Back ريدينغ (بنسيلفانيا) Arabic Ridinq (Pensilvaniya) Azerbaijani ریدینق، پنسیلوانیا AZB Рэдынг (Пенсільванія) Byelorussian Рэдынг (Пэнсыльванія) BE-X-OLD Рединг (Пенсилвания) Bulgarian Reading (Pennsylvania) Breton Reading (Pennsilvània) Catalan Рединг (Пенсильвани) CE Reading (kapital sa kondado sa Tinipong Bansa, Pennsylvania) CEB
Reading | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname(s): Pretzel Capital of the World, Pretzel City[1] | |
 Interactive map of Reading | |
  Reading  Reading  Reading | |
| Coordinates: 40°20′30″N 75°55′35″W / 40.34167°N 75.92639°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Berks |
| Founded | 1748 |
| Incorporated (borough) | September 15, 1783[2] |
| Incorporated (city) | March 16, 1847[2] |
| Named for | Reading, England |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Eddie Moran (D) |
| Area | |
• City | 10.08 sq mi (26.11 km2) |
| • Land | 9.84 sq mi (25.49 km2) |
| • Water | 0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2) |
| Elevation | 305 ft (93 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 95,112 |
• Estimate (2022) | 94,858  |
| • Density | 9,400/sq mi (3,600/km2) |
| • Urban | 276,278 (US: 149th)[4] |
| • Urban density | 2,874.3/sq mi (1,109.8/km2) |
| • Metro | 428,849 (US: 126th) |
| Demonym(s) | Readingite, Redingensian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 19601–19612, 19632, 19640 |
| Area code(s) | 610, 484 |
| FIPS code | 42-63624 |
| Website | www |
| Designated | 1948[6] |
Reading (/ˈrɛdɪŋ/ RED-ing; (Pennsylvania Dutch: Reddin) is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 census and is the fourth-most populous city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown.[7][8][9][10] Reading is located in the southeastern part of the state and is the principal city of the Greater Reading area, which had 420,152 residents in 2020.
Reading gives its name to the now-defunct Reading Company, also known as the Reading Railroad and since acquired by Conrail, that played a vital role in transporting anthracite coal from Pennsylvania's Coal Region to major East Coast markets through the Port of Philadelphia for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Reading Railroad is one of the four railroad properties in the classic U.S. version of the Monopoly board game. Reading was one of the first localities where outlet shopping became a tourist industry. It has been known as "The Pretzel City" because numerous local pretzel bakeries are based in the city and its suburbs; currently, Bachman, Dieffenbach, Tom Sturgis, and Unique Pretzel bakeries call the Reading area home. In recent years, the Reading area has become a destination for cyclists with more than 125 miles of trails in five major preserves; the region is an International Mountain Bicycling Association ride center.[11]
According to 2010 census data, Reading had the highest share of citizens living in poverty in the nation among cities with populations exceeding 65,000.[12] Reading's poverty rate fell over the next decade.[13] Reading's poverty rate in the five-year American Community Survey, published in 2018, showed that 35.4% of the city's residents were below the poverty line, or less "than the infamous 41.3% from 2011, when Reading was declared the poorest small city in the nation."[14]
Reading is located 38.8 miles (62.4 km) southwest of Allentown and 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Philadelphia.
- ^ Kline, Dave. "Mountain Folklore: Berks Country Fest is all about music, culture, food". Reading Eagle. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ a b "The Code of Ordinances of the City of Reading" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register.
- ^ "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on March 21, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ "Reading now the 4th largest city in Pennsylvania, according to census data". Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Reading (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". census.gov. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Census Shows Reading, Berks growth spurt". Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
- ^ "Reading (PA) Bronze-level | International Mountain Bicycling Association". www.imba.com. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ Tavernise, Sabrina (September 26, 2011). "Reading, Pa., Knew It Was Poor. Now It Knows Just How Poor". The New York Times.
- ^ Candy Woodall | cwoodall@pennlive. com (January 18, 2018). "The 35 poorest towns in Pennsylvania". pennlive. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ Richter, Adam. "Statistics show Reading and Berks County on the economic upswing". Reading Eagle. Archived from the original on January 20, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.