Mars, Pennsylvania
Mars is a borough of 1,285 people in Butler County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1873.
Why visit Mars
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails and 12 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Mars Historical Society.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 17°F, and about 35 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Mars
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Mars
Mars is a borough in southern Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,458 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Mars, Pennsylvania (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes12
Churches and places of worship4
History
In 1873, Samuel Parks constructed a home and a water-powered gristmill along Breakneck Creek. Parks decided to have a post office placed in his home, so he received help from his friend Samuel Marshall to help establish it. The name of the post office became Overbrook. In 1877, the Pittsburgh, New Castle and Lake Erie Railroad was constructed through Overbrook, and had a station built there. In 1882, the name of the community was changed to Mars since the railroad already had a stop with the name "Overbrook". No one is sure how the name "Mars" came into being. Some say it was Parks's wife who enjoyed astronomy, while others believe it was shortened after Samuel Marshall's name. On March 6, 1895, Mars was incorporated as a borough.
In 1904, the Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway gained permission from Mars to construct its right-of-way through the borough. The line become part of the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway in 1917, being renamed Pittsburgh, Mars and Butler Railway. The line closed in 1931.
The USS Mars (AFS-1) was named after the borough. The ship became part of the United States Pacific Fleet in 1963, and was decommissioned in 1998. It was then sunk in 2006 as a target vessel. The bell of the USS Mars was loaned to the borough and has become a part of a memorial in the downtown park.
From the History section of Mars, Pennsylvania on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries21
Healthcare8
Map of Mars
59 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 17°F | 3.4 in | 11.3 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 18°F | 2.7 in | 9.7 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 25°F | 3.3 in | 5.3 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 35°F | 3.5 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 70°F | 45°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 54°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 58°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 57°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 50°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 39°F | 3.3 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 30°F | 3.3 in | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 39°F | 23°F | 3.4 in | 6.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Butler 2 Sw (11 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
Butler 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)
- 2010-04-16: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms (Snowstorm)
- 2005-09-10: Hurricane Katrina (Hurricane)
- 2004-09-19: Tropical Depression Ivan (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport (BTP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Bradford Woods 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Franklin Park 8 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Allison Park 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Harmony 9 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Bell Acres 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Butler 13 mi northeast, about 21 min by car
- Freedom 13 mi west, about 20 min by car
- Ambridge Heights 13 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Edgeworth 14 mi southwest, about 22 min by car
- Pittsburgh 18 mi south, about 29 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Downtown Mars, PA, Mvincec, Public domain
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