List of counties in Pennsylvania

Last updated

Counties of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania counties (clickable map) Pennsylvania counties map.pngAdams CountyAllegheny CountyArmstrong CountyBeaver CountyBedford CountyBerks CountyBlair CountyBradford CountyBucks CountyButler CountyCameron CountyCambria CountyCarbon CountyCentre CountyClarion CountyChester CountyClearfield CountyClinton CountyColumbia CountyCrawford CountyCumberland CountyDauphin CountyDelaware CountyElk CountyErie CountyFayette CountyForest CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGreene CountyHuntingdon CountyIndiana CountyJefferson CountyJuniata CountyLackawanna CountyLancaster CountyLawrence CountyLebanon CountyLehigh CountyLuzerne CountyLycoming CountyMcKean CountyMercer CountyMifflin CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMontour CountyNorthamton CountyNorthumberland CountyPerry CountyPhiladelphia CountyPike CountyPotter CountySchuylkill CountySnyder CountySomerset CountySullivan CountySusquehanna CountyTioga CountyUnion CountyVenango CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWestmoreland CountyWyoming CountyYork County
Pennsylvania counties (clickable map)
Location Pennsylvania
Number67
Populations4,380 (Cameron) – 1,550,542 (Philadelphia)
Areas132 square miles (340 km2) (Montour) – 1,244 square miles (3,220 km2) (Lycoming)
Government

The following is a list of the 67 counties of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The city of Philadelphia is coterminous with Philadelphia County, the municipalities having been consolidated in 1854, and all remaining county government functions having been merged into the city after a 1951 referendum. [1] [2] Eight of the ten most populous counties are in the southeastern portion of the state, including four out of the top five, and eight of the top ten most populous counties are in either the Greater Philadelphia or Greater Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

Contents

FIPS code

An 1836 map of Pennsylvania's counties Map of Pennsylvania counties in 1836.jpg
An 1836 map of Pennsylvania's counties

The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, used by the U.S. government to uniquely identify counties, is provided with each entry. FIPS codes are five-digit numbers; for Pennsylvania the codes start with 42 and are completed with the three-digit county code. The FIPS code for each county in the table links to census data for the specific county. [3]

