Geography of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total land area of 19.3 square miles and a water area of 0.2 square miles (0.88 percent). Bethlehem is located roughly 80 miles west of New York City and approximately 50 miles north of Philadelphia. Because the steelmaking process required vast quantities of water, the city purchased 8900 hectares (22,000 acres) of property in the Pocono Mountains, where its water is kept in reservoirs. The Delaware tributary Lehigh River flows directly through Bethlehem. In Bethlehem, the Monocacy and Saucon streams flow into the Lehigh.

Climate

Bethlehem's climate is humid continental (Dfa). Summers are normally warm and humid, autumn and spring are typically pleasant, and winter is typically frigid. Precipitation is very evenly distributed throughout the year, with summer thunderstorms, spring and fall showers, and winter snowfall. The average high temperature in January ranges from 36 °F to 84 °F in July. The greatest temperature recorded was 105 degrees Fahrenheit, while the lowest was 16 degrees Fahrenheit.