List of counties in Pennsylvania

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.

Counties of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania counties (clickable map)
Location	Pennsylvania
Number	67
Populations	4,380 (Cameron) – 1,550,542 (Philadelphia)
Areas	132 square miles (340 km2) (Montour) – 1,244 square miles (3,220 km2) (Lycoming)
Government	County government

FIPS code

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]	Origin	Etymology[6]	Population[7]	Area[5]	Map
Adams County	001	Gettysburg	1800	Parts of York County	John Adams, second U.S. President	106,748	522 sq mi (1,352 km2)
Allegheny County	003	Pittsburgh	1788	Parts of Washington and Westmoreland Counties	Delaware word for the Allegheny River, which possibly translates to "beautiful river"	1,224,825	745 sq mi (1,930 km2)
Armstrong County	005	Kittanning	1800	Parts of Allegheny, Lycoming, and Westmoreland Counties	John Armstrong, Revolutionary War general	64,074	664 sq mi (1,720 km2)
Beaver County	007	Beaver	1800	Parts of Allegheny and Washington Counties	Beaver River, itself named for the eponymous animal that was sighted along its banks	165,631	444 sq mi (1,150 km2)
Bedford County	009	Bedford	1771	Parts of Cumberland County	Fort Bedford, which is named for John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford	47,350	1,015 sq mi (2,629 km2)
Berks County	011	Reading	1752	Parts of Chester, Lancaster and Philadelphia Counties	The English county of Berkshire	432,821	866 sq mi (2,243 km2)
Blair County	013	Hollidaysburg	1846	Parts of Huntingdon and Bedford Counties	John Blair (1766-1832) a local pioneer farmer, merchant, and public servant[8]	120,273	527 sq mi (1,365 km2)
Bradford County	015	Towanda	1810	Parts of Luzerne and Lycoming Counties; originally called Ontario County, renamed as Bradford County in 1812.	William Bradford, second U.S. Attorney General	59,695	1,161 sq mi (3,007 km2)
Bucks County	017	Doylestown	1682	One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania	The English county of Buckinghamshire	645,984	622 sq mi (1,611 km2)
Butler County	019	Butler	1800	Parts of Allegheny County	Richard Butler, Revolutionary War general	198,413	795 sq mi (2,059 km2)
Cambria County	021	Ebensburg	1804	Parts of Somerset and Huntingdon Counties	Cambria, the traditional name for Wales	130,668	693 sq mi (1,795 km2)
Cameron County	023	Emporium	1860	Parts of Clinton, Elk, McKean, and Potter Counties	Simon Cameron, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania	4,380	399 sq mi (1,033 km2)
Carbon County	025	Jim Thorpe	1843	Parts of Monroe and Northampton Counties	Carbon, the element found in coal	65,458	387 sq mi (1,002 km2)
Centre County	027	Bellefonte	1800	Parts of Lycoming, Mifflin, Northumberland, and Huntingdon Counties	Centre Furnace, the first industrial facility in the area	157,795	1,112 sq mi (2,880 km2)
Chester County	029	West Chester	1682	One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania	The English city of Chester in the county of Cheshire	549,784	760 sq mi (1,968 km2)
Clarion County	031	Clarion	1839	Parts of Venango and Armstrong Counties	Clarion River, itself so named for its clarity	36,970	609 sq mi (1,577 km2)
Clearfield County	033	Clearfield	1804	Parts 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 area	77,090	1,154 sq mi (2,989 km2)
Clinton County	035	Lock Haven	1839	Parts of Lycoming and Centre Counties	DeWitt Clinton, New York Governor and prominent statesman	37,607	898 sq mi (2,326 km2)
Columbia County	037	Bloomsburg	1813	Parts of Northumberland and Luzerne Counties	Columbia, the first popular and poetic name for the United States	65,439	490 sq mi (1,269 km2)
Crawford County	039	Meadville	1800	Parts of Allegheny County	William Crawford, surveyor who helped to open trans-Appalachian lands to settlement	82,001	1,038 sq mi (2,688 km2)
Cumberland County	041	Carlisle	1750	Parts of Lancaster County	The historic English county of Cumberland	270,738	551 sq mi (1,427 km2)
Dauphin County	043	Harrisburg	1785	Parts of Lancaster County	Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France	289,234	558 sq mi (1,445 km2)
Delaware County	045	Media	1789	Parts of Chester County	Delaware River, itself named for Lord De La Warr	576,720	191 sq mi (495 km2)
Elk County	047	Ridgway	1843	Parts of Jefferson, McKean, and Clearfield Counties	Elk, which inhabit the forested county	30,198	832 sq mi (2,155 km2)
Erie County	049	Erie	1800	Parts of Allegheny County; attached to Crawford County until 1803.	Lake Erie	267,571	799 sq mi (2,069 km2)
Fayette County	051	Uniontown	1783	Parts of Westmoreland County	The Marquis de Lafayette, French-born Revolutionary War general	123,915	798 sq mi (2,067 km2)
Forest County	053	Tionesta	1848	Parts of Jefferson County; attached to Jefferson County until 1857.	Chief natural feature	6,449	431 sq mi (1,116 km2)
Franklin County	055	Chambersburg	1784	Parts of Cumberland County	Benjamin Franklin, key Founding Father of the United States	157,854	771 sq mi (1,997 km2)
Fulton County	057	McConnellsburg	1850	Parts of Bedford County	Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat	14,468	438 sq mi (1,134 km2)
Greene County	059	Waynesburg	1796	Parts of Washington County	Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary War general	34,357	578 sq mi (1,497 km2)
Huntingdon County	061	Huntingdon	1787	Parts of Bedford County	The historic English county of Huntingdonshire	43,514	889 sq mi (2,302 km2)
Indiana County	063	Indiana	1803	Parts 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.	83,094	834 sq mi (2,160 km2)
