Patterson Heights, PA

Patterson Heights is a Beaver County borough on the hill above Beaver Falls, across the Beaver River from New Brighton and part of the Pittsburgh metro. The 2020 census counted 639 residents. The borough incorporated in 1899, when 27 people lived there. Its most memorable connection to the valley floor was the Patterson Heights Incline, opened in 1895 by the street railway company and used until 1927, when growing automobile traffic changed the trip down the hill.

The borough is mostly residential now, but it has its own park with a playground and all-weather basketball court, plus annual Community Day and Movies in the Park. The Patterson Heights Volunteer Fire Department, incorporated in 1903, was Beaver County's first incorporated fire department. Blackhawk School District serves local children, and I-376 puts Pittsburgh within an easy drive. Bald eagles nesting on the hillside above the Beaver River add a living landmark to the view. Patterson Heights is a compact hilltop borough whose old incline, school district, park, and river overlook still tie it to Beaver Falls below.