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{{Infobox settlement
| name = Chester, Pennsylvania
| settlement_type = [[Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania)|Home rule]] [[List of cities in Pennsylvania|city]]
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 300
| caption_align = center
| perrow = 1/2/2
| image1 = 1724 Chester Courhouse.JPG
| caption1 = [[1724 Chester Courthouse|Chester Courthouse]]
| image2 = Harrahschesterfront.jpg
| caption2 = [[Harrah's Philadelphia]]
| image3 = Philadelphia Union versus Chicago Fire at Subaru Park 8-13-2022.jpeg
| caption3 = [[Subaru Park]]
| image4 = Delco National Bank.JPG
| caption4 = [[Delaware County National Bank]]
| image5 = OldMainWidener.JPG
| caption5 = [[Widener University]] }}
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| image_flag = Flag of Chester, Pennsylvania.png
| image_seal = Seal of Chester, Pennsylvania.png
| seal_size =
| etymology =
| nickname =
| motto = What Chester Makes Makes Chester
| anthem =
| image_map = Delaware County Pennsylvania incorporated and unincorporated areas Chester highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 260px
| map_caption = Location of Chester in [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware County]] and in [[Pennsylvania]]
| coordinates = {{coord|39|50|50|N|75|22|22|W|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint =
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| subdivision_type4 =
| subdivision_name4 =
| established_title =
| established_date = 1682
| established_title1 =
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| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 =
| website = {{URL|www.chestercity.com|chestercity.com}}
| footnotes = {{designation list|embed=yes|designation1=Pennsylvania|designation1_date=October 13, 1947<ref name="PAHMDB">{{cite web |url=http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_historical_marker_program/2539/search_for_historical_markers |title=PHMC Historical Markers Search |work=Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission |publisher=Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |format=Searchable database |access-date=2015-02-11 |archive-date=2016-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321233735/http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_historical_marker_program/2539/search_for_historical_markers |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}
}}
'''Chester''' is a city in [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania]], United States.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4213208| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Chester city, Pennsylvania| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=December 31, 2015| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213063332/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4213208| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> It is located in the [[Philadelphia metropolitan area]] (also known as the [[Delaware Valley]]) on the western bank of the [[Delaware River]] between [[Philadelphia]] and [[Wilmington, Delaware]]. The population of Chester was 32,605 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
Incorporated in 1682, Chester is the oldest city in [[Pennsylvania]]<ref>{{cite web|title=History of Chester|url=http://www.chestercity.com/about/|website=chestercity.com|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref> and was the location of [[William Penn]]'s first arrival in the [[Province of Pennsylvania]]. It was the county seat for [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester County]] from 1682 to 1788 and of Delaware County from 1789 to 1851.
From the second half of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, the city was a major center of [[heavy industry]], [[manufacturing]] and [[shipping]]. The city became a boom-town during [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. The availability of employment in [[factories]], [[Longshoreman|dock work]], and [[shipbuilding]] attracted immigrants from [[Southern Europe|Southern]] and [[Eastern Europe]] and [[Great Migration (African American)|African-American migrants from southern states]]. Since the mid-20th century, it has lost most of its manufacturing base and has struggled as a [[Post-industrial society|post-industrial]] city dealing with crime, pollution, and poverty. Pennsylvania declared Chester a financially distressed municipality in 1995 and a fiscal emergency in 2020. In 2022, Chester became the 31st city in the United States to declare bankruptcy.
The city is home to [[Widener University]], [[Harrah's Philadelphia]], the [[Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company|Chester Waterside Station]], the [[William Penn Landing Site]], and [[Subaru Park]], home of the [[Major League Soccer]] team, the [[Philadelphia Union]].
== History ==
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The Indian tribe that owned the land where Chester now stands were the [[Okehocking people|Okehockings]], removed by order of [[William Penn]] in 1702 to other lands in Chester County.{{sfn|Ashmead|1884|p=328}} The original Indian name of Chester was Mecoponaca,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ferris|first1=Benjamin|title=A History of the Original Settlements on the Delaware|date=1846|publisher=Wilson & Healde|location=Wilmington|page=[https://archive.org/details/historyoforigina00inferr/page/135 135]|url=https://archive.org/details/historyoforigina00inferr|access-date=22 June 2017}}</ref> which means "the stream along which large potatoes grow".{{sfn|Martin|1877|p=3}}
The first European settlers in the area were members of the [[New Sweden]] colony. The settlement that became Chester was first called "Finlandia" (the Latin name for Finland) and then "Upland" after the Swedish province of [[Uppland]]. The New Sweden settlers built Fort Mecoponacka in 1641 to defend the settlement.<ref>''Narratives of Early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware 1630–1707'', ed. [[Albert Cook Myers]]. New York: [[Charles Scribner's Sons]] (1912){{ISBN?}}</ref>
In 1644, the present site of Chester was a tobacco plantation operated by the New Sweden colonists.{{sfn|Ashmead|1883|p=2}}
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===18th century===
[[File:
[[File:Old Swedish Burial Ground Chester Delco.jpg|thumb|[[St. Paul's Church (Chester, Pennsylvania)|Old St. Paul's Church]] burial ground is the burial location of [[John Morton (American politician)|John Morton]], one of 56 signators to the [[United States Declaration of Independence|U.S. Declaration of Independence]]]]
[[File:Chester PA BEye View 1885.jpg|thumb|Bird's eye view of Chester in 1885]]
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===19th century===
In the 1700s and 1800s, Chester was a hub for business due to easy access to the Delaware River for the transport of raw materials and finished goods by ship. By the mid-1800s, many textile mills and factories were built along [[Chester Creek]] including the
During the [[War of 1812]], a group of volunteers from Chester called the Mifflin Guards was raised and led by
In 1851, the Delaware County seat was moved from Chester to the borough of [[Media, Pennsylvania|Media]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mayberry|first1=Jodine|title=Media, Pennsylvania|url=http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/media-pennsylvania/|website=www.philadelphiaencyclopedia.org|access-date=5 June 2017}}</ref> On February 14, 1866, Chester was incorporated as a city{{sfn|Ashmead|1884|p=333}} and the first mayor elected was [[John Larkin, Jr. (businessman)|John Larkin, Jr.]]
