Harrisburg Real Estate
One-Time Sleepy River Town, Harrisburg, PA, Now Bridge to the Future
The area that is now Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was home to Native Americans for 8,000 years before the French and Swedish explorers set foot here in the 1600’s. The first permanent European settlement consisted of a tavern and trading post built by a man named John Harris, Sr., whose son, John Harris, Jr., created a ferry service which earned the settlement its name of Harris’ Ferry. The area eventually grew and its name changed to Harrisburg and the city on the Susquehanna River became the county seat of Dauphin County as well as the capital city of the state of Pennsylvania.
Today as many urban centers are in a state of continuing decline, congested suburbs are fighting further growth, and rural areas deal with open space preservation, transportation and infrastructure obstacles, the City of Harrisburg leads the way in smart growth and renewal of a vitally important urban core community. Harrisburg’s now proven vitality, strategic location and investment incentives are an economic success story in which there is plenty of room for additional new commercial, industrial and residential growth.
Harrisburg has won the top community awards in the state and nation for its dramatic and comprehensive gains. Twice selected as an All America City by the National Civic League, the City of Harrisburg has also been recognized within its own state borders by the state Chamber of Business and Industry as Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Community, and is the only northeastern U.S. city to receive both distinguished awards. The city has also won and maintained the nation’s top governmental accounting and budgeting awards, national police accreditation, and many top environmental, social and historical preservation awards.
Harrisburg is now the region’s center for finance, transportation, commerce, recreation, special events, entertainment, history, arts and government. It additionally provides services to dozens of surrounding communities, including water supply, solid waste disposal and wastewater treatment. Its infrastructure has undergone substantial improvement in the past decade, allowing for affordable, accessible and reliable services to business, industry and residents.
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Transportation: Harrisburg is the center of transportation for South Central Pennsylvania and is served by Interstates 83, 81 and 78, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Highways 283, 11/15 and 22/322. Air travel is accessible via the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, the Capital City Executive Airport and the Harrisburg International Airport. Passenger rail service is available through Amtrak and local bus transportation is available through the Capital Area Transit system. Currently Harrisburg is developing a mass transit system called CorridorOne, which will link the city with Lancaster, PA (mid 2006) and Carlisle, PA (mid 2007).
Population: 48,950
Median Household Income: $26,920
Median Family Income: $29,556
Per Capita Income: $15,757
Latitude: 40°16'11" North
Longitude: 76°52'32" West