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Population: It was estimated in 1999 that nearly 600,000 people reside in Bucks County. This represents over 10% growth since 1990 as determined by federal census.
Area: Land – 608 square miles. Water – 15.8 square miles
Government: Bucks County is a class 2A county compromised of 23 boroughs and 31 townships. Three commissioners, elected at-large every four years and representing both major political parties, govern the county. Other elected officals include: Clerk of Courts, Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Jury Commissioners, Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, Sheriff, and Treasurer.
Judiciary: Eleven judges, elected to 10-year terms with 10-year, voter-approved retention, comprise the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. The county also has a minor judiciary of 18 district justices with limited jurisdiction.
Recreation: The County Parks and Recreation Department maintains 23 park areas totaling about 7,500 acres, including five lakes of up to 365 acres in size. Four parks are located along the Delaware River. The County has 4,318 acres of state gameland. In addition, seven state parks are located in the county.
Historic Sites Bucks County is famous nationwide for its historic sites. Three notable ones are:
- Washington Crossing State Park, located at the site of Washington's Delaware River crossing on Christmas Night in 1776, to attack the Hessian troops at Trenton and the site of Bowman's Tower near New Hope.
- The Mercer Museum, at Pine and Ashland Streets in Doylestown, which contains some 30,000 artifacts and tool which represent county life before the steam engine.
- Pennsbury Manor, located in Falls Township, is a reproduction of William Penn's summer estate along the banks of the Delaware River.
Schools: Bucks County has 14 public school districts, three vocational-technical schools, and numerous private, parochial and special schools. Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 maintains a current listing of all educational institutions located in the county. Institutions of higher learning include Bucks County Community College, with campuses in Newtown and Perkasie, Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Philadelphia College of the Bible in Langhorne, Holy Family College in Newtown, and a LaSalle University satellite campus in Newtown.
Healthcare: Hospitals located in Bucks County are: Frankford Hospital, Bucks County Campus; Temple University Health System: Lower Buck Hospital, Bristol; St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne; Doylestown Hospital; Grandview Hospital, Sellersville; St. Luke's Quakertown Hospital; and Warminster Hospital. Neshaminy Manor Nursing Home is the county's skilled geriatric nursing home.
Transportation:Highways —The county is traversed by more then 1,500 miles of state roads including Interstate 95, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and U.S. Routes 1, 13, 202. PA Routes 309, 611, and 132 provide arterial links to other areas of the region.
Public Transportation — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority provides daily bus service on the nine routes ond four commuter railroad lines in the county. Amtrak's Keystone Line service is also accessible via the Middletown Station.
Air: — The Bucks County Airport Authority operates the Quakertown and Doylestown airports; both are general airports. Also, two privately-owned public use aviation airports, VanSant and Pennridge are located in the county.
Agriculture Some 351 farms cover 83,534 acres of land area. The county ranks high in the state nursery and greenhouse stock, and sod production.
Commerce Historically, most commerce has been centered in boroughs and at the crossroads of major transportation routes. Today, there are more then 50 shopping centers with more then 100,000 square feet of floor space. Large regioal centers located in the county are: Oxford Valley and Neshaminy Malls, Villages at Newtown, and the Warminster Town Center.
Housing In 1999, it was estimated that there were more then 222,000 housing units in the county, ranging from centuries old farm houses to contemporary solars. Also available are apartments, townhouses, mobile homes and historic mansions, as well as typical suburban, single family homes.