a company town, opened in 1866 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. Highly innovative in its steel making process, it became the first mill in the United States to make steel railroad rails by contract. In its heyday Steelton was home to more than 16,000 residents from 33 different ethnic groups. All were employed in the steel industry, or had employment in services that supported it. In the late 19th century, no less than five major steel mills and foundries were located in Steelton. Each contained a maze of buildings; conveyances for moving the products; large yards for laying down equipment; and facilities for loading their product on trains. Stacks from these factories constantly belched smoke. With housing and a small downtown area within walking distance, these were the sights and smells that most Steelton residents saw every day.

The rail yard was another area of Harrisburg that saw rapid and thorough change during the years of industrialization. This was a wide expanse of about two dozen railroad tracks that grew from the single track of the early 1850s. By the late 19th century, this area was the width of about two city blocks and formed what amounted to a barrier along the eastern edge of the city: passable only by bridge. Three large and ornately embellished passenger depots were built by as many rail lines. Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest rail line in Harrisburg. It built huge repair facilities and two large roundhouses in the 1860s and 1870s to handle its enormous freight and passenger traffic and to maintain its colossal infrastructure. Its rails ran the length of Harrisburg, along its eastern border. It had a succession of three passenger depots, each built on the site of the predecessor, and each of high style architecture, including a train shed to protect passengers from inclement weather. At its peak in 1904, it made 100 passenger stops per day. It extended westward to Pittsburgh; across the entire state. It also went eastward to Philadelphia, serving Steelton en route. The vital anthracite coal mines in the Allegheny Mountains were reached by the Northern Central Railroad. The Lebanon Valley Railroad extended eastward to Philadelphia with spurs to New York City. Another rail line was the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad which provided service to Philadelphia and other points east.<ref>Eggert, Gerald G., Harrisburg Industrializes: The Coming of Factories to an American Community. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993. p40</ref>

===Industrial decline: 1920–1970===

The decades between 1920 and 1970 were characterized by [[deindustrialization|industrial decline]] and population shift from the city to the suburbs. Like most other cities which faced a loss of their industrial base, Harrisburg shifted to a service-oriented base, with industries such as health care and convention centers playing a big role. Harrisburg's greatest problem was a shrinking city population after 1950. This loss in population followed a national trend and was a delayed result of the decline of Harrisburg's steel industry. This decline began almost imperceptibly in the late 1880s, but did not become evident until the early 20th century.

After being held in place for about 5 years by WWII armament production, the population peaked shortly after the war, but then took a long-overdue dive as people fled from the city. Hastening the flight to the suburbs were the cheap and available houses being built away from the crime and deteriorating situation of the city. The reduction in city population coincided with the rise in population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area. The trend continued until the 1990s.<ref>Eggert, Gerald G., Harrisburg Industrializes: The Coming of Factories to an American Community. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993. p339</ref>

===Beginning of Harrisburg's suburbs: 1980s===

The gradual loss of industry, especially after WWII, coupled with the proliferation of the street car and later the automobile, led to [[white flight]] to the suburbs. Allison Hill was Harrisburg's first suburb. It was located east of the city on a prominent bluff, accessed by bridges across a wide swath of train tracks. It was developed in the late 19th century and offered affluent Harrisburgers the opportunity to live in the suburbs only a few hundred yards from their jobs in the City. Easy access was achieved via the State Street Bridge leading east from the Capitol complex and the Market Street Bridge leading from the City's prominent business district. In 1886 a single horse trolley line was established from the city to Allison Hill. The most desirable section of Allison Hill was Mount Pleasant, which was characterized by large Colonial Revival style houses with yards for the very wealthy and smaller but still well-built row houses lining the main street for the moderately wealthy. State Street, leading from the Capitol directly toward Allison Hill, was planned to provide a grand view of the Capitol dome for those approaching the City from Allison Hill. This trend towards outlying residential areas began slowly in the late 19th century and was largely confined to the trolley line, but the growth of automobile ownership quickened the trend and spread out the population.

===20th century===

[[File:Anti-nuke rally in Harrisburg USA.jpg|thumb|right|170px|[[Anti-nuclear]] protest at Harrisburg in 1979, following the [[Three Mile Island accident]]]]

In the early 20th century, the city of Harrisburg was in need of change. Without proper sanitation, diseases such as [[Typhoid fever|typhoid]] began killing many citizens of Harrisburg. Seeing these necessary changes, several Harrisburg residents became involved in the [[City Beautiful movement]]. Mira Lloyd Dock spearheaded the movement with an impressive speech before the city's Board of Trade. Other prominent citizens of the city such as [[J. Horace McFarland]] and [[Vance McCormick]] advocated urban improvements which were influenced by European urban planning design and the [[World's Columbian Exposition]]. [[Warren Manning]] was hired to help bring about these changes. Specifically, their efforts greatly enlarged the Harrisburg park system, creating Riverfront Park, Reservoir Park, the Italian Lake and Wildwood Park. In addition, schemes were undertaken for the burial of electric wires, the creation of a modern sanitary sewer system, and the beautification of an expanded [[Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex|Capitol complex]].

The [[Pennsylvania Farm Show]], the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, was first held in 1917 and has been held every January since then. The present location of the Show is the [[Pennsylvania State Farm Show Arena]], located at the corner of Maclay and [[Cameron Street|Cameron]] streets.

In June 1972, Harrisburg was hit by a major flood from the remnants of [[hurricane Agnes]].

On March 28, 1979, the [[Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station|Three Mile Island]] nuclear plant, along the [[Susquehanna River]] located in Londonderry Township which is south of Harrisburg, suffered a partial meltdown. Although the meltdown was contained and radiation leakages were minimal, there were still worries that an evacuation would be necessary. Governor [[Dick Thornburgh]], on the advice of [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]] Chairman [[Joseph Hendrie]], advised the evacuation "of pregnant women and pre-school age children ... within a five-mile radius of the Three Mile Island facility." Within days, 140,000 people had left the area.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/tmi/stories/decade032889.htm A Decade Later, TMI's Legacy Is Mistrust] ''[[The Washington Post]]'', March 28, 1989, p. A01.</ref>

[[Stephen R. Reed]] was elected mayor in 1981 and served until 2009, making him the city's longest-serving mayor. In an effort to end the city's long period of economic troubles, he initiated several projects to attract new business and tourism to the city. Several museums and hotels such as [[Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts]], the [[National Civil War Museum]] and the [[Hilton Hotels|Hilton Harrisburg and Towers]] were built during his term, along with many office buildings and residential structures. Several minor league professional sports franchises, including the [[Harrisburg Senators]] of the [[Eastern League (U.S. baseball)|Eastern League]], the [[Harrisburg Heat (1991–2003)|Harrisburg Heat]] indoor soccer club, and [[Penn FC]] of the [[United Soccer League]] began operations in the city during his tenure as mayor. While praised for the vast number of economic improvements, Reed has also been criticized for population loss and mounting debt. For example, during a budget crisis the city was forced to sell $8 million worth of Western and American-Indian artifacts collected by Mayor Reed for a never-realized museum celebrating the [[American West]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnews/2007/05/160151-harrisburgs_western_artifacts.html|title=Harrisburg rounds up Western artifacts for auction – The Patriot News – Brief Article (May 2007)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917155734/http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnews/2007/05/160151-harrisburgs_western_artifacts.html|archive-date=2011-09-17}}</ref>

===21st century: fiscal difficulties and receivership===

[[File:Harrisburg PA from airplane.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of Harrisburg]]

During the nearly 30-year tenure of former Mayor [[Stephen R. Reed|Stephen Reed]] from 1981 to 2009, city officials ignored legal restraints on the use of bond proceeds, as Reed spent the money pursuing interests including collecting Civil War and Wild West memorabilia—some of which was found in Reed's home after his arrest on corruption charges.<ref name="MyUser_Pennlive.com_August_12_2015c">{{cite web |url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/07/reed_kane_corruption_harrisbur.html |title=Harrisburg corruption charges portray former mayor Stephen Reed as unhinged from normal checks and balances |newspaper=Pennlive.com |date=July 14, 2015 |author=Charles Thompson |access-date= August 12, 2015}}</ref> Infrastructure was left unrepaired, and the heart of the city's financial woes was a trash-to-electricity plant, the Harrisburg incinerator, which was supposed to generate income but instead, because of increased borrowing, incurred a debt of $320 million.<ref>{{cite news|last=Corkery|first=Michael|title=The Incinerator That Kept Burning Cash|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903532804576564882240033792|newspaper=WSJ|date=September 12, 2011}}</ref>

Missing audits and convoluted transactions, including swap agreements, make it difficult to state how much debt the city owes. Some estimates put total debt over $1.5 billion, which would mean that every resident would owe $30,285.<ref name=Harrisdebt>{{cite news|last=Malawskey|first=Nick|title=Harrisburg's eye-popping debt|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/05/harrisburgs_eye-popping_debt_t.html |newspaper=[[The Patriot-News]]|date=May 29, 2012}}</ref> These numbers do not reflect the school system deficit, the school district's $437 million long-term debt,<ref name = "school">{{cite news |author=Emily Previti |title=Harrisburg officials considering tax incentives for 10 city properties|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/08/harrisburg_officials_consideri.html |work=[[The Patriot-News]] |date=August 28, 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2013 }}</ref> nor unfunded pension and healthcare obligations.

