Profile for Chester, Pennsylvania, PA

Chester is on the Delaware River

Penn landed here in 1682. Site of the first Finnish settlement in America

Grew as a munitions center during World War I

Historic sites and museums: Penn Memorial Landing Stone

Colleges and universities: Widener University

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was below the national average. (See library links below.)

Gays & lesbians
National index: 100
Local index: 114

Listed places near Chester

Airports (1)

Cemeteries (32)

Colleges (5)

Communities (80)

Hotels (23)

Libraries (27)

Add extra pins to the map by clicking on the list above the map. You may click the displayed pins for more information, or search the displayed pins by using the above search field.

• Chester population
• Ancestry of people in Chester
• Housing in Chester
• Income in Chester
• Marital status of adults in Chester
• Place of birth of people in Chester
• Residence in 1995, of people in Chester
• School enrollment & education levels in Chester
• Transportation & commute times in Chester
• Delaware County data
• Fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania
• State data - Pennsylvania
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Chester demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Delaware County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Philadelphia area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 19086 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Chester city government
• Delaware County government
• Delaware County Chamber of Commerce

3% of Chester residents report German ancestry, and 6% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Chester ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Chester
• Cemeteries in Delaware County
• Libraries in or near Chester

Post a query on a message board:

• Delaware County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - PA data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

• Chester area attractions
• Chester museums
• Chester historic sites
• Chester area parks
• Wineries near Chester

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Chester area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Delaware County
• Cemetery record compendium
• Pennsylvania cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Chester
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more
• Communities in Delaware County

• Chester business guide
• Delaware County Chamber of Commerce
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in Pennsylvania
• Local ordinances in Pennsylvania (Partial selection)

• Crime in Delaware County
• Arrests in Delaware County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in Pennsylvania
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Chester was $13,052, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Delaware County economic census
• Delaware County economic summary
• Delaware County employment growth
• Delaware County unemployment rate
• Pennsylvania economic data

9% of Chester residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Chester
• Colleges in Pennsylvania
• Learning Disabilities Association in Pennsylvania
• Schools in or near Chester
• School districts in or near Chester
• School report cards
• Yearbooks (old) of Pennsylvania high schools

• Movies playing in or near Chester
• YouTube videos about Chester

• Air pollution in Delaware County
• Diesel soot in Delaware County
• Land contamination in Delaware County
• Nature Conservancy projects in Pennsylvania
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Recycling info for Delaware County
• Toxic chemical releases in Delaware County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in Pennsylvania

• ePodunk festival listings
• Pennsylvania county fairs
• Pennsylvania festivals (Pennsylvania tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Chester

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Chester
• Geocaches in Pennsylvania

• Chester items now on sale

• Chester local government Web site
• Delaware County government
• Pennsylvania state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
• Moving
• Nonprofit resources
• Sports & rec
• Travel

• Chester medical services & health statistics

• State historical society

• Historic sites in or near Chester
• Historic sites in Pennsylvania
• Museums in or near Chester
• Museums in Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Delaware County genealogy forum

Median rent in Chester, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $442.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $787.

• Research Chester Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Chester
• Homes for sale in Chester
• Find a Chester Realtor
• Get free moving quotes
• Free home valuation
• Check Pennsylvania mortgage rates
• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Jobs in the Chester area
• Job services in Pennsylvania
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Chester include J Lewis Crozer Library ... View libraries

• Pennsylvania library

• Pennsylvania statewide library catalog

• Get directions from Chester
• Get directions to Chester
• Census map of Chester area
• Historic maps of PA cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of Pennsylvania
• Topographic map of Chester

• Daily newspapers in or near Chester
• AM radio stations in or near Chester
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Chester
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Chester
• TV stations in or near Chester
• Media ownership in the Chester area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in Pennsylvania

• Military bases in Pennsylvania
• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Chester
• Search obituaries in Pennsylvania
• Recent death notices - selected PA newspapers

• Chambers of commerce in Pennsylvania
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in Pennsylvania
• Lions clubs in Pennsylvania
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Chester
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Chester

• Parks near Chester
• National forests in Pennsylvania
• Ski areas near Chester
• Ski areas in Pennsylvania
• State parks in Pennsylvania

• Find friends & family

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Chester
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of Pennsylvania communities
• Photos of Pennsylvania places
• Post cards of Pennsylvania communities

Delaware County supported John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. For more information, see our Chester political report.

• Pennsylvania Democratic party
• Pennsylvania Republican party
• Pennsylvania elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
• ZIP codes (by city)
• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Chester
• Total membership by faith, in Delaware County

• Nearby restaurants taking online reservations
• Chowhound message boards for PA

The average commute time for Chester workers is 26 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

A total of 10 fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred in Chester between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is a rate of 2.7 fatal crashes per 10,000 population, which was lower than the national norm.

• Chester travel guide
• Airports near Chester
• Hotels near Chester
• Pennsylvania tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in Pennsylvania
• Wildlife refuges in Pennsylvania

Browse list of Pennsylvania community profiles