Punxsutawney (/ˌpʌŋksəˈtɔːni/; Lenape: Punkwsutènay) is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States, 84 miles (135 km) northeast of Pittsburgh.

History

The area was originally settled by the Lenape (Delaware Indians), and the name "Punxsutawney" derives from a Native name in Unami (a Lenape language): Punkwsutènay, which translates to "town of the sandflies" or "town of the mosquitoes" (punkwës- ‘mosquito’ + -utènay ‘town’). Alternatively, the name is said to come from another Unami term, Put'schisk'tey, which means "poison vine."

In 1907, Punxsutawney and Claysville boroughs were consolidated and incorporated as Greater Punxsutawney. A high-grade soft coal was mined in the surrounding region. Formerly, the factories included glassworks, foundries, ironworks, machine shops, and planing, flour, feed, and silk mills. In 1900, 6,746 people lived there; in 1910, 9,058; in 1920, 10,311; and in 1940, 9,482 people lived there. The population was 5,962 at the 2010 census.