DuBois ( ) is a city and the most populous community in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. DuBois is located approximately northeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 7,510 as of the 2020 census, though the new population post-merger is roughly 18,000 people, which will be reflected in post 2026 censuses. It is the principal city in the DuBois, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. DuBois is also one of two principal cities, the other being State College, that make up the larger State College-DuBois, PA Combined Statistical Area.
History Settled in 1812 and platted in 1872, DuBois was incorporated as a borough in 1881 and as a city in 1914.
The town was founded by John Rumbarger, for whom the town was originally named. The Rumbarger Cemetery is all that survives of John Rumbarger's "original settlement" in the city of DuBois. The town was later renamed for local lumber magnate John DuBois, who came from a longstanding American family of French Huguenot descent. Many of the town's original buildings and homes were funded and or donated by Mr. DuBois's lumber mill. In 1938, his nephew, John E. DuBois, donated the family mansion and estate as a permanent home for the DuBois Campus of Penn State University. While DuBois was founded as a lumber town, the mining of bituminous coal quickly became the chief industry in DuBois.
Over the years there had been numerous unsuccessful attempts in 1989, 1995, and 2002 to combine the city with the surrounding Sandy Township, but in 2021 voters in both municipalities successfully voted to consolidate into a new third class city, which took effect January 5, 2026. Combined, the population of DuBois and Sandy Township is approximately 18,000 people. The combined city will keep the name DuBois.
The Commercial Hotel, since demolished, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and the DuBois Historic District was listed in 1997.
Geography
DuBois is located in northwestern Clearfield County at (41.120304, -78.761962). Pre-2026 consolidation it was surrounded by Sandy Township. It is bordered to the southwest by the community of Sandy and to the southeast by the community of Oklahoma.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and , or 1.24%, is water. Sandy Lick Creek flows through the city from east to west. It is a tributary of Redbank Creek, part of the Allegheny River/Ohio River basin.
Climate DuBois has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb). Winters are cold with periods of heavy snowfall, while summers are warm and humid. The monthly daily average temperature in July is , while the same figure for January is ; the annual mean is .
Demographics
As of 2013, the Medium Household Income was $34,340. Ninety five percent of adults 25 and over have a high school diploma, 22% hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 10% have a Graduate Degree.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, DuBois had a population of 7,510. The median age was 40.2 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,436 households in DuBois, of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.8% were married-couple households, 23.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 3,823 housing units, of which 10.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 6,944 92.5% Black or African American 71 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native 10 0.1% Asian 88 1.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 62 0.8% Two or more races 335 4.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 127 1.7%
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 7,794 people. The racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 0.60% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from two or more races, and 1.2% Hispanic or Latino.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18 and 16.4 who were 65 years of age or older. Females were 52.5% of the population.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 8,123 people, 3,614 households, and 2,099 families residing in the City of DuBois. The population density was . There were 3,956 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.18% White, 0.30% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 3,614 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,748, and the median income for a family was $36,575. Males had a median income of $29,306 versus $18,601 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,079. About 12.5% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over. Transportation and economy
Airport DuBois is served by DuBois Regional Airport (IATA: DUJ), located northwest of town in Jefferson County. It is owned and operated by the Clearfield-Jefferson Counties Regional Airport Authority, based at the airport. The airport serves general aviation, and Southern Airways Express offers scheduled non-stop service to Washington Dulles International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport under the Essential Air Service.
Highway system The city is located just south of Interstate 80 with exits at mile markers 97 and 101. DuBois is located on U.S. Route 219, which connects with Buffalo, New York, to the north and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to the south. The city is located north of U.S. Route 322, which locally connects the city with Reynoldsville west bound and Clearfield east bound and to Atlantic City, New Jersey to the east and Cleveland, Ohio to the west. U.S. Route 119 begins as Blinker Parkway just south of the city. It connects the city with Punxsutawney and eventually leads to southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Pennsylvania Route 255 begins in the northern part of the city and follows East DuBois Avenue, then becoming the Bee-Line highway, connecting to the city of St. Marys, becoming the Million Dollar Highway.
Bus lines Fullington Trailways operates a bus terminal via Fullington Auto Bus Company with a station located on Rockton Road just past the intersection of Maple Avenue and Shaffer Road. It is part of the Trailways Transportation System which interlines with other carriers that includes Greyhound. DuBois is a hub for Fullington Trailways; all of its routes to Harrisburg, State College, Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo run through DuBois.
Businesses Local businesses are diverse; producing paper, lumber, food products, concrete, utility meters, machinery, and equipment, which are shipped to customers around the world via the area's extensive transportation infrastructure.
The DuBois Mall is a regional retail center serving the Tri-County area with national stores including Old Navy and JC Penney.
Healthcare Penn Highlands Healthcare is an extensive healthcare organization headquartered in DuBois, and DuBois' largest employer. It serves patients from twenty-six counties through affiliates including Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands DuBois (formerly the DuBois Regional Medical Center), and Penn Highlands Elk.
Media
Television DuBois receives television programming from the Johnstown-Altoona-State College, PA media market.
Print The DuBois Micropolitan area is served by The Courier-Express, a Monday-Friday evening daily newspaper with a circulation of approximately 10,000 homes and businesses. It covers the DuBois area of Clearfield County and most of Jefferson County, plus the southern half of Elk County in depth, reaching up into Johnsonburg and southern McKean and Forest counties. It was established in 1944 when the Daily Courier (founded as the Weekly Courier in 1879) and the Daily Express (founded as the Express in 1883) consolidated to become The Courier-Express.
Tri-County Sunday is printed on Sundays with a circulation of approximately 16,000. It covers the area of The Courier-Express, plus wide circulation in Cameron, southern McKean, Clarion and Forest counties.
Education
Colleges and universities Regional advanced education resources include Pennsylvania State University – DuBois Campus, and Triangle Tech all located in DuBois, with Lock Haven University – Clearfield Campus, South Hills School of Business and Technology – State College, and Penn West Clarion a short commute away.
Public schools The DuBois Area School District is a large, rural public school district. The district spans portions of two counties and operates six public schools.
DuBois Area Senior High School DuBois Area Middle School C.G. Johnson Elementary School Juniata Elementary School Luthersburg Elementary School (Closed) Oklahoma Elementary School Penfield Elementary School (Closed) Sykesville Elementary School (Closed) Wasson Avenue Elementary School
Alternatively, high school students may choose to attend Jefferson County Dubois Area Vocational-Technical School in Reynoldsville for training in the construction and mechanical trades, the culinary arts, information technology, and allied health careers. The Riverview Intermediate Unit IU6 provides the District with a wide variety of services like specialized education for disabled students and hearing, speech and visual disability services and professional development for staff and faculty.
Private schools Private schools in DuBois include:
Central Catholic High School which also contains a middle school and elementary school on campus. DuBois Christian School provides preschool through twelfth grade classes.
Recreation areas
Treasure Lake One of DuBois' recreational assets is Treasure Lake, a semi-private, gated residential community consisting of over . Community recreational amenities consist of two lakes for boating and fishing, three beaches, two PGA-rated 18-hole golf courses, clay & hard tennis courts, two swimming pools, horse stables, and a campground that offers cottage rentals and camping sites. Additionally, Treasure Lake has two pro shops, a marina, a country store, two concession stands, a town center, and a salon.
Golf The DuBois Country Club is a century-old club with a public golf course with a clubhouse.
Cook Forest