Ben Avon is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Ohio River.

One of the first homes in the area, the Arthur-Johnson House, was built at a bend in the Ohio River above the Pittsburgh and Fort Wayne Railroad, a route that was known to George Washington.

The house was built by a merchant from Allegheny City looking for a summer retreat from the steel industry.

The new railroad made Ben Avon and bordering Avalon a desirable place for wealthy merchants and executives to live.

The wide, heavily traveled boulevard divided the community and made it difficult for pedestrians to get from one side of Ben Avon to the other.

Today, Ohio River Boulevard, outside of Ben Avon proper (there are no commercial properties along the boulevard in Ben Avon), is lined with commercial businesses, gas stations, thrift shops, and auto repair shops, but the houses and old railroad tracks from the early 20th century remain as reminders of the era when Ben Avon was a pleasant summer retreat from Pittsburgh's steel industry.

[8] Ben Avon has three land borders, including Kilbuck Township to the north, Avalon to the east, and Emsworth to the west.