| Blue Ball | |
| Settlement Type: | Census-designated place |
| Pushpin Map: | Pennsylvania#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Blue Ball |
| Pushpin Label Position: | top |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Pennsylvania##Location in the United States |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Pennsylvania |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Lancaster |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Subdivision Name3: | East Earl |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 3.10 |
| Area Land Km2: | 3.09 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1084 |
| Population Density Km2: | 350.52 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 441 |
| Coordinates: | 40.1186°N -76.0472°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 17506 |
| Area Code: | 717 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 42-07208 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1169864 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 1.19 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 1.19 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 907.87 |
Blue Ball is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in East Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. Blue Ball lies approximately 2miles east-northeast of the borough of New Holland at the intersection of US 322 and PA Route 23. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,031.[2]
The name originates from the Blue Ball Hotel, built more than two hundred years ago, which stood on the southeastern corner of the PA 23-US 322 crossroads. The inn was torn down in 1997.[3] In the early 18th century, John Wallace built a small building in Earl Town at the intersection of two trails created by native Americans, French Creek Path (Route 23) and Paxtang (Route 322). He hung a blue ball out front from a post[4] and called it "The Sign of the Blue Ball". Locals soon began calling the town "Blue Ball" after the inn. In 1833, Earl Town officially changed its name to Blue Ball. During Prohibition, the inn changed its name to Blue Ball Hotel.[3]
The town's name has a suggestive second meaning, evoking the slang term "blue balls" (1916), which refers to the sexual condition of temporary testicular and prostate fluid congestion due to prolonged and unsatisfied sexual excitement.[5] Blue Ball is often listed among the "delightfully-named towns" in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, alongside Pleasureville, Intercourse, Mount Joy, Lititz, Bareville, Bird-in-Hand, Fertility and Paradise.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Blue Ball is in eastern Lancaster County, in the western part of East Earl Township. Pennsylvania Route 23 (Main Street) leads northeast 9miles to the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Morgantown and southwest through New Holland to Lancaster, the county seat. U.S. Route 322 (Division Highway) crosses PA 23 in the center of Blue Ball; it leads northwest 8miles to Ephrata and southeast to Downingtown.
Shirks Run which flows through Blue Ball, leading northwest to the Conestoga River. It has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) like the remainder of Lancaster County. Average monthly temperatures range from 30.0 °F in January to 74.6 °F in July. https://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/ The hardiness zone is 6b.