Ephrata ( ; ) is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located east of Harrisburg and about west-northwest of Philadelphia and is named after Ephrath, the former name for current-day Bethlehem. In its early history, Ephrata was a pleasure resort and an agricultural community.
Ephrata's population has steadily grown over the last century. In 1900, 2,452 people lived there, and by 1940, the population had increased to 6,199. The population was 13,794 at the 2020 census. Ephrata is the most populous borough in Lancaster County.
Ephrata's sister city is Eberbach, Germany, the city where its founders originated.
History
Ephrata is noteworthy for having been the former seat of the Mystic Order of the Solitary, a semimonastic order of Seventh-Day Dunkers. The community, which contained both men and women, was founded by Johann Conrad Beissel in 1732.
Many of the members were well-educated; Peter Miller, second prior of the monastery, translated the Declaration of Independence into seven languages, at the request of Congress. At the period of its greatest prosperity, the community contained nearly 300 persons.
The Ephrata Commercial Historic District, Ephrata Cloister, Eby Shoe Corporation buildings, Connell Mansion, Mentzer Building, and Mountain Springs Hotel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography Ephrata is located in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania at (40.17870, −76.17744). U.S. Route 322 passes through the center of the borough as Main Street; it leads northwest to Hershey and southeast to West Chester. Pennsylvania Route 272 passes through the northwest side of Ephrata, leading northeast to Adamstown and southwest to Lancaster, the county seat. Like the rest of the county, the surrounding land is mostly flat and suitable for farming.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which , or 1.27%, are water. Cocalico Creek flows through the borough just north of the center of town; it is a southwest-flowing tributary of the Conestoga River and part of the Susquehanna River watershed.
Ephrata has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa), and average monthly temperatures range from in January to in July. The hardiness zone is 6b.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Ephrata had a population of 13,794. The median age was 38.4 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.4 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,730 households in Ephrata, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.0% were married-couple households, 20.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,936 housing units, of which 3.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.5%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 11,898 86.3% Black or African American 218 1.6% American Indian and Alaska Native 58 0.4% Asian 175 1.3% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 5 0.0% Some other race 472 3.4% Two or more races 968 7.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,197 8.7%
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 13,213 people, 5,477 households, and 3,565 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 5,672 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 96.10% White, 0.64% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 2.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,477 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,550, and the median income for a family was $48,213. Males had a median income of $35,095 versus $22,782 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,659. About 3.7% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Community pool The Borough of Ephrata owns and operates the Ephrata Community Pool at 418 Vine Street. The pool is the oldest continuously operating swimming pool in Lancaster County, finishing its 84th year of operation in September 2015. A newly remodeled pool, opened on May 26, 2012, contains zero-depth entries, flume slides, and climbing walls, among other features.
Libraries Akron borough council cut the line item for the Ephrata Public Library from its $1.9 million proposed general budget for 2023. It has not yet voted to ratify that budget.
Schools Schools in Ephrata are part of the Ephrata Area School District.
Elementary Akron Elementary School Clay Elementary School Fulton Elementary School Highland Elementary School
Middle Ephrata Middle School
High Ephrata High School
Economy
Ephrata has a mix of large and small businesses of many types, including produce distributor Four Seasons Produce, founded in 1976.
Religion Ephrata has a diverse mix of churches and faith groups, primarily Christian. The countryside surrounding Ephrata is home to a large number of Amish and Old Order Mennonite families.
Public services
The Ephrata Public Library, on South Reading Road, is a member of the Library System of Lancaster County.
Infrastructure Transportation The U.S. Route 222 freeway passes southeast of Ephrata, heading southwest to Lancaster and northeast to Reading and Allentown. US 222 meets the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) at the Reading interchange northeast of Ephrata. U.S. Route 322 passes northwest–southeast through Ephrata along Main Street, with an interchange at US 222 east of the borough. Said interchange was converted to a diverging diamond interchange in 2021. Pennsylvania Route 272 passes southwest–northeast through Ephrata along Reading Road, heading through the western part of the borough. The Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) provides bus service to Ephrata along Route 11, which operates from the Walmart in Ephrata through the downtown area and south to downtown Lancaster. There is a park and ride lot at the now former Kmart in Ephrata that is served by RRTA.