County list

County
FIPS code [4] County seat [5] Established [5] OriginEtymology [6] Population [7] Area [5] Map
AdamsCounty 001 Gettysburg 1800Parts of York County John Adams, second U.S. President 106,748522 sq mi
(1,352 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Adams County.svg
AlleghenyCounty 003 Pittsburgh 1788Parts of Washington and Westmoreland Counties Delaware word for the Allegheny River, which possibly translates to "beautiful river"1,224,825745 sq mi
(1,930 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Allegheny County.svg
ArmstrongCounty 005 Kittanning 1800Parts of Allegheny, Lycoming, and Westmoreland Counties John Armstrong, Revolutionary War general64,074664 sq mi
(1,720 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Armstrong County.svg
BeaverCounty 007 Beaver 1800Parts of Allegheny and Washington Counties Beaver River, itself named for the eponymous animal that was sighted along its banks165,631444 sq mi
(1,150 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Beaver County.svg
BedfordCounty 009 Bedford 1771Parts of Cumberland County Fort Bedford, which is named for John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford 47,3501,015 sq mi
(2,629 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Bedford County.svg
BerksCounty 011 Reading 1752Parts of Chester, Lancaster and Philadelphia CountiesThe English county of Berkshire 432,821866 sq mi
(2,243 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County.svg
BlairCounty 013 Hollidaysburg 1846Parts of Huntingdon and Bedford CountiesJohn Blair, Pennsylvania state legislator 120,273527 sq mi
(1,365 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Blair County.svg
BradfordCounty 015 Towanda 1810Parts of Luzerne and Lycoming Counties; originally called Ontario County, renamed as Bradford County in 1812. William Bradford, second U.S. Attorney General 59,6951,161 sq mi
(3,007 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Bradford County.svg
BucksCounty 017 Doylestown 1682One of the original counties at the formation of PennsylvaniaThe English county of Buckinghamshire 645,984622 sq mi
(1,611 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Bucks County.svg
ButlerCounty 019 Butler 1800Parts of Allegheny County Richard Butler, Revolutionary War general198,413795 sq mi
(2,059 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Butler County.svg
CambriaCounty 021 Ebensburg 1804Parts of Somerset and Huntingdon Counties Cambria, the traditional name for Wales 130,668693 sq mi
(1,795 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Cambria County.svg
CameronCounty 023 Emporium 1860Parts of Clinton, Elk, McKean, and Potter Counties Simon Cameron, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania4,380399 sq mi
(1,033 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Cameron County.svg
CarbonCounty 025 Jim Thorpe 1843Parts of Monroe and Northampton Counties Carbon, the element found in coal 65,458387 sq mi
(1,002 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Carbon County.svg
CentreCounty 027 Bellefonte 1800Parts of Lycoming, Mifflin, Northumberland, and Huntingdon CountiesCentre Furnace, the first industrial facility in the area157,7951,112 sq mi
(2,880 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Centre County.svg
ChesterCounty 029 West Chester 1682One of the original counties at the formation of PennsylvaniaThe English city of Chester in the county of Cheshire 549,784760 sq mi
(1,968 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County.svg
ClarionCounty 031 Clarion 1839Parts of Venango and Armstrong Counties Clarion River, itself so named for its clarity36,970609 sq mi
(1,577 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Clarion County.svg
ClearfieldCounty 033 Clearfield 1804Parts of Lycoming and Huntingdon Counties; Clearfield functioned as a part of Centre County for judiciary purposes until 1822.The cleared fields from logging in the area77,0901,154 sq mi
(2,989 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Clearfield County.svg
ClintonCounty 035 Lock Haven 1839Parts of Lycoming and Centre Counties DeWitt Clinton, New York Governor and prominent statesman37,607898 sq mi
(2,326 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Clinton County.svg
ColumbiaCounty 037 Bloomsburg 1813Parts of Northumberland and Luzerne Counties Columbia, the first popular and poetic name for the United States65,439490 sq mi
(1,269 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Columbia County.svg
CrawfordCounty 039 Meadville 1800Parts of Allegheny County William Crawford, surveyor who helped to open trans-Appalachian lands to settlement82,0011,038 sq mi
(2,688 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Crawford County.svg
CumberlandCounty 041 Carlisle 1750Parts of Lancaster CountyThe historic English county of Cumberland 270,738551 sq mi
(1,427 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Cumberland County.svg
DauphinCounty 043 Harrisburg 1785Parts of Lancaster County Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France 289,234558 sq mi
(1,445 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County.svg
DelawareCounty 045 Media 1789Parts of Chester County Delaware River, itself named for Lord De La Warr 576,720191 sq mi
(495 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Delaware County.svg
ElkCounty 047 Ridgway 1843Parts of Jefferson, McKean, and Clearfield Counties Elk, which inhabit the forested county30,198832 sq mi
(2,155 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Elk County.svg
ErieCounty 049 Erie 1800Parts of Allegheny County; attached to Crawford County until 1803. Lake Erie 267,571799 sq mi
(2,069 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Erie County.svg
FayetteCounty 051 Uniontown 1783Parts of Westmoreland CountyThe Marquis de Lafayette, French-born Revolutionary War general123,915798 sq mi
(2,067 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Fayette County.svg
ForestCounty 053 Tionesta 1848Parts of Jefferson County; attached to Jefferson County until 1857.Chief natural feature6,449431 sq mi
(1,116 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Forest County.svg
FranklinCounty 055 Chambersburg 1784Parts of Cumberland County Benjamin Franklin, key Founding Father of the United States 157,854771 sq mi
(1,997 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Franklin County.svg
FultonCounty 057 McConnellsburg 1850Parts of Bedford County Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat 14,468438 sq mi
(1,134 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Fulton County.svg
GreeneCounty 059 Waynesburg 1796Parts of Washington County Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary War general34,357578 sq mi
(1,497 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Greene County.svg
HuntingdonCounty 061 Huntingdon 1787Parts of Bedford CountyThe historic English county of Huntingdonshire 43,514889 sq mi
(2,302 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Huntingdon County.svg
IndianaCounty 063 Indiana 1803Parts of Lycoming and Westmoreland Counties; it was attached to Westmoreland County until 1806.From the Indiana Grant of 1768, that the Iroquois Six Nations were forced to make to "suffering traders" under the Fort Stanwix Treaty of 1768.83,094834 sq mi
(2,160 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Indiana County.svg
JeffersonCounty 065 Brookville 1804Parts of Lycoming County Attached to Westmoreland County until 1806 and to Indiana County until 1830. Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. President43,612657 sq mi
(1,702 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Jefferson County.svg