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{{See also|Chester school protests|Wade Dump}}
[[File:Covanta Delaware Valley Resource Recovery Facility.jpg|thumb|Covanta [[Delaware Valley Resource Recovery Facility]]]]
[[File:Crozer Library Chester PA DelCo.jpg|thumb|[[J. Lewis Crozer Library]]]]
[[File:Alfred O Deshong Memorial.jpg|thumb|[[
Chester was known as a freewheeling destination for vices such as drugs, alcohol, [[Numbers game|numbers]] rackets, gambling and prostitution. Chester was widely known as Greater Philadelphia's "Saloon Town".{{sfn|Mele|2017|p=19}} By 1914, Chester had more saloons than police officers; approximately 1 saloon per every 987 residents.{{sfn|Mele|2017|p=27}}
During and following [[World War I]], Chester grew significantly as people migrated to the city for jobs, 63% of which were in manufacturing.<ref name=Swarthmore>{{cite web|title=History of Economic Development in Chester|url=https://blogs.swarthmore.edu/ChesterDigital/?page_id=81|website=www.blogs.swarthmore.edu|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> Between 1910 and 1920, Chester's population increased from 38,000 to 58,000 due to the influx of
Like many boomtowns, Chester was unprepared for the social changes that came along with rapid growth. As southern blacks migrated to Pennsylvania as part of the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]], racial violence broke out, racially segregated neighborhoods expanded and economic discrimination emerged.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Trotter |first1=Joe William |title=African Americans in Pennsylvania |date=1997 |publisher=The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Collection |location=University Park, Pennsylvania |isbn=0-271-01686-8 |page=256 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aybCUIvplxIC&pg=PA256|access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref> A [[1917 Chester race riot|four-day race riot]] that resulted in seven deaths broke out in the city in July 1917, and the separation of blacks and whites in Chester's neighborhoods and workplaces became more defined.{{sfn|Mele|2017|pp=30-32}}
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In 1927, the [[Ford Motor Company]] opened the [[Chester Assembly]] factory on the site of the previous Roach and Merchant shipyard and built cars there until its closure in 1961.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ford Motor Company|url=http://www.oldchesterpa.com/ford.htm#History|website=www.oldchesterpa.com|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref>
Chester experienced its second growth period during [[World War II]]. Manufacturing increased exponentially including companies such as [[Wetherill Steel]] and Boilermakers, [[Congoleum]]-Nairn, [[Aberfoyles Textiles]], [[Scott Paper Company]], [[Belmont Iron Works]], [[American Steel Foundries]], [[Crew Levick Oil]], [[Crown Smelting]], [[Fields Brick Company]], [[ACCO Brands|Hetzel]] and [[Ford Motor Company]].<ref name=Swarthmore/> During World War II, the [[Sun Shipyard]] became the largest single shipyard in the world.{{sfn|Mele|2017|p=39}}
{{external media | width = 210px | headerimage = | float = right | audio1 = [https://grapplepodcast.atavist.com/episode03-chester- Chester, A City Working on a New Narrative], 43:46, Grapple, Keystone Crossroads<ref name="grapple">{{cite web | title =Chester, A City Working on a New Narrative | work =
Chester began losing its mainstay manufacturing jobs by the early 1960s. [[Ford Motor Company]] shuttered its Chester plant, [[American Viscose Corporation]] in nearby [[Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania|Marcus Hook]] closed, [[Baldwin Locomotive Works]] in nearby [[Eddystone, Pennsylvania|Eddystone]] was close to bankruptcy and [[Sun Shipyard]] employment had fallen from a high of 35,000 in 1945 to 4,000 in 1962. Chester's precipitous drop in jobs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries caused the city's population to diminish from over 66,000 in 1950 to under 34,000 in 2010.<ref name=McLarnon2002/>
In 1963 and 1964,
In April 1964, a series of almost nightly protests brought chaos to Chester. Mayor [[James Gorbey]] issued "The Police Position to Preserve the Public Peace", a 10-point statement promising an immediate return to law and order. The city deputized firemen and trash collectors to help handle demonstrators.{{sfn|Mele|2017|p=94}} The State of Pennsylvania deployed 50 state troopers to assist the 77-member Chester police force.