Harrisburg was the first municipality ever in the history of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to be charged with securities fraud, for misleading statements about its financial health.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324659404578501241181682894 |title=The Many Ways That Cities Cook Their Bond Books|author=Malanga, Steve |date=June 1, 2013 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |access-date=1 June 2013}}</ref> The city agreed to a plea bargain to settle the case.<ref>{{cite news |author=Gilliland, Donald |title=SEC charges Harrisburg with fraud; settled case puts all municipalities on notice|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/05/sec_charges_harrisburg_with_fr.html|work=[[The Patriot-News]] |date=May 6, 2013 |access-date=May 6, 2013 }}</ref>

In October 2011, Harrisburg filed for [[Chapter 9, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 9]] bankruptcy when four members of the seven-member City Council voted to file a bankruptcy petition in order to prevent the [[Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]] from taking over the city's finances.<ref>{{cite web|title=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Chapter 9 Voluntary Petition|url=https://www.pacermonitor.com/view/CG4CTNA/City_of_Harrisburg,_PA__pambke-11-06938__0001.0.pdf|website=PacerMonitor|publisher=PacerMonitor|access-date=22 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated2">Voluntary Chapter 9 petition, docket entry 1, Oct. 11, 2011, case no. 1:11-bk-06938-MDF, U.S. Bankr. Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Veronikis|first=Eric|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/10/lawyer_files_bankruptcy_petiti.html|title=Harrisburg City Council attorney Mark D. Schwartz files bankruptcy petition|publisher=Patriot News|access-date=8 November 2013|date=2011-10-12}}</ref> Bankruptcy Judge Mary France dismissed the petition on the grounds that the City Council majority had filed it over the objection of Mayor [[Linda D. Thompson|Linda Thompson]], reasoning that the filing not only required the mayor's approval but had circumvented state laws concerning financially distressed cities.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203764804577058741020977490 |title=Harrisburg Bankruptcy Filing Voided |author1=Stech, Kasey |author2=Nolan, Kelley |date=November 25, 2011|newspaper=Wall Street Journal |access-date=13 June 2012}}</ref>

Instead, a state-appointed receiver took charge of the city's finances.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2011/11/23/news/economy/harrisburg_bankruptcy/index.htm|title=Troubled Harrisburg Now State's Problem|author=Luhbi, Tamy|date=November 23, 2011|website=CNN Money|access-date=13 June 2012}}</ref> Governor [[Tom Corbett]] appointed bond attorney David Unkovic as the city's receiver, but Unkovic resigned after only four months.<ref name = "unkovicburton">{{cite web|url=http://www.bondbuyer.com/news/harrisburg-receiver-david-unkovic-resigns-1038035-1.html|title=Frustrated Harrisburg Receiver David Unkovic Resigns |author=Burton, Paul |date=March 30, 2012|publisher=The Bond Buyer |access-date=13 June 2012}}</ref> Unkovic blamed disdain for legal restraints on contracts and debt for creating Harrisburg's intractable financial problem and said the corrupt influence of creditors and political cronies prevented fixing it.<ref name = "unkovicburton"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Rough politics, race and a corrupt Wall Street all factors in Harrisburg's financial distress, says former Receiver David Unkovic |url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/03/unkovic_race_politics_harrisbu.html |work=[[The Patriot-News]]|date=March 19, 2013 |access-date=2013-04-16 }}</ref>

As creditors began to file lawsuits to seize and sell off city assets, a new receiver, [[William B. Lynch]], was appointed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/06/harrisburg_receiver_william_ly.html|title= Harrisburg receiver William Lynch gives City Council ultimatum: Act on fiscal plan or I'll go to court |author=Malawskey, Nick |date=June 12, 2012|publisher=Harrisburg Patriot Naws|access-date=13 June 2012}}</ref> The City Council opposed the new receiver's plans for tax increases and advocated a stay of the creditor lawsuits with a bankruptcy filing, while Mayor Thompson continued to oppose bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/Harrisburg-City-Council-responds-to-Unkovic-Op-Ed/23lWSahU00iCRCVTARTWLA.cspx |title=Harrisburg City Council Respond to Unkovic Op-ed |date=June 11, 2012 |publisher=CBS 21 News, Harrisburg Pa. |access-date=13 June 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> State legislators crafted a moratorium to prevent Harrisburg from declaring bankruptcy, and after the moratorium expired, the law stripped the city government of the authority to file for bankruptcy and conferred it on the state receiver.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/06/state_house_approves_bill_exte.html|title= State House approves bill extending bankruptcy prohibition for Harrisburg; it heads to Senate for vote |author=Veronikis, Eric |date=June 30, 2012|newspaper=[[The Patriot-News]]|access-date=4 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/06/harrisburg_bankruptcy_debate_r.html|title= Harrisburg bankruptcy debate rises as expiration date for state law nears |author=Veronikis, Eric |date=June 9, 2012|newspaper=[[The Patriot-News]]|access-date=13 June 2012}}</ref>

<ref>{{cite news |author=Southwick, Ron |title=Newsmakers 2012: Harrisburg and its financial woes continue to grow |url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/12/newsmakers_2012_harrisburg_and.html |work=[[The Patriot-News]]|date=December 12, 2012 |access-date=2013-04-16 }}</ref>

After two years of negotiations, in August 2013 Receiver Lynch revealed his comprehensive voluntary plan for resolving Harrisburg's fiscal problems.<ref name="WSJ-Plan">{{cite news |author=Chris Maher |title=Harrisburg Gives Court Plan to Pay Off Its $360 Million Debt |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324906304579037364277138756 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 26, 2013 |access-date=2013-08-27 }}</ref> The complex plan calls for creditors to write down or postpone some debt.<ref name="plan details">{{cite news |author=Jason Scott |title=Harrisburg debt filing: Here is what we know about the plan|url=http://centralpennbusiness.com/article/20130826/CPBJ01/130829830/Harrisburg-debt-filing:-What-we-know-so-far-about-the-plan |work=[[The Patriot-News]] |date=August 26, 2013 |access-date=2013-08-27 }}</ref> To pay the remainder, Harrisburg will sell the troubled incinerator, lease for forty years its parking garages, and go further into debt by issuing new bonds.<ref name="WSJ-Plan"/><ref name="plan details"/> Receiver Lynch has also called for setting up nonprofit investment corporations to oversee infrastructure improvement (repairing the city's crumbling roads and water and sewer lines), pensions, and economic development.<ref name="Debt Deal"/> These are intended to allow nonprofit fundraising and to reduce the likelihood of mismanagement by the dysfunctional city government.<ref name="plan details"/><ref name="Debt Deal">{{cite news |author=Jeff Frantz |title=Debt deal would create two investment corporations for Harrisburg |url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/08/harrisburg_debt_deal_receiver.html |work=[[The Patriot-News]] |date=August 26, 2013 |access-date=2013-08-27 }}</ref>

Harrisburg's City Council and the state Commonwealth Court approved the plan, and it is in the process of being implemented.

<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/09/commonwealth_court_judge_says.html|title=Commonwealth Court judge says she'll confirm Harrisburg debt plan

|author=Joe Hermitt |date=September 19, 2013 |website=PennLive.com |publisher=The Patriot News |access-date=September 19, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/09/commonwealth_court_judge_says.html|title=Harrisburg City Council approval brings debt plan closer to implementation: 5 takeaways|author=Emily Previtt |date=September 17, 2013 |website=PennLive.com | publisher=The Patriot News |access-date=September 19, 2013}}</ref><ref name = "analysis">{{cite news |author=Donald Gilliland |title=What could still go wrong with Harrisburg's debt plan: an analysis|url=http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/08/what_could_still_go_wrong_with.html |work=[[The Patriot-News]] |date=August 27, 2013 |access-date=2013-08-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Jeff Frantz |title= Harrisburg debt deal ends incinerator lawsuits, pays Dauphin County, AGM|url= http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/12/harrisburg_debt_deal_receiver_4.html|work=[[The Patriot-News|Harrisburg Patriot News/pennlive.com]] |date=December 23, 2013 |access-date=2013-12-25 }}</ref>

[[File:Hbg downtown 2000.jpg|thumb|center|500px|<center>Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania [[panorama]], as seen from the [[John Harris Bridge]] (2000)</center>]]

==Geography==

[[File:Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - as seen from ISS on 2007-04-30.jpg|thumb|left|Astronaut's photograph of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, taken from the International Space Station (ISS) in 2007]]

===Topography===

Harrisburg is located at {{Coord|40|16|11|N|76|52|32|W|type:city}} (40.269789, -76.875613) in [[South Central Pennsylvania]],<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> within a four-hour drive of the metro areas of [[New York City|New York]], [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], [[Philadelphia]] and [[Pittsburgh]]. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|11.4|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|8.1|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|3.3|sqmi|km2}} of it (29.11%) is water. Bodies of water include [[Paxton Creek]] which empties into the [[Susquehanna River]] at Harrisburg, as well as [[Wildwood Park (Pennsylvania)|Wildwood Lake]] and [[Italian Lake (Harrisburg)|Italian Lake]] parks.

Directly to the north of Harrisburg is the [[Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)|Blue Mountain]] ridge of the [[Appalachian Mountains]]. The [[Cumberland Valley]] lies directly to the west of Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River, stretching into northern [[Maryland]]. The fertile [[Lebanon Valley]] lies to the east. Harrisburg is the northern fringe of the historic [[Pennsylvania Dutch Country]].

The city is the county seat of [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin County]]. The adjacent counties are [[Northumberland County, Pennsylvania|Northumberland County]] to the north; [[Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania|Schuylkill County]] to the northeast; [[Lebanon County, Pennsylvania|Lebanon County]] to the east; [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Lancaster County]] to the south; and [[York County, Pennsylvania|York County]] to the southwest; [[Cumberland County, Pennsylvania|Cumberland County]] to the west; and [[Perry County, Pennsylvania|Perry County]] to the northwest.

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Harrisburg

| North = [[Lewisburg, Pennsylvania|Lewisburg]] [[Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania|Selinsgrove]]

| Northeast = [[Pottsville, Pennsylvania|Pottsville]] [[Hazleton, Pennsylvania|Hazleton]]

| East = [[Lebanon, Pennsylvania|Lebanon]] [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]]

| Southeast = [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]] [[Philadelphia]]

| South = [[York, Pennsylvania|York]] [[Baltimore]]

| Southwest = [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg]] [[Frederick, Maryland|Frederick]]

| West = [[Altoona, Pennsylvania|Altoona]] [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]] [[Shippensburg, Pennsylvania|Shippensburg]]

| Northwest = [[Lewistown, Pennsylvania|Lewistown]] [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]]

}}

===Adjacent municipalities===

Harrisburg's western boundary is formed by the west shore of the [[Susquehanna River]] (the Susquehanna runs within the city boundaries), which also serves as the boundary between [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin]] and [[Cumberland County, Pennsylvania|Cumberland]] counties. The city is divided into numerous neighborhoods and districts. Like many of Pennsylvania's cities and [[borough (Pennsylvania)|boroughs]] that are at "build-out" stage, there are several townships outside of Harrisburg city limits that, although autonomous, use the name ''Harrisburg'' for postal and name-place designation. They include the townships of: [[Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania|Lower Paxton]], [[Middle Paxton Township, Pennsylvania|Middle Paxton]], [[Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Susquehanna]], [[Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Swatara]] and [[West Hanover Township, Pennsylvania|West Hanover]] in Dauphin County. The borough of [[Penbrook, Pennsylvania|Penbrook]], located just east of [[Reservoir Park (Harrisburg)|Reservoir Park]], was previously known as East Harrisburg. Penbrook, along with the borough of [[Paxtang, Pennsylvania|Paxtang]], also located just outside the city limits, maintain Harrisburg zip codes as well. The [[United States Postal Service]] designates 26 zip codes for Harrisburg, including 13 for official use by federal and state government agencies.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/zcl_1_results.jsp| year=2007| title=Zip Code search for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania| last=United States Postal Service| publisher=usps.gov/| access-date = 2007-01-03}}</ref>

{|

|-

| valign=top |

*'''Dauphin County'''

**[[Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Lower Paxton Township]] (east)

** [[Penbrook, Pennsylvania|Penbrook]] (northeast)

** [[Paxtang, Pennsylvania|Paxtang]] (east)

**[[Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Susquehanna Township]] (northeast)

**[[Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Swatara Township]] (southeast)

| valign=top |

*'''Cumberland County'''

**[[East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania|East Pennsboro Township]] (west)

**[[Lemoyne, Pennsylvania|Lemoyne]] (west)

**[[New Cumberland, Pennsylvania|New Cumberland]] (southwest)

**[[Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania|Wormleysburg]] (west)

|}

===Climate===

Harrisburg has a variable, four-season climate lying at the beginning of the transition between the [[humid subtropical]] and [[humid continental]] zones ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa'' and ''Dfa'', respectively). The hottest month of the year is July with a daily mean temperature of {{convert|75.9|°F|1}}.<ref name="Harrisburg weatherbox NOAA"/> Summer is usually hot and humid and occasional heat waves can occur. The city averages around 21 days per year with {{convert|90|°F|0}}+ highs although temperatures reaching {{convert|100|°F|0}} are rare. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Harrisburg is {{convert|107|°F|0}} on July 3, 1966.<ref name="Harrisburg weatherbox NOAA"/> Summer thunderstorms also occur relatively frequently. Autumn is a pleasant season when the humidity and temperatures fall to more comfortable values. The [[hardiness zone]] is 7a.

