A Brief History of Heidelberg

Heidelberg is a borough located in Allegheny County with a population of around 1,200. The borough got its name from Heidelberg in Germany. Heidelberg is where many settlers in the borough were from. The name Heidelberg in German comes from the words “goat” and “mountain.” In Germany, the city is located just under 50 miles south of Frankfurt. Heidelberg has a deep amateur soccer history. Amateur teams from the neighborhood were competitive nationally from the 1920s through the ’50s. They won the national title in 1927, ’29 and ’55.

Heidelberg was also home to the Heidelberg Raceway, opened in 1948.  One of the original backers was Art Rooney, the owner of the Steelers.  The raceway was first planned for horse racing, but it was not yet legal.  NASCAR became the main attraction at the raceway until it closed in 1973.

Facts about Heidelberg

Heidelberg is quite small, with an area of just .3 square miles. There are 571 households in Heidelberg and 21 percent had children under the age of 18. The average family size was 2.79. Heidelberg is served by the Chartiers Valley School District. Route 50 passes through the borough, which is lined with lots of shops, businesses and convenience stores. Heidelberg’s topography includes lots of tree-lined streets. Every year, local pizza place Pizza Americana hosts a neighborhood cleanup day. In 2018, over 16 bags of trash were collected in the community. Heidelberg thrives on volunteers and is often looking for them in organizations like the Recreation Board, Oktoberfest Committee and Civil Service Board. Heidelberg’s mayor is Kenneth LaSota, Ph.D.