<ref name="nvdbase">{{cite web|url=https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/african-american-residents-chester-pa-demonstrate-end-de-facto-segregation-public-schools-19|title=African American residents of Chester, PA, demonstrate to end de facto segregation in public schools, 1963-1966|website=www.nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu|access-date=26 October 2018}}</ref> The demonstrations were marked by violence and [[police brutality]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/26/archives/riots-mar-peace-in-chester-pa-negro-protests-continueschool-policy.html|title=RIOTS MAR PEACE IN CHESTER, PA.; Negro Protests Continue - School Policy at Issue|date=1964-04-26|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=13 July 2018}}</ref> with Chester being dubbed the "Birmingham of the North" by civil rights activist [[James Farmer]].<ref name=nvdbase/> Over 600 people were arrested over a two-month period of civil rights rallies, marches, pickets, boycotts, and sit-ins.{{sfn|Mele|2017|p=95}} National civil rights leaders such as [[Gloria Richardson]], [[Malcolm X]] and [[Dick Gregory]] came to Chester in support of the demonstrations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digitalwolfgram.widener.edu/digital/collection/p270801coll18/id/588|title=Chester NAACP Scrapbook 1963-1964|website=www.digitalwolfgram.widener.edu|access-date=20 October 2018}}</ref> Pennsylvania Governor [[William Scranton]] became involved in the negotiations and convinced the protestors to obey a court-ordered moratorium on demonstrations by agreeing to hold hearings on the de facto segregation of public schools in Chester.<ref name=McLarnon2002>{{cite journal|last1=McLarnon|first1=John M.|date=2002|title="Old Scratchhead" Reconsidered: George Raymond & Civil Rights in Chester, Pennsylvania|url=https://journals.psu.edu/phj/article/viewFile/25768/25537|journal=Pennsylvania History|volume=69|issue=3|pages=318–326|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref>
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[[Harrah's Philadelphia|Harrah's Casino and Racetrack]] began [[harness racing]] in September 2006 and opened its [[racino]] in January 2007. [[Subaru Park]], home of the [[Major League Soccer]] [[Philadelphia Union]] franchise, opened in 2010.<ref name=Blumgart/>
Despite the recent investments into the community, Governor [[Tom Wolf]] declared a fiscal emergency for Chester in 2020 and the city declared bankruptcy in 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Anthony R. |title=Chester's stunning economic decline: How it went from a factory boom town to bankruptcy |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/chester-pennsylvania-bankruptcy-kirkland-pensions-20221210.html?
[[National Register of Historic Places]] in Chester are: [[Delaware County National Bank]], [[1724 Chester Courthouse]], [[Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company]], [[Old Main and Chemistry Building]], [[Third Presbyterian Church (Chester, Pennsylvania)|Third Presbyterian Church]], [[William Penn Landing Site]], and the former [[Second Street Bridge (Chester, Pennsylvania)|Second Street Bridge]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
==Geography==
[[File:Chester Creek PA mouth.JPG|thumb|Confluence of [[Chester Creek]] and the [[Delaware River]]]]
Chester borders on (clockwise from southwest to northeast) [[Trainer, Pennsylvania|Trainer Borough]], [[Upper Chichester Township
[[Chester Creek]] meets the [[Delaware River]] in Chester. Chester's northeastern border is at [[Ridley Creek]]. The [[Port of Chester]] is located in Chester along the Delaware River.
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===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Chester city, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 1980<ref>{{Cite web |title=1980 census of population. Characteristic of the population. General Social and Economic Characteristic. |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1980/volume-1/pennsylvania/1980censusofpopu80140un_bw.pdf |access-date=June 19, 2024}}</ref>
!Pop
!Pop 2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pennsylvania: 2000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2002/dec/phc-1-40-pt1.pdf}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Chester city, Pennsylvania|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US4213208&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Chester city, Pennsylvania|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US4213208&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 1980
!% 1990
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|18,894
|13,045
|6,582
|5,117
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,527
|41.26%
|31.17%
|17.86%
|15.06%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.88%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|25,850
|26,924
|27,500
|24,803
|style='background: #ffffe6; |22,560
|56.45%
|64.33%
|74.62%
|73.01%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |69.19%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|38
|83
|65
|69
|style='background: #ffffe6; |54
|0.08%
|0.20%
|0.