Winter in Harrisburg is rather cold: January, the coldest month, has a daily mean temperature of {{convert|29.9|°F|1}}.<ref name="Harrisburg weatherbox NOAA"/> A major snowstorm can also occasionally occur, and some winters snowfall totals can exceed {{convert|60|in|cm|0}} while in other winters the region may receive very little snowfall. The largest snowfall on a single calendar day was {{convert|26.4|in|cm|abbr=on}} on [[January 2016 United States blizzard|January 23, 2016]],<ref name="Harrisburg weatherbox NOAA"/> recorded at [[Harrisburg International Airport]] in Middletown, while the snowiest month on record was February 2010 with {{convert|42.1|in|cm|abbr=on}}, recorded at the same location.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.extremeweatherguide.com/updates.asp |title=NEW WEATHER RECORDS THAT AFFECT BOOK AFTER PUBLICATION JANUARY 1, 2007 |access-date=January 15, 2011 |publisher=Norton Publishing Company |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123132746/http://extremeweatherguide.com/updates.asp |archive-date=January 23, 2011 }}</ref> Overall Harrisburg receives an average of {{convert|30.6|in|cm|1|abbr=on}} of snow per winter.<ref name="Harrisburg weatherbox NOAA"/> The coldest temperature ever recorded in Harrisburg was {{convert|−22|°F|0}} on January 21, 1994.<ref name="Harrisburg weatherbox NOAA"/> Spring is also a nice time of year for outdoor activities. Precipitation is well-distributed and generous in most months, though July is clearly the wettest and February the driest.

==Cityscape==

===Neighborhoods===

[[Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Center City]] Harrisburg, which includes the [[Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex]], is the central core business and financial center for the greater [[Harrisburg metropolitan area]] and serves as the seat of government for [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin County]] and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There are over a dozen large neighborhoods and historic districts within the city.

===Architecture===

Harrisburg is home to the [[Pennsylvania State Capitol]]. Completed in 1906, the central dome rises to a height of {{convert|272|ft}} and was modeled on that of [[St. Peter's Basilica]] in [[Vatican City]], Rome. The building was designed by [[Joseph Miller Huston]] and is adorned with sculpture, most notably the two groups'', Love and Labor, the Unbroken Law'' and ''The Burden of Life, the Broken Law'' by sculptor [[George Grey Barnard]]; murals by [[Violet Oakley]] and [[Edwin Austin Abbey]]; tile floor by [[Henry Mercer]], which tells the story of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The state capitol is only the third-tallest building of Harrisburg. The five tallest buildings are 333 Market Street with a height of {{convert|341|ft}}, Pennsylvania Place with a height of {{convert|291|ft}}, the Pennsylvania State Capitol with a height of {{convert|272|ft}}, Presbyterian Apartments with a height of {{convert|259|ft}} and the Fulton Bank Building with a height of {{convert|255|ft}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu?id=101858|title=Buildings of Harrisburg|publisher=[[Emporis]]|access-date=2008-09-29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321111648/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/?id=101858|archive-date=2007-03-21}}</ref>

{{Panorama

| image = File:Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Panorama.jpg

| height = 150

| caption = A panoramic of downtown Harrisburg from [[Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania]], across the [[Susquehanna River]] from downtown. The view extends from the [[M. Harvey Taylor Memorial Bridge]] on the far left, across the cityscape including the [[Pennsylvania State Capitol]] and [[City Island (Pennsylvania)|City Island]], to the [[Walnut Street Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)|Walnut Street Bridge]] and the [[Market Street Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)|Market Street Bridge]], as seen in March 2013.

| alt = A city skyline, including the Pennsylvania State Capitol, beyond a river with bridges extending across the river on both sides of the photograph. An island is prominent in the right mid-ground.

}}

==Demographics==

{{US Census population

|1790= 875

|1800= 1472

|1810= 2287

|1820= 2990

|1830= 4312

|1840= 5980

|1850= 7834

|1860= 13405

|1870= 23104

|1880= 30762

|1890= 39385

|1900= 50167

|1910= 64186

|1920= 75917

|1930= 80339

|1940= 83893

|1950= 89544

|1960= 79697

|1970= 68061

|1980= 53264

|1990= 52376

|2000= 48950

|2010= 49528

|estyear=2019

|estimate=49271

|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>

|footnote=[[United States Census Bureau]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|date=July 2, 2008|access-date=December 2, 2009}}</ref><ref name="bestplace">{{cite web|url=http://www.bestplaces.net/city/profile.aspx?city%3DHarrisburg_PA|title=Archived copy|access-date=2011-01-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721194528/http://www.bestplaces.net/city/Profile.aspx?city=Harrisburg_PA|archive-date=2010-07-21}}</ref>

}}

As of the 2010 census, the city was 52.4% Black or African American, 30.7% White, 3.5% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 5.2% were two or more races. 18.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

While the metropolitan area is approximately 15% [[German-American]], 11.4% are [[Irish-American]] and 9.6% [[English-American]]. Harrisburg has one of the largest [[Pennsylvania Dutch]] communities in the nation, and also has the nation's ninth-largest [[Swedish-American]] communities in the nation.

There were 20,561 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 13 living with them, 23.4% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 13 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 13 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,920, and the median income for a family was $29,556. Males had a median income of $90,670 versus $24,405 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,787. About 23.4% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 34.9% of those under age 13 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over. {{Disputed|date=May 2020}}

The very first census taken in the United States occurred in 1790. At that time Harrisburg was a small, but substantial [[Colonial history of the United States of America|colonial]] town with a population of 875 residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027.html |title=Population of the 100 Largest Cities 1790 to 1990 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314031958/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027.html |archive-date=2007-03-14 }}</ref> With the increase of the city's prominence as an industrial and transportation center, Harrisburg reached its peak population build up in 1950, topping out at nearly 90,000 residents. Since the 1950s, Harrisburg, along with other northeastern urban centers large and small, has experienced a declining population that is ultimately fueling the growth of its [[suburbs]], although the decline – which was very rapid in the 1960s and 1970s – has slowed considerably since the 1980s.<ref name="Eggert">"Harrisburg Industrializes, The coming of factories to an American community", Eggert, Gerald G.; The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993</ref> Unlike [[Sun Belt|Western and Southern states]], Pennsylvania maintains a complex system of municipalities and has very little legislation on either the annexation/expansion of cities or the consolidating of municipal entities.

Reversing fifty years of decline, 2004 Census Bureau estimates show that Harrisburg's population has actually grown. Between 2004 and 2006, Harrisburg gained 22 people. In 2006, the urban population of the Harrisburg area increased to 383,008 from 362,782 in 2000, a change of 20,226 people.<ref name="urbanpop">[http://proximityone.com/urbanpopulation.htm America's Urban Population: Patterns & Characteristics 2000-2009] Proximity, 2003 data, Retrieved January 21, 2004.</ref> In 2004 the Harrisburg area was listed with [[Lebanon, Pennsylvania|Lebanon]] and [[York, Pennsylvania|York]] as an urban agglomeration, or a contiguous area of continuously developed urban land,<ref name="urbanpop2">[http://proximityone.com/urbanagglomerations.htm America's Urban Agglomerations 2010] Proximity, Retrieved January 21, 2011.</ref> signifying a future merger of the York-[[Hanover, Pennsylvania|Hanover]] and [[Harrisburg metropolitan area]]s, which would create a metropolitan area of over 1 million.

==Economy==

Harrisburg is the metropolitan center for some 400 communities.<ref name="economy city data">[http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Northeast/Harrisburg-Economy.html Harrisburg: Economy] from Capital Region Economic Development Corporation, 2005. Retrieved 2011-01-28.</ref> Its economy and more than 45,000 businesses are diversified with a large representation of service-related industries, especially health-care and a growing technological and biotechnology industry to accompany the dominant government field inherent to being the state's capital. National and international firms with major operations include Ahold Delhaize USA, Arcelor Mittal Steel, HP, [[IBM]], [[The Hershey Company|Hershey Foods]], [[Harsco Corporation]], [[Ollie's Bargain Outlet]], [[Rite Aid|Rite Aid Corporation]], [[Tyco Electronics]], and Volvo Heavy Machinery.<ref>Capital Region Economic Development Corporation</ref> The largest employers, the [[Government of United States|federal]] and [[Government of Pennsylvania|state]] governments, provide stability to the economy. The region's extensive transportation infrastructure has allowed it to become a prominent center for trade, warehousing, and distribution.<ref name="economy city data" />

===Employers===

====Top 10====

According to the Region Economic Development Corporation, the top employers in the [[Harrisburg metropolitan area|region]] are:

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! #

! Employer

! # of Employees

! Industry

|-

|1

|[[Government of Pennsylvania|Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]]

|21,885

|[[Government]]

|-

|2

|[[Federal government of the United States|United States Federal government]], including the [[United States Armed Forces|military]]

|18,000

|Government

|-

|3

|[[Giant Food Stores]]

|8,902

|[[Grocery store]]

|-

|4

|[[Penn State Hershey Medical Center]]

|8,849

|Hospital, [[Medical research]]

|-

|5

|[[Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company|Hershey Entertainment and Resorts]], including [[Hersheypark]]

|7,500

|Entertainment and [[Amusement park|amusement]] parks

|-

|6

|[[The Hershey Company]]

|6,500

|[[Confectionery|Food]] manufacturer

|-

|7

|[[Wal-Mart|Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.]]

|6,090

|[[Big-box store|Retail store]] chain

|-

|8

|[[Highmark]]

|5,200

|[[Health insurance]]

|-

|9

|[[TE Connectivity]]

|4,700

|[[Electronic component]] manufacturer

|-

|10

|[[UPMC Pinnacle]], including [[Harrisburg Hospital]] and [[Polyclinic Medical Center]]

|3,997

|Health-care and [[List of hospitals in Harrisburg|hospital]] system

|}

==People and culture==

{{See also|Central Pennsylvania accent|Pennsylvania Dutch Country|Pennsylvania Dutch English}}

===Culture===

[[File:Kunkel Building Nov 10.JPG|thumb|right|170px|The Kunkel Building, built in 1913, was home to the [[Susquehanna Art Museum]] until December 2010.]]

