ZIP Code 17527

Gap is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,931 at the 2010 census. U.S. Route 30 passes through the town, which is also the terminus for four Pennsylvania highways: 772, 741, 897, and the heavily used 41, which goes toward Wilmington, Delaware. The area around Gap had a copper mine and what at the time were the only nickel mines in the United States in the 19th century. In the mid-19th century there was a group of men known as "The Gap Gang". They would engage in raids and robberies of citizens traveling the Lancaster Philadelphia Turnpike. They were notorious for kidnapping free blacks and escaped slaves and selling them to slave traders in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. The Gap Gang were most noted for their involvement in the Christiana Riot. The gap for which the community is named is at an elevation of 580 feet (180 m) above sea level, between Mine Ridge to the west and Gap Hill to the east, both ridges rising to about 750 feet (230 m)Above sea level. The community occupies the center of the gap and extends northward downslope into Salisbury township. A small portion of the community extends south into Sadsbury Township. The CDP has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), of which 2.0 acres (7,943 m2), or 0.11%, are water.

History

Gap has a history which can be dated as far back as William Penn's first visits to the area. Isaac Taylor erected the first house in what would become Gap in 1747. The area around Gap had a copper mine and what at the time were the only nickel mines in the United States. In the mid-19th century there was a group of men known as "The Gap Gang". They would engage in raids and robberies of citizens traveling the Lancaster Philadelphia Turnpike. The Gap Gang were most noted for their involvement in the Christiana Riot.Nearby to the west, and traditionally closely associated with Gap, is White Chimneys, a country estate that began as a Church Dutch family farm much like any other in the area but eventually became known for wealth because it was the home of the Slaymaker family of Lancaster City. A stretch of railroad line was laid through the pass in the 19th century. Today the same railroad right-of-way carries Amtrak trains on the Keystone service. The site now contains a large convenience store and gas station. It is located on the PhiladelphiaLancaster Pike (which is now U.S. Route 30) and had a small village with blacksmith shop. Most of the buildings stood until circa 2020-2021, when they were removed for redevelopment. Although there was interest among locals to preserve the buildings, the real estate was valuable commercial frontage and funding for preservation was not available. In the early 1900s, the Gap Gang kidnapped free blacks and escaped slaves and sold them to slave traders in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

Geography

Gap is in eastern Lancaster County, in the southern part of Salisbury Township. A small portion of the community extends south into Sadsbury Township. The gap separates the watersheds of two tributaries of the Susquehanna River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), of which 2.0 acres (7,943 m2), or 0.11%, are water. It is at an elevation of 580 feet (180 m) above sea level, between Mine Ridge to the west and Gap Hill to the east, both ridges rising to about 750 feet (230 m) Above sea level is the center of the gap, which extends northward downslope into Salisbury township. It has a population of 1,788. The CDP is located at an average elevation of 515 feet (170 m) below sea level. It was founded in the early 1800s. The community is named after the Gap Hill, which rises to about 600 feet (190 m) from the community's center. It lies in the eastern part of Lancaster County. The SusqueHanna River flows through the community. It flows to the north, to the south, and west to Maryland. It also has a small section of land called Gap Creek, which flows to Pequea Creek, and the East Branch of Octoraro Creek, reaching the river just south of Conowingo Dam.

Roads

U.S. Route 30 (the Lincoln Highway) passes through Gap, leading west 16 miles (26 km) to Lancaster. Pennsylvania Route 772 starts four blocks west of the intersection of PA 41 and US 30. The Gap Fire Co. is located along Pequea Avenue, one block west of Route 41. The original fire house was renovated into a home that is leased out. A new facility was built to house all of the rescue trucks. Up the street another block is a historic building which was used for the PequeA Feeds Company. The route leads west 19 miles (31 km)to Millersville. It is a major route for commercial trucks. In August 2016, a major realignment project was completed, separating eastbound and westbound traffic on US Route 30 between PA Route 41 and just west of PA Route772. This has mostly eliminated the previous congestion problems that often plagued that area. It leads north 11 miles (18 km) and east 10 miles (16km) to Coatesville and eventually Philadelphia. It passes over Welsh Mountain along the way. It also leads northwest 21 miles (34 kilometers) to Lititz, passing through Intercourse, Leola, Brownstown, and Rothsville along theway. It ends at a junction with PA Route 897 one block east of the Route 41 intersection at US 30, leading to Blue Ball and Lititz. It was once known as the "Pennsylvania Turnpike" because of the number of turns it made.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,611 people, 572 households, and 459 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 576.5 people per square mile (222.9/km²). There were 597 housing units at an average density of 213.6/sq mi (82.6-km²) The CDP's median income was $46,036, and the median income for a family was $51,181. About 4.4% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over. The city's ZIP code is 9054, and its area code is 7055. The town's ZIP Code is 6055, and it has a population density of 576 people per sq mi (223.9 per km²) It is located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which connects to New Jersey and New Jersey via the N.J. Turnpikes and the Connecticut Turnpix. It is the only town in the state to have a ZIP code that is more than 100 miles (160 km) away from the city center. It has one of the highest rates of obesity in the U.S. and the highest obesity rates in New Jersey. It also has the highest percentage of people living in poverty than any other city in the United States. It had the highest rate of obesity among adults in the city in 2000.

Attractions

The Gap Town Clock, built in 1892, overlooks William Penns' entrance into Conestoga, now Lancaster County, in 1701. The clock's face, long telling the time to passing multitudes, is a Lancaster County Historic Preservation Trust Site. The Clock Tower is open to the public on weekdays, and the clock tower is open on weekends.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Gap, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania = 14.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 20. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Gap = 3.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 16,463 individuals with a median age of 36.3 age the population grows by 11.10% in Gap, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 753.27 residents per square mile of area (290.88/km²). There are average 2.82 people per household in the 635 households with an average household income of $55,439 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.60% of the available work force and has dropped -4.99% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.42%. The number of physicians in Gap per 100,000 population = 179.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Gap = 45.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 34.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 129. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 197. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 23.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 48, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Gap, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania which are owned by the occupant = 70.69%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 33 years with median home cost = $214,730 and home appreciation of -1.05%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $14.64 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,334 per student. There are 16 students for each teacher in the school, 670 students for each Librarian and 413 students for each Counselor. 7.02% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 12.89% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.18% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).