Cressona is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. Formed in 1857 from part of North Manheim Township, it was founded by and named for John Chapman Cresson, a Philadelphia civil engineer and manager of the Schuylkill Navigation Company, President of the Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven Railroad and chief engineer of Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. Richard J. Wright is the acting mayor of Cressona, Pennsylvania.
Until the Mine Hill Road was built in Cressona, the borough remained mostly wilderness, with some minor agricultural areas. In 1831, the Mine Hill and Schuylkill Railroad was completed, and the tracks went through Cressona. The borough was historically called West Haven, but the name was changed to Cressona. The borough was incorporated on February 2, 1857.
Cressona is 4 miles south of Pottsville and is served by Pennsylvania Route 183, Pennsylvania Route 61, and Pennsylvania Route 901. The West Branch Schuylkill River goes through Cressona.[5] Cressona is in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania.