HUNTINGDON COUNTY

County Offices
223 Penn Street
Huntingdon 814-643-3091
www.huntingdoncounty.net

Chamber of Commerce
500 Allegheny Street
Huntingdon 814-643-1110
www.huntingdonchamber.com

A land of breathtaking natural beauty and unspoiled natural resources, Huntingdon County is home to the outstanding liberal arts institution of Juniata College and Raystown Lake, the crown jewel of Central Pennsylvania. The region is surrounded by a picturesque landscape of fertile farmland and heavily wooded forests that encompass three state parks. Acres of public land and sparkling waterways create the setting for a wide variety of recreational opportunities.

Raystown Lake serves as the centerpiece of Huntingdon County. This deep, serpentine body of water covers 8,300 acres to create a paradise for water sports. Three of Pennsylvania’s most lush state parks are nestled in Huntingdon County: Trough Creek State Park near Raystown Lake creates a serene retreat for hikers, picnickers, anglers, and campers. Whipple Dam State Park, Rothrock State Forest, and Greenwood Furnace State Park are located in the northeastern corner of the county and offer swimming in stream-fed lakes, picnicking, fishing, and hiking. A short distance away is the Stone Valley Recreation Area, approximately 1,500 acres of forest and wetlands. Almost every town in the county has developed its own park with baseball and softball diamond and open space for family or community gatherings.

Services
New residents to Huntingdon County can look forward to state-of-the-art services for healthcare, public safety, and private or public social services. J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital anchors the first-rate medical community, continually expanding its equipment and campus to ensure personalized, professional care since 1911. One of the recent renovation projects added a high-tech surgical wing and a new obstetrics/gynecology unit. The hospital is committed to keeping pace with technological advances, including laser surgery and laparoscopy, ultrasound body scans, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The medical staff brings together more than 60 physicians who represent every major specialty. Throughout the county, medical centers provide primary care close to home.

Huntingdon County is justly proud of its public and private educational institutions and its status as the home of Juniata College, a private liberal arts institution that enjoys a national reputation. The University Park Campus of Pennsylvania State University is only 30 miles from downtown Huntingdon, and DuBois Business College maintains a local campus. Students from preschool through 12th grade attend schools in one of several school districts that include Huntingdon, Juniata Valley, Mount Union, Tyrone Area, Tussey Mountain, and Southern Huntingdon County. Within each district, new construction, modernization, and renovation keep pace with demands for educational excellence and favorable pupil-teacher ratios.

The various high schools in the Huntingdon County districts offer academic, business, vocational-agriculture, and vocational-technical curriculums. Students can also choose from a large number of athletic, theatrical, scholarly, and musical organizations. All the county’s districts are members of the “Access Pennsylvania” electronic interlibrary loan program. Special programs for gifted children, educational summer camps, and the opportunity for high school students to attend area colleges are just a few of the advantages.

Lifestyle
Peaceful and filled with natural beauty, Huntingdon County features rolling hills and deep forests of oak and pine. The lakes, rivers, streams, and forests in this region are teeming with wildlife that attracts sportsmen from across the nation. Residents enjoy some of the nation’s finest recreational opportunities including boating, fishing, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and camping. Approximately 135,000 acres—which is nearly one-fourth of the total area of the county—are available for outdoor adventures. The jewel of Raystown Lake is uncluttered by privately owned property, offering only secluded beauty dotted by boat ramps, anchorage areas, and lush campgrounds. However, access to the lake from surrounding homes and cabins is only a 10 to 15-minute drive.

Located south of Penn State University and north of the Bedford and Breezewood exits from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Huntingdon County offers welcoming communities, vacation homes, cultural attractions, scenic vistas, amusement parks, water parks, miniature golf, and fascinating caverns. With all the natural areas, trails, and waterways, the region is recognized for its varied species of birds. Camping from primitive sites to resorts, canoeing, boating, water skiing, and scuba diving are popular activities. When the snow flies, residents enjoy the winter sports of snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice skating, cross-country skiing, sledding, and downhill skiing.

Fine museums, historic sites, the Juniata College Museum of Art, and the active Huntingdon County Arts Council ensure cultural enrichment. The arts council organizes shows, concerts, and exhibits but also sponsors regional events through its grant program. One of the most celebrated local attractions is McConnellstown Playhouse, known for the quality of its plays, musicals, and concerts for more than two decades. Raystown Lake and Juniata College combine their bounty to create one of the world’s most unique learning opportunities, the Juniata College Raystown Field Station. Here, scientists and students from around the world study the lake’s environment to better understand the complex ecology of the region. Thriving retail centers, wonderful restaurants, country manors, horse properties, and cottages shaded by ancient trees are just a few of the treasures you’ll discover in Huntingdon County.


Huntingdon, Alexandria

Municipal Offices
Huntingdon Borough
814-643-3966
www.huntingdonboro.com
Alexandria Borough
814-669-4441

Chamber of Commerce
814-643-1110
www.huntingdonchamber.com

Providing a hub of county government, culture, healthcare, and education, Huntingdon Borough and the smaller neighboring Alexandria Borough offer a small-town atmosphere among ridges of the Appalachian Mountains. Nestled in an area that is often called “Land of 1,000 Hills,” the region is laced by forested ridges and agricultural valleys. Both communities enjoy a location near the rolling Juniata River for unrivaled fishing opportunities for trout and bass. These communities are also convenient to State College, Altoona, Johnstown, and Raystown Lake. Huntingdon is home to a bustling downtown district, DuBois Business College, Juniata College, and the J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital. The borough’s community center specializes in indoor activities for the youth, while Detwiler Field and Blair Park are popular destinations for outdoor activities.

Oneida, Porter, Smithfield, Walker
Municipal Offices
Oneida Township
814-643-3116
Porter Township
814-669-4067
Smithfield Township
814-643-6702
Walker Township
814-627-1890

Chamber of Commerce
814-643-1110
www.huntingdonchamber.com

Several of the neighboring townships in Huntingdon County are experiencing considerable growth and development. Although Smithfield is one of the smaller of these townships, its close proximity to Huntingdon Borough makes it a popular choice for new-home construction. Those who are looking for a country home near major urban advantages like a regional hospital, a highly acclaimed private college, and cultural attractions will find a wide selection of properties in these panoramic townships. Raystown Lake forms the centerpiece of recreational activity, attracting boaters, water skiers, and scuba divers to its deep waters. Surrounding the lake are 118 miles of natural wooded shoreline with 21,000 acres of largely undeveloped public land. At the northern end of the lake, Seven Points Marina provides the largest dockage area in Pennsylvania. The lake’s islands are ideal for exploring tranquil coves that crowd the shoreline.

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