Mount Pocono is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located nearly centered in the southernmost county of five in the northeast corner that are part of the Poconos Mountains region of the state. The borough serves as a local highway nexus, and sees a lot of tourist traffic making use of resources in the region. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 3,170 residents.
Geography
The town of Mount Pocono is located at , and is nearly centered in Monroe County—the most southerly and centered county of the five counties containing portions of the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The region's valleys includes left bank tributaries of the Lehigh River in the southern half, and as the mountain ranges narrow closer to New York, are instead drained by left bank tributaries of the Susquehanna River. To the east, all Poconos ridge lines drain into the Delaware River or right bank tributaries of the Delaware. According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 3.5 square miles, all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,170 people, 1,225 households, and 793 families residing in the borough. The population density was 792.2 people per square mile. There were 1,417 housing units at an average density of 358.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 58.6% White, 18.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.7% of the population. There were 1,225 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. Of all households 20.9% were made up of individuals, and 29.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.22. In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years.
Public education
The Pocono Mountain School District is the public school system for students living in Mount Pocono. The PMSD is divided into two parts, the East and the West districts. Mount Pocono is the East district, comprising for grades 9 - 12, serving students in the seventh and eighth grades, for grades 4, 5, and 6, and students from kindergarten through third grade attend the . The PMSD also offers the , a comprehensive cyber school alternative for grades k-12. The program is free to all students in the district
is a daily newspaper in the Poconos. Its coverage area centers on Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg and will occasionally cover Mount Pocono news. It currently has fewer than 60 subscribers in Mount Pocono. It is part of the Gannett/USA Today network. The , is a publication of the Journal Newspapers in White Haven, Pennsylvania. It has covered Tobyhanna Township, Coolbaugh Township, and Mount Pocono Borough for over twenty years. The community newspaper is published monthly or bi-monthly at various times of the year and is distributed free at grocery stores and restaurants in the area. community newspaper was originally established in 2018 as an online news and information site for Mount Pocono Borough residents. In February 2020, it began printing a monthly newspaper. In July 2020, it expanded coverage to include adjacent Coolbaugh and Tobyhanna Townships. The Boro* is delivered by mail to every home and business in Mount Pocono and distributed at nearly 100 controlled distribution sites throughout the area. Starting in September 2020 it plans to publish every other week and expand mailing to include residents of Tobyhanna and Coolbaugh.
History
Early 19th-century settlers used the area for lumbering. The "New Mount Pocono" post office was established in 1848. The town's name was changed in 1864 to "Forks", because of its five-way intersection where Pennsylvania Route 611 and Pennsylvania Route 940 cross and Pennsylvania Route 196 begins. The name was changed again in 1886 to "Mount Pocono". The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad provided transportation from New York City and Philadelphia. Mount Pocono quickly developed as a summer resort, advertising clean mountain air, spring water, luxury hotels and excellent fishing. The boom times lasted into the mid-20th century. Most of the resort hotels burned or closed, and passenger service to the town ended in 1965. Mount Airy Lodge grew into an 895-room mega-resort. In the mid- and late-20th century it was a popular honeymoon destination, famous for its heart-shaped bathtubs. It closed in 2001, and was demolished. Casino gambling in Pennsylvania became legal in 2004. Mount Airy Casino Resort was built on the Mount Airy Lodge's lakeside site, and opened in 2007.
Mount Airy Lodge. At its peak in the 1960s, the hotel had 895 guest rooms.
Montanesca Hotel, 125 guest rooms.
The Meadowside.
Hawthorne Inn.
Strickland's Mountain Inn. Began as The Elvin, sold to Strickland in 1945.
Devonshire Pines, 200 guest rooms.
The Belmont.
Currently, Mount Pocono serves as the commercial center for the northern part of Monroe County. Stores from national and regional chains such as Lowe's, Walmart, Weis Markets, and others are in the Borough. Local businesses include the Casino Theatre, the Village Trader, the Pioneer Diner. Many businesses are members of the Mount Pocono Association.
Climate
According to the Trewartha climate classification system, Mount Pocono has a Temperate Continental climate with warm summers, cold winters and year-around precipitation. Dcbo climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤, four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥, all months with an average mean temperature < and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are comfortably humid in Mount Pocono, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values >. Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on 07/22/2011, and the highest daily average mean dew point was on 08/01/2006. July is the peak month for thunderstorm activity which correlates with the average warmest month of the year. The average wettest month is October with added rainfall from tropical storm remnants during the Atlantic hurricane season. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was 6.81 inches on 09/30/2010. During the winter months, the plant hardiness zone is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of. Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was on 01/21/1994. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values <. The average snowiest month is January which correlates with the average coldest month of the year. Ice storms and large snowstorms depositing ≥ 12 inches of snow occur nearly every year, particularly during nor’easters from December through March.
Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Mount Pocono would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Hardwood with a dominant vegetation form of Northern hardwood forest. The peak spring bloom typically occurs in early-May and peak fall color usually occurs in early-October. The plant hardiness zone is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of.