In the mid-20th century, Harrisburg was home to many nightclubs and other performance venues, including the Madrid Ballroom, the Coliseum, the Chestnut Street Hall and the Hi-Hat. These venues featured performances from Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, [[Fletcher Henderson]] and [[Andy Kirk (musician)|Andy Kirk]], among other jazz greats. Segregationist policy forbade these musicians from staying overnight in downtown Harrisburg, however, making the [https://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/09/jackson_house_harrisburg.html Jackson Hotel] in Harrisburg's [https://web.archive.org/web/20100528005623/http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/Downloads/Maps/Map_City_Wards.pdf 7th Ward] a hub of black musicians prior the 1960s.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barton|first=Michael|title=To a Harmony with Our Souls: A History of Jazz in Central Pennsylvania|publisher=Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz|year=2005|location=Harrisburg, PA}}</ref>

Several organizations support and develop visual arts in Harrisburg. The Art Association of Harrisburg was founded in 1926 and continues to provide education and exhibits throughout the year. Additionally, the [[Susquehanna Art Museum]], founded in 1989, offers classes, exhibits and community events. A local urban sketching group, Harrisburg Sketchers, convenes artists monthly.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Blank|first=Barbara|date=2019|title=Thrill of the Show|work=TheBurg|url=https://theburgnews.com/culture/thrill-of-the-show-harrisburg-sketchers-make-their-debut-as-exhibiting-artists}}</ref>

Downtown Harrisburg has two major performance centers. The [[Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts]], which was completed in 1999, is the first center of its type in the United States where education, science and the [[performing arts]] take place under one roof. The Forum, a 1,763-seat concert and lecture hall built in 1930-31, is a state-owned and operated facility located within the [[Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex|State Capitol Complex]]. Since 1931, The Forum has been home to the [[Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra]].

Beginning in 2001, downtown Harrisburg saw a resurgence of commercial nightlife development. This has been credited with reversing the city's financial decline, and has made downtown Harrisburg a destination for events from jazz festivals to Top-40 nightclubs.

Harrisburg is also the home of the annual [[Pennsylvania Farm Show]], the largest [[Agricultural show|agricultural exhibition]] of its kind in the nation. Farmers from all over Pennsylvania come to show their animals and participate in competitions. Livestock are on display for people to interact with and view. In 2004, Harrisburg hosted [[CowParade]], an international public [[art exhibit]] that has been featured in major cities all over the world. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city center, in public places such as train stations and parks. They often feature artwork and designs specific to local culture, as well as city life and other relevant themes.

===Media===

Harrisburg area is part of the [[Template:Susquehanna Valley TV|Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York]] media market which consists of the lower counties in south central Pennsylvania and borders the media markets of Philadelphia and Baltimore. It is the 43rd largest media market in the United States.<ref name=tvjobs>{{cite web|title=Nielsen Media 2013-2014 Local Market Estimates|url=http://www.tvjobs.com/cgi-bin/markets/market2.cgi|publisher=Broadcast Employment Services|access-date=February 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828033056/http://tvjobs.com/cgi-bin/markets/market2.cgi|archive-date=2008-08-28|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Harrisburg area has several newspapers. ''[[The Patriot-News]]'', which is published in [[Cumberland County, Pennsylvania|Cumberland County]], serves the Harrisburg area and has a tri-weekly circulation of over 100,000. ''[[The Sentinel (Pennsylvania)|The Sentinel]]'', which is published in Carlisle, roughly 20 miles west of Harrisburg, serves many of Harrisburg's western suburbs in [[Cumberland County, Pennsylvania|Cumberland County]]. The ''[[Press and Journal (Pennsylvania)|Press and Journal]]'', published in Middletown, is one of many weekly general information newspapers in the Harrisburg area. Harrisburg has several monthly community newspapers, including ''MODE Magazine'' (publishing since 1996), ''Urban Connection'', and ''TheBurg''. There are also numerous television and radio stations in the Harrisburg/[[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]]/[[York, Pennsylvania|York]] area. Only one non-municipal portal website exists for the city of Harrisburg, HarrisburgPA.com.

====Newspapers====

*''[[The Patriot-News]]''

*''[[Central Penn Business Journal]]''

*''[[Press and Journal (Pennsylvania)]]''

*''[[The Sentinel (Pennsylvania)|Carlisle Sentinel]]''

*''MODE Magazine'' (alt newspaper)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://harrisburgpa.com/MODE/ |title=MODE |access-date=December 24, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224184719/http://harrisburgpa.com/mode |archive-date=December 24, 2015 |date=2012-07-23 }}</ref>

*''Urban Connection'' (community paper)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://issuu.com/vccornish/docs/urban_connection_nov-dec_2011_issue |title=Urban Connection Nov-Dec. Issue by Urban Connection |website=Issuu.com |date=2011-11-01 |access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref>

*''TheBurg'' (community newspaper)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theburgnews.com |title=Home - theBurg |website=Theburgnews.com |access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref>

*''Harrisburg Magazine'' (monthly city/regional magazine)

====Television====

The Harrisburg TV market is served by:

* [[WGAL]] – ([[NBC]])

* [[WXBU]] – ([[Comet (TV network)|Comet]])

* [[Harrisburg Broadcast Network|WHBG-TV]] – cable-only, public access

* [[WHP-TV]] – ([[CBS]])

* [[WHTM-TV]] – ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]])

* [[WCZS-LD]] – ([[Cornerstone Television Network|CTVN]])

* [[WITF-TV]] – ([[PBS]])

* [[WPMT]] – ([[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]])

* [[WLYH (TV)|WLYH]] – independent, religious

* [[Pennsylvania Cable Network|PCN-TV]], is a [[cable television]] [[television network|network]] dedicated to 24-hour coverage of [[government]] and [[Public affairs programming|public affairs]] in the [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|commonwealth]].

* [[Roxbury News]] –independent news

====Radio====

According to Arbitron, Harrisburg's radio market is ranked 78th in the nation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arbitron.com/home/mm001050.asp |title=Audio | Nielsen |website=Arbitron.com |access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref>

This is a list of [[FM station]]s in the greater Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

![[Callsign]] || MHz || Band || "Name" Format, Owner || [[City of license]]

|-

| [[WDCV]]

| align=right | 88.3

| FM

| Indie/College Rock, [[Dickinson College]]

| Carlisle

|-

| [[WXPH]]

| align=right | 88.7

| FM

| [[WXPN]] relay, [[University of Pennsylvania]]

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WSYC]]

| align=right | 88.7

| FM

| Alternative, [[Shippensburg University]]

| Shippensburg

|-

| [[WITF-FM]]

| align=right | 89.5

| FM

| [[NPR]]

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WVMM]]

| align=right | 90.7

| FM

| Indie/College Rock, [[Messiah College]]

| Grantham

|-

| [[WJAZ]]

| align=right | 91.7

| FM

| [[WRTI]] relay, Classical/Jazz, [[Temple University]]

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WKHL (FM)|WKHL]]

| align=right | 92.1

| FM

| "K-Love" Contemporary Christian

| Palmyra

|-

| [[WONN-FM]]

| align=right | 92.7

| FM

| "92.7 KZF" Classic Rock

| Starview

|-

| [[WZCY-FM]]

| align=right | 93.5

| FM

| "Nash FM" Country

| Palmyra

|-

| [[WRBT]]

| align=right | 94.9

| FM

| "Bob" Country

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WLAN-FM|WLAN]]

| align=right | 96.9

| FM

| "FM 97" CHR

| Lancaster

|-

| [[WRVV]]

| align=right | 97.3

| FM

| "The River" Classic Hits and the Best of Today's Rock

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WYCR]]

| align=right | 98.5

| FM

| "98.5 The Peak" Classic Hits

| York

|-

| [[WQLV]]

| align=right | 98.9

| FM

| 98.9 WQLV

| Millersburg

|-

| [[WHKF]]

| align=right | 99.3

| FM

| "Kiss-FM" CHR

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WFVY]]

| align=right | 100.1

| FM

| Adult Contemporary

| Lebanon

|-

| [[WROZ]]

| align=right | 101.3

| FM

| "101 The Rose" Hot AC

| Lancaster

|-

| [[WARM-FM|WARM]]

| align=right | 103.3

| FM

| "Warm 103" Hot AC

| York

|-

| [[WNNK]]

| align=right | 104.1

| FM

| "Wink 104" Hot AC

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WQXA]]

| align=right | 105.7

| FM

| "105.7 The X" Active Rock

| York

|-

| [[WWKL (FM)|WWKL]]

| align=right | 106.7

| FM

| "Hot 106.7" CHR

| Hershey

|-

| [[WGTY]]

| align=right | 107.7

| FM

| "Great Country"

| York

|}

This is a list of [[AM station]]s in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area:

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!Callsign || kHz || Band || Format || City of license

|-

| [[WHP (AM)]]

| align=right | 580

| AM

| Conservative News/Talk

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WHYF]]

| align=right | 720

| AM

| [[EWTN]] Global Catholic Radio Network

| Shiremanstown

|-

| [[WSBA (AM)]]

| align=right | 910

| AM

| News/Talk

| York

|-

| [[WADV]]

| align=right | 940

| AM

| Gospel

| Lebanon

|-

| [[WHYL]]

| align=right | 960

| AM

| Adult Standards

| Carlisle

|-

| [[WIOO]]

| align=right | 1000

| AM

| Classic Country

| Carlisle

|-

| [[WKBO]]

| align=right | 1230

| AM

| Christian Contemporary

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WQXA-AM|WQXA]]

| align=right | 1250

| AM

| Country

| York

|-

| [[WLBR]]

| align=right | 1270

| AM

| Talk

| Lebanon

|-

| [[WHGB]]

| align=right | 1400

| AM

| ESPN Radio (Formerly Adult R&B: The Touch)

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WTKT]]

| align=right | 1460

| AM

| sports: "The Ticket"

| Harrisburg

|-

| [[WEEO (AM)]]

| align=right | 1480

| AM

| Classic Country

| Shippensburg

|-

| [[WLPA (AM)|WLPA]]

| align=right | 1490

| AM

| sports

| Lancaster

|-

| [[WWSM]]

| align=right | 1510

| AM

| Classic Country

| Annville

|-

| [[WPDC]]

| align=right | 1600

| AM

| Sport

| Elizabethtown

|-

| [[Penndot]]

| align=right | 1670

| AM

| NOAA Weather and Travel

| Several

|}

====Portal internet websites====

*''HarrisburgPA.com''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://HarrisburgPA.com |title=Home |website=HarrisburgPA.com |access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref>

====Harrisburg in film====

Several [[feature film]]s and [[Television program|television series]] have been filmed or set in and around Harrisburg and the greater [[Susquehanna River|Susquehanna Valley]].

