Cranberry Township, in the southwestern corner of Butler County, Pennsylvania, was incorporated in 1804. The community’s name is derived from the wild cranberries which used to grow in the area. Cranberry is chartered as a Township of the Second Class under the Pennsylvania Municipal Code. It covers 15,163 acres (23.69 square miles), and has a population of approximately 28,000 – up from just 14,816 in 1990.
One reason for the township's tremendous growth is its location. Serving as the intersection of Interstate 76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) and 79 and Routes 19 and 228, the community is accessible from virtually anywhere. In addition, the completion of Interstate 279 in 1989 cut travel time to Pittsburgh under half an hour.
The most populated section of the township was
originally known as Criders Corners. "Criders
Corners" referred to the junction of the old
Perry Highway (now Dutilh Road) and the Old
Mars-Criders Road (now bypassed in favor of
Pennsylvania Route 228). The crossroads was
named for Jacob Crider (1823-1902), a trustee of
Dutilh Methodist Church, who purchased 50 acres
of land there in 1871. The township's current
name is derived from the cranberry bogs which
could be found in the area in days past. The
township also includes part of the considerably
smaller former town of Ogle, and other small
areas formerly known as Fernway and Fox Run.
George Washington, and Christopher Gist
reportedly traveled through Cranberry Township
prior to the French and Indian War.
