Allentown is named for former mayor of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Supreme Court judge William Allen. It is located in
Lehigh County in the Lehigh Valley and it is the county seat.
Allentown is situated northwest of Philadelphia along Interstate 78, on the banks of the Lehigh River. The community lies just west of Bethlehem, with which it shares Lehigh Valley International Airport, near the New Jersey border.
The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 100,757, a decrease of 4,544 since 1990.
Much of the early population of Allentown was of German descent. The city is now a manufacturing center and part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pennsylvania metro area.
Attractions include the 150 year-old Great Allentown Fair and the Allentown Art Museum.