JuniataCounty 067 Mifflintown 1831Parts of Mifflin County Juniata River, itself named for the Iroquoian word Onayutta, meaning "Standing Stone"23,243394 sq mi
(1,020 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Juniata County.svg
LackawannaCounty 069 Scranton 1878Parts of Luzerne County Lackawanna River, itself named for the Delaware word meaning "stream that forks"216,123465 sq mi
(1,204 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lackawanna County.svg
LancasterCounty 071 Lancaster 1729Parts of Chester CountyThe English city of Lancaster 558,589984 sq mi
(2,549 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County.svg
LawrenceCounty 073 New Castle 1849Parts of Beaver and Mercer Counties James Lawrence, War of 1812 captain84,472363 sq mi
(940 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lawrence County.svg
LebanonCounty 075 Lebanon 1813Parts of Dauphin and Lancaster CountiesLebanon, the Biblical term for "White Mountain", which references the piety of the county's Moravian founders144,252363 sq mi
(940 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lebanon County.svg
LehighCounty 077 Allentown 1812Parts of Northampton County Lehigh River, from the Lenape Lechewuekink, "where there are forks".377,754349 sq mi
(904 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lehigh County.svg
LuzerneCounty 079 Wilkes-Barre 1786Parts of Northumberland County Anne-César, Chevalier de la Luzerne, French ambassador to the U.S. who aided republican causes327,388907 sq mi
(2,349 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County.svg
LycomingCounty 081 Williamsport 1795Parts of Northumberland County Lycoming Creek, itself named for the Delaware word iacomic meaning "great steam"112,7241,244 sq mi
(3,222 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lycoming County.svg
McKeanCounty 083 Smethport 1804Parts of Lycoming County; Attached to Centre County until 1814 and to Lycoming County until 1826 for judicial and elective purposes. McKean was fully organized only in 1826. Thomas McKean, second Governor of Pennsylvania 39,519984 sq mi
(2,549 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting McKean County.svg
MercerCounty 085 Mercer 1800Parts of Allegheny County Hugh Mercer, Revolutionary War general108,503683 sq mi
(1,769 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Mercer County.svg
MifflinCounty 087 Lewistown 1789Parts of Cumberland and Northumberland Counties Thomas Mifflin, first Governor of Pennsylvania45,922415 sq mi
(1,075 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Mifflin County.svg
MonroeCounty 089 Stroudsburg 1836Parts of Pike and Northampton Counties James Monroe, fifth U.S President166,053617 sq mi
(1,598 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Monroe County.svg
MontgomeryCounty 091 Norristown 1784Parts of Philadelphia CountyThe historic Welsh county of Montgomeryshire or Richard Montgomery, a general killed in the 1775 Battle of Quebec 868,742487 sq mi
(1,261 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County.svg
MontourCounty 093 Danville 1850Parts of Columbia County Madame Montour, colonial ambassador to the Native Americans17,860132 sq mi
(342 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montour County.svg
NorthamptonCounty 095 Easton 1752Parts of Bucks CountyThe English town of Northampton 319,091377 sq mi
(976 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Northampton County.svg
NorthumberlandCounty 097 Sunbury 1772Parts of Lancaster, Berks, Bedford, Cumberland, and Northampton CountiesThe English county of Northumberland 90,120477 sq mi
(1,235 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Northumberland County.svg
PerryCounty 099 New Bloomfield 1820Parts of Cumberland County Oliver Hazard Perry, War of 1812 commodore46,083556 sq mi
(1,440 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Perry County.svg
PhiladelphiaCounty 101 Philadelphia 1682One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania"Brotherly love" from Greek philos ("love") and adelphos ("brother")1,550,542143 sq mi
(370 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Philadelphia County.svg
PikeCounty 103 Milford 1814Parts of Wayne County Zebulon Pike, explorer of the American West 61,247567 sq mi
(1,469 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Pike County.svg
PotterCounty 105 Coudersport 1804From Lycoming county Attached to Lycoming County until 1826 and to McKean County until 1835 for judicial purposes, Potter was not fully organized until 1835. James Potter, Revolutionary War general15,9991,081 sq mi
(2,800 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Potter County.svg
SchuylkillCounty 107 Pottsville 1811Parts of Berks and Northampton Counties Schuylkill River, itself a Dutch corruption of a Delaware word possibly meaning "hidden river"143,786778 sq mi
(2,015 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Schuylkill County.svg
SnyderCounty 109 Middleburg 1855Parts of Union County Simon Snyder, third Governor of Pennsylvania39,717332 sq mi
(860 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Snyder County.svg
SomersetCounty 111 Somerset 1795Parts of Bedford CountyThe historic English county of Somerset 72,1971,081 sq mi
(2,800 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Somerset County.svg
SullivanCounty 113 Laporte 1847Parts of Lycoming County; attached to Lycoming until 1848. John Sullivan, Revolutionary War general5,834452 sq mi
(1,171 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Sullivan County.svg
SusquehannaCounty 115 Montrose 1810Parts of Luzerne County ; attached to Luzerne County until 1812. Susquehanna River, itself named after an Algonquin word for "muddy current"38,109832 sq mi
(2,155 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Susquehanna County.svg
TiogaCounty 117 Wellsboro 1804Parts of Lycoming County; attached to Lycoming until 1812. Tioga River, itself named for the Delaware word for "forks of the stream"40,8401,137 sq mi
(2,945 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Tioga County.svg
UnionCounty 119 Lewisburg 1813Parts of Northumberland CountyThe federal union of the states 42,042317 sq mi
(821 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Union County.svg
VenangoCounty 121 Franklin 1800Parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties; attached to until 1805.A corruption of the Delaware word onenge, meaning "otter"49,431683 sq mi
(1,769 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Venango County.svg
WarrenCounty 123 Warren 1800Parts of Allegheny and Lycoming counties; attached to Crawford County until 1805 and then to Venango until Warren was formally organized in 1819. Joseph Warren, Revolutionary War general37,572898 sq mi
(2,326 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Warren County.svg
WashingtonCounty 125 Washington 1781Parts of Westmoreland County George Washington, first U.S. President210,232861 sq mi
(2,230 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Washington County.svg
WayneCounty 127 Honesdale 1798Parts of Northampton County Anthony Wayne, Revolutionary War general51,262751 sq mi
(1,945 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Wayne County.svg
WestmorelandCounty 129 Greensburg 1773Parts of Bedford CountyThe historic English county of Westmorland 351,1631,036 sq mi
(2,683 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Westmoreland County.svg
WyomingCounty 131 Tunkhannock 1842Parts of Luzerne CountyThe Delaware word xwéːwaməŋk, meaning "at the big river flat"25,902405 sq mi
(1,049 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Wyoming County.svg
YorkCounty 133 York 1749Parts of Lancaster CountyThe English city of York 464,640910 sq mi
(2,357 km2)
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting York County.svg

