Donora, Pennsylvania
Donora is a borough of 4,527 people in Washington County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1900.
Why visit Donora
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 1 place to eat and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Charleroi-Monessen Bridge, Donora-Monessen Bridge, Cement City Historic District and Charleroi Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 20°F, and about 21 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Donora
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Donora
Donora is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. The population was 4,558 as of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Donora, Pennsylvania (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Charleroi-Monessen Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Donora-Monessen Bridge
Bridge · 1.2 mi
Bridge in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Eldora Park
Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi
Amusement park in Washington, Pennsylvania, USA
Monongahela City Bridge
Bridge · 3.1 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks7
Cement City Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States
Charleroi Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
Donora-Webster Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Former bridge over the Monongahela River
First National Bank of Charleroi
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Building in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, United States
Monongahela Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Cemetery in Monongahela, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States
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United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Government building in Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes1
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 1.4 mi
301 East Donner Street, Monessen
Mo-Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 11:00-19:00
History
In 1794, the Whiskey Insurrectionists held several meetings at Fells Church, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Donora.
A trolley line opened in Donora on December 15, 1901, linking First and McKean, and Fifteenth Street and Meldon. It was extended in 1911 to Black Diamond to connect to the Charleroi to Pittsburgh interurban trolley. The line was abandoned on May 5, 1953.
The town was the scene of the infamous Donora Smog of 1948. Between October 26 and October 31, 1948, an air inversion trapped industrial effluent (air pollution) from the American Steel and Wire plant and Donora Zinc Works. During this spike in air pollution, 6,000 people suffered respiratory problems and extreme discomfort. "In three days, 20 people died... After the inversion lifted, another 50 died, including Lukasz Musial, the father of baseball great Stan Musial. Hundreds more finished the rest of their lives with damaged lungs and hearts." The incident made national headlines. Today, the town is home to the Donora Smog Museum, which tells the impact of the Donora Smog on the air quality standards enacted by the federal government in subsequent years.
From the History section of Donora, Pennsylvania on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship13
Schools, colleges and libraries22
Mon Valley Career And Technology Center
School · 4.3 mi
Five Guttman Avenue, Charleroi
Map of Donora
48 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 20°F | 2.9 in | 5.7 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 22°F | 2.4 in | 7.2 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 29°F | 3.1 in | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 38°F | 3.4 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 73°F | 49°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 58°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 61°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 54°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 42°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 32°F | 2.8 in | 0.5 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 26°F | 2.9 in | 3.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Donora 1 Sw (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Washington County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2020-03-30: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2005-09-10: Hurricane Katrina (Hurricane)
- 2004-09-19: Tropical Depression Ivan (Hurricane)
- 2004-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Allegheny County Airport (AGC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Wickerham Manor-Fisher 2 mi west, about 4 min by car
- North Charleroi 3 mi southwest, about 5 min by car
- North Belle Vernon 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- Charleroi 3 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Speers 4 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Fairhope 5 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Baidland 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Collinsburg 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Elizabeth 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- Clairton 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Cement City Historic District, Generic1139, CC BY-SA 3.0
- PA 837 nb in Donora (2), May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Webster-Donora Bridge, PennDOT, Public domain
- PA 837 nb in Donora (3), May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-05-14 16 19 47 View north along Pennsylvania State Route 837 (South McKean Avenue) at Walnut Street and Galiffa Drive in Donora, Washington County, Pennsylvania, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PA 837 nb in Donora (1), May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- DeiCas Highway nb at Donora-Monessen Bridge, May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Monongahela Cemetery chapel, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fallowfield Avenue above Eighth Street in Charleroi, Nyttend, Public domain
- Newcharleroimonessen, VitaleBaby at Wikipedia, Public domain
- Charleroi former post office, Nyttend, Public domain
- First National Bank Charleroi Pennsylvania, Canadian2006, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stanthemanbridge, VitaleBaby at Wikipedia, Public domain
- 2022-05-14 16 31 23 View north along Pennsylvania State Route 906 at Turkey Hollow Road in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PA 906 sb past Webster, May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- PA 906 sb in Webster (2), May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- PA 906 sb in Webster (1), May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- PA 906 sb entering Webster, May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- PA 906 sb approaching Stan Musial Bridge, May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Summer sunset, Tur3106, CC BY-SA 3.0
- PA 136 wb approaching PA 906, May 2024, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
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