Regions of Allegheny County – Deasy Corporation

Allegheny County – Airport Area

The Airport Area occupies the western portion of Allegheny County along the Ohio River corridor and extending toward the Ohio state line. The region is defined by the presence of Pittsburgh International Airport, which serves as the primary aviation gateway for the metropolitan area and much of western Pennsylvania.

Historically this area developed around river industry, rail connections, and later airport infrastructure. In recent decades it has transitioned toward logistics, distribution centers, office parks, and suburban residential communities. Major transportation routes such as Interstate 376 (Parkway West) and Route 22/30 connect the region directly to Downtown Pittsburgh and neighboring counties.

Municipalities commonly associated with the Airport Area include Moon Township, Findlay Township, North Fayette Township, and surrounding boroughs and townships that lie west of the city. The region combines suburban neighborhoods, corporate campuses, and airport-driven economic activity.

Allegheny County – East Suburbs

The East Suburbs extend east of the City of Pittsburgh toward the Allegheny and Westmoreland County borders. This region developed heavily during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as industrial towns and streetcar suburbs along the Pennsylvania Railroad and Monongahela Valley rail lines.

Many communities grew around steel mills, glass works, and other heavy industry that once lined the rivers and valleys. As manufacturing declined, the area gradually transitioned into a mix of residential suburbs, small business districts, and redevelopment zones.

Major municipalities associated with the East Suburbs include Monroeville, Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg, Forest Hills, Edgewood, and Churchill, along with numerous smaller boroughs. The region is connected to Pittsburgh by Interstate 376 (Parkway East), which serves as the primary transportation corridor into the city.

Allegheny County – Mon Valley

The Mon Valley refers to the chain of municipalities that line the Monongahela River south and southeast of Pittsburgh. This corridor formed one of the historic centers of the American steel industry during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Communities in the Mon Valley developed closely around steel mills, coke works, and rail yards that once dominated the riverbanks. Towns such as Homestead, Braddock, Duquesne, McKeesport, and Clairton became globally known as centers of steel production and industrial labor.

Although heavy industry has declined, the Mon Valley remains culturally significant in the history of Pittsburgh’s working-class communities and continues to contain dense borough networks tied together by river valleys, rail lines, and major roads such as Route 837 and Route 51.

Allegheny County – North Hills

The North Hills occupy the northern portion of Allegheny County above the Allegheny River and north of the city limits. The region developed largely in the twentieth century as suburban communities expanded outward from Pittsburgh.

Many North Hills municipalities were originally rural townships that gradually transformed into residential suburbs as highway infrastructure improved. The area is characterized by rolling terrain, suburban housing developments, and commercial corridors.

Major municipalities associated with the North Hills include Ross Township, McCandless Township, Hampton Township, Franklin Park, and West View, among others. The region is connected to Pittsburgh primarily by Interstate 279 and Route 19, which provide direct access to Downtown.

Allegheny County – South Hills

The South Hills lie south of the City of Pittsburgh between the Monongahela River and Washington County. This region developed as one of the earliest and most extensive streetcar suburbs in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

Many communities grew along historic streetcar routes that connected residential neighborhoods to Downtown Pittsburgh. Even today, the region remains closely tied to the city through the Pittsburgh Regional Transit light rail system (the “T”), which continues to run through several South Hills municipalities.

Prominent communities in the South Hills include Mount Lebanon, Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, Dormont, Baldwin, and Castle Shannon. The area is known for established residential neighborhoods, strong school districts, and major commercial corridors such as Route 19 and Route 51.

City of Pittsburgh

The City of Pittsburgh forms the urban core of Allegheny County and the economic, cultural, and historical center of the wider Pittsburgh metropolitan region. Located at the confluence of the Allegheny River, Monongahela River, and Ohio River, the city developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as a strategic transportation hub and later became one of the most important industrial cities in the United States.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Pittsburgh emerged as a global center of steel production, heavy manufacturing, and engineering, earning the nickname “The Steel City.” While heavy industry declined in the late twentieth century, the city successfully transitioned toward an economy driven by education, healthcare, technology, robotics, and finance. Major institutions such as universities, hospitals, research centers, and corporate headquarters now anchor the city’s economy.