The Reading and Columbia Railroad operated passenger service through downtown Ephrata until 1952. The East Penn Railroad continues to operate freight service from Ephrata north to Reading on the Lancaster Northern line, while the line between Ephrata and Lititz, to the southwest, has been converted into a rail trail.
Utilities The Borough of Ephrata Electric Division provides electricity to most of Ephrata, with Allentown-based PPL Corporation providing electricity to part of it. The Borough of Ephrata Electric Division dates back to 1902, when the borough purchased it from the Lancaster Valley Electric Company for $7,000. The borough operated a small generating plant on South State Street before the Ephrata Borough Electric Plant was built on Church Avenue in 1924.
The electric plant operated until 1965, when increased demand for electricity led the borough to purchase power from outside sources. The Borough of Ephrata Electric Division provides 140 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and has $18.6 million in sales. The Ephrata Area Joint Authority (EAJA) provides water to Ephrata along with Ephrata Township and Clay Township, serving 8,222 customers. The agency provides 700 million gallons of water annually, with water coming from the Cocalico Creek and groundwater wells. The EAJA operates a filtration treatment plant and has three wells and four storage tanks to store water. Trash and recycling collection in Ephrata is provided by the borough through a contract with Goods Disposal. Natural gas service in Ephrata is provided by UGI Utilities.
Health care WellSpan Health operates the WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, which serves the borough and surrounding areas in northern Lancaster County. The hospital has 133 acute care beds and eight acute rehabilitation beds and offers an emergency room, a cancer center, and a maternity unit, among other inpatient and outpatient services.
Law and government Ephrata is a borough. The mayor is Thomas G. Reinhold.
"Ephrata" is also used to refer to the surrounding Ephrata Township.
Elected officials representing Ephrata Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) Senior United States Senator John Fetterman (D) Junior United States Senator Dave McCormick (R) United States Congressman Lloyd Smucker (R) Pennsylvania State Senator James Malone (D) Pennsylvania State Representative Keith Greiner (R) Ephrata Borough Council: Greg Zimmerman (R), President; Vic Richard (R), Vice President; Al Buohl (R), President Pro-Tempore; Tim Barr (R); Kory Musser (R); Nancy Aronson (R); Alan Armstrong (R); Chad Ochs (R) Ephrata Mayor: Thomas G. Reinhold (R)
Notable people Michael Akers, film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor Evelyn Margaret Ay, Miss America 1954 Guy K. Bard, educator and judge, Attorney General of Pennsylvania (1938–1939), first person from Lancaster County to be appointed a U.S. federal judge Jacob Hibshman, U.S. Congressman for Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district from 1819 to 1821 Travis Jankowski, professional baseball player and coach Charles B. McVay III, rear admiral and commanding officer, USS Indianapolis (CA-35) at the time of its sinking in 1945 Mike Mentzer, professional bodybuilder and 1979 Mr. Olympia heavyweight champion Ray Mentzer, professional bodybuilder and 1979 AAU Mr. America Miles Rock (1840-1901), civil engineer, geologist and astronomer Stanley "Whitey" von Nieda, NBA basketball player Murray Merle Schwartz, United States District Court judge Texas in July, metalcore band Richard Winters, Major in "E Company", 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Sites of interest
Museums and historic sites
Eicher Arts Center, occupies Conrad Beissel's historic Eicher House. It also contains an Indian (Native American) museum and shop. Ephrata Cloister Main Theater, the Main Theater, built by the Stiefel brothers, held its grand opening Christmas Day in 1938. The first film to show was Just Around the Corner starring Shirley Temple. In 1990, the Denver and Ephrata Telephone Company purchased the theater to restore the building and once again provide movies and live productions to the area, with many original fixtures incorporated into the renovated venue. The theater reopened November 12, 1993. Mountain Springs Hotel, the site of the former hotel stands at the corner of Main Street (U.S. Route 322) and Spring Garden Street. Unoccupied for a long period of time, it was torn down in 2004, except for a small portion of the original building, which was preserved and renovated to be used as a conference center and, possibly, as a museum.