Huntingdon County is located in south-central Pennsylvania, minutes from I-99, I-80 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The community is located far enough from major urban centers to avoid the ills of traffic congestion, air pollution and crime, but close enough to enjoy the benefits of business associations and culture.
Throughout its history, Huntingdon County has had an economy based on natural resources, from lumber, coal, sandstone, limestone to the current-day outdoor recreation and tourism. J.C. Blair started a paper mill in Huntingdon and invented the paper tablet. Blair's paper mill grew and merged with other paper companies and is now known as Mead-Westvaco, which still has a presence in the area.
The 8,300-acre, 30-mile long Raystown Lake was created in the early 1970s by an Army Corps of Engineers as a flood control dam on the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River just 3.5 miles from the center of Huntingdon. The Raystown Lake Recreation Area welcomes nearly 2 million visitors per year to the lake and the public land surrounding it.
Demographics
| Land Area: | 874 square miles |
| Water Area: | 15 square miles |
| Population | 45,913 |
| Population Density: | 53 people per square mile |
| Cost of Living Index: | 88.7 |
| Industries Providing Employment: | 21.8% education, health and social services 21.6% manufacturing |
| Median Resident Age: | 37.7 |
| Average Household Size: | 2.4 |
| Median Household Income: | $41,132 |
| Links | |
| County Government | http://www.huntingdoncounty.net |
| Chamber of Commerce | http://www.huntingdonchamber.com/ |
| Economic Development | http://www.hcbi.com/ |
| Tourism | http://raystown.org/ |
