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REGIONAL POSITION AND INFLUENCES
The Philadelphia Region
Montgomery County in
the Region
Valley Forge National Historical Park, a regional and national treasure, is
located in Montgomery County.
Montgomery County is known throughout the Philadelphia region for its
excellent county trail system, the most extensive county system in the area.
Montgomery County in the Region
Like many suburban communities across the nation,
Montgomery County has changed significantly over the
past 60 years, evolving from a primarily agricultural place
with a number of large industrial towns to a dynamic
employment hub with a wide range of high-tech and service
jobs.
Montgomery has always been a center of commerce and
transportation in southeastern Pennsylvania, and this role has
intensified during the past 60 years. With over a half million
jobs, Montgomery County leads the state in manufacturing
and high-tech jobs, importing tens of thousands of workers
from neighboring counties. With its many malls, the county
attracts shoppers from all over the region. And, with its
extensive expressway system, the county is a transportation
hub, providing a gateway to the rest of the state.
Montgomery County isn’t just about jobs, shopping, and
highways. The county is also a historic place that was
intimately involved in the American Revolution—it’s a
beautiful place, with rolling farmland, winding streams, and
wooded hills—and it’s a neighborly place, home to many
traditional towns and residential communities.
FIGURE 4:
Retail Square Footage per Resident
Sources: 2012 The CoStar Retail Report of the Philadelphia
Retail Market, 2011 Montgomery County Shopping Center
Inventory, and U.S. Census Bureau