|0.20%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.17%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|73
|165
|217
|213
|style='background: #ffffe6; |227
|0.16%
|0.39%
|0.59%
|0.63%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.70%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|N/A
|N/A
|4
|9
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7
|N/A
|N/A
|0.01%
|0.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|15
|60
|60
|30
|style='background: #ffffe6; |140
|0.03%
|0.14%
|0.16%
|0.09%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.43%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race
|N/A
|N/A
|440
|677
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,038
|N/A
|N/A
|1.19%
|1.99%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.18%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|924
|1,579
|1,986
|3,054
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,052
|2.02%
|3.77%
|5.39%
|8.99%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |12.43%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''45,794'''
|'''41,856'''
|'''36,854'''
|'''33,972'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''32,605'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}
===2010 census===
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There were 11,662 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18, 19.5% were headed by married couples living together, 35.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64, and the average family size was 3.34.<ref name="Census 2010 DP">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/1600000US4213208| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Chester city, Pennsylvania| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=December 31, 2015| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213114920/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/1600000US4213208| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Religion===
[[File:Chester Meeting Delco.jpg|thumb|The current [[Chester Friends Meetinghouse]] was built in 1829 but the first meetinghouse dates back to 1693.]]
[[File:3rd Presby Chester PA from SE.JPG|thumb|[[Third Presbyterian Church (Chester, Pennsylvania)|Third Presbyterian Church]] was the site of the first summer Bible School in 1912]]
Chester has several churches of historical importance:
*[[Asbury AME Church]] - Founded in 1845, it is the second oldest [[African Methodist Episcopal Church]] in Chester behind the Union African Methodist Church built in 1832
*[[Calvary Baptist Church (Chester, Pennsylvania)|Calvary Baptist Church]] - A Baptist church founded in 1879. [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] attended Calvary Baptist when he was a student at [[Crozer Theological Seminary]] from 1948 to 1951
*[[Chester Friends Meetinghouse]] - The first Quaker meetinghouse was built in 1693 and [[William Penn]] was known to speak there
*[[St. Paul's Church (Chester, Pennsylvania)|St. Paul's Church and Old Burial Ground]] - An Episcopal church originally built in 1702. In 1859, a new church was built on Third Street. In 1900, the current St. Paul's Church was built at 9th and Madison Street. The Old Burial Ground contains the remains of [[John Morton (American politician)|John Morton]], signer of the Declaration of Independence; [[David Lloyd (judge)|David Lloyd]], Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Colony and Major [[William Anderson (Pennsylvania politician)|William Anderson]], officer in the Continental Army and U.S. Congressman
*[[Third Presbyterian Church (Chester, Pennsylvania)|Third Presbyterian Church]] - A Presbyterian church founded in 1872. It was the location of the first [[Vacation Bible School|summer bible school]] in 1912.<ref>{{cite book|title=Chester|date=2008|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|location=Charleston, South Carolina|isbn=978-0-7385-6348-0|page=27|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tr4_Kx9Mf9AC&pg=PA21|access-date=31 December 2017}}</ref> It was severely damaged by fire in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.phillyvoice.com/chester-historic-church-fire-third-presbyterian-delaware-county-isaac-pursell/|website=www.phillyvoice.com|access-date=2020-05-28|title=Historic Chester church destroyed by five-alarm fire|date=28 May 2020}}</ref>
St. Katharine Drexel Church is the only Roman Catholic parish remaining in Chester. It is part of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia]] and is the result of the conglomeration of six Chester parishes in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mengers, Patti|url=https://www.mainlinemedianews.com/mainlinetimes/news/philadelphia-archdiocese-announcing-church-parish-closings/article_46d4a126-1548-5e08-a36e-2594065ab151.html|title=Philadelphia Archdiocese announcing church parish closings|work=[[Mainline Times]]|publisher=[[Mainline Media News]]|date=2013-06-02|access-date=2020-05-03|archive-date=2020-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503210324/https://www.mainlinemedianews.com/mainlinetimes/news/philadelphia-archdiocese-announcing-church-parish-closings/article_46d4a126-1548-5e08-a36e-2594065ab151.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Economy==
For the period 2010–2014, the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $28,607, and the median income for a family was $34,840. Male full-time workers had a median income of $34,354 versus $30,634 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,516. About 27.3% of families and 33.1% of the total population were below the [[poverty line]], including 47.7% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_5YR/DP03/1600000US4213208| title=Selected Economic Characteristics: 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Chester city, Pennsylvania| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=December 31, 2015| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213064656/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_5YR/DP03/1600000US4213208| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref>
==
===Horse racing===
[[File:Harrahschesterfront.jpg|thumb|[[Harrah's Philadelphia]]]]
[[File:PPL Park Interior from the Southwest Stands 2010.10.02.jpg|thumb|Interior of [[Subaru Park]] as seen from the [[Commodore Barry Bridge]] in 2010]]
With the construction of [[Harrah's Philadelphia]], the city received a series of horse races that were once held at the Brandywine Raceway and the now-defunct [[Liberty Bell Park Racetrack]]. The [[racino]] opened on January 22, 2008, and features a specially constructed bridge that enables the midpoint of races, contested at one mile, to take place over the Delaware River.
