Whitaker is a borough in Allegheny County on the Monongahela River three miles from downtown Pittsburgh. The neighborhood got its name from James Whitaker, a pioneer settler. Whitaker moved to the area in 1767, when it was known as Mifflin Township. Thomas Mifflin was a merchant and politician born in the Philly area. He served as a delegate and President of the Continental Congress and the first governor of Pennsylvania. He also had a scandalous life—his involvement as the first Quartermaster General of the Continental Army that ruined his reputation and led to the end of his relationship with George Washington.

Whitaker is bordered by Munhall and West Mifflin and the Mon River separates Whitaker from Braddock and Rankin. Whitaker and Rankin are connected via the Rankin Bridge however.