Cranberry Township, in the southwestern corner of Butler County, Pennsylvania, was incorporated in 1804. The community’s name is derived from the wild cranberries which used to grow in the area. Cranberry is chartered as a Township of the Second Class under the Pennsylvania Municipal Code. It covers 15,163 acres (23.69 square miles), and has a population of approximately 28,000 – up from just 14,816 in 1990.

One reason for Cranberry's rapid growth has been its location. Situated at the intersection of I-76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) I-79, and Routes 19 and 228, the community is easily accessible from virtually anywhere in the region. In addition, the opening of I-279 in 1989 cut travel time to Pittsburgh to less than half an hour.

History
Cranberry Township Historical Society

Founded in 1989, the Cranberry Township Historical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to identifying, preserving, and promoting public awareness of historical sites, landmarks, place names, and traditions. Find out about upcoming events, special programs and more!

Cranberry Township:
A History of Our Community
The information contained here is taken in full or excerpted from the book Cranberry Township: A History of Our Community, published in 1989 by the Cranberry Historical Society. Some parts of the text are now dated; however, Cranberry is experiencing such growth and change as to make that expected.

Population & Housing

Cranberry Township has experienced a significant growth since the early 1970s. Cranberry's population grew 34 percent, to 14,816, between 1980 and 1990. The 2000 census placed its population at 23,625, up almost 60% from 1990. That growth has continued with a population as of January, 2007 at more than 28,000. Residential construction alone accounted for nearly $400 million between 1996 and 2005. When commercial construction is included, that 10-year figure exceeds $1 billion. In 2005, the median home sale price was $216,000; 79% of Cranberry’s residents own their own homes.

Education

The Seneca Valley School District, covers 100 square miles, including Cranberry, Forward, Jackson and Lancaster Townships and Callery, Evans City, Harmony, Seven Fields and Zelienople Boroughs. The district has four elementary schools, grades K-4; three middle schools for grades 5-6; and one for grades 7-8; a grade 9-10 intermediate high school, and a grade 11-12 senior high school. The buildings for grades 7-12 are located on the same campus at 124 Seneca School Road, in Jackson Township, (Harmony, PA). The campus is approximately 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh, in close proximity to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and adjacent to Interstate 79.

The Cranberry Public Library maintains a list of state-accredited pre-schools and day care centers. View list

Higher Education

A growing number of colleges, universities and technical institutions maintain a presence in Cranberry Township. They offer a variety of business, professional, and liberal arts curricula for both traditional and non-traditional students. Many are affiliated with the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry Woods. Click to see a list of RLA education partners.

Cranberry is also convenient to the Pittsburgh campuses of Carnegie-Mellon University, Duquesne University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Chatham University.

Economic development

Many Cranberry Township residents commute to work in Pittsburgh. But even more people living throughout the tri-state area commute into Cranberry for work. For more information, check The Cranberry Plan Market Assessment (2007). (viewing requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

A series of designated office, business, and industrial parks within the Township accommodate the needs of businesses of every size. Click to see Business Parks listing. (viewing requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

For a more detailed outline of the economic advantages of doing business in Cranberry Township, click here.

For a list of commercial properties available in the Cranberry area, click here: Pittsburgh Prospector Website.

Cranberry Parks and Recreation Department

Cranberry Township's recreational needs are served through a comprehensive series of supervised programs as well as a network of recreational facilities that include: Community Park, North Boundary Park, the WaterPark, the Municipal Center and Gym, and a skatepark. Community Park which recently expanded to 96 acres, was Cranberry's first major community park. It is located behind the Route 19 Park Fire Station. North Boundary Park, at 128 acres, was purchased in the mid - 1990's in response to the community's growing need for active recreational areas east of Route 19. Graham Park, a 119-acre site purchased in 2004 and opened in May 2009. The Municipal Center was opened in 1991, and designed as a one-stop community service center. A skatepark built in 2005 is located behind the Municipal Center.

Contact
Parks & Rec.Customer Service
2525 Rochester Road
Cranberry Township, PA 16066-6499

Ph: 724-776-4806 x1129
Fx: 724-776-3680

Hours
Monday - Thursday
8:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM- 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Cranberry Highlands Golf Course

Western Pennsylvania's premier public golf course, celebrates the region's natural landscape with a stunning 186-acre, par 70 course featuring 90 deeply sculpted sand bunkers and water hazards with more than 70 separate tee areas.

From its front tees at 4,769 yards, to its championship back tees at 6,444 yards, players at every level will find a readily walkable course, discretely linked by cart paths and ringed in the timberstock that defines the region.

Cranberry Highlands is a daily fee-only course, open throughout the year, weather permitting. Visit the Cranberry Highlands website.