===Museums, art collections, and sites of interest===

{{See also|National Register of Historic Places listings in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|List of Pennsylvania state historical markers in Dauphin County}}

[[Broad Street Market]], one of the oldest continuously operating [[Farmers' market|farmers markets]] in the United States.<ref name="broad">{{cite web| url=http://www.broadstreetmarket.org/v6.htm| year=2007| title=History of the Broad Street Market| publisher=Broad Street Market Corporation| access-date=2007-01-17| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220135319/http://www.broadstreetmarket.org/v6.htm| archive-date=2007-02-20| url-status=dead}}</ref>

* [[Dauphin County Veteran's Memorial Obelisk]] inspired by the classic [[Roman architecture|Roman]]/[[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] [[obelisk]] form; located in [[Uptown (Harrisburg)|uptown]] Harrisburg

* [[Dauphin Narrows Statue of Liberty]] on the Susquehanna River north of Harrisburg

* [[Fort Hunter, Pennsylvania|Fort Hunter Mansion and Park]], located north of downtown Harrisburg on a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna River

Harrisburg Doll Museum, which contains over 5,000 dolls and toys stretching back to 1840<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hbgdollmuseum.com/|title=Hbg Doll Museum / Dolls / Trains / Hot Wheels / Doll Museum|website=www.hbgdollmuseum.com|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref>

* [[Simon Cameron House|John Harris – Simon Cameron Mansion]], a National Historic Landmark located in downtown Harrisburg along the river

* [[Market Square, Harrisburg|Market Square]], originally planned in 1785 and serves as the pinnacle of downtown

[[National Civil War Museum]], located at Reservoir Park and [[List of Smithsonian museums#Museums|affiliated]] with the [[Smithsonian Institution]] in Washington, D.C.<ref>[http://www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/node/?q=node/300 Museum Becomes Smithsonian Affiliate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125161344/http://nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/node/?q=node%2F300 |date=2010-11-25 }} National Civil War Museum press release. Accessed January 29, 2010</ref>

* [[Pennsylvania National Fire Museum]]

* [[Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center]], one of the largest convention/exhibition centers on the east coast which hosts the annual [[Pennsylvania Farm Show]]. It's famous for [[rodeo]]s, [[butter sculpture]]s, tractor square dancing, and the best milkshakes in the United States.

* [[Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex]], the center of government for the [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|commonwealth]] and home to the [[Pennsylvania State Capitol|state capitol building]], [[Pennsylvania State Archives|state archives]], and [[State Library of Pennsylvania|state library]]

[[Reservoir Park (Harrisburg)|Reservoir Park]], the largest public park in the city containing an amphitheater<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://visitpa.com/pa-theater/levitt-pavilion-performing-arts|title=Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts|website=VisitPA {{!}} #visitPA|language=en|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref> and playground, and connected to the Greenbelt

[[State Museum of Pennsylvania]], featuring a planetarium and the Marshalls Creek Mastodon, one of the most complete mastodon fossils in North America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://statemuseumpa.org/|title=The State Museum of Pennsylvania {{!}} The State Museum of Pennsylvania demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America's story.|website=statemuseumpa.org|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref>

* [[Strawberry Square]], across the street from the Capitol Complex, home of many state offices and a small shopping center

* [[Susquehanna art museum]], formerly located in downtown Harrisburg, and currently preparing a new location in the Midtown district

Art Association of Harrisburg,<ref>{{cite web |title=Art Association of Harrisburg |url=http://www.artassocofhbg.com/index2.htm |website=www.artassocofhbg.com |access-date=2018-08-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607005409/http://artassocofhbg.com/index2.htm |archive-date=2017-06-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> founded in 1926, located in the Governor Findlay Mansion

* [[Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts]], features an [[IMAX]] theater

* Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat, offering [[riverboat]] tours and special theme cruises.

===Parks and recreation===

* [[City Island (Harrisburg)|City Island and Beach]]

* [[Riverfront Park (Harrisburg)|Riverfront Park]]

* [[Italian Lake (Harrisburg)|Italian Lake]], 9.4 acre park located in the [[Uptown (Harrisburg)|Uptown]] neighborhood.

* [[Wildwood Park (Pennsylvania)|Wildwood Lake Park]]

* [[Reservoir Park (Harrisburg)|Reservoir Park]]

[[Capital Area Greenbelt]], a twenty mile long [[greenway (landscape)|greenway]] linking city neighborhoods, parks and open spaces. It connects Wildwood Lake Park, Riverfront Park, the Harrisburg Mall, Penbrook Park, Reservoir Park, Harrisburg Area Community College, and Veterans Park. It is open to cyclists and pedestrians.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://caga.org/|title=Capital Area Greenbelt Association {{!}} Keeping it Green!|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref>

==Sports==

Harrisburg serves as the hub of professional sports in [[South Central Pennsylvania]]. A host of teams compete in the region including three professional baseball teams, the [[Harrisburg Senators]], the [[Lancaster Barnstormers]], and the [[York Revolution]]. The Senators are the oldest team of the three, with the current incarnation playing since 1987. The original Harrisburg Senators began playing in the [[Eastern League (baseball)|Eastern League]] in 1924. Playing its home games at [[City Island (Pennsylvania)|Island Field]], the team won the league championship in the 1927, 1928, and 1931 seasons. The Senators played a few more seasons before flood waters destroyed Island Field in 1936, effectively ending Eastern League participation for fifty-one years. In 1940, Harrisburg gained an Interstate League team affiliated with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]; however, the team remained in the city only until 1943, when it moved to nearby [[York, Pennsylvania|York]] and renamed the [[York Pirates]]. The current Harrisburg Senators, affiliated with the [[Washington Nationals]], have won the Eastern League championship in the 1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 seasons.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! scope="col" | Club

! scope="col" | League

! scope="col" | Venue

! scope="col" | Founded

! scope="col" | Titles

|-

! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Harrisburg Senators]]

| [[Eastern League (baseball)|EL]], Baseball

| [[FNB Field]]

| 1987

| 6

|-

! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Hershey Bears]]

| [[American Hockey League|AHL]], Ice hockey

| [[Giant Center]]

| 1932

| 11

|-

! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Penn FC]]

| [[United Soccer League|USL]], Soccer

| [[FNB Field]]

| 2004

| 1

|-

! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Harrisburg Heat (2012–)|Harrisburg Heat]]

| [[Major Arena Soccer League|MASL]], Indoor soccer

| [[Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center|Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex]]

| 2012

| 0

|-

! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Keystone Assault]]

| [[Women's Football Alliance|WFA]], Women's football

| TBA

| 2009

| 0

|-

! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Harrisburg Lunatics

| [[Professional Inline Hockey Association|PIHA]], Inline hockey

| Susquehanna Sports Center

| 2001

| 0

|-

! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Harrisburg RFC

| [[Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union|EPRU]], [[Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union|MARFU]], Rugby

| Cibort Park, [[Bressler-Enhaut-Oberlin, Pennsylvania|Bressler]]

| 1969

| 1

|}

==Government==

===City of Harrisburg===

Dr. [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] City Government Center, the only city hall in the United States named for a [[Civil Rights Movement]] leader{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}, serves as a central location for the administrative functions of the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/visitors/centerCity/centralBusiness3.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2005-12-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050830165308/http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/visitors/centerCity/centralBusiness3.html |archive-date=2005-08-30 }}</ref>

Harrisburg has been served since 1970 by the "[[Mayor-council government|strong mayor]]" form of municipal government, with separate executive and legislative branches. The Mayor serves a four-year term with no term limits. As the full-time chief executive, the Mayor oversees the operation of 34 agencies, run by department and office heads, some of whom form the Mayor's cabinet, including the [[Harrisburg Bureau of Police|Departments of Public Safety]], which includes law enforcement and fire safety in its remit</ref> http://harrisburgpa.gov/bureau-of-police/</ref>, Public Works, Business Administration, Parks and Recreation, Incineration and Steam Generation, Building & Housing Development and Solicitor. The city has 721 employees (2003).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Northeast/Harrisburg-Municipal-Government.html |title=Harrisburg: Municipal Government |website=City-data.com |access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref> The current mayor of Harrisburg is [[Eric R. Papenfuse]] whose term expires January 2018.

There are seven [[Harrisburg City Council|city council]] members, all elected at large, who serve part-time for four-year terms. There are two other elected city posts, [[City Treasurer|city treasurer]] and [[Comptroller|city controller]], who separately head their own fiscally related offices.

