McCandless is a township with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States.

McCandless is part of the North Allegheny School District and participates in the multi-municipality Northland Public Library.

Native American artifacts, primarily Iroquois Nation, have been found in areas of the township.

Early written history includes a visit by George Washington and his guide, Christopher Gist, in 1753.

The state of Pennsylvania enacted legislation in order to gain Continental Script, a quickly depreciating currency during the Revolutionary War.

[10] The first European settler in McCandless Township was James Duff, who had purchased 400 acres (1.6 km2) in 1796.

Farming increased in the area, and in 1849, meetings were held, presided over by Daniel Vogel, for the purpose of forming a local government.

A concurrent oil boom resulted in rapid early development, centered on the rail stations in the Highland and Ingomar areas.

McKnight Road was built in the mid-1950s and became the primary access into the north suburban areas.

A new mixed-use development acting as a town center, McCandless Crossing, was completed in 2016 and serves as a strip mall as well as an apartment complex and a townhome neighborhood.

A floodplain lies in the area of Pine Creek, which cuts a deep valley through the central portion of the township.