Warminster (Pennsylvania)

Warminster is a township in Bucks County, in the Delaware Valley that is part of the Philadelphia Region of Pennsylvania.

Understand
Warminster was founded in 1711 and named for Warminster in Wiltshire, England. For its first two centuries, Warminster was a rural community. In World War II, Naval Air Development Center, Johnsville (later Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster) opened in the township on grounds formerly belonging to the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation. This base was first used for weapons development and testing airplanes and was later used as a training center for astronauts. Warminster would rapidly grow into a suburban community following the war. In 1996, Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster was closed. The former base was redeveloped, with Warminster Community Park taking a portion of the grounds.

Warminster has a humid subtropical climate with four seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with highs averaging in the 80s and lows averaging in the 60s. Summer temperatures occasionally rise to the 90s or 100s. Winters are cool to cold, with highs averaging in the upper 30s to low 40s and lows averaging in the 20s. Winter temperatures can occasionally drop down to 0 degrees or lower. Spring and fall can be variable, usually with milder weather. Warminster averages 48.2 inches of precipitation a year, which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The area does see snow in the winter months, with some winters seeing only light snow and other winters bringing large snowstorms. In the warmer months, the area does experience thunderstorms, some of which can be severe. Warminster is prone to tropical storms and hurricanes from the Atlantic basin in the late summer and early fall, but typically only receives the remnants of such storms as they typically weaken by the time they reach this latitude.

By car
Several roads provide access to Warminster. Pennsylvania Route 132 (Street Road) provides access from central Bucks County points such as Warrington and Doylestown to the northwest, connecting to Pennsylvania Route 611 (Easton Road), and from lower Bucks County points such as Bensalem to the southeast. Pennsylvania Route 263 (York Road) provides access from Hatboro, Willow Grove, and Philadelphia to the south and New Hope and central New Jersey to the north. Pennsylvania Route 332 (Jacksonville Road) provides access from Hatboro to the southwest and from Richboro, Newtown, and Yardley to the northeast. An interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276) is nearby in Willow Grove, providing access from points west such as the western suburbs of Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh and from points east such as New Jersey and New York City. From this interchange, Pennsylvania Route 611 north and Pennsylvania Route 132 east provides access to Warminster.

By plane
To get to Warminster by airplane, fly into Philadelphia International Airport. From here, you can rent a car, take a taxicab, take an Uber or Lyft, or take a SEPTA Regional Rail train to get to Warminster.

By train
The Warminster Line of SEPTA Regional Rail terminates at the Warminster Station located along Jacksonville Road between County Line and Street roads, providing service from Center City Philadelphia. Several, but not all, Warminster Line trains continue through Center City Philadelphia and become Airport Line trains leading to Philadelphia International Airport.

By bus
SEPTA's Route 22 bus begins at Jacksonville Road and Potter Street in Warminster and follows Jacksonville Road northeast, Street Road northwest, and York Road south before heading south to Hatboro, Willow Grove, and the Olney Transportation Center in North Philadelphia.

Get around
The best way to get around Warminster is by car. SEPTA bus service within the township is limited to one line following parts of York Road, Street Road, and Jacksonville Road. Walking or bicycling around town is not the best method as sidewalks and shoulders are lacking in some places. Taxicab service is available in Warminster, but must be called in advance.

Ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft can be used to get around Warminster.