The city government has been in financial distress for many years. It has operated under the state's Act 47 provisions since 2011. The Act provides for municipalities that are in a state akin to bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McCabe|title=Colwyn: Can this town be saved?|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150525_Colwyn__Can_this_town_be_saved_.html|access-date=26 May 2015|newspaper=Philadelphia Daily News|date=25 May 2015}}</ref>

====Property tax reform====

Harrisburg is also known nationally for its use of a two-tiered [[Land value tax in the United States|land value taxation]]. Harrisburg has [[Land value tax|taxed land]] at a rate six times that on improvements since 1975, and this policy has been credited by its former mayor [[Stephen R. Reed]], as well as by the city's former [[city manager]] during the 1980s, with reducing the number of [[Abandoned property|vacant structures]] located in [[downtown Harrisburg]] from about 4,200 in 1982 to fewer than 500 in 1995.<ref name="earth">[http://www.earthrights.net/docs/success.html Pennsylvania's Success with Local Property Tax Reform: The Split Rate Tax] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208235315/http://www.earthrights.net/docs/success.html |date=2009-02-08 }} Earth Rights Institute. Hartzok, Alanna. 1995. Accessed February 12, 2010.</ref> During this same period of time between 1982 and 1995, nearly 4,700 more city residents became employed, the crime rate dropped 22.5% and the fire rate dropped 51%.<ref name="earth" />

Harrisburg, as well as nearly 20 other [[Pennsylvania]] cities, employs a ''two-rate'' or ''split-rate'' [[property tax]], which requires the taxing of the value of land at a higher rate and the value of the buildings and improvements at a lower one. This can be seen as a compromise between pure LVT and an ordinary property tax falling on real estate (land value plus improvement value).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/dl/1275_Hughes%20Final.pdf |author=Mark Alan Hughes |title=Why So Little Georgism in America: Using the Pennsylvania Case Files to Understand the Slow, Uneven Progress of Land Value Taxation |publisher=[[Lincoln Institute of Land Policy]] |date=2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823024415/https://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/dl/1275_Hughes%20Final.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-23 }}</ref> Alternatively, two-rate taxation may be seen as a form that allows gradual transformation of the traditional real estate property tax into a pure land value tax.

Nearly two dozen local Pennsylvania jurisdictions, such as Harrisburg,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcommonwealth.org/news/lvt-jurisdiction-rates |title=PA two-rate cities and rates as of Nov. 2009 |publisher=The Henry George Foundation of America |access-date=2010-01-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419232223/http://www.ourcommonwealth.org/news/lvt-jurisdiction-rates |archive-date=2011-04-19 }}</ref> use two-rate property taxation in which the tax on land value is higher and the tax on improvement value is lower. In 2000, Florenz Plassmann and [[Nicolaus Tideman]] wrote<ref name="markovchain">"A Markov Chain Monte Carlo Analysis of the Effect of Two-Rate Property Taxes on Construction", Journal of Urban Economics, 2000, vol. 47, issue 2, p. 216-247</ref> that when comparing Pennsylvania cities using a higher tax rate on land value and a lower rate on improvements with similar sized Pennsylvania cities using the same rate on land and improvements, the higher land value taxation leads to increased construction within the jurisdiction.<ref>Oates, W. & Schwab, R. "The Impact of Urban Land Taxation: The Pittsburgh Experience." National Tax Journal L (March) 1-21. (1997)</ref><ref>Cord, S. "Taxing Land More Than Buildings: The Record In Pennsylvania." In C. Lowell Harriss, ed. 1983. The Property Tax and Local Finance. New York: The Academy of Political Science 172-179.</ref>

===Dauphin County===

[[File:Dauphin County Courthouse.jpg|right|thumb|[[Dauphin County Courthouse]], located along the [[Susquehanna River]] at Front and Market Streets in [[Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|downtown]] Harrisburg]]

Dauphin County Government Complex, in [[Central Business District (Downtown Harrisburg)|downtown]] Harrisburg, serves the administrative functions of the county. The [[trial court]] of general jurisdiction for Harrisburg rests with the [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Court of Dauphin County]] and is largely funded and operated by county resources and employees.

===Commonwealth of Pennsylvania===

The [[Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex]] dominates the city's stature as a regional and national hub for government and politics. All administrative functions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are located within the complex and at various nearby locations.

The Commonwealth Judicial Center houses Pennsylvania's three [[appellate courts]], which are located in Harrisburg. The [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]], which is the court of last resort in the state, hears arguments in Harrisburg as well as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The [[Superior Court of Pennsylvania]] and the [[Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania]] are located here. Judges for these courts are elected at large.

===Federal government===

The [[Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse (Pennsylvania)|Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse]], located in downtown Harrisburg, serves as the regional administrative offices of the [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]]. A branch of the [[U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania]] is also located within the courthouse. Due to Harrisburg's prominence as the state capital, federal offices for nearly every agency are located within the city.

The [[United States Armed Forces|United States military]] has a strong historic presence in the region. A large retired military population resides in [[South Central Pennsylvania]] and the region is home to a large [[United States National Cemetery|national cemetery]] at [[Indiantown Gap National Cemetery|Indiantown Gap]]. The federal government, including the military, is the top employer in the [[Harrisburg metropolitan area|metropolitan area]].

Military bases in the Harrisburg area include:

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

|-

! style="background:LightSteelBlue; color:black;"|Installation Name

! syyle="background:LightSteelBlue; color:black;"|City

! style="background:LightSteelBlue; color:black;"|Type, Branch, or Agency

|-

|[[Carlisle Barracks]]

|[[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]]

|Managed by the [[United States Army|Army]], it is home to the [[United States Army War College]]

|-

|[[Eastern Distribution Center]]

|[[New Cumberland, Pennsylvania|New Cumberland]]

|Managed by the [[Defense Logistics Agency]] (DLA), it is part of the Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna (DDSP)

|-

|[[Fort Indiantown Gap]]

|Fort Indiantown Gap

|Managed by the Army, the [[Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs]] and the [[Pennsylvania National Guard]] (PANG), it serves as a military training and staging area. It is home to the [[Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site]] (EAATS) and [[Northeast Counterdrug Training Center]] (NCTC)

|-

|[[Harrisburg International Airport|Harrisburg Air Guard Base]]

|[[Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Middletown]]

|Home to the [[193rd Special Operations Wing]], it is located on the former [[Olmsted Air Force Base]], which closed in the early 1970s and became [[Harrisburg International Airport]]

|-

|[[Naval Supply Systems Command]] (NAVSUP)

|[[Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania|Mechanicsburg]]

|Part of the Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna (DDSP)

|}

==Transport==

===Airports===

Domestic and International airlines provide services via [[Harrisburg International Airport]] (MDT), which is located southeast of the city in [[Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Middletown]]. HIA is the third-busiest commercial [[airport]] in Pennsylvania, both in terms of passengers served and cargo shipments. But, generally due to the poor airline selection and lack of an airline hub, the more popular airports in the area are [[Baltimore-Washington International Airport|Baltimore]], [[Washington Dulles International Airport|Dulles]] and the [[Philadelphia International Airport|Philadelphia]]. However nearly 1.2 million people fly out of Harrisburg every year.

<ref name="trans">{{cite web|url=http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/econProfile/transport.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121213062809/http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/econProfile/transport.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-12-13 |year=2006 |title=Transport in the Harrisburg area |last=City of Harrisburg |publisher=harrisburgpa.gov/ |access-date=2007-01-03 }}</ref> Passenger carriers that serve HIA include [[American Airlines]], [[United Airlines]], [[Delta Air Lines]], [[Frontier Airlines]], and [[Allegiant Air]]. [[Capital City Airport (Pennsylvania)|Capital City Airport]] (CXY), a moderate-sized business class and [[general aviation]] airport, is located across the Susquehanna River in the nearby suburb of [[New Cumberland, Pennsylvania|New Cumberland]], south of Harrisburg. Both airports are owned and operated by the [[Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority]] (SARAA), which also manages the [[Franklin County Regional Airport]] in [[Chambersburg, Pennsylvania|Chambersburg]] and [[Gettysburg Regional Airport]] in [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg]].

===Public transit===

Harrisburg is served by [[Capital Area Transit (Harrisburg)|Capital Area Transit]] (CAT) which provides [[bus|public bus]], [[paratransit]], and [[CorridorOne|commuter rail]] service throughout the greater metropolitan area. Construction of a commuter rail line designated the [[Capital Red Rose Corridor]] (previously named CorridorOne) will eventually link the city with nearby [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]] in 2010.<ref>[http://www.mtptransit.org/assets/pdf/Legislative%20Update%206%20-%2008%20Cap%20Red%20Rose.pdf New Name Unveiled for Harrisburg to Lancaster Proposed Rail Service] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220052311/http://mtptransit.org/assets/pdf/Legislative%20Update%206%20-%2008%20Cap%20Red%20Rose.pdf |date=2009-02-20 }} Modern Transit Partnership, accessed February 5, 2010.</ref>{{update after|2011|1}}

Long-term plans for the region call for the commuter rail line to continue westward to [[Cumberland County, Pennsylvania|Cumberland County]], ending at [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]]. In early 2005, the project hit a roadblock when the Cumberland County [[County commission|commissioners]] opposed the plan to extend commuter rail to the West Shore. Due to lack of support from the county commissioners, the Cumberland County portion, and the two new stations in Harrisburg have been removed from the project. In the future, with support from Cumberland County, the commuter rail project may extend to both shores of the [[Susquehanna River]], where the majority of the commuting base for the [[Harrisburg metropolitan area]] resides.<ref name="tcrpc">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcrpc-pa.org/SRTP/SRTP_Chapter_05/corridorone.htm |year=2006 |title=CorridorOne in the Harrisburg Region |publisher=Tri-County Regional Planning Commission |access-date=2007-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101164656/http://www.tcrpc-pa.org/SRTP/SRTP_Chapter_05/corridorone.htm |archive-date=2007-01-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2006, a second phase of the rail project designated CorridorTwo was announced to the general public. It will link [[Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|downtown]] Harrisburg with its eastern suburbs in [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin]] and [[Lebanon County, Pennsylvania|Lebanon]] counties, including the areas of [[Hummelstown, Pennsylvania|Hummelstown]], [[Hershey, Pennsylvania|Hershey]] and [[Lebanon, Pennsylvania|Lebanon]], and the city of [[York, Pennsylvania|York]] in [[York County, Pennsylvania|York County]].<ref name="tcrpc"/> Future passenger rail corridors also include [[US Route 15|Route 15]] from the Harrisburg area towards [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg]], as well as the Susquehanna River communities north of Harrisburg, and the Northern [[Susquehanna River|Susquehanna Valley]] region.<ref name="tcrpc"/>

===Intercity bus service===

The lower level of the Harrisburg Transport Center serves as the city's intercity [[Bus station|bus terminal]]. Daily bus services are provided by [[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]], [[Trailways Transportation System|Capitol Trailways]], and [[Fullington Trailways]]. They connect Harrisburg to other Pennsylvania cities such as [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]], Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]], [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]], [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]], [[Williamsport, Pennsylvania|Williamsport]], and [[York, Pennsylvania|York]] and nearby, out-of-state cities such as [[Baltimore]], [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]], New York, [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], and Washington, D.C., plus many other destinations via transfers.<ref name="hbg_trans">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcrpc-pa.org/SRTP/SRTP_Chapter_02/harrisburg_transport_center.htm |year=2007 |title=About the Harrisburg Transport Center |publisher=Tri-County Regional Planning Commission |access-date=2007-02-01 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Curbside [[intercity bus service]] is also provided by [[Megabus (North America)|Megabus]] from the parking lot of the [[Harrisburg Mall]] in nearby [[Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Swatara Township]], with direct service to Philadelphia, [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]], and Pittsburgh.