===Soccer===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" | Club
! scope="col" | Sport
! scope="col" | League
! scope="col" | Venue
! scope="col" | Established
! scope="col" | Championships
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Philadelphia Union]]
| Soccer
| [[Major League Soccer|MLS]]
| [[Subaru Park]]
| 2010
|
|}
Chester is the home of the [[Major League Soccer]] [[Philadelphia Union]] franchise, which plays its home games at [[Subaru Park]], a [[soccer-specific stadium]] at the base of the [[Commodore Barry Bridge]]. Located on the Delaware River, the stadium is part of a larger development called Rivertown. Financing for the Rivertown development was announced in early 2008 by Governor [[Ed Rendell]] and Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader [[Dominic Pileggi]], with $25 million going to the construction of Subaru Park, and an additional $7 million towards a two-phase project composing of 186 townhouses, 25 apartments, {{convert|335000|sqft|m2}} of office space, a {{convert|200000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} convention center, more than {{convert|20000|sqft|m2}} of retail space, and a parking structure to house 1,350 cars. In phase two, another 200 apartments will be built, along with {{convert|100000|sqft|m2}} of office space and {{convert|22000|sqft|m2}} of retail space.<ref>{{cite web |title=Major hurdle cleared for Philly expansion |work=MLSnet.com |url=http://www.mlsnet.com//news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080131&content_id=137294&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp |access-date=January 31, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109113909/http://mlsnet.com/ |archive-date=November 9, 2007 }}</ref>
==Government==
{{See also|List of mayors of Chester, Pennsylvania}}
Chester has a mayor-council government system, consisting of a popularly elected city mayor and city council. The terms of the mayor and members are four years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chestercity.com/mayor_butler.cfm |publisher=City of Chester |title=City of Chester Mayor Butler |access-date=2009-07-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531234617/http://www.chestercity.com/mayor_butler.cfm |archive-date=2009-05-31 }}</ref>
The current mayor of the City of Chester is [[Stefan Roots]], who won the Democratic nomination in May 2021, over incumbent Mayor [[Thaddeus Kirkland]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Chester mayoral candidate strives to turn around beleaguered city |url=https://www.fox29.com/news/chester-mayoral-candidate-strives-to-turn-around-beleaguered-city |website=www.fox29.com |publisher=FOX29 |access-date=7 June 2023}}</ref><ref name=Wood>{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Anthony R. |title=Bankrupt Chester's beleaguered mayor is overwhelmingly defeated |url=https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/chester-mayoral-primary-results-stefan-roots-bankruptcy-20230517.html |access-date=6 June 2023 |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=May 17, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Cooper |first1=Kenny |title=Stefan Roots declares victory over Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland in Chester primary |url=https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-election-2023-chester-mayor-stefan-roots/ |website=www.whyy.org |publisher=WHYY |access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref> In May 2023, Roots defeated Kirkland in the Chester Democratic mayoral primary election. Roots defeated independent candidate Anita J. Littleton<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cooper |first1=Kenny |title=Democrat Stefan Roots wins Chester mayoral race |url=https://whyy.org/articles/stefan-roots-chester-mayoral-race-elections-2023/ |website=www.whyy.org |publisher=WHYY |access-date=12 November 2023}}</ref> in the November 2023 general election and was sworn into office on January 3, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rodgers |first1=Loretta |title=New Chester mayor is ‘ready to work’ |url=https://myspiritnews.com/articles/featured-stories/new-chester-mayor-is-ready-to-work/ |website=myspiritnews.com |publisher=The Spirit |access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref>
The Chester City Council consists of the mayor and four council members. Council members are elected at-large to serve the entire city. Council meetings are generally held the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The five help administer the five municipal departments:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chestercity.com/|title=Home|website=www.chestercity.com|access-date=2016-11-09}}</ref>
* The Department of Public Affairs
* The Department of Public Safety
* The Department of Public Works
* The Parks and Recreation Department
* The Finance and Tax Office
The city government has been in financial distress for many years and has operated under the state's [[Financially Distressed Municipalities Act|Act 47 provisions]] for twenty-one years. The act provides for municipalities that are near bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite news| last1=McCabe| title=Colwyn: Can this town be saved?| url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150525_Colwyn__Can_this_town_be_saved_.html| access-date=26 May 2015| newspaper=[[Philadelphia Daily News]] |date=25 May 2015}}</ref>
