The northern half of the township is in the Cumberland Valley, while the southern half is occupied by South Mountain, Piney Mountain, and their adjacent valleys.

Unincorporated communities in the township include, from north to south, Mooredale, Barnitz, Montsera, Toland, Goodyear, and Myerstown.

[3] As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 4,702 people, 1,721 households, and 1,413 families residing in the township.

The racial makeup of the township was 98.30% White, 0.49% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races.

14.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.