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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Downingtown (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Downingtown. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Downingtown is located in Chester County.

To see how the shape of Pennsylvania's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Chester County: New Castle (DE), Cecil (MD), Berks, Delaware, Lancaster & Montgomery.

Below are the counties that are near Downingtown. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Downingtown:

  • Chester County     (The home county of Downingtown)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Thorndale
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thorndale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorndale
      • Thorndale is located in Chester County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Thorndale <2>
    • Whitford
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitford
      • Whitford is located in Chester County
    • Lionville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Exton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Exton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exton
      • Exton is located in Chester County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Exton <2>
    • Milford Mills
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Lyndell
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Caln
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Caln. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caln
      • Caln is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Caln
      • From Downingtown to Caln
    • Caswallen
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Cornog
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cornog. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornog
      • Cornog is located in Chester County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cornog
      • From Downingtown to Cornog
    • Mortonville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • South Coatesville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Coatesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Coatesville
      • South Coatesville is located in Chester County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,499 people
    • Anselma
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Cedar Knoll
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Allegheny County
    • Overbrook
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Overbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Overbrook
      • Overbrook is located in Allegheny County
  • Berks County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Joanna
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Morgantown
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Geigertown
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • New Morgan
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Morgan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Morgan
      • New Morgan is located in Berks County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 76 people
    • Bally
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bally have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bally
      • Bally is located in Berks County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,241 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bally <2>
    • Monocacy
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Monocacy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monocacy
      • Monocacy is located in Berks County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Monocacy
      • From Downingtown to Monocacy
    • Plowville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Scarlets Mill
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Amity Gardens
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amity Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amity Gardens
      • Amity Gardens is located in Berks County
    • Birdsboro
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Beckersville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Colebrookdale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Ironstone
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ironstone. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ironstone
      • Ironstone is located in Berks County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ironstone
      • From Downingtown to Ironstone
  • Bucks County
  • Delaware County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Glen Mills
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Edgemont
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Chester Heights
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chester Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chester Heights
      • Chester Heights is located in Delaware County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,751 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chester Heights <2>
    • Chelsea
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Lima
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Green Countrie Village
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Countrie Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Countrie Village
      • Green Countrie Village is located in Delaware County
    • Aston Mills
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Elwyn
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elwyn. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elwyn
      • Elwyn is located in Delaware County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elwyn
      • From Downingtown to Elwyn
    • Garnet Valley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Glen Riddle
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Rockdale
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rockdale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockdale
      • Rockdale is located in Delaware County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rockdale
      • From Downingtown to Rockdale
    • Zebleys Corner
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Creekside Village at Naamans
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Creekside Village at Naamans have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creekside Village at Naamans
      • Creekside Village at Naamans is located in Delaware County
  • Indiana County
    • Ernest
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ernest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ernest
      • Ernest is located in Indiana County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 431 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ernest
      • From Downingtown to Ernest
  • Lancaster County
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Port Providence
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Mingo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mingo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mingo
      • Mingo is located in Montgomery County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mingo
      • From Downingtown to Mingo
    • Royersford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Bramcote
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bramcote. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bramcote
      • Bramcote is located in Montgomery County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bramcote
      • From Downingtown to Bramcote
    • Audubon
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Colonial Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colonial Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
      • Colonial Village is located in Montgomery County
    • King - of - Prussia
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Pottstown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Sanatoga
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sanatoga have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sanatoga
      • Sanatoga is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sanatoga <2>
    • Stowe
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stowe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stowe
      • Stowe is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stowe <2>
    • West Pottsgrove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Trappe
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trappe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trappe
      • Trappe is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,740 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Trappe <2>
    • Brandywine Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brandywine Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandywine Village
      • Brandywine Village is located in Montgomery County
  • Philadelphia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Roxborough
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Manayunk
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Bartram Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bartram Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bartram Village
      • Bartram Village is located in Philadelphia County
    • Chestnut Hill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Upsal
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Upsal. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upsal
      • Upsal is located in Philadelphia County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Upsal
      • From Downingtown to Upsal
    • Allen Lane
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Allen Lane. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allen Lane
      • Allen Lane is located in Philadelphia County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Allen Lane
      • From Downingtown to Allen Lane
    • University City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for University City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for University City
      • University City is located in Philadelphia County
    • Germantown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Philadelphia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Somerville ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Southwest Center City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Southwest Center City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southwest Center City
      • Southwest Center City is located in Philadelphia County
    • Wayne Junction
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Branchtown ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • New Castle County (DE)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Centreville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Yorklyn
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Ashland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ashland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashland
      • Ashland is located in New Castle County (DE)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ashland
      • From Downingtown to Ashland
    • Hockessin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Mount Cuba
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mount Cuba. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Cuba
      • Mount Cuba is located in New Castle County (DE)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mount Cuba
      • From Downingtown to Mount Cuba
    • Southwood
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Southwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southwood
      • Southwood is located in New Castle County (DE)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Southwood
      • From Downingtown to Southwood
    • Vintage Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vintage Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vintage Village
      • Vintage Village is located in New Castle County (DE)
    • Talleyville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Talleyville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Talleyville
      • Talleyville is located in New Castle County (DE)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Talleyville <2>
    • Winterthur
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winterthur have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winterthur
      • Winterthur is located in New Castle County (DE)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Winterthur <2>
    • Cokesbury Village
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cokesbury Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cokesbury Village
      • Cokesbury Village is located in New Castle County (DE)
    • Greenville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • North Star
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Star have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Star
      • North Star is located in New Castle County (DE)
    • Montchanin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montchanin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montchanin
      • Montchanin is located in New Castle County (DE)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Montchanin <2>
  • Cecil County (MD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Appleton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Appleton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleton
      • Appleton is located in Cecil County (MD)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Appleton
      • From Downingtown to Appleton
    • Fair Hill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fair Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Hill
      • Fair Hill is located in Cecil County (MD)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fair Hill
      • From Downingtown to Fair Hill
    • Old Line Village of Fair Hill
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Old Line Village of Fair Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Line Village of Fair Hill
      • Old Line Village of Fair Hill is located in Cecil County (MD)
    • Andora
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Blake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Blake. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blake
      • Blake is located in Cecil County (MD)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Blake
      • From Downingtown to Blake
    • Elk Mills
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elk Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk Mills
      • Elk Mills is located in Cecil County (MD)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elk Mills <2>
    • West Creek Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Creek Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Creek Village
      • West Creek Village is located in Cecil County (MD)
    • Winding Brook Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winding Brook Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winding Brook Village
      • Winding Brook Village is located in Cecil County (MD)
    • Blue Ball Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Ball Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Ball Village
      • Blue Ball Village is located in Cecil County (MD)
    • Cherry Hill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Iron Hill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Iron Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iron Hill
      • Iron Hill is located in Cecil County (MD)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Iron Hill
      • From Downingtown to Iron Hill
    • Calvert
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Childs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Childs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Childs
      • Childs is located in Cecil County (MD)
  • Gloucester County (NJ)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Bridgeport
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Cooper
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cooper. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooper
      • Cooper is located in Gloucester County (NJ)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cooper
      • From Downingtown to Cooper
    • Beckett
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beckett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beckett
      • Beckett is located in Gloucester County (NJ)
    • Gibbstown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gibbstown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibbstown
      • Gibbstown is located in Gloucester County (NJ)
    • Mickleton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Red Bank
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Thorofare
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Thorofare. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorofare
      • Thorofare is located in Gloucester County (NJ)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Thorofare
      • From Downingtown to Thorofare
    • Parkville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Salem County (NJ)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.
    • Carneys Point
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carneys Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carneys Point
      • Carneys Point is located in Salem County (NJ)
    • Pennsville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Auburn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Downingtown, see our County-by-County Page for Downingtown.