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Chester has been hurt for decades by corrupt politicians and [[organized crime]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Martens |first1=Frederick T. |title=We'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse: A Primer on the Investigation of Public Corruption |date=2015 |publisher=Complex Litigation Sciences |isbn=978-1-78301-750-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EE2ACgAAQBAJ&q=jack+nacrelli&pg=PT106 |access-date=22 June 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Chester's [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] [[political machine]] was one of the nation's oldest and most corrupt.<ref name=McLarnon/> [[John J. McClure]] took over from his father, William McClure, in 1907<ref name=McLarnon>{{cite book |last1=McLarnon |first1=John Morrison |title=Ruling Suburbia: John J. McClure and the Republican Machine in Delaware County |date=2003 |publisher=University of Delaware Press |location=Newark, Delaware |isbn=0-87413-814-0 |page=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uVQFw6j-sRQC |access-date=23 June 2018}}</ref> and was the [[political boss]] for the machine until his death in 1965. In 1933, McClure was found guilty in federal court and sentenced to 18 months in prison for vice and [[rum-running]],<ref>{{cite news |title=M'CLURE WITH 70 GUILTY TO RUM CASE; State Senator Gets 18 Months as Head of Pennsylvania Protection Ring. HE IS RELEASED ON BOND Judge Tells Jury that "Might Forces" Backed Defendants -- Trial Lasted Eight Weeks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1933/11/25/archives/mclure-with-70-guilty-to-rum-case-state-senator-gets-18-months-as.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=28 June 2018|date=1933-11-25 }}</ref> but his conviction was overturned on appeal.<ref name=Gazette>{{cite web |title=McClure's Conviction in Dry Era Expose Rises To Confront Him in Senate Attack |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19350205&id=ZnEbAAAAIBAJ&pg=4379,5001405&hl=en |website=www.news.google.com |access-date=28 June 2018}}</ref>
In 1941, McClure was indicted for conspiracy to gain a $250,000 profit from the sale of the Chester Water Works to a private buyer. McClure and four Chester City Council members were acquitted but also ordered by the court to return the money to the city of Chester.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Beers |first1=Paul B. |title=Pennsylvania Politics Today and Yesterday: The Terrible Accommodation |date=1980 |publisher=Pennsylvania State University Press |location=University Park, Pennsylvania |isbn=0-271-00238-7 |page=139 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6SpJJmkNDFEC&q=john+j.+mcclure&pg=PA137 |access-date=28 July 2018}}</ref>
With the exception of 1904–1905, the Republican political machine controlled Chester politics for over a century. The first non-machine mayor was elected in 1992:{{sfn|Mele|2017|p=19}} [[Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard]]; however, in 1995, she lost her re-election bid and was replaced by Republican [[Aaron Wilson, Jr.]]
In the 1990s, the Pennsylvania Crime Commission reported that Chester's government had been dominated by "a triad of criminals, corrupt politicians and rogue law-enforcement officers" since the 1960s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Decourcy Hinds|first1=Michel|title=Pennsylvania City Hopes It's Bouncing Back From the Bottom|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/05/us/pennsylvania-city-hopes-it-s-bouncing-back-from-the-bottom.html|access-date=9 May 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 5, 1992}}</ref> [[John H. Nacrelli]], the mayor of Chester from 1968 to 1979, was convicted of [[racketeering]] and income tax evasion for accepting $22,000 in bribes from an illegal gambling operation with ties to organized crime and served two years in prison.<ref name=Hinds>{{cite news|last1=Decourcy Hinds|first1=Michael|title=Pennsylvania City Hopes It's Bouncing Back From the Bottom|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/05/us/pennsylvania-city-hopes-it-s-bouncing-back-from-the-bottom.html|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=10 May 2018|date=1992-01-05}}</ref>
==Education==
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====Parochial schools====
Drexel Neumann Academy, of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia]], is Chester's only parochial school. It is run by the Saint [[Katharine Drexel]] Roman Catholic Church which was established in 1993 by the [[Archdiocese of Philadelphia]] with the consolidation of all Roman Catholic parishes in the city.<ref>{{cite web|title=Drexel Neumann Academy|url=https://drexelneumannacademy.net/|website=www.drexelneumannacademy.net|access-date=28 January 2018}}</ref>
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====Charter schools====
[[File:Chester Charter Scholars Academy.jpg|thumb|[[Chester Charter Scholars Academy]]]]
[[Chester Charter Scholars Academy]] began in 2008 as a small public-private partnership between The Chester Fund for Education and the Arts and the Chester-Upland school district. The school was originally called the Chester Upland School for the Arts (CUSA) and operated until 2011 when significant staff reduction occurred due to state funding cuts.<ref>{{cite web|title=History - CCSA|url=http://chestercharterschoolforthearts.org/history/|website=www.chestercharterschoolforthearts.org|access-date=27 January 2018|archive-date=27 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127202957/http://chestercharterschoolforthearts.org/history/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012, a charter school application was accepted and the school operated in Aston until September 2017 when a $30 million campus was built on Highland Ave.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Boccella|first1=Kathy|title=New Chester Charter School for the Arts is called a beacon|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/education/new-chester-charter-school-for-the-arts-a-beacon-20170901.html|website=www.philly.com|access-date=27 January 2018}}</ref>
