Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
County in Pennsylvania, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lancaster County (/ˈlæŋkɪstər/; Pennsylvania Dutch: Lengeschder Kaundi), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 552,984, making it Pennsylvania's sixth-most populous county.[2] Its county seat is also Lancaster.[3] Lancaster County comprises the Lancaster metropolitan statistical area. The county is part of the South Central region of the state.[lower-alpha 1]
Lancaster County | |
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Coordinates: 40°02′N 76°15′W | |
Country | United States |
State | Pennsylvania |
Founded | May 10, 1729 |
Named for | Lancaster, Lancashire |
Seat | Lancaster |
Largest city | Lancaster |
Area | |
• Total | 984 sq mi (2,550 km2) |
• Land | 944 sq mi (2,440 km2) |
• Water | 40 sq mi (100 km2) 4.1% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 552,984 |
• Estimate (2022)[1] | 556,629 |
• Density | 560/sq mi (220/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 11th |
Website | www |
Lancaster County is a tourist destination with its Amish community being a major attraction. The ancestors of the Amish began to immigrate to colonial Pennsylvania in the early 18th century to take advantage of the religious freedom offered by William Penn,[4] as well as the area's rich soil and mild climate.[5] They were joined by French Huguenots fleeing the religious persecution of Louis XIV.[6][7] There were also significant numbers of English, Welsh and Ulster Scots (also known as the Scotch-Irish in the colonies).