Caln Township, Pennsylvania

Caln Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,428 at the 2020 census. The township was founded by settlers from Calne, Wiltshire in England in 1714; the relationship between Calne and Wiltshire continues in the present since the two are sister cities. Caln is a township of the First Class, and the governing body is a Board of Commissioners. The township also owns Ingleside Golf Club and over 200 acre of green space and parks.

Atop of a hill overlooking Coatesville and located in Caln, the historic Coatesville VA Medical Center (a major Veterans Administration hospital) provides care to approximately 20,000 veterans in the region annually. Brandywine Hospital, which resided in Caln Township, was abruptly closed in January 2022 by West Reading-based Tower Health after systemwide financial difficulties. The hospital primarily served northwestern Chester County.

Caln Township is part of Coatesville Area School District (CASD). The western end of the township along U.S. Business 30 is sometimes referred to as the Village of Caln. Historically, there were places referred to as Reeceville (northwestern corner), Ingleside (between Caln and Thorndale), Bondsville (north of Thorndale), and Galagherville between Thorndale and Downingtown in the township. The names of these communities have since fallen out of usage, except for local road names and CASD’s Reeceville Elementary School.

History
The Caln Meeting House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Carver Court, a historically African American housing development completed in 1944, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 8.8 sqmi, of which 0.11% is water.

Adjacent townships
 * Valley Township (northwest)
 * West Brandywine Township (northwest)
 * East Brandywine Township (north)
 * East Caln Township (northeast)
 * West Bradford Township (south)
 * East Fallowfield Township (southwest)

The city of Coatesville is on the west side of the township. The borough of Downingtown is on the east side of the township; both are politically independent.

Demographics
At the 2010 census, the township was 72.8% non-Hispanic White, 16.2% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 2.2% were two or more races. 5.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

At the 2000 census, there were 11,916 people, 4,363 households and 3,067 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,360.6 /sqmi. There were 4,535 housing units at an average density of 517.8 /sqmi. The racial make-up was 78.78% White, 15.76% African American, 0.19% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.19% from other races and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.24% of the population.

There were 4,363 households, of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.10.

25.5% (of the population were under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.3 males.

The median household income was $60,198 and the median family income was $65,520. Males had a median income of $43,169 and females $33,193. The per capita income was $25,494. About 3.6% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
As of 2018, there were 72.70 mi of public roads in Caln Township, of which 24.17 mi were maintained by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 48.53 mi were maintained by the township.

U.S. Route 30 is the main highway serving Caln Township. It follows the Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass along a southwest-northeast alignment across the northern and northwestern portions of the township. U.S. Route 30 Business follows the old alignment of US 30 along Lincoln Highway through southern and southeastern portions of the township. U.S. Route 322 follows Horseshoe Pike along a northwest-southeast alignment across the northeastern corner of the township. Pennsylvania Route 282 follows Creek Road across the northeastern corner of the township. Finally, Pennsylvania Route 340 follows Bondsville Road and Kings Highway along a generally east-west alignment from US 30 Business westward across central and western parts of the township.

Thorndale, a commercial center in the township, has a SEPTA train station that provides rail service to Philadelphia.

Education
Coatesville Area School District is the area school district. Caln Elementary School and Coatesville Area High School are in the township.

Downingtown Middle School of the Downingtown Area School District (DASD) is physically in Caln Township, as is a part of Downingtown High School West. DASD does not serve Caln Township.