===Regional scheduled line bus service===

The public transit provider in [[York County, Pennsylvania|York County]], [[Rabbit Transit (York)|Rabbit Transit]], operates its RabbitEXPRESS bus service on weekdays between the city of York and both downtown Harrisburg and the main campus for [[Harrisburg Area Community College]]. The commuter-oriented service is designed to serve York County residents who work in Harrisburg, though [[reverse commute]]s are possible under the current schedule. Buses running this route make limited stops in the city of York and at two [[park and ride]]s along [[Interstate 83]] between York and Harrisburg before making various stops in Pennsylvania's capital city. As of May 2007, the RabbitEXPRESS operates three times in the morning and three times in the afternoon.

A charter/tour bus operator, R & J Transport, also provides weekday, scheduled route commuter service for people working in downtown Harrisburg. R & J, which is based in [[Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania|Schuylkill County]], operates two lines, one between [[Frackville, Pennsylvania|Frackville]] and downtown Harrisburg and the other between [[Minersville, Pennsylvania|Minersville]], [[Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania|Pine Grove]], and downtown Harrisburg.

===Rail===

The [[Pennsylvania Railroad]]'s main line from New York to Chicago passed through Harrisburg. The line was [[electrification|electrified]] in the 1930s, with the wires reaching Harrisburg in 1938. They went no further. Plans to electrify through to [[Pittsburgh]] and thence to Chicago never saw fruition; sufficient funding was never available. Thus, Harrisburg became where the PRR's crack expresses such as the [[Broadway Limited]] changed from electric traction to (originally) a [[steam locomotive]], and later a [[diesel locomotive]]. Harrisburg remained a freight rail hub for PRR's successor [[Conrail]], which was later sold off and divided between [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]] and [[CSX]].

====Freight rail====

Norfolk Southern acquired all of Conrail's lines in the Harrisburg area and has continued the city's function as a freight rail hub. Norfolk Southern considers Harrisburg one of many primary hubs in its system, and operates 2 [[intermodal freight transport|intermodal]] (rail/truck transfer) yards in the immediate Harrisburg area.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_7_201/ai_64337963 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080427025012/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_7_201/ai_64337963 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 27, 2008 |title=NS opens intermodal hub at Harrisburg – Norfolk Southern – Brief Article (July 2000) |work=Railway Age |date=July 1, 2000 }}</ref> The [[Harrisburg Intermodal Yard]] (formerly called Lucknow Yard) is located in the north end of Harrisburg, approximately 3 miles north of downtown Harrisburg and the Harrisburg Transport Center, while the [[Rutherford Intermodal Yard]] is located approximately 6 miles east of downtown Harrisburg in [[Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Swatara Township, Dauphin County]]. Norfolk Southern also operates a significant [[classification yard]] in the Harrisburg area, the [[Enola Yard]], which is located across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg in [[East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania|East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County]].

====Intercity passenger rail====

[[Amtrak]] provides service to and from Harrisburg. The passenger rail operator runs its ''[[Keystone Service (Amtrak)|Keystone Service]]'' and ''[[Pennsylvanian (Amtrak)|Pennsylvanian]]'' routes between New York, Philadelphia, and the [[Harrisburg Transportation Center]] daily. The ''Pennsylvanian'' route, which operates once daily, continues west to [[Pittsburgh]]. As of April 2007, Amtrak operates 14 weekday roundtrips and 8 weekend roundtrips daily between Harrisburg, [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]], and [[Philadelphia 30th Street Station]]; most of these trains also travel to and from [[New York Penn Station]]. The [[Keystone Corridor]] between Harrisburg and Philadelphia was improved in the mid-first decade of the 21st century, with the primary improvements completed in late 2006. The improvements included upgrading the electrical catenary, installing continuously welded rail, and replacing existing wooden railroad ties with concrete ties. These improvements increased train speeds to 110 mph along the corridor and reduced the travel time between Harrisburg and Philadelphia to as little as 95 minutes. It also eliminated the need to change locomotives at 30th Street Station (from diesel to electric and vice versa) for trains continuing to or coming from New York. As of Federal Fiscal Year 2008, the Harrisburg Transportation Center was the 2nd busiest Amtrak station in Pennsylvania and 21st busiest in the United States.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/PENNSYLVANIA08.pdf| year=2008| title=Amtrak Passenger Station Factsheet| publisher=Amtrak| access-date=2009-04-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/Title_Image_Copy_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1081442674300&ssid=542 |year=2008 |title=Amtrak National Facts |publisher=Amtrak |access-date=2009-04-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120101132/http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak%2Fam2Copy%2FTitle_Image_Copy_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1081442674300&ssid=542 |archive-date=2008-01-20 }}</ref>

===Bridges===

Harrisburg is the location of over a dozen large bridges, many up to a mile long, that cross the Susquehanna River. Several other important structures span the [[Paxton Creek]] watershed and [[Cameron Street]], linking [[Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Center City]] with neighborhoods in [[East Harrisburg]]. These include the [[State Street Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)|State Street Bridge]], also known as the Soldiers and Sailor's Memorial Bridge, and the [[Mulberry Street Bridge]]. [[Walnut Street Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)|Walnut Street Bridge]], now used only by pedestrians and cyclists, links the downtown and [[Riverfront Park (Harrisburg)|Riverfront Park]] areas with [[City Island (Pennsylvania)|City Island]] but goes no further as spans are missing on its western side due to massive flooding resulting from the North American blizzard of 1996.

==Education==

===Public schools===

The City of Harrisburg is served by the [[Harrisburg School District (Pennsylvania)|Harrisburg School District]]. The [[school district]] provides education for the city's youth beginning with all-day [[kindergarten]] through twelfth grade. A multi-year restructuring plan is aimed at making the district a model for urban [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]]. The district has been troubled for decades with management fiascos and low test scores. In the summer of 2007, more than 2,000 city students were enrolled in educational programs offered by the Harrisburg School District as remediation.<ref>Patton, Judith, "Summer schools draw 2,000 Harrisburg students", PennLive, July 24, 2007.</ref> The District has been among the lowest ranking districts for academics in the Commonwealth, ranking 492nd out of 496 district ranked by the [[Pittsburgh Business Times]], in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/print-edition/2014/04/11/school-guide-offers-vital-insights.html |title=School guide offers vital insights |author=Ethan Lott |publisher=Pittsburgh Business Times |date=April 11, 2014}}</ref> Additionally, several of the Harrisburg School District's school have been listed on the lowest 15% achievement list each year since 2011. This designation means the students qualify for the State's Opportunity Scholarship program. Scholarships, funded by businesses, are available to attend another public school district or a private school.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newpa.com/find-incentives-apply-for-funding/ostc-faq |title=Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program FAQ |author=Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development |date=April 2014 |access-date=2014-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006104041/http://www.newpa.com/find-incentives-apply-for-funding/ostc-faq |archive-date=2014-10-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/school_services_office/9153/p/1202312 |title=Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program |author=Pennsylvania Department of Education |date=April 21, 2014}}</ref> One school in the Harrisburg School District has had consistently adequate academic achievement, Math Science Academy serves pupils grades 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paschoolperformance.org/Profile/5658 |title=Math Science Academy |author=Pennsylvania Department of Education |date=November 6, 2014}}</ref>

In 2003, [[SciTech High]], a regional math and science magnet school (affiliated with [[Harrisburg University of Science and Technology|Harrisburg University]]), opened its doors to local students.

;Public Charter Schools:

The city also has several public [[charter school]]s: [[Infinity Charter School]], [[Sylvan Heights Science Charter School]], [[Premier Arts and Science Charter School]] and [[Capital Area School for the Arts]]. A growing number of statewide, virtual, public charter schools provide residents with many alternatives to the bricks and mortar public school system. The cyber charter school [[Commonwealth Connections Academy Cyber School]] is headquartered in Harrisburg.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paschoolperformance.org/Profile/7144 |title=Commonwealth Connections Academy Cyber School Fast Facts 2014 |author=Pennsylvania Department of Education |date=November 6, 2014}}</ref>

The [[Central Dauphin School District]], the largest public school district in the [[Harrisburg metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] and the 13th largest in Pennsylvania, has several Harrisburg postal addresses for many of the District's schools. [[Steelton-Highspire School District]] borders much of the Harrisburg School District.

===Private schools===

Harrisburg is home to an extensive Catholic educational system. There are nearly 40 parish-driven elementary schools and seven Catholic high schools within the region administered by the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg]], including [[Bishop McDevitt High School (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)|Bishop McDevitt High School]] and [[Trinity High School (Camp Hill, Pennsylvania)|Trinity High School]]. Numerous other private schools, such as The Londonderry School and [[The Circle School]], which is a [[Sudbury Valley School|Sudbury Model]] school, also operate in Harrisburg. [[Harrisburg Academy]], founded in 1784, is one of the oldest independent [[college preparatory]] schools in the nation. The Rabbi David L. Silver Yeshiva Academy, founded in 1944, is a progressive, modern Jewish day school. Also, Harrisburg is home to [[Harrisburg Christian School]], founded in 1955.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hcs.nu/about/history.aspx |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-04-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305223551/http://www.hcs.nu/about/history.aspx |archive-date=2007-03-05 }}</ref>

===Higher education===

====In Harrisburg====

[[Dixon University Center]], located in [[Uptown (Harrisburg)|Uptown]], serves as the office of Chancellor and the central headquarters of the [[Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education]] (PASSHE). With a total student enrollment 110,428,<ref>{{cite web|title=PASSHE Fact Sheet |url=http://www.passhe.edu/content/?/about/facts |access-date=December 16, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926234414/http://www.passhe.edu/content/?%2Fabout%2Ffacts |archive-date=September 26, 2007 }}</ref> PASSHE is one of the [[List of largest universities by enrollment|largest university systems]] in the United States.

*[[Harrisburg Area Community College]]: the original campus of the college, the Harrisburg Campus, and Penn Center and [[Midtown (Harrisburg)|Midtown]] campus which are branches of the Harrisburg Campus are located in Harrisburg. Newer campuses are located in [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg]], [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]], [[Lebanon, Pennsylvania|Lebanon]] and [[York, Pennsylvania|York]].

*[[Harrisburg University of Science and Technology]], located in [[Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Center City]].

*[[Messiah College|Messiah College's Harrisburg Institute]], located in Center City

*[[Penn State Harrisburg|Penn State Harrisburg Eastgate Center]], located in Center City.

*[[Temple University|Temple University Harrisburg Campus]], located in Center City.

*[[Widener University Commonwealth Law School]]

====Near Harrisburg====

*[[Central Pennsylvania College]], located in [[Summerdale, Pennsylvania]].