Former counties

The Province of Pennsylvania's Three Lower Counties had been transferred from New York Colony in 1682. In 1701 these counties became a separate colony called Delaware Colony, although it shared the same colonial governor as Pennsylvania until independence in 1776.

County
FIPS code [4] County seat [8] [9] Est. [8] [9] History [8] [10] Etymology [10] Population [11] Area [9] Map
KentCounty 001 Dover 1680Created from Whorekill (Hoarkill) District. Formerly known as St. Jones County.Named in 1682 by William Penn for the English county of Kent.189,789800 sq mi
(2,072 km2)
Map of Delaware highlighting Kent County.svg
New CastleCounty 003 Wilmington 1664Original County (Formally New Amstel)Named in 1673 by Dutch Governor Anthony Colve for the town of New Castle, Delaware as an Anglicization of Nieuw Amstel.578,592494 sq mi
(1,279 km2)
Map of Delaware highlighting New Castle County.svg
SussexCounty 005 Georgetown 1664Created from Whorekill (Hoarkill) District. Formerly known as Deale CountyNamed in 1682 by William Penn for the English county of Sussex, which was his home county.263,5091,196 sq mi
(3,098 km2)
Map of Delaware highlighting Sussex County.svg

See also

References

  1. Petshek, Kirk R. (1973). The Challenge of Urban Reform . Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press. p.  39. ISBN   978-0-87722-058-9.
  2. "City and County Merger Believed OK'd by Voters". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 7, 1951 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
  4. 1 2 "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 National Association of Counties. "NACo – Find a county". Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  6. "Pennsylvania Counties". Pennsylvania State Archives. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  7. Bureau, U.S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Delaware Genealogical Society (1997). "Delaware Counties and Hundreds". Delaware Genealogical Society. Archived from the original on June 13, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
  9. 1 2 3 National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". Archived from the original on April 10, 2005. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  10. 1 2 The Historical Society of Delaware (1997). "Delaware Counties". Archived from the original on July 19, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
  11. Delaware Census Data Archived December 31, 2016, at the Wayback Machine