Jefferson County	065	Brookville	1804	Parts of Lycoming County Attached to Westmoreland County until 1806 and to Indiana County until 1830.	Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. President	43,612	657 sq mi (1,702 km2)
Juniata County	067	Mifflintown	1831	Parts of Mifflin County	Juniata River, itself named for the Iroquoian word Onayutta, meaning "Standing Stone"	23,243	394 sq mi (1,020 km2)
Lackawanna County	069	Scranton	1878	Parts of Luzerne County	Lackawanna River, itself named for the Delaware word meaning "stream that forks"	216,123	465 sq mi (1,204 km2)
Lancaster County	071	Lancaster	1729	Parts of Chester County	The English city of Lancaster	558,589	984 sq mi (2,549 km2)
Lawrence County	073	New Castle	1849	Parts of Beaver and Mercer Counties	James Lawrence, War of 1812 captain	84,472	363 sq mi (940 km2)
Lebanon County	075	Lebanon	1813	Parts of Dauphin and Lancaster Counties	Lebanon, the Biblical term for "White Mountain", which references the piety of the county's Moravian founders	144,252	363 sq mi (940 km2)
Lehigh County	077	Allentown	1812	Parts of Northampton County	Lehigh River, from the Lenape Lechewuekink, "where there are forks".	377,754	349 sq mi (904 km2)
Luzerne County	079	Wilkes-Barre	1786	Parts of Northumberland County	Anne-César, Chevalier de la Luzerne, French ambassador to the U.S. who aided republican causes	327,388	907 sq mi (2,349 km2)
Lycoming County	081	Williamsport	1795	Parts of Northumberland County	Lycoming Creek, itself named for the Delaware word iacomic meaning "great steam"	112,724	1,244 sq mi (3,222 km2)
McKean County	083	Smethport	1804	Parts 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	39,519	984 sq mi (2,549 km2)
Mercer County	085	Mercer	1800	Parts of Allegheny County	Hugh Mercer, Revolutionary War general	108,503	683 sq mi (1,769 km2)
Mifflin County	087	Lewistown	1789	Parts of Cumberland and Northumberland Counties	Thomas Mifflin, first Governor of Pennsylvania	45,922	415 sq mi (1,075 km2)
Monroe County	089	Stroudsburg	1836	Parts of Pike and Northampton Counties	James Monroe, fifth U.S President	166,053	617 sq mi (1,598 km2)
Montgomery County	091	Norristown	1784	Parts of Philadelphia County	The historic Welsh county of Montgomeryshire or Richard Montgomery, a general killed in the 1775 Battle of Quebec	868,742	487 sq mi (1,261 km2)
Montour County	093	Danville	1850	Parts of Columbia County	Madame Montour, colonial ambassador to the Native Americans	17,860	132 sq mi (342 km2)
Northampton County	095	Easton	1752	Parts of Bucks County	The English town of Northampton	319,091	377 sq mi (976 km2)
Northumberland County	097	Sunbury	1772	Parts of Lancaster, Berks, Bedford, Cumberland, and Northampton Counties	The English county of Northumberland	90,120	477 sq mi (1,235 km2)
Perry County	099	New Bloomfield	1820	Parts of Cumberland County	Oliver Hazard Perry, War of 1812 commodore	46,083	556 sq mi (1,440 km2)
Philadelphia County	101	Philadelphia	1682	One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania	"Brotherly love" from Greek philos ("love") and adelphos ("brother")	1,550,542	143 sq mi (370 km2)
Pike County	103	Milford	1814	Parts of Wayne County	Zebulon Pike, explorer of the American West	61,247	567 sq mi (1,469 km2)
Potter County	105	Coudersport	1804	From 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 general	15,999	1,081 sq mi (2,800 km2)
Schuylkill County	107	Pottsville	1811	Parts of Berks and Northampton Counties	Schuylkill River, itself a Dutch corruption of a Delaware word possibly meaning "hidden river"	143,786	778 sq mi (2,015 km2)
Snyder County	109	Middleburg	1855	Parts of Union County	Simon Snyder, third Governor of Pennsylvania	39,717	332 sq mi (860 km2)
Somerset County	111	Somerset	1795	Parts of Bedford County	The historic English county of Somerset	72,197	1,081 sq mi (2,800 km2)
Sullivan County	113	Laporte	1847	Parts of Lycoming County; attached to Lycoming until 1848.	John Sullivan, Revolutionary War general	5,834	452 sq mi (1,171 km2)
Susquehanna County	115	Montrose	1810	Parts of Luzerne County ; attached to Luzerne County until 1812.	Susquehanna River, itself named after an Algonquin word for "muddy current"	38,109	832 sq mi (2,155 km2)
Tioga County	117	Wellsboro	1804	Parts of Lycoming County; attached to Lycoming until 1812.	Tioga River, itself named for the Delaware word for "forks of the stream"	40,840	1,137 sq mi (2,945 km2)
Union County	119	Lewisburg	1813	Parts of Northumberland County	The federal union of the states	42,042	317 sq mi (821 km2)
Venango County	121	Franklin	1800	Parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties; attached to until 1805.	A corruption of the Delaware word onenge, meaning "otter"	49,431	683 sq mi (1,769 km2)
Warren County	123	Warren	1800	Parts 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 general	37,572	898 sq mi (2,326 km2)
Washington County	125	Washington	1781	Parts of Westmoreland County	George Washington, first U.S. President	210,232	861 sq mi (2,230 km2)
Wayne County	127	Honesdale	1798	Parts of Northampton County	Anthony Wayne, Revolutionary War general	51,262	751 sq mi (1,945 km2)
Westmoreland County	129	Greensburg	1773	Parts of Bedford County	The historic English county of Westmorland	351,163	1,036 sq mi (2,683 km2)
Wyoming County	131	Tunkhannock	1842	Parts of Luzerne County	The Delaware word xwéːwaməŋk, meaning "at the big river flat"	25,902	405 sq mi (1,049 km2)
York County	133	York	1749	Parts of Lancaster County	The English city of York	464,640	910 sq mi (2,357 km2)