*[[Dickinson College]], located in [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]], Pennsylvania.

*[[Duquesne University]] (Capital Region Campus), located in [[Lemoyne, Pennsylvania|Lemoyne]], Pennsylvania.

*[[Elizabethtown College]], located in [[Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania|Elizabethtown]], Pennsylvania. Elizabethtown College is a consortium member of the Dixon University Center, offering seven accelerated, undergraduate degree programs in the Harrisburg area.

*[[Lebanon Valley College]], located in [[Annville, Pennsylvania|Annville]], Pennsylvania.

*[[Messiah College]], located in [[Grantham, Pennsylvania|Grantham]], Pennsylvania.

*[[Penn State Dickinson School of Law]], located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

*[[Penn State Hershey Medical Center]], located in [[Hershey, Pennsylvania|Hershey]], Pennsylvania.

*[[Penn State Harrisburg]] (Main Campus), located nearby in [[Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Middletown, Pennsylvania]].

*[[Shippensburg University]], located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

*[[United States Army War College]], located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

*[[Wilson College (Pennsylvania)|Wilson College]] (Pennsylvania), located in [[Chambersburg, Pennsylvania|Chambersburg]], Pennsylvania.

===Libraries===

*[[Dauphin County Law Library]]

*[[Dauphin County Library System]], with eight branches in Harrisburg and suburban [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin County]]

*McCormick Library of [[Harrisburg Area Community College]]

*[[Harrisburg University]] Library

*[[Penn State Harrisburg Library]]

*[[State Library of Pennsylvania]], which includes the Pennsylvania Law Library

*Medical library services of [[UPMC Pinnacle]]

*Law Library, [[Widener University School of Law]]

==Sister cities==

Harrisburg has two official [[sister cities]] as designated by [[Sister Cities International]]:

{{flagdeco|ISR}} [[Ma'alot-Tarshiha]], Israel.<ref name="PAIsrael">{{cite web| title =Cooperation Between Israel and the State of Pennsylvania| publisher =American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise | url =https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/states/PA.html| access-date =2009-08-04}}</ref>

==Notable people==

Since the early 18th century, Harrisburg has been home to many people of note. Because it is the seat of government for the state and lies relatively close to other urban centers, Harrisburg has played a significant role in the nation's political, cultural and industrial history. "Harrisburgers" have also taken a leading role in the development of Pennsylvania's history for over two centuries. Two former U.S. Secretaries of War, [[Simon Cameron]] and [[Alexander Ramsey]] and several other prominent political figures, such as former speaker of the house [[Newt Gingrich]], hail from Harrisburg. The actor [[Don Keefer]] was born near Harrisburg, along with the actor [[Richard Sanders (actor)|Richard Sanders]], most famous for playing [[Les Nessman]] in ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]''. Many notable individuals are interred at [[Harrisburg Cemetery]] and [[East Harrisburg Cemetery]].

=== Actors ===

* [[Matt Cook (actor)|Matt Cook]], television, actor ''[[Man with a Plan (TV series)|Man with a Plan]].''

*[[John A. Ellsler]] (1821–1903), actor and theatre manager, born in Harrisburg.

*[[Nancy Kulp]], actress.

*[[Mark Malkoff]], comedian and filmmaker.

*[[Eric Martsolf]], actor and singer.

*[[Pauline Moore]], actress

=== Artists, designers ===

* [[Grafton Tyler Brown]], first [[African American]] artist to create works depicting the [[Pacific Northwest]] and [[California]]

*[[Stephanie A. Johnson]] (born 1952), mixed media artist, educator.

*[[Rachel Nabors]], cartoonist

[[Barbara Tyson Mosley]] (born 1950) American mixed media artist.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|title=Barbara Tyson-Mosley|url=https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.42158.html|access-date=2021-02-04|website=National Gallery of Art}}</ref>

=== Musicians ===

* [[Glenn Branca]], avant-garde composer and guitarist, was born in Harrisburg.

* [[Justin Duerr]], musician and artist, born in Harrisburg.

* [[James Allen Gähres]], music conductor.

[[Gene "Birdlegg" Pittman]], blues harmonicist, singer and songwriter.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Bob L. Eagle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZNfAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA537|title=Blues: A Regional Experience|author2=Eric S. LeBlanc|date=1 May 2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-34424-4|page=537}}</ref>

* [[Rudi Protrudi]], rock and roll musician

* [[Bobby Troup]], actor, jazz pianist, and songwriter.

* [[Robert White (guitarist)|Robert White]], musician.

=== Politics, military, activism ===

*[[Betty Andujar]], first Republican woman to serve in Texas State Senate (1973–1983), was born in Harrisburg in 1912

*[[David Conner (naval officer)|David Conner]], U.S. Navy commodore.

*[[Candace Gingrich]], civil rights activist.

*[[Newt Gingrich]], U.S. Representative 1979-99, [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]]; born in Harrisburg.

*[[Charles P. Mason]], Vice admiral in the Navy during World War II and [[Navy Cross]] recipient.

*[[Daniel C. Miller]], Harrisburg City [[Comptroller|Controller]].

*[[Bruce I. Smith]], state representative, [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives]] (1981–2007).

*[[George W. Smith (USMC)|George W. Smith]], Major General in the Marine Corps.

*[[Perry A. Stambaugh]], member of the [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 86]].

*[[Robert Stevenson and Peggy Stevenson|Robert Stevenson]], actor and politician, born 1915 in Harrisburg, Los Angeles City Council member.

*[[M. Harvey Taylor]], Pennsylvania State Senator.

=== Sports ===

{{Columns-list|

* [[Les Bell]], baseball player for [[1926 World Series]] champion [[St. Louis Cardinals]], was born in Harrisburg.

* [[Jennifer Brady (tennis)|Jennifer Brady]], tennis player, was born in Harrisburg.

* [[Gilbert Brown (basketball)|Gilbert Brown]] (born 1987), basketball player for [[Ironi Nahariya]] of the [[Israeli Basketball Premier League]].

* [[Bruce Brubaker (baseball)|Bruce Brubaker]], baseball player for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] and [[Milwaukee Brewers]].

* [[Marques Colston]], wide receiver for the [[New Orleans Saints]]

*[[Larry Conjar]], NFL player.

*[[Phil Davis (fighter)|Phil Davis]], UFC fighter.

*[[Barney Ewell]], Olympic gold medalist in [[National Track and Field Hall of Fame]].

*[[Hyleas Fountain]], [[Olympic games]] [[heptathlete]].

*[[Garry Gilliam]], NFL player.

*[[Dennis Green]], head coach NFL teams the [[Minnesota Vikings]] and the [[Arizona Cardinals]]

*[[Scott Hilton (American football)|Scott Hilton]], NFL player

*[[Jimmy Jones (quarterback)|Jimmy Jones]], CFL player

*[[Danny Lansanah]], football player for the Green Bay Packers.

*[[Jeremy Linn]], swimmer, gold and 2x-silver medalist at 1996 Atlanta Olympics, former world and American record holder.

*[[Connor Maloney]], professional soccer player

*[[LeSean McCoy]], NFL running back, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills.

*[[Jeffrey B. Miller]], Head of Security for the [[National Football League]]

*[[Kevin Mitchell (linebacker)|Kevin Mitchell]], former NFL linebacker and Super Bowl winner.

*[[Jim Price (catcher)|Jim Price]], baseball player and broadcaster.

*[[Ed Ruth]], three-time NCAA collegiate wrestling champion (2012–2014).

*[[Robert Tate]], NFL cornerback for Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals.

*[[Ricky Watters]], NFL running back, Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl winner

*[[Jan White]], NFL player

*[[Kris Wilson (American football)|Kris Wilson]], NFL Tight End, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and Baltimore Ravens.

}}

=== Writers ===

* [[James Boyd (novelist)|James Boyd]], a resident of Front Street, wrote a novel about the city in 1935, ''Roll River''<ref name="phmc3">{{cite web|url=http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/ppet/harrisburg/page1.asp?secid=31 |year=2007 |title=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's Capital City |publisher=[[Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission]] |access-date=2007-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211161710/http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/ppet/harrisburg/page1.asp?secid=31 |archive-date=2006-12-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

*[[Thomas Morris Chester]], prominent Black journalist, lawyer, and soldier in the Civil War, was born here

*[[Carmen Finestra]], television producer and writer.

*[[Jimmy Gownley]], New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of ''[[Amelia Rules!]]''

*[[John O'Hara]], author, a native of Pottsville, lived in Harrisburg briefly to write his novel about the city, ''A Rage to Live<ref name="phmc3" />''

*[[Will Stanton (author)|Will Stanton]], long-published humor writer.

*[[John Wyeth]], publisher of ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music'' (1810; ''Second Part'' 1813).

=== Others ===

*[[James Milnor Coit]], teacher, was born here

*[[Carl Cover]], aviation pioneer/test pilot

*[[Lindsay Czarniak]], ESPN anchor

*[[Alan Isaacman]], lawyer who argued ''[[Hustler Magazine v. Falwell]]'' before the Supreme Court

*[[Agnes Kemp]] (1823–1908), American physician and temperance movement leader

*[[Clyde A. Lynch]], president of Lebanon Valley College

*[[Kenneth W. Mack]], historian and professor at Harvard Law School

*[[Robert James Miller]], Medal of Honor recipient

*[[Frank Soday]], chemist influential in development of alternative uses for synthetic fiber

==See also==

*[[List of cities and towns along the Susquehanna River]]

*[[List of hospitals in Harrisburg]]

==Notes==

==References==

==External links==

{{official website|http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/}}

*[http://www.hersheyharrisburg.org/ Hershey-Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau]

*[http://www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org/ Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce]

{{Geographic Location

| Centre = Harrisburg

| North = [[File:US 11.svg|20px]] [[File:US 15.svg|20px]] [[Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania|Selinsgrove]]

| Northeast = [[File:I-81.svg|20px]] [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]]

| East = [[File:I-76.svg|20px]] [[Morgantown, Pennsylvania|Morgantown]], [[Philadelphia]]

| Southeast = [[File:I-283.svg|25px]] [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]]

| South = [[File:I-83.svg|20px]] [[York, Pennsylvania|York]], [[Baltimore]]

| Southwest = [[File:I-81.svg|20px]] [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]]

| West = [[File:I-76.svg|20px]] [[Breezewood, Pennsylvania|Breezewood]], [[Pittsburgh]]

| Northwest = [[File:US 22.svg|20px]] [[File:US 322.svg|25px]] [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]]

}}

{{Navboxes

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[[Category:Harrisburg, Pennsylvania| ]]

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