Chester Community Charter School is a charter school established in 1998 that serves over 4,000 students in grades K-8.<ref>[http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/68307 Public school review] data sheet</ref><ref>[http://www.chestercommunitycharter.org/about.cfm About Us] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621020223/http://www.chestercommunitycharter.org/about.cfm |date=June 21, 2010 }} page from the school website</ref> The school operates four campuses, the Upland campus at 1100 Main Street in Upland, the Aston campus at 200 Commerce Drive in Aston, the East Campus at 302 East 5th Street and the West Campus at 2730 Bethel Road in [[Chester Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Chester Township]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Contact Us {{!}} About |url= http://www.chestercommunitycharter.org/about/contact |website= chestercommunitycharter.org |access-date= 27 January 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180128021000/http://www.chestercommunitycharter.org/about/contact |archive-date= 28 January 2018 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
Widener Partnership Charter School was first launched in 2006, and is located across from the main campus of [[Widener University]]. It enrolls students from kindergarten to eighth grade. Widener University provides support to the charter school including educating staff, providing work to graduate students, and use of the university facilities. The school also has a number of outside partners that include 21st Century Learning Communities, Andrew Hicks Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Big Friends, Chester Education Foundation, Earth Force, Exelon Foundation, Incredible Years, PECO, and Soccer for Success.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://widenerpartnershipcharterschool.org/university-partnership/|title=University Partnership|date=24 October 2013|website=widenerpartnershipcharterschool.org|access-date=23 October 2017|archive-date=24 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024043243/https://widenerpartnershipcharterschool.org/university-partnership/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Widener Partnership Charter School also has recently added a new $4.6 million wing of the school at 1450 Edgmont Ave. This new edition includes a science learning center, an extension of the library, a gymnasium, eight classrooms and eight offices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.widener.edu/news-events/news-archive/2012/wpcs_wing.aspx|title=Widener University - Widener Partnership Charter School Unveils New Wing|website=www.widener.edu|access-date=23 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024095555/http://www.widener.edu/news-events/news-archive/2012/wpcs_wing.aspx|archive-date=24 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Colleges and universities===
[[File:OldMainWidener.JPG|thumb|[[Old Main and Chemistry Building]] on [[Widener University]]'s campus]]
[[Widener University]] is a private
Founded as The Bullock School for Boys in 1821, the school was established in Wilmington, Delaware. It became The Alsop School for Boys from 1846 to 1853, and then Hyatt's Select School for Boys from 1853 to 1859. Military instruction was introduced in 1858, and in 1859, the school changed its name to Delaware Military Academy. It moved to Chester in 1862 and became Pennsylvania Military Academy. It was known as Pennsylvania Military College after 1892 and adopted the Widener name in 1972.
About 3,300 undergraduates and 3,300 graduate students attend Widener in eight degree-granting schools. The university offers associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in areas ranging from traditional [[liberal arts]] to professional programs. [[The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching|The Carnegie Foundation]] classifies Widener as a ''Doctoral/Research University'' and a ''Community Engagement Institution''.
[[File:Sleeper's College.jpg|thumb|Sleeper's College provided office and commercial training]]
[[Sleeper's College]] was a vocational school founded in 1910 for "office and commercial training".<ref>{{cite web|title=Sleeper's College|url=http://www.oldchesterpa.com/schools_sleepers_college.htm|website=www.oldchesterpa.com|access-date=28 January 2018}}</ref>
==
As of 2015, there were {{convert|97.93|mi}} of public roads in Chester, of which {{convert|18.33|mi}} were maintained by the [[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]] (PennDOT) and {{convert|79.60|mi}} were maintained by the city.<ref name=PennDOTmap>{{cite web|url=https://gis.penndot.gov/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Type5/23301.pdf|title=Chester City map|publisher=PennDOT|access-date=March 12, 2023}}</ref>
In Chester, east–west streets are numbered, while north–south streets carry names. The main bisecting street, known as The Avenue of the States south of 9th Street and Edgmont Avenue north of it, is signed as both [[Pennsylvania Route 320]] (southbound only; northbound PA Rt. 320 uses adjacent Madison Street to [[Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania|Interstate 95]]) and [[Pennsylvania Route 352]]. North of I-95, State Route 320 follows Providence Avenue. Between 1993 and 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) widened and realigned [[Pennsylvania Route 291]] from Trainer to Eddystone from a two-lane roadway to a five-lane roadway. This widening and realignment project, spearheaded by the late State Senator [[Clarence D. Bell]], allowed PA Route 291 to maintain at least two travel lanes in each direction.
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{{stack|[[File:2022-10-07 12 00 42 View south along Interstate 95 (Delaware Expressway) from the pedestrian overpass for Crosby Street in Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|right|I-95 southbound in Chester]]}}
Chester is served by [[Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania|Interstate 95]], with [[Interstate 476]] terminating outside the city limits in [[Crum Lynne, Pennsylvania|Crum Lynne]]. I-95 was built in the 1960s and originally terminated just north of the Chester/Eddystone line at the present-day I-95/I-476 junction. It was extended north in the 1970s, with the section around [[Philadelphia International Airport]] being completed in 1985. Three exits on I-95 allow access to Highland Avenue, Kerlin Street, and Edgmont Avenue/Avenue of the States (Rts. 320 & 352).
