PA State Facts |
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Colony: 1707–1776 |
Statehood: Dec 12, 1787 |
Counties: 67 |
Borders: NY, NJ, DE, MD, OH and WV |
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Today’s Pennsylvania counties did not always exist in the present form. They went through many different changes in the space of a few short years.
Pennsylvania Colony Counties
he Pennsylvania Colony, aka Province of Pennsylvania, was founded on March 4, 1681.
In November 1682 the first 3 Pennsylvania counties formed were Bucks, Chester and Philadelphia Counties.
The Pennsylvania Colony lasted until December 12, 1787, when the State of Pennsylvania was created as the 2nd state.
Pennsylvania Counties Today
Today, Pennsylvania is divided into 67 counties. States bordering Pennsylvania  are New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia.
Pennsylvania has no counties that are lost, defunct or extinct.
Fun Facts about Pennsylvania Counties
Counties by Year
- Bucks, Chester and Philadelphia Counties was the first county created in November 1682.
- Lackawanna County was the last county created on August 13, 1878.
County Size Facts
- Lycoming County (1,244 sq mi) is the largest county in Pennsylvania.
- Montour County (132Â sq mi) is the smallest county in Pennsylvania.
County Population Facts
- Cameron County (5,085) is the least populated county in Pennsylvania.
- Philadelphia County County (1,526,006) is the most populated county in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania City Facts
Pennsylvania’s 10  largest (2017) cities are:
- Philadelphia (1,580,863) is in Philadelphia County
- Pittsburgh (302,407) is in Allegheny County
- Allentown (121,283) is in Lehigh County
- Erie (97,369) is in Erie County
- Reading (88,423) is in Berks County
- Scranton (77,605) is in Lackawanna County
- Bethlehem (76,239) is in Lehigh and Northampton Counties
- Lancaster (59,708) is in Lancaster County
- Harrisburg (49,192) is in Dauphin County
- York (44,132) is in York County
Boundary Changes of Pennsylvania Counties from 1673-1878
This Interactive Map of Pennsylvania Counties show the historical boundaries, names, organization, and attachments of every county, extinct county and unsuccessful county proposal from 1673 to 1878.
List of Pennsylvania Counties
County | Date Formed | Parent County | County Seat |
---|---|---|---|
Adams | 1800 | York County | Gettysburg |
Allegheny | 1788 | Washington and Westmoreland Counties. | Pittsburgh |
Armstrong | 1800 | Allegheny, Lycoming, and Westmoreland Counties | Kittanning |
Beaver | 1800 | Allegheny and Washington Counties | Beaver |
Bedford | 1771 | Cumberland County | Bedford |
Berks | 1752 | Chester, Lancaster and Philadelphia Counties | Reading |
Blair | 1846 | Huntingdon and Bedford Counties | Hollidaysburg |
Bradford | 1810 | Luzerne and Lycoming Counties | Towanda |
Bucks | 1682 | One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania | Doylestown |
Butler | 1800 | Allegheny County | Butler |
Cambria | 1804 | Somerset and Huntingdon Counties. | Ebensburg |
Cameron | 1860 | Clinton, Elk, McKean, and Potter Counties. | Emporium |
Carbon | 1843 | Monroe and Northampton Counties. | Jim Thorpe |
Centre | 1800 | Lycoming, Mifflin, Northumberland, and Huntingdon Counties. | Bellefonte |
Chester | 1682 | One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania. | West Chester |
Clarion | 1839 | Venango and Armstrong Counties | Clarion |
Clearfield | 1804 | Lycoming and Huntingdon Counties | Clearfield |
Clinton | 1839 | Lycoming and Centre Counties. | Lock Haven |
Columbia | 1813 | Northumberland and Luzerne Counties. | Bloomsburg |
Crawford | 1800 | Allegheny County | Meadville |
Cumberland | 1750 | Lancaster County | Carlisle |
Dauphin | 1785 | Lancaster County | Harrisburg |
Delaware | 1789 | Chester County | Media |
Elk | 1843 | Jefferson, McKean, and Clearfield Counties. | Ridgway |
Erie | 1800 | Allegheny County | Erie |
Fayette | 1783 | Westmoreland County | Uniontown |
Forest | 1848 | Jefferson County | Tionesta |
Franklin | 1784 | Cumberland County | Chambersburg |
Fulton | 1850 | Bedford County | McConnellsburg |
Greene | 1796 | Washington County | Waynesburg |
Huntingdon | 1787 | Bedford County | Huntingdon |
Indiana | 1803 | Lycoming and Westmoreland Counties | Indiana |
Jefferson | 1804 | Lycoming County | Brookville |
Juniata | 1831 | Mifflin County | Mifflintown |
Lackawanna | 1878 | Luzerne County | Scranton |
Lancaster | 1729 | Chester County | Lancaster |
Lawrence | 1849 | Beaver and Mercer Counties | New Castle |
Lebanon | 1813 | Dauphin and Lancaster Counties | Lebanon |
Lehigh | 1812 | Northampton County | Allentown |
Luzerne | 1786 | Northumberland County | Wilkes-Barre |
Lycoming | 1795 | Northumberland County | Williamsport |
McKean | 1804 | Lycoming County | Smethport |
Mercer | 1800 | Allegheny County | Mercer |
Mifflin | 1789 | Cumberland and Northumberland Counties. | Lewistown |
Monroe | 1836 | Pike and Northampton Counties. | Stroudsburg |
Montour | 1850 | Columbia County | Danville |
Montgomery | 1784 | Philadelphia County | Norristown |
Northampton | 1752 | Bucks County | Easton |
Northumberland | 1772 | Lancaster, Berks, Bedford, Cumberland, and Northampton Counties | Sunbury |
Perry | 1820 | Cumberland County | New Bloomfield |
Philadelphia | 1682 | One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania. | Philadelphia |
Pike | 1814 | Wayne County | Milford |
Potter | 1804 | Lycoming County | Coudersport |
Schuylkill | 1811 | Berks and Northampton Counties. | Pottsville |
Snyder | 1855 | Union County | Middleburg |
Somerset | 1795 | Bedford County | Somerset |
Sullivan | 1847 | Lycoming County | Laporte |
Susquehanna | 1810 | Luzerne County | Montrose |
Tioga | 1804 | Lycoming County | Wellsboro |
Union | 1813 | Northumberland County | Lewisburg |
Venango | 1800 | Allegheny and Lycoming Counties | Franklin |
Warren | 1800 | Allegheny and Lycoming counties | Warren |
Washington | 1781 | Westmoreland County | Washington |
Wayne | 1798 | Northampton County | Honesdale |
Westmoreland | 1773 | Bedford County | Greensburg |
Wyoming | 1842 | Luzerne County | Tunkhannock |
York | 1749 | Lancaster County | York |
List of Old Former / Extinct Pennsylvania Counties
Pennsylvania has no counties that are lost, defunct or extinct.