Rochester, Pennsylvania
Rochester is a borough of 3,422 people in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1799.
Why visit Rochester
Townapedia lists 19 museums and landmarks, 27 parks and trails, 31 places to eat and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Beaver Bridge, Beaver River Railroad Bridge, Fort McIntosh and Beaver Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; February lows average 19°F.
Weather in Rochester
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rochester
Rochester is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio rivers 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 3,472 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Rochester, Pennsylvania (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Beaver Bridge
Bridge · 0.8 mi
Railroad bridge across the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Beaver River Railroad Bridge
Bridge · 3.2 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Monaca – East Rochester Bridge
Bridge · 1.1 mi
Bridge in East Rochester, Pennsylvania
Rochester-Beaver Railroad Bridge
Bridge · 0.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Vanport Bridge
Bridge · 3.0 mi
Bridge in Vanport Township, Pennsylvania
Museums and landmarks19
Fort McIntosh
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Archaeological site in Beaver, United States of America
Beaver Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in Beaver, Pennsylvania
Bridgewater Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Pennsylvania
Captain William Vicary House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Matthew S. Quay House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
Merrick Art Gallery
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Museum in New Brighton, Pennsylvania
William B. Dunlap Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
Beaver Station Cultural & Event Center
Monument and historic site · 0.8 mi
Former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie passenger station, built in 1910.
250 East End Avenue, Beaver
Former P&LE Fright Station
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
Former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie freight station, originally located in Colona and moved to the current location in 1910 with the passenger...
Pacific Avenue, Monaca
Mason's Hall
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
Former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie passenger station. Was located in Colona, then moved to the current location in 1910. Build date is unknown.
1300 Pacific Avenue, Monaca
7 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds27
Bridgewater Crossing
Park · 0.6 mi
Mulberry Street Extended, Beaver
sunrise-sunset
George Washington Park
Park · 0.8 mi
1003 Pennsylvania Avenue, Monaca
sunrise-sunset
15 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes31
Brusters Real Ice Cream
Restaurant · Ice Cream · 1.1 mi
1525 Riverside Drive, Bridgewater
Kretchmar`s Bakery
Restaurant · Coffee Shop, Italian · 1.2 mi
664 3rd Street, Beaver
Mario`s Woodfired Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian, International · 1.2 mi
594 3rd Street, Beaver
19 more on the map.
History
What eventually became Rochester was originally a Lenape village called Sawcunk. The area was settled in 1799 in what was then the American frontier by white settlers and was known as East Bridgewater, Fairport, and Beaver Point. The borough adopted the name Rochester in 1834 when a local businessman who did regular business in Pittsburgh decided to christen his home with the name Rochester so he could have a unique name to stamp his goods; the borough was officially incorporated as such in 1849.
Many of the streets that run through Rochester today had different names based on wild animals. Virginia Avenue and Adams Street—two of the city's main thoroughfares via Pennsylvania Route 68—were once known as Fox Lane and Tiger Lane, respectively. Deer Lane, which still exists today, is the last remnant of the original naming scheme for the street grid in the borough.
From the History section of Rochester, Pennsylvania on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship9
Beaver United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.2 mi
345 College Avenue, Beaver
River Valley Reformed Church
Church · Reformed · 1.3 mi
999 McClelland Street, Monaca
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Church · Lutheran · 0.7 mi
819 Washington Avenue, Monaca
St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Parish
Church · 1.1 mi
1409 Pennsylvania Avenue, Monaca
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries38
Beaver County Career & Technology Center
School · 3.6 mi
145 Poplar Avenue, Monaca
Healthcare3
Map of Rochester
141 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 19°F | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 19°F | 2.4 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 27°F | 3.1 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 37°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 72°F | 48°F | 3.8 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 56°F | 4.3 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 61°F | 3.8 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 3.5 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 53°F | 3.6 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 42°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 32°F | 3.0 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 24°F | 3.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Beaver Falls 1 Ne (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
Beaver 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
Beaver County Airport (BFP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Beaver 1 mi southwest, about 2 min by car
- Monaca 1 mi south, about 2 min by car
- Freedom 2 mi southeast, about 3 min by car
- New Brighton 3 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Pine Run 3 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Conway 3 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Beaver Falls 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Baden 5 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- West Mayfield 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Economy 7 mi southeast, about 11 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
- Municipal building, Rochester, Pennsylvania, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fort McIntosh Site, Nyttend, Public domain
- Captain William Vicary House, Nyttend, Public domain
- First Christian Church, Beaver, Nyttend, Public domain
- Merrick Art Gallery, New Brighton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Bridge Street, Bridgewater, Pennsylvania, Nyttend, Public domain
- William B. Dunlap Mansion, User:Nyttend, Public domain
- Matthew S. Quay House, Nyttend, Public domain
- M-erbr, Mr. Vitale ( talk ), Public domain
- Fallston Bridge, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- Rochester-beaver rr br, Mr. Vitale ( talk ), Public domain
- Beaver River RR Bridge HAER PA1, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- Vanportbr, Mr. Vitale ( talk ), Public domain
- Beaver rail bridge HAER PA,4-BEAV,1-1 crop, Jet Lowe, Public domain
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