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[9][10]	Est.[9][10]	History[9][11]	Etymology[11]	Population[12]	Area[10]	Map
Kent County	001	Dover	1680	Created from Whorekill (Hoarkill) District. Formerly known as St. Jones County.	Named in 1682 by William Penn for the English county of Kent.	189,789	800 sq mi (2,072 km2)
New Castle County	003	Wilmington	1664	Original 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.	578,592	494 sq mi (1,279 km2)
Sussex County	005	Georgetown	1664	Created from Whorekill (Hoarkill) District. Formerly known as Deale County	Named in 1682 by William Penn for the English county of Sussex, which was his home county.	263,509	1,196 sq mi (3,098 km2)

See also

• List of Pennsylvania counties by per capita income
• List of county seats in Pennsylvania (by population)
• List of Pennsylvania Municipalities and Counties with Home Rule Charters, Optional Charters, or Optional Plans
• List of municipalities in Pennsylvania
• List of cities in Pennsylvania
• List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania
• List of townships in Pennsylvania

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. "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
5. 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. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
8. "John Blair Historical Marker". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
9. Delaware Genealogical Society (1997). "Delaware Counties and Hundreds". Delaware Genealogical Society. Archived from the original on June 13, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
10. National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". Archived from the original on April 10, 2005. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
11. The Historical Society of Delaware (1997). "Delaware Counties". Archived from the original on July 19, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
12. Delaware Census Data Archived December 31, 2016, at the Wayback Machine