HomePennsylvaniaBethlehem

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem was founded in 1741. Bethlehem Steel built the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, and many NYC skyscrapers. Known as 'Christmas City USA' — founded on Christmas Eve 1741.
Founded 1741 | Population 77,000 | Peak 77,000 (2024) | County Northampton County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

undefined
1741 Moravian Settlement: Christmas Eve founding.
undefined
1857 Bethlehem Steel: Once world's 2nd largest steelmaker.
undefined
1890 Higher Education: Educational institutions helped define Bethlehem's character and economy.
undefined
1995 Steel Closes: Bethlehem Steel shuts down.
undefined
2009 SteelStacks: Arts campus on former mill site.
🧠
How Well Do You Know Bethlehem?
5 questions • 2 minutes
Take the Quiz →

Latest News in Bethlehem

Jan 1, 1970
Reeses Peanut Butter Cups Seasonal Candy Becomes Epic Fail
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania – Back in May 2016, what was supposed to be a fun twist on a classic American treat quickly soured for …
Jan 1, 1970
Anti Trade Message Trump Targets Reagan Democrats
Washington, D.C. – In the thick of the 2016 presidential race, Donald Trump zeroed in on a key group of voters with his shar…
Jan 1, 1970
Pennsylvania Cop Shoots 12 Year Old Girl While Serving Eviction Notice
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — On a tense April 17, 2016, a police officer shot a 12-year-old girl during a routine eviction notice delivery,…
Jan 1, 1970
Trump and Clinton Leading Super Tuesday Polls
Washington, April 6, 2016 – As the 2016 presidential primaries rolled on, recent polls painted a clear picture of Donald Trump a…
Jan 1, 1970
Man Threatens Congressman Backing Hillary Clinton
Washington, DC – On March 28, 2016, a man was arrested after making explicit threats against a congressman who had publicly endo…
Jan 1, 1970
Man Assumes he Just Shot Buck Then Gets Closer Look and Realizes what it
RURAL PENNSYLVANIA — It was supposed to be a routine hunting trip, but what started as excitement quickly turned into a nightmar…

Complete Historical Timeline

1741 Culture
Moravian Settlement
1857 Industry
Bethlehem Steel
1890 Culture
Higher Education
1995 Business
Steel Closes
2009 Culture
SteelStacks

Did You Know?

1
Bethlehem Steel built the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, and many NYC skyscrapers.
2
Known as 'Christmas City USA' — founded on Christmas Eve 1741.
3
SteelStacks arts campus is on the former steel mill site.
4
Bethlehem is located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
5
Bethlehem has a population of approximately 77,000.

Famous People from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

H
H.D.
Actor, Writer · Born Sep 10, 1886 · Died Sep 27, 1961 (age 75)
JK
Joe Kovacs
Athletics Competitor, Shot Putter · Born Jun 28, 1989 · Age 36
JT
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Actor, Child Actor · Born Sep 8, 1981 · Age 44
DR
Daniel Roebuck
Screenwriter, Actor · Born Mar 4, 1963 · Age 62
MA
Michael Andretti
Formula One Driver · Born Oct 5, 1962 · Age 63

Other Cities in Pennsylvania

View all Pennsylvania cities →
P
Philadelphia
Pop. 1,603,797
P
Pittsburgh
Pop. 302,971
A
Allentown
Pop. 125,000
R
Reading
Pop. 95,000
E
Erie
Pop. 95,000
UD
Upper Darby
Pop. 85,000
See something that needs correcting?
We take accuracy seriously. Help us keep Bethlehem's history right.