Mt Oliver, PA is a largely residential borough that is entirely surrounded by the City of Pittsburgh. It is located north of Carrick.
Brownsville Road starts in Mt Oliver where South 18th Street ends. A walkable commercial district exists in Mt Oliver along Brownsville Road.
Children who live in Mount Oliver Borough attend Pittsburgh Public Schools.
The Carnegie Library – Knoxville provides a space for children after school, helps adult job seekers find work, lends books, and provides computers and free WiFi for residents of Mt Oliver Borough and Pittsburgh’s hilltop neighborhoods. They have meeting rooms. Copying and wireless printing are provided for a fee.
The Port Authority’s 51-Carrick bus passes down the length of Mt Oliver Borough’s commercial district. The bus provides transportation from Mt Oliver to the South Side, Station Square and downtown Pittsburgh, and to Carrick, Brentwood, Saw Mill Run Boulevard and West Mifflin. Other public buses also pass through or near Mt Oliver, including the 44-Knoxville.
Mount Oliver Borough Council and Mayor oversee the Police Department, Streets Department, Code Enforcement, and Parks and Recreation through an appointed Borough Manager.
Transverse and Ormsby Parks offer playground equipment, ball fields and a basketball court. Parks and Recreation organize year-round activities.
Fire services are provided independently by Mount Oliver Borough Volunteer Fire Department Station 199. The fire department holds an annual Lenten Fish Fry.
Homeowners can keep their homes in compliance with city housing codes, which can stabilize the community, with the help of a full-time construction manager, as part of the Hilltop Alliance’s Property Stabilization Program. The Hilltop Alliance works to improve the quality of life in Mt Oliver Borough and eleven Pittsburgh neighborhoods by implementing plans developed by community groups including the Mt Oliver City/St Clair Community Group.
Residents of Mt Oliver can vote for County Council District 12, State Senatorial District 43, State Legislative District 36 and U.S. Congressional District 14.
Mt Oliver Borough is different from the Mt Oliver City community that it shares a name with.
History
Mt Oliver is named after Oliver Ormsby, son of John Ormsby, who was granted the land from England, who seized it from the French, who took it from Native Americans. Mt Oliver Borough was incorporated in the late 1800s. The population peaked around 7,000 around 1930 – near the start of the Great Depression – and has slowly declined since.
Through the 1900s, Mt Oliver’s Brownsville Road business district was vibrant. It was filled with successful local shops. The business district became feeble during the slow decline suffered by many Hilltop neighborhoods. In the 2010s, the Brownsville Road business district was improved, and new businesses opened. In 2021, the Hilltop Alliance began promoting the Mt Oliver Business District to grow the number of businesses and improve retail traffic again.
Mt Oliver was the site of mine subsidence in 2013 that impacted on a dozen homes.
Around 3,300 people live in Mt Oliver.
The Mt Oliver Borough Municipal Building is located at 150 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15210.