West Decatur, Pennsylvania

Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States
40°55′40″N 78°16′48″W / 40.92778°N 78.28000°W / 40.92778; -78.28000CountryUnited StatesStatePennsylvaniaCountyClearfieldTownshipBoggsArea
 • Total1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2) • Land1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2) • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)Elevation
1,550 ft (470 m)Population
 (2020)
 • Total453 • Density381/sq mi (147.0/km2)Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)ZIP code
16878
FIPS code42-82792GNIS feature ID1211956

West Decatur is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census the population of West Decatur was 453.[1]

It lies in the southeast corner of Boggs Township along Blue Ball Road just south of U.S. Route 322 between Wallaceton and Philipsburg.[2] It was also known as Blue Ball, for the nearby blue ball clay deposits,[3] but the local post office received the name West Decatur.[4]

West Decatur lies along the old Philipsburg and Susquehanna Turnpike, which was part of a through route between Philadelphia and Erie, and is thus now called Old Erie Pike. The community was also on the Clearfield Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, opened by the Tyrone and Clearfield Railway in mid-1868 from Philipsburg to Blue Ball, and extended to Clearfield in 1869.[5] Successor Conrail sold it to R.J. Corman Railroad/Pennsylvania Lines in 1996, but it has since been abandoned.

References

  1. ^ "Explore Census Data".
  2. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 2009 General Highway Map: Clearfield County, Pennsylvania[permanent dead link], accessed July 2009
  3. ^ Federal Writers' Project, Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State, 1940, p. 468
  4. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Highways, General Highway Map: Clearfield County, Pennsylvania[permanent dead link], 1941: shows "Blue Ball (West Decatur P.O.)"
  5. ^ Christopher T. Baer, Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society, PRR Chronology Archived 2013-12-22 at the Wayback Machine, 1868 and 1869, accessed July 2009
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Municipalities and communities of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States
County seat: Clearfield
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