Browse / United States / Pennsylvania / Boalsburg
Boalsburg
PennsylvaniaCDP
Boalsburg
Total population
4,582
Median home value
$413,000
Bachelor's+
Median income
$100,958
Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Boalsburg is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small portion of its northwest corner extending into College Township. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,722 at the 2010 census. The village claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. However, that claim was brought into question by Bellware and Gardiner in their book, The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America, in 2014. In their book, Bellware and Gardiner point out that the Boalsburg story was first published in 1904, forty years after the fact with no indication that General Logan drew inspiration from any activities in Boalsburg and no evidence that it started the holiday.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
The name "Boalsburg" comes from the Boal family who settled the region after emigrating from County Londonderry, Ireland. The fourth generation of the Boal family, Col. Theodore Davis Boal, married Mathilde de Lagarde whose mother's sister Victoria married Diego Santiago Colón, a descendant of Christopher Columbus. Mathilde inherited a portion of her aunt Victoria's estate in 1908 and brought the Columbus Chapel to the Boal Mansion from Spain in 1919 This inheritance included an admiral's desk that family tradition says belonged to Columbus himself. The Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum are open to the public. Boalsburg originally was on the main road for travelers from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, with the David Boal tavern that housed travelers still standing today. Boalsburg is home to the Pennsylvania Military Museum, as well as the headquarters of the Civil War reenacting unit, 3rd Pennsylvania Light Artillery Battery B. The Boalsburg Historic District and Hill House were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The Boal Mansion was added the following year. The town has a market square design known as 'the Diamond', a common design feature of towns in the northern province of Ulster in Ireland, the style of which was imported by emigrants from Ulster to Pennsylvania.
Geography
Boalsburg is located in southern Centre County at (40.782670, -77.786899). It occupies the central and northern sections of Harris Township and extends northwest barely into College Township. It borders Rothrock State Forest. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land. It is centered upon Pennsylvania Route 45 and Business U.S. Route 322. 322 begins as the Mount Nittany Expressway in the CDP and travels northwest from Boalsburg, bypassing State College to the east and north, while Business 322 begins as Boal Avenue and proceeds into the center of State College, northwest of Boalsburg, as Atherton Street. In the other direction US 322 leads east and then south to Lewistown. Spring Creek flows northward through Boalsburg towards Bald Eagle Creek, a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River. The Tussey Mountain Ski Area is located on the eastern edge of Boalsburg.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Demographics & economy
Race & ethnicity
Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Current forecast
Forecast for Boalsburg, PA from NOAA NWS API.
Air quality
Industrial & pollution facilities
Natural hazard risk
Health (adults)
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Most-observed species
- American RobinTurdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves33,197
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves32,184
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves30,377
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves28,456
- American GoldfinchSpinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves26,223
- Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves23,414
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves22,922
- Song SparrowMelospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves22,444
Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Schools
Largest nearby schools
- State College Area HSHigh · State College · 2,410 students · 11.9:1 ratio
- Bellefonte Area HSHigh · Bellefonte · 847 students · 14.1:1 ratio
- Park Forest MSMiddle · State College · 815 students · 13.4:1 ratio
- Mount Nittany MSMiddle · State College · 695 students · 11.2:1 ratio
- Bellefonte Area MSMiddle · Bellefonte · 576 students · 12.3:1 ratio
- Mount Nittany El SchElementary · State College · 430 students · 13.4:1 ratio
- Park Forest El SchElementary · State College · 430 students · 14.3:1 ratio
- Radio Park El SchElementary · State College · 396 students · 13.2:1 ratio
Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).
Earthquake history
Most recent
- M 3.44 — 2019-06-139 km N of Blain, Pennsylvania
- M 2.6 — 2018-04-0524 km WSW of Liberty, Pennsylvania
Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here







People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.
Nearby places in Pennsylvania
- Houserville4.2 mi away
- Continental Courts8 mi away
- Baileyville12.5 mi away
- Holters Crossing13.7 mi away
- Hublersburg15.3 mi away · pop. 26
- Lewistown16.4 mi away · pop. 8,479
- Jacksonville16.5 mi away
- Juniata Terrace16.8 mi away
- Madisonburg16.9 mi away
- Allensville17.3 mi away
- Maitland17.9 mi away
- Mattawana19.6 mi away
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Boalsburg


Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species









Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).
Nearest stream gauge
Events
Gallery
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • US Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates)
- • NOAA National Weather Service
- • Wikidata
- • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
- • NCES via Urban Institute Education Data Portal
- • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
- • iNaturalist
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library