Cemeteries Near Downingtown ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Downingtown.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Downingtown covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Downingtown had a population of 1,920 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Downingtown had a population of 8,419 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Downingtown, with the one closest to Downingtown listed first.

  • Gallagherville
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gallagherville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gallagherville
    • Gallagherville is located in Chester County
  • Woodbine
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodbine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodbine
    • Woodbine is located in Chester County
  • Ackworth
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ackworth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ackworth
    • Ackworth is located in Chester County
  • Thorndale
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thorndale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thorndale
    • Thorndale is located in Chester County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Thorndale <2>
  • Bradford Hills
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bradford Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford Hills
    • Bradford Hills is located in Chester County
  • Dowlin
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dowlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dowlin
    • Dowlin is located in Chester County
  • Whitford
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitford
    • Whitford is located in Chester County
  • Oakland
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland
    • Oakland is located in Chester County
  • Lionville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Guthriesville
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guthriesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guthriesville
    • Guthriesville is located in Chester County
  • Caln
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Caln. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caln
    • Caln is located in Chester County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Caln
    • From Downingtown to Caln
  • Romansville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Romansville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romansville
    • Romansville is located in Chester County
  • Continue List   (31 more) ...
    • Milford Mills
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Marshallton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marshallton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshallton
      • Marshallton is located in Chester County
    • Exton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Exton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exton
      • Exton is located in Chester County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Exton <2>

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Downingtown. See our List of 1890's Communities around Downingtown.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Downingtown ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 70 newspapers that have been published in the area around Downingtown.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Downingtown. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Downingtown and those printed in the larger area surrounding Downingtown.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 6 miles [9.7 km]<5> of Downingtown.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Downingtown:

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Downingtown) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Downingtown. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.0066, Longitude: -75.7033    
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Downingtown, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.