• Number of Farms - 595 with 101,000 acres that average 170 acres per farm
• Number of Dairy Farms - 70 commercial dairy farms with 4500 cows producing 72,200,000 pounds of milk per year, with a value over $11 million
• Approximate number of swine farms - 40 farms with 2900 hogs
• Approximate number of sheep farms - 15 farms with over 500 sheep and lambs
• Approximate number of cattle farms - 340 farms with 15,500 head of cattle and calves valued at nearly $14 million.
• Approximate value of crops (corn, hay, oats, soybean,vegetables, and fruit) $19.1 million

Master Gardeners

• Certified Master Gardeners - 36

Youth Development and 4-H

• Number of 4-H Clubs - 23
• Number of 4-H Members - 340
• Number of 4-H Volunteer Leaders - 91
• Total Youth Served (including In-School) - 2,214

Family Living and Consumer Sciences (individuals served)

• Young children in short program - 45
• Teens - 30
• Senior Citizens - 90
• Work Force Preparation - 60
• Parents - 10
• Civic Organizations - 12
• Child Care Providers - 125

Related Links:

• Census Information(United States data)- http://www.census.gov/
• Clarion County Data - http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/datamap/cnty?42=031
• USDA Home Page - http://www.usda.gov
• Demographics, economics, and educational information - http://govinfo.library.orst.edu/

Facts about Clarion County

Clarion County is located in the west-central part of Pennsylvania. The county ranks 38th in the state with 607 square miles. Redbank Creek forms the southern boundary and the Allegheny River forms a large part of the western boundary. Clarion, the county seat, is on the Clarion River and is near the geographical center of the county.

Located about 80 miles south of Erie and 80 miles north of Pittsburgh, the county is easily accessible with Interstate 80 bisecting the county from east to west throughout six exits (exit 11 through exit 6.) . There are 27.9 miles of interstate highways, 620 miles of state and federal highways and 659 miles of secondary and municipal roads in the County.

The county has a population of 41,765 (2000 figures). The population of the County is concentrated around the Borough of Clarion which is located slightly northeast of the center of the County. The remainder of the County is sparsely populated with some concentrations of population along the southern edge and mid-western portion of the County.

Agriculture, including forestry, contributes significantly to the local economy. Many industrial businesses also support the area with the modular home, glass manufacturing and service industries providing much of the economic basis for the county

Clarion County has a forest area of over 159,000 acres, the largest portion of which is Cook Forest. Cook Forest has the largest stand of virgin white pines east of the Mississippi River.

The Clarion River and Allegheny Rivers provide many recreational and scenic areas within the County. These rivers in combination with the County's forest areas, have contributed significantly to the County's economy.

There are 10.03 square miles of state parks and 21.72 square miles of state game lands. These areas include facilities for boating, camping, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, and swimming.

The educational history of Clarion County is also noteworthy. In 1886, Clarion became the location for one of the State Teacher training schools, now Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Now featuring an enrollment of approximately 6,000 students, (2000 figures) Clarion University has gone through multiple incarnations since its start as Carrier Seminary. In its first year as a state school in 1886, it was Clarion Normal School, and its mission was to train teachers. It did that while it was called Clarion State Teachers College, and the education department is still its claim to academic fame. After the name change in 1963 to Clarion State College, it broadened its base of subjects greatly. Its last name change to Clarion University of Pennsylvania occurred in 1983 and marked the establishment of a separate State System of Higher Education that linked all of the state schools of higher learning. CUP's payroll provides cultural and recreational opportunities to Clarion that would otherwise not exist.