The Lehigh Valley is the third largest metropolitan center in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Its three cities are Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, which are surrounded by numerous smaller communities.
The Lehigh Valley is adjacent to the Delaware River at Interstate Route 78, offering less than a two-hour drive from both New York City and Philadelphia. Traveling within the Lehigh Valley is a comparatively short commute. The Lehigh Valley is the fastest growing and third most populous region in the state of Pennsylvania with a population of 861,889 (2020 U.S. Census Estimate) residents. It is surpassed in total population only by the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Still, the Lehigh Valley, consisting of Lehigh and Northampton Counties, has the “small-town” feel and a high quality of life valued by its citizens. Its relatively low cost of housing and property taxes has attracted many out-of-state residents who seek a less stressful and less expensive way of life.
The Lehigh Valley is proud to be home to several acclaimed colleges and universities such as DeSales University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, two community colleges and post-secondary institutions. Two nationally recognized medical centers, Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Luke’s University Health Network, serve the region. There are bountiful arts, entertainment and recreational venues throughout the Valley to please one and all. Exciting additions to the Valley’s scene are the Wind Creek Bethlehem, Coca-Cola Park – home of the Iron Pigs Triple A Minor League baseball and the PPL Center. Corporate headquarters offices in the Lehigh Valley include Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., B. Braun Medical, Inc., Olympus, USA, Crayola, LLC, PPL Corp., C.F. Martin & Co., Inc., Victaulic Company of America, OraSure Technologies and Just Born, Inc.
These and many more attributes are the reasons the Lehigh Valley has been continuously recognized by Site Selection magazine as among the “Top-5 performing regions” in its prestigious Governor’s Cup Awards rankings for 2019.
The Lehigh Valley International Airport is conveniently located to LVIP parks and serves the growing region, offering access to most major commercial carriers and several lower-cost carriers. Newark’s Liberty International Airport is 50 miles east on Interstate Route 78, and the Philadelphia International Airport is about 65 miles south of the Lehigh Valley. Daily bus transportation on Trans-Bridge Lines makes New York City less than two hours away. Several buses each day service incoming and outgoing passengers of Newark’s Liberty International Airport. The Lehigh and Northampton Transit Authority (LANTA) provides daily public bus service to 4 million passengers yearly, including those needing service to and from our park system.