Norristown

Understand

It is considered the county seat or administrative center of Montgomery County nestled alongside the Schuylkill River. It was home to 34,000 people in 2019.

Norristown was named after Isaac Norris, who was mayor of Philadelphia in 1724 and was named trustee of the province of Pennsylvania in the will of Willaim Penn. Before Penn faced legal issues involving his arrest in 1706, Norris brought the land from Penn which subsequently was named after Norris after the purchase. In his lifetime Norris was greatly successful in politics and business which he carried over in the development of Norristown. Today, with a number of old cigar and lumber factories still standing, Norristown shows much of the aftermath the rich history in agriculture manufacturing that began there, but is no longer prominent.

To understand Norristown is to understand its residents. Many people have a misconception or false stereotype about Norristown and its people, yet none of these ideas are true. Because it is a suburb of Philadelphia many outsiders assume that it is a rural area occupied by suburban neighborhoods. But because the diverse ethnic population has always been larger than that of surrounding townships (Methacton, East Norriton, Upper Merion, etc.), many people mistake the town for a "ghetto" where "other" races reside. This concept is supposedly reflected in the learning ability of the students and job opportunities for the residents, because all are working class.

Norristown is a center for emerging diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds. The students of the schools in the Norristown Area School District are above average, with over half ranging from proficient to advanced in math and reading assessments. The crime level is very low and though do not keep your door unlocked at night. It is a safe community in which to raise a family. The town is very family-oriented and is mostly residential, with several business districts scattered throughout, particularly on Main Street between Swede and Markley Streets and on Marshall Street west of Markley Street. Main Street is the central east-west corridor in town, and Markley is the main north-south route.

Norristown hosts major annual celebrations such as Norristown Day and A Taste Of Norristown. A farmer's market operates on Main Street near the County Court House on Thursday afternoons in the summer.

Get in

The main east-west route to Norristown is Ridge Pike, also known as Main Street within the boundaries of Norristown and part of West Norriton Township. (Ridge Pike is the same as Ridge Avenue once it enters Philadelphia.) The main north-south routes are US 202, which becomes Dekalb Street once it enters Norristown northbound from King of Prussia. The alternate route is Markley Street, which runs both north- and southbound in Norristown.

Get around

Most people own their own vehicles, but a large percentage rely on public transportation run by SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (www.septa.org). The main transportation hub in Norristown is the Norristown Transportation Center at the intersection of Lafayette and Swede Streets. SEPTA offers three public transportation choices to and from Norristown: buses from most surrounding towns and Philadelphia, the Manayunk/Norristown regional rail line to Philadelphia, and the Norristown High Speed light rail line, which travels from Norristown to the Main Line (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, etc.) to 69th Street in Upper Darby and continuing on to Philadelphia via the Market-Frankford El.

Go next

Norristown is nestled between King of Prussia and Plymouth Meeting, no more than 15 minutes from either. These two towns are major entertainment and shopping districts in the area.

Norristown is a quick drive or train ride from Center City Philadelphia, which offers a wider variety of food, shopping, and cultural activities than the malls.