Swissvale, Pennsylvania
Swissvale is a borough of 8,418 people in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1898.
Why visit Swissvale
Townapedia lists 45 museums and landmarks, 23 parks and trails, 29 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 16 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Brilliant Cutoff Viaduct of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Carnegie Mellon University, Baxter High School and Bost Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Swissvale
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Swissvale
Swissvale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, 9 miles (14 km) east of downtown Pittsburgh. Named for a farmstead owned by James Swisshelm, during the industrial age it was the site of the Union Switch and Signal Company of George Westinghouse. The population was 8,624 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Swissvale, Pennsylvania (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do16
Brilliant Cutoff Viaduct of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Bridge · 3.1 mi
Stone railroad bridge in Pittsburgh
Carnegie Mellon University
School · 3.4 mi
Private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Carrie Furnace Hot Metal Bridge
Bridge · 0.8 mi
Bridge over the Monongahela River
Chatham University
School · 2.9 mi
University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Fern Hollow Bridge
Bridge · 1.5 mi
Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US built in 2022
Glenwood B&O Railroad Bridge
Bridge · 2.8 mi
Railroad bridge in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Glenwood Bridge
Bridge · 3.0 mi
Bridge over the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Greenfield Bridge (2017)
Bridge · 2.8 mi
Bridge in Pittsburgh (opened 2017)
Lovelace Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.4 mi
Former puppet theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Panther Hollow Bridge
Bridge · 3.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Pinkerton's Landing Bridge
Bridge · 0.7 mi
Train bridge over Monongahela River
PRR Port Perry Bridge
Bridge · 2.9 mi
Railroad bridge in Pennsylvania
4 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks45
Baxter High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
High school in Pennsylvania, United States
Bost Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Building in Pennsylvania, United States
Carnegie Free Library of Braddock
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Carnegie library in Pennsylvania
Gardner-Bailey House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
George Westinghouse Bridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Concrete arch bridge over Turtle Creek
Gladstone School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Hamnett Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States
Hazelwood Brewing Company
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic former brewery in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Henry Koerner House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
House of Henry Koerner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Highland Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Building in Pittsburgh, USA
Highland Towers Apartments
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
High-rise building in Pennsylvania, United States of America
Homestead Grays Bridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Bridge over the Monongahela River
33 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds23
Mellon Park
Park · 2.8 mi
Park in Pennsylvania, United States of America, United States of America
Westinghouse Park
Park · 2.4 mi
Park in Pennsylvania, United States of America, United States of America
11 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes29
Hemlock House
Restaurant · American, Burger · 0.9 mi
1126 South Braddock Avenue
Mo-Th 11:00-00:00; Fr 11:00-02:00; Sa 10:00-02:00; Su 10:00-23:00
Spigolo
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Tea · 0.9 mi
101 Edgewood Avenue
Su 08:00-14:00; Tu-Fr 07:00-16:00; Sa 08:00-16:00
Biddle's Escape
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.3 mi
401 Biddle Avenue, Wilkinsburg
Mo-Sa 08:00-19:00; Su 08:00-16:00
D's Six Packs and Dogs
Restaurant · Hot Dog, Pizza · 0.9 mi
1118 South Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh
Su-We 11:00-23:00, Th-Sa 11:00-24:00
Madeleine Bakery and Bistro
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Pastry · 1.3 mi
609 South Trenton Avenue, Pittsburgh
Tu-Sa 08:00-16:00; Su 08:00-14:00
17 more on the map.
History
Swissvale is named after the Swisshelm family. John Swisshelm (1752–1838), who owned a farm where the town is located. John Swisshelm served under General George Washington in the Revolutionary War, and camped at Valley Forge. Swisshelm married Mary Elizabeth Miller, and they had many children. Their son, James Swisshelm, married Jane Grey Cannon, noted abolitionist and political activist, Jane Swisshelm named the town Swissvale as the town overlooked the Monongahela River Valley. The Pittsburgh neighborhood of Swisshelm Park, adjacent to Swissvale, is named after John Swisshelm.
Since 1874, the Allegheny Car & Transportation Shops had provided well-paying jobs to local citizens and were later purchased by George Westinghouse, the President of Westinghouse Air Brake Company, who formed the Union Switch & Signal company and maintained that facility in Swissvale.
From the History section of Swissvale, Pennsylvania on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship49
Beulah Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Calvary Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Homestead United Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.5 mi
908 Ann Street
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries65
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
School · 1.0 mi
300 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh
Healthcare3
Map of Swissvale
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 22°F | 3.2 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 22°F | 2.7 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 29°F | 3.3 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 40°F | 3.2 in |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | 3.9 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 60°F | 4.7 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 64°F | 3.8 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 63°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 56°F | 3.3 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 44°F | 2.9 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 35°F | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 28°F | 3.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Braddock Lock 2 (2 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
Allegheny County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2020-03-30: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-10-01: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2010-04-16: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms (Snowstorm)
- 2005-09-10: Hurricane Katrina (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Allegheny County Airport (AGC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Rankin 1 mi south, about 1 min by car
- Edgewood 1 mi north, about 1 min by car
- Braddock Hills 1 mi east, about 2 min by car
- Whitaker 1 mi south, about 2 min by car
- Homestead 2 mi southwest, about 2 min by car
- Forest Hills 2 mi east, about 3 min by car
- Braddock 2 mi southeast, about 3 min by car
- Wilkinsburg 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Munhall 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- North Braddock 2 mi southeast, about 3 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
- Longfellow School - Corner, Max Chistokletov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John F. Singer House, Jack Boucher, Public domain
- Gardner-Bailey House, User:Nyttend, Public domain
- Gladstone School Pittsburgh 1916 2, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Highland Towers Apartments, User:Nyttend, Public domain
- CalvaryEpiscopalShadysidePHLF, Tim Engleman from Saxonburg, PA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Pennsylvania Railroad Station in Wilkinsburg, User:Nyttend, Public domain
- Highland Building, Eli Pousson, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Heidelberg Apartments, User:Nyttend, Public domain
- Bost Building, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- McCook Mansion - Pittsburgh, PA - DSC05088-001, Daderot, CC0
- Sperling Building, Nyttend, Public domain
- Taylor Allderdice High School, Pittsburgh, Henry C. Schmitt, CC BY-SA 2.5
- SchenleyPark1, Unknown author, Public domain
- Homestead Grays Bridge river reflection, PixOnTrax at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- BCL 1024x768, Christopher Rolinson, CC BY 3.0 us
- New gates to Kennywood (2005), Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Park Place School, Nyttend, Public domain
- Carrie Furnace030, PixOnTrax at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Linden Avenue School Comprehensive, Nyttend, Public domain
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