Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Pleasant Hills

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
DHistory
History · Pleasant Hills

Pleasant Hills dates to 1947

More historic than 11% of U.S. towns · #1,033 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

Most of Pleasant Hills was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1958. Below: maps from 1904 on and the census since 1950.

1947founded
0on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Canadian2006 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Pleasant Hills began

When was Pleasant Hills founded?

1947

Pleasant Hills dates its founding to 1947 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1950.

First census: 3,808 in 19502020 census: 8,50479 years

How historic is Pleasant Hills?

D

More historic than 11% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.
History grade

What drives Pleasant Hills’ History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pleasant Hills is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #1,033 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pleasant Hills’ overall grade.
Founding era1947, from Wikidata: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19406.6% of homes (±3.6) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%C+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical PA town 2.1 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 11%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)#1,033 of 1,035

Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Pleasant Hills’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.6 points). Two sources give 1947.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Pleasant Hills’ past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Pleasant Hills are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19045 editions of the USGS map, 1904 to 1988. Watch Pleasant Hills change.Old housesHalf of Pleasant Hills’ homes were built before 1958.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Pleasant Hills’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Pleasant Hills’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Pleasant Hills on the map, 1904 to 1988

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Pleasant Hills. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Pleasant Hills on the 1904 USGS mapPleasant Hills on the 1953 USGS mapPleasant Hills on the 1960 USGS mapPleasant Hills on the 1979 USGS mapPleasant Hills on the 1988 USGS map1904Pittsburgh sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Pleasant Hills.

The story so far

Pleasant Hills, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Pleasant Hills yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Pleasant Hills is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,504. It is a suburb of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

Pleasant Hills was established in 1947. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 8,268 to 8,504 (+3%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Pleasant Hills, decade by decade

Today6 recent
PA 51 sb with Century III Mall in background, May 20242024PA 51 sb with Century III Mall in background, May 2024Pleasant Hills Cloverleaf2014Pleasant Hills CloverleafBill Green Shopping Center2014Bill Green Shopping CenterNAPA2011NAPATorrenceHouse2010TorrenceHouseMap of Allegheny County PA Highlighting PleasantHills2007Map of Allegheny County PA Highlighting PleasantHillsMap
People over time

Pleasant Hills, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,0001960198020002020Peak: 10,409

Between 3,808 and 10,409 people in every census since 1950.

8 censuses, 1950–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Pleasant Hills’ Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Pleasant Hills

Nobody well known was born in Pleasant Hills itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Jeff GoldblumAmerican actor and musician · b. 1952
Orrin HatchAmerican politician (1934–2022) – Former United… · b. 1934
Earl HinesAmerican jazz pianist · b. 1903
Aline MacMahonActress · b. 1899
Marc ConnellyAmerican playwright · b. 1890
Tom Ridge43rd Governor of Pennsylvania, first United Sta… · b. 1945
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

BaldwinIts storyCJefferson Hills2 historic placesBWest Mifflin1 historic placeB

Questions about Pleasant Hills’ history

What year was Pleasant Hills founded?

In 1947, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1950 counted 3,808 people here.

How does Pleasant Hills rank for history?

Pleasant Hills is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #1,033 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Pleasant Hills?

7% of Pleasant Hills’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.6 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1958.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.