Mars, Pennsylvania
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''{{Geobox|Settlement
<!-- *** Name section *** -->
| name = Mars
| native_name =
| other_name = Overbrook
| other_name1 =
| category = [[Borough]]
<!-- *** Etymology & nickname & motto *** -->
| etymology_type =
| etymology =
| official_name = Borough of Mars
| nickname =
| motto =
<!-- *** Image *** -->
| image = Downtown Mars, PA.JPG
| image_caption = Mars, Pennsylvania
<!-- *** Symbols *** -->
| flag =
| flag_size =
| symbol =
| symbol_type =
| symbol_size =
<!-- *** Country etc. *** -->
| country = United States
| country_flag = true
| state = Pennsylvania
| state_flag = true
| region = [[Butler County, Pennsylvania|Butler County]]
| region_type = County
| district = [[Adams Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania|Adams Township]]
| district_type = Township
<!-- *** Family *** -->
| landmark =
| river =
<!-- *** Locations *** -->
| location =
| lat_d = 40
| lat_m = 41
| lat_s = 48
| lat_NS = N
| long_d = 80
| long_m = 0
| long_s = 44
| long_EW = W
| elevation_imperial =
| elevation_round = 0
<!-- *** Geography *** -->
| area_imperial =
| area_land_imperial =
| area_water_imperial =
| area_water_percentage =
| area_percentage_round =
| area_round = 1
<!-- *** Population *** -->
| population_as_of = 2000
| population = 1746
| population_density_imperial = 3906.5
| population_density_round = 1
<!-- *** Government *** -->
| established_type = Settled
| established = [[1873]]
| established1_type = Incorporated
| established1 = 1882
| mayor =
<!-- *** Various codes *** -->
| timezone = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset = -5
| timezone_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST = -4
| postal_code = 16046
| postal_code_type = ZIP code
| area_code = [[Area code 724|724]]
| area_code_type =
| code2_type =
| code2 =
<!-- *** Free fields *** -->
| free_type = School District
| free = [[Mars Area School District]]
<!-- *** Map section *** -->
| map = Map of Mars, Butler County, Pennsylvania Highlighted.png
| map_caption = Location of Mars in Butler County
| map1 = Pennsylvania Locator Map.PNG
| map1_caption = Location of Mars in Pennsylvania
| map1_locator = Pennsylvania
| map2 = Map of USA PA.svg
| map2_caption = Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
<!-- *** Website *** -->
| website = [http://www.marspa.org/ Mars, Pennsylvania]
}}
'''Mars''' is a borough in [[Butler County, Pennsylvania|Butler County]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[United States|USA]]. The population was 1,746 at the 2000 census.
==Geography==
Mars is located at {{coor dms|40|41|48|N|80|0|44|W|city}} (40.696594, -80.012205){{GR|1}}.
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the borough has a total area of 0.4 [[square mile]]s (1.2 [[km²]]), all of it land.
== History ==
The [[borough]] of '''Mars, Pennsylvania''' was founded in [[1873]], and is situated about halfway between the cities of [[Pittsburgh]] and [[Butler, Pennsylvania|Butler]]. The small community is nestled in a small valley along [[Breakneck Creek]] with [[Pennsylvania Route 228|PA 228]] located about a mile south of Mars, and the [[Pennsylvania Route 855|Mars-Evans City Road]] located to the north. It is home to the popular [[roadside attraction]], the Mars "Spaceship" or "Flying Saucer". It is also home to the [[Mars Station]] which is one of the last railroad depots still standing from the now defunct [[Pittsburgh and Western Railroad]].[[Image:Mars station.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Mars Station]]]]
In 1873, Samuel Parks constructed a home and a water-powered [[gristmill]] along Breakneck Creek. Parks then decided to have a [[post office]] placed in his home, so he received help from his friend, Samuel Marshall to help establish it. The name became Mars. No one is sure how the name "Mars" came into being. Some say it was Park's wife who enjoyed [[astronomy]], or it was shortened after Samuel Marshall's name. In [[1877]], the [[Pittsburgh, New Castle and Lake Erie Railroad]] created a stop in the area, and named it Overbrook. Since the name of the railroad's stop conflicted with the borough's name, the railroad had it changed so it would match the borough's. Plus, there was already a community in Pennsylvania with the name, "Overbrook". On March 6, 1895, Mars was incorporated as a borough.
In [[1904]], the [[Pittsburgh and Butler Railway]] gained permission from Mars to construct its [[right-of-way (railroad)|right-of-way]] through the borough. The line would eventually become part of the [[Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway]]. The line closed in [[1931]]. The [[USS Mars (AFS-1)]] was named after the borough. The ship became part of the [[United States Pacific Fleet]] in [[1963]], and was decommissioned in [[1998]]. It was then sunk in [[2006]] as a target vessel. The bell of the USS Mars was donated to the borough, and has become a permanent memorial in the downtown park.
The [[1996]] [[comedy]] [[film]], ''[[Kingpin (film)|Kingpin]]'', was filmed throughout the borough. There was also a [[Kraft]] salad dressing commercial that was filmed in downtown in [[2000]]. However, the commercial never aired on television. In [[2006]], Mars was featured briefly on [[The History Channel]].
Canadian musician [[John Southworth (musician)|John Southworth]] named his first album [http://www.bar-none.com/bios/southworthbio.htm Mars, Pennsylvania] for the town, which he had passed through many years earlier on a school trip.
Residents of Mars are often called "Martians", or "Planets" because of the high school team name.
== Schools ==
The [[Mars Area School District]] serves the boroughs of Mars, and [[Valencia, Pennsylvania|Valencia]]. It also serves [[Adams Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania|Adams Township]] and [[Middlesex Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania|Middlesex Township]] in Butler County. The Mars Fightin' Planets are one of the many teams located in the north Pittsburgh area.
==Demographics==
[[Image:Mars,PA.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Mars seen from Clay Ave.]]
As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 1,746 people, 687 households, and 395 families residing in the borough. The [[population density]] was 3,906.5 people per square mile (1,498.1/km²). There were 715 housing units at an average density of 1,599.7/sq mi (613.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.68% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.46% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.06% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.40% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.06% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.11% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.23% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.40% of the population.
There were 687 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 24.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 33.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 70.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $33,073, and the median income for a family was $46,136. Males had a median income of $34,083 versus $26,080 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the borough was $17,701. About 7.8% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
==References==
<references />
==External links==
{{Mapit-US-cityscale|40.696594|-80.012205}}
{{Butler County, Pennsylvania}}
[[Category:Boroughs in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Butler County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Settlements established in 1873]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh metropolitan area]]
[[nl:Mars (Pennsylvania)]]
[[pt:Mars (Pensilvânia)]]
[[vo:Mars]]