Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Downingtown is a borough of 8,255 people in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Why visit Downingtown
Townapedia lists 28 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 54 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include County Bridge No. 124, Regal Cinemas, Downingtown Log House and Caln Meeting House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 20°F, and about 30 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Downingtown
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Downingtown
Downingtown is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, 33 miles (53 km) west of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 7,898. Downingtown was settled by European colonists in 1716 and has a number of historic buildings and structures.
From the Wikipedia article Downingtown, Pennsylvania (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
County Bridge No. 124
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Brandywine Valley Viaduct
Bridge · 0.9 mi
Abandoned railroad viaduct in Pennsylvania, U.S
Museums and landmarks28
Downingtown Log House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
Caln Meeting House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic church in Pennsylvania, United States
Charles Thomas House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
Clement Atkinson Memorial Hospital
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Hospital in Pennsylvania, United States
Colebrook Manor
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Building in Pennsylvania, United States
East Lancaster Avenue Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States
Francis W. Kennedy House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
General Washington Inn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Hotel in Pennsylvania, United States of America
Hannah White Log House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
Hunt Downing House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic House in Pennsylvania
Joseph Price House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
Kinbawn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Building in Pennsylvania, United States
16 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes54
Anthony's Cucina Fresca
Restaurant · Italian · 0.5 mi
78 West Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mo-Th 10:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:30; Su 11:30-21:00
Buffalo Wild Wings
Restaurant · Wings · 1.6 mi
103 Quarry Road, Downingtown
Mo,Su 11:00-23:00, Tu-Th 11:00-24:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-25:00
Coffee Cup
Restaurant · Breakfast
117 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mo-Sa 04:30-14:00; Su 05:30-12:00
Habanero Taco Express
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.4 mi
835 West Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mo-Fr 10:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-20:00; Su 09:00-19:00
Hibachi
Restaurant · Asian · 1.4 mi
985 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mo-Th 16:00-21:30; Fr 16:00-22:30; Sa 12:00-22:30; Su 12:00-21:30
Jad's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza
226 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-22:30; Su 11:00-21:30
La Sponda
Restaurant · Italian
20 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mo-Th,Su 11:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:00
Nalan Indian Cuisine
Restaurant · Indian · 1.0 mi
889 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mo-Th 11:30-14:30,17:00-21:30; Fr,Sa 11:30-14:30,17:00-22:00; Su...
Olive Garden
Restaurant · Italian · 1.6 mi
101 Quarry Road, Downingtown
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.5 mi
520 Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mo-Th,Su 10:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-24:00
Pomodoro Pizza and Italian
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian
200 Chestnut Street, Downingtown
Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00; Su 10:00-21:00
42 more on the map.
History
The borough was originally named Milltown due to its number of mills along the East Branch Brandywine Creek, the first of which was founded by Daniel Butter. The Butter family also had paper mills in the area, and Frederick Bicking from Winterburg, Germany, was the patriarch of the Bicking paper families. Around the time of the American Revolution, Milltown became more commonly known as Downingtown after the prominent businessman Thomas Downing, a Quaker immigrant in 1717 from Bradninch, Devon, England, who owned a number of those mills. The burough was officially named Downingtown in 1812.
The borough is located along the Lincoln Highway (now part of U.S. Route 30), which runs from the East Coast to the West Coast. It was an early westward road in the wagon days as the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. The Lincoln Highway was the first paved road to cross the nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike started in the early 1940s and was completed in the early 1950s; it runs north of US 30, bypassing Downingtown.
Circa 1700, early English settlers built what has become known as the Downingtown Log House. In 1713, owner Joseph Hickman sold the 1+1⁄2-story, 21-foot, 9-inch × 25-foot structure to Thomas and Mary Moore. Thomas Moore moved from the Log House in 1729 and died in 1738.
From the History section of Downingtown, Pennsylvania on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Home2 Suites by Hilton Downingtown Exton Route 30
Motel and hotel · 1.3 mi
975 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Churches and places of worship16
Central Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian Church Usa · 0.5 mi
100 West Uwchlan Avenue, Downingtown
Downingtown United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 0.7 mi
751 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Mount Raymond U.A.M.E. Church
Church · Union African Methodist Episcopal · 0.5 mi
341 Stuart Avenue, Downingtown
Shopping11
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries36
Chester County Tech College Hs - Brandywine Campus
School · 1.1 mi
443 Boot Road, Downingtown
Healthcare6
Patient First
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
967 East Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown
Map of Downingtown
175 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 20°F | 3.6 in | 7.9 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 21°F | 3.1 in | 13.2 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 29°F | 4.6 in | 4.1 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 38°F | 3.8 in | 0.4 in |
| May | 73°F | 49°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 59°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 62°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 54°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 41°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 32°F | 3.5 in | 0.5 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 25°F | 4.7 in | 4.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for W Chester 2 Nw Hcn (4 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
Chester County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2021-09-10: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-30: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-03-23: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2014-02-06: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chester County G. O. Carlson Airport (CTH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Caln 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- West Chester 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Coatesville 6 mi west, about 10 min by car
- Westwood 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Dilworthtown 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Chadds Ford 10 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Pughtown 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Elverson 12 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Phoenixville 13 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Chesterbrook 14 mi east, about 22 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
- Downingtown Log House, Smallbones, Public domain
- Colebrook Chesco, Smallbones, Public domain
- Smedley School NE Philly, Smallbones, Public domain
- Woodledge Chesco, Smallbones, Public domain
- Paradise Valley Creek HD Chesco, Smallbones, CC0
- Hunt Mill131993pu, Ned Goode, HABS photographer, Public domain
- FW Kennedy House, Smallbones, CC0
- CalnMeetingHouse, Jack Boucher, Public domain
- CLEMENT ATKINSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- J Price House Chesco PA, Smallbones, Public domain
- Thomas Quarry House Chesco PA, Smallbones, Public domain
- County Bridge No. 124, PennDOT, Public domain
- Thomas Millers House Chesco PA, Smallbones, Public domain
- Kinbawn, Smallbones, Public domain
- Oaklands Chesco PA, Smallbones, Public domain
- HannahWhiteLogHouse, Smallbones, Public domain
- E Lanc Downingtown a, Smallbones, Public domain
- Gen Washington Inn, Smallbones, Public domain
- West Whiteland Inn, Smallbones, Public domain
- Charles Thomas House Chesco PA, Smallbones, Public domain
- Wee Grimmet, Smallbones, Public domain
- Osterheimer Chesco, Smallbones, Public domain
- Whitford station from under trestle, January 2013, Adam Moss from Macomb, IL, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hunt Downing Chesco, Smallbones, Public domain
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