Donora, Pennsylvania
Donora is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. The population was 4,558 as of the 2020 census.
Donora, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
Concrete houses in the Cement City neighborhood | |
| Etymology: Portmanteau of "William Donner" and "Nora Mellon" | |
Location of Donora in Washington County, Pennsylvania. | |
Donora, Pennsylvania Location of Donora in Pennsylvania | |
| Coordinates: 40°10′33″N 79°51′41″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Washington |
| Established | 1900 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Donald Pavelko |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.05 sq mi (5.30 km2) |
| • Land | 1.90 sq mi (4.92 km2) |
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.38 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 4,569 |
| • Density | 2,406.00/sq mi (928.72/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 15033 |
| Area code | 724 |
| Website | www.DonoraBoro.org |
Donora was incorporated in 1901. It takes its name from a portmanteau of William Donner and Nora Mellon, wife of banker Andrew W. Mellon. The borough's nickname is "The Home of Champions", mainly because of the large number of famous athletes who have called Donora their home, including Baseball Hall of Fame outfielders Stan Musial and Ken Griffey Jr.
The most famous event was the deadly 1948 Donora smog when air pollution killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems for 6,000 of the 14,000 residents. Agriculture, coal-mining, steel-making, wire-making, and other industries were conducted in Donora early in its history; its Rust Belt location has lost most of its industrial capacity. It is in the "Mon Valley", 5 miles (8.0 km) downriver from Charleroi and 25 miles (40 km) upstream of Braddock.