Port Royal, PA

Port Royal is a Juniata County borough along the Juniata River in central Pennsylvania, with the Tuscarora Creek and mountain ridges shaping its map. The borough was established in 1812 and incorporated in 1843. It was first called Perrysville, after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, then adopted Port Royal in 1874. The 2020 census counted 815 residents. The town sits about 40 miles northwest of Harrisburg and is often described as the midpoint on the road between the state capital and State College.

Port Royal’s biggest annual gathering is the Juniata County Fair, held here since 1854. The fairgrounds moved north of town in 1887, when a larger tract was purchased from Smith Kepner; the grounds now bring livestock, agricultural exhibits, horse events, racing, and evening entertainment into the borough calendar. The river, railroad, fairgrounds, and Route 75 give Port Royal a working map that is easy to picture: water and tracks at the bottom, mountains around them, and a small Main Street community in between. Its old name and long fair tradition still travel together.