State College, Pennsylvania

State College is a borough and the largest settlement in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the largest borough in Pennsylvania, with a population of 40,501 as of the 2020 census. State College and the surrounding townships are collectively known as Happy Valley, which is part of the larger Nittany Valley. State College and the nearby city of DuBois anchor the State College–DuBois combined statistical area which includes all of Centre and Clearfield counties.

Several indigenous groups inhabited the area prior to European colonization. In 1855, ironmaster James Irvin offered 200 acres of land around the Centre Furnace for the construction of an agricultrual school. Despite it's isolation, the Nittany Valley was chosen to be the home of the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania due to it's soil fertility. State College would officially become a borough in 1896, and would continue to grow alongside the University throughout the 20th century. The area was nicknamed "Happy Valley" for it's economic resilience during the Great Depression. State College was also largely unaffected by the Great Recession leading to a construction boom in the 21st century.

Major cultural institutions include the Palmer Museum of Art, the State Theatre, Schlow Library, and the Bryce Jordan Center. State College is home to University Park, which hosts Beaver Stadium, the second-largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere. The State College Spikes play for the MLB Draft League at Medlar Field. Public transport in the borough is operated by the Centre Area Transportation Authority. The State College Regional Airport connects the area to larger international airline hubs.

Governed by a home rule charter, State College largely votes for the Democratic Party, with Ezra Nanes serving as mayor since 2021.

The Lenape, Haudenosaunee, Mingo, and Shawnee were some of the first native inhabitants who began establishing settlements, farms, and trails throughout the valley and its water gaps.

The name of the Nittany Valley and its most prominent feature, Mount Nittany, comes from either Shawnee, Iroquois, or Lenape. It is thought to be a place name roughly translating to "single mountain." A common myth suggests the name comes from princess Nita-Nee, who led her people to the fertile valleys of central Pennsylvania. The author of the story, Henry W. Shoemaker, later admitted that the legend was "purely fictitious," although the myth persists to this day. Waupelani Drive is named after Chief Woapalanne.

The Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania was founded in 1855 on 400-acres of land in what was Harris Township. Although the area was isolated from most of the state, the land was reasonably affordable and the Nittany Valley was rich in limestone, causing exceptional soil fertility. The land was clear-cut for charcoal, powering the adjacent Centre Furnace. In 1862 the school was renamed to The Agricultural College of Pennsylvania.

In 1875, College Township formed, taking up most of what is now State College. In 1885, the Pennsylvania Railroad opened a train station in Lemont, which served as State College's main connection with the outside world. Passengers would have to catch an autobus or a hack to complete the journey to State College from the Lemont station. Construction of a new train station on West College Avenue was finally completed in 1892, connecting State College to the Bellefonte Central Railroad (BCRR) via Struble. The journey along the 20-mile-long line took 50 minutes, meandering through the Scotia Barrens and the Buffalo Run Valley before making it to Bellefonte. Regular passenger trains continued until 1917, while mixed passenger and freight trains continued until 1945. On August 29, 1896, State College officially separated from College Township becoming a borough.