Cresson, Pennsylvania

Cresson, Pennsylvania
Borough
Houses on Second Street
Location of Cresson in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
Cresson
Coordinates: 40°27′45″N 78°35′11″W / 40.46250°N 78.58639°W / 40.46250; -78.58639
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyCambria
Incorporated1902
Government
 • TypeBorough council
Area
 • Total
0.48 sq mi (1.25 km2)
 • Land0.48 sq mi (1.25 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
2,054 ft (626 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
1,525
 • Density3,163.8/sq mi (1,221.56/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip code
16630
Area code814
FIPS code42-17136
GNIS feature ID1215014
Websitewww.cressonborough.com

Cresson is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. Cresson is 80 miles (130 km) east of Pittsburgh. It is above 2,000 feet (600 m) in elevation. Lumber, coal, and coke yards were industries that had supported the population. The borough is part of the Johnstown Metropolitan Statistical Area, although state and local sources list it as part of the Altoona area due to being much closer to that city. As of the 2020 census, Cresson had a population of 1,525.

The location was named in 1854 as a memorial to philanthropist Elliott Cresson. Railroads, beginning with the Allegheny Portage Railroad, fueled the growth of the area. Many famous Pittsburgh businessmen, including Charles M. Schwab, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Clay Frick, maintained summer residences in the area.

The borough was incorporated in 1906, along with neighboring Sankertown.