[[File:Commodore Barry Bridge 9104.jpg|thumb|[[Commodore Barry Bridge]], crossing the [[Delaware River]], at Chester]]
Two federal highway routes, [[U.S. Route 13 in Pennsylvania|U.S. Route 13]] and [[U.S. Route 322 in Pennsylvania|U.S. Route 322]], also run through Chester. US 13 enters Chester from Trainer on W. 4th Street, becomes part of Highland Avenue between W. 4th Street and W. 9th Street, and then continues on 9th Street to Morton Avenue. US 13 follows Morton Avenue in the city's Sun Village section until it crosses [[Ridley Creek]] and becomes Chester Pike in Eddystone.
US 322 enters Chester from the northeast, merges with I-95 briefly and crosses the Delaware River over the [[Commodore Barry Bridge]]. Prior to the bridge's opening in 1974, US 322 would cross the Delaware River on the Chester-[[Bridgeport, New Jersey|Bridgeport]] Ferry, via Flower Street, causing major backups because of limited space on the ferries. With the expansion of [[Pennsylvania Route 291|State Rt. 291]] and the redevelopment of the Chester Waterfront, both the [[Delaware River Port Authority]] and PennDOT built a pair of entrance (westbound) and exit (eastbound) ramps to PA Rt. 291, providing direct access to the waterfront without using local streets. The ramps were built between 2007 and 2010 and were opened in 2011.
Plans for reconstruction of US 322 and the merge with I-95 are underway.<ref>{{cite web|title=Section CSC - 322 Conchester Highway|url=http://us322conchester.com/project-information/section-csx/|website=www.us322conchester.com|access-date=8 February 2018}}</ref> The road currently requires traffic to merge onto I-95 in the left lane and requires changing lanes three times to the Commodore Barry Bridge exit ramp in less than a mile.
A $16.6 million project to repair eight I-95 bridges will begin March 2017 and is expected to be finished in November 2018. Improvements to Chestnut Street and Morton Avenue are also included in the project.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.fox29.com/news/238650551-story|title=Construction to start on 8 I-95 bridges in Chester City|last=FOX|work=WTXF|access-date=2017-02-28|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228192248/http://www.fox29.com/news/238650551-story|archive-date=2017-02-28|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Public transportation===
[[File:Chester PA Transportation Center SEPTA.jpg|thumb|[[Chester Transportation Center]]]]
Public bus transportation in Chester is provided by the [[SEPTA|Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority]] (SEPTA), which acquired the former Suburban Philadelphia Transit Authority (aka "Red Arrow" Lines) in 1968. Seven bus routes (Routes {{SEPTA bus link|37|109|113|114|117|118}}, and {{SEPTA bus link|119}}) serve the city, with the [[Chester Transportation Center]] as the hub.
The city is also served by the SEPTA [[Wilmington/Newark Line]] commuter rail service. The Chester Transportation Center and [[Highland Avenue (SEPTA station)|Highland Avenue stations]] are the two SEPTA train stations in Chester. The [[Lamokin Street (SEPTA station)|Lamokin Street]] station was run as a [[flagstop]] station until it was closed and demolished in 2003 due to low usage.
The Chester Transportation Center was both a commuter and intercity stop on the former [[Pennsylvania Railroad]]'s New York City–Washington, D.C. route. The Chester Transportation Center was bypassed when [[Amtrak]] took over intercity rail passenger services in 1971, with the exception from April 30, 1978, to October 29, 1983, when the ''[[Chesapeake (Amtrak)|Chesapeake]]'' stopped once daily in each direction between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
==Public safety==
===Crime===
According to a report in 2020 by [[NeighborhoodScout]], Chester ranked 20th on a list of the "Top 100 Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S.".<ref>{{cite web|title=NeighborhoodScout's Most Dangerous Cities – 2020
|url=https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/blog/top100dangerous|website=neighborhoodscout.com|access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref> NeighborhoodScout says one's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Chester is one in 21, and that "Within Pennsylvania, more than 99% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Chester."<ref>{{cite web|title=Chester, PA Crime Rates|url=https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/pa/chester/crime|website=neighborhoodscout.com|access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref>
However, over the past few years, Chester has seen a dramatic decrease in violent crime, with almost a 72% decrease in shootings with victims from 2019 to 2023.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chester’s 2023 crime figures show continuing downward trend|url=https://www.delcotimes.com/2024/01/26/chesters-2023-crime-figures-show-continuing-downward-trend/}}</ref>
==Notable people==
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*[[Chester Rural Cemetery]]
*[[Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company]]
*[[Delaware County National Bank]]
*[[Deshong Art Museum]]
*[[Deshong Park]]
*[[Harrah's Philadelphia|Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack]]
*[[J. Lewis Crozer Library]]
*[[Madison Street Methodist Episcopal Church]]
*[[Old Main and Chemistry Building]]
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[[Category:1641 establishments in North America]]
[[Category:1641 establishments in the Swedish colonial empire]]
[[Category:17th-century establishments in New Sweden]]
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[[Category:Cities in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:County seats in Pennsylvania]]
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