Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto is a borough of 1,420 people in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1816.
Why visit Loretto
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 3 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Saint Francis University, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art and DeGol Field.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 79°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 80 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Loretto
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Loretto
Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Loretto had a population of 1,196. Like the rest of Cambria County, it is part of the Johnstown Metropolitan Statistical Area. Loretto is the home of Saint Francis University.
From the Wikipedia article Loretto, Pennsylvania (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Saint Francis University
School
Four-year, coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Loretto, Pennsylvania
117 Evergreen Drive, Loretto
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes3
History
Loretto was founded in 1799 by Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin as an English-speaking Catholic settlement west of the Allegheny Front. He named it after the town of Loreto, Italy, site of a Catholic place of pilgrimage. Loretto was built adjoining the original settlement founded by Captain Michael McGuire, a Revolutionary War veteran, in 1788. In his will, Captain McGuire donated land to the Catholic Church on which Prince Gallitzin built St. Michael's Church in 1799.
Federal Correctional Institution, Loretto, is a U.S. federal prison located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) southeast of Loretto, on the site of a former Catholic seminary.
From the History section of Loretto, Pennsylvania on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.5 mi
319 Saint Mary Street, Loretto
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Admiral Peary Area Vocational-Technical School
School · 5.8 mi
948 Ben Franklin Highway, Ebensburg
Map of Loretto
20 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 16°F | 3.9 in | 24.0 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 17°F | 3.2 in | 19.3 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 24°F | 4.0 in | 14.1 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 34°F | 4.3 in | 2.6 in |
| May | 68°F | 44°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 52°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 56°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 77°F | 55°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 48°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 38°F | 3.5 in | 0.7 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 28°F | 3.6 in | 4.9 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 22°F | 4.0 in | 14.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ebensburg Sewage Plt (6 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
Cambria County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-09-11: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2020-03-30: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2011-09-08: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee (Flood)
- 2010-04-16: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Johnstown-Cambria County Airport (JST) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Cresson 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Gallitzin 5 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Altoona 12 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Duncansville 12 mi southeast, about 20 min by car
- Lakemont 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Bellwood 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- East Conemaugh 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Johnstown 20 mi southwest, about 31 min by car
- Dale 20 mi southwest, about 32 min by car
- Ferndale 21 mi southwest, about 34 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
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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
- Loretto01, Geowizerd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 12, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 10, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 15, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 14, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 13, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 06, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 11, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 09, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 07, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel - Loretto, Pennsylvania 08, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DeGol Field, Darthgriz98, Public domain
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