City of Clairton

The City of Clairton is a thriving community nestled between the Monongahela River and Jefferson Borough. It’s a quick ride to Century III Mall and an easy ride to Downtown on Route 51.  Once known as the Coke Capital of the World, Clairton was erected in April 1903.

Clairton has maintained the small town feel of comfort and security. It offers affordable housing, a diverse school system, a quaint public library, a vibrant senior citizen center, lively recreation programs, and a variety of dynamic churches.

Clairton’s surprise attraction is a beautiful park filled with green foliage with a large swimming pool, two baseball fields, a basketball court, and many picnic and pavilion areas.  The launch of the Montour Trail rests near Clairton Coke Works and stretches nearly 47 miles to Coraopolis.  At the trail’s eastern end, a short on-road route leads to the Great Allegheny Passage, which spans between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

Did You Know?

• Clairton was the setting for the movie The Deer Hunter (1978), although none of the movie was actually filmed there, even the opening scene, which features a large sign saying “Welcome to Clairton, City of Prayer,” was shot in Mingo Junction, Ohio.
• Benny Benack, jazz trumpeter and composer of the “Beat ‘em Bucs,” was born in Clairton.
• With the decline of the steel industry in the 1980s, Clairton began to experience severe problems in its employment and tax base, which spurred a major economic shock to the community. In 1988, Clairton was designated a distressed municipality by Pennsylvania’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and commissioned the development of a recovery plan for Clairton.