History and Facts of Pennsylvania Counties

Table of Contents hide

1 Fun Facts about Pennsylvania Counties

1.1 Counties by Year

1.2 County Size Facts

1.3 County Population Facts

1.4 Pennsylvania City Facts

2 Map of Pennsylvania County Boundary Changes from 1673 to 1878

3 List of Pennsylvania Counties

4 List of Old Former / Extinct Pennsylvania Counties

Today’s Pennsylvania counties did not always exist in the present form. The 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 is currently 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 (132 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

Map of Pennsylvania County Boundary Changes from 1673 to 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 the creation of Pennsylvania from 1673-1878.

List of Pennsylvania Counties

County	Created	Created From	Named For	County Seat	Notes
Adams County	22 Jan 1800	York County	In honor of John Adams (1735-1826); lawyer, a Founding Father, the first vice president, and second President of the United States (1797-1801)	Gettysburg
Allegheny County	24 Sep 1788	Washington and Westmoreland Counties	Lenape word for the Allegheny River, which possibly translates to "beautiful river"	Pittsburgh
Armstrong County	12 Mar 1800	Allegheny, Lycoming, and Westmoreland Counties	In honor of John Armstrong Sr. (1717-1795); a civil engineer, s a brigadier general in the Continental Army and as a major general in the Pennsylvania Militia during the American Revolutionary War.	Kittanning
Beaver County	12 Mar 1800	Allegheny and Washington Counties	Beaver River, itself named for the eponymous animal that was sighted along its banks	Beaver
Bedford County	09 Mar 1771	Cumberland County	In honor of Fort Bedford, which is named for John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford	Bedford
Berks County	11 Mar 1752	Chester, Lancaster, and Philadelphia Counties	English county of Berkshire	Reading
Blair County	26 Feb 1846	Huntingdon and Bedford Counties	In honor of John Blair, Pennsylvania state legislator	Hollidaysburg
Bradford County	21 Feb 1810	Luzerne and Lycoming Counties	In honor of William Bradford (1755-1795), a lawyer, judge, and second U.S. Attorney General	Towanda
Bucks County	01 Nov 1682	One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania	English county of Buckinghamshire	Doylestown
Butler County	12 Mar 1800	Allegheny County	In honor of Richard Butler (1743-1791), a major general in the American Revolutionary War	Butler
Carbon County	26 Mar 1804	Somerset and Huntingdon Counties	Cambria, the traditional name for Wales	Ebensburg
Cambria County	29 Mar 1860	Clinton, Elk, McKean, and Potter Counties	In honor of Simon Cameron (1799-1889); an influential businessman and U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania	Emporium
Centre County	13 Mar 1843	Monroe and Northampton Counties	Carbon, the element found in coal	Jim Thorpe
Chester County	13 Feb 1800	Lycoming, Mifflin, Northumberland, and Huntingdon Counties	Centre Furnance, the first industrial facility in the area	Bellefonte
Clarion County	01 Nov 1682	One of the original counties at the formation of Pennsylvania.	English city of Chester in the county of Cheshire	West Chester
Clearfield County	11 Mar 1839	Venango and Armstrong Counties	Clarion River, itself so named for its clarity	Clarion
Clinton County	26 Mar 1804	Lycoming and Huntingdon Counties	The cleared fields from logging in the area	Clearfield
Columbia County		Lycoming and Centre Counties	In honor of DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828), a New York Governor and prominant statesman	Lock Haven
Crawford County	22 Mar 1813	Northumberland and Luzerne Counties	Columbia, the first popular and poetic name for the United States	Bloomsburg
Cameron County	12 Mar 1800	Allegheny County	In honor of William Crawford (1722-1782), a surveyor who helped to open trans-Appalachian lands to settlement	Meadville
Cumberland County	27 Jan 1750	Lancaster County	The historic English county of Cumberland	Carlisle
Dauphin County	04 Mar 1785	Lancaster County	In honor of Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France (1781-1789); the second child and elder son of King Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette	Harrisburg
Delaware County	06 Sep 1789	Chester County	Delaware River, itself named for the Delaware tribe	Media
Elk County	18 Apr 1843	Jefferson, McKean, and Clearfield Counties	Elk, which inhabit the forested county	Ridgway
Erie County	12 Mar 1800	Allegheny County	Lake Erie	Erie
Fayette County	26 Sep 1783	Westmoreland County	In honor of Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834); a French aristocrat and major general in the American Revolutionary War	Uniontown
Forest County	01 Apr 1848	Jefferson County	The large forests, its chief natural feature	Tionesta	Part of Venango County was added on October 31, 1866
Franklin County	09 Sep 1784	Cumberland County	In honor of Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790); a Founding Father, a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat	Chambersburg
Fulton County	19 Apr 1851	Bedford County	In honor of Robert Fulton (1765-1815), inventor of the steamboat	McConnellsburg
Greene County	09 Feb 1796	Washington County	In honor of Nathanael Greene (1742-1786), a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War	Waynesburg
Huntingdon County	20 Sep 1787	Bedford County	The historic English county of Huntingdonshire	Huntingdon
Indiana County	30 Mar 1803	Lycoming and Westmoreland Counties	Native Americans	Indiana
Jefferson County	26 Mar 1804	Lycoming County	In honor of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826); a statesman, diplomat, architect, Founding Father, and third president of the United States (1801-1809)	Brookville
Juniata County	02 Mar 1831	Mifflin County	Iroquoian word "Onayutta", meaning "Standing Stone"	Mifflintown
Lackawanna County	13 Aug 1878	Luzerne County	Lackawanna River, itself named for the Lenape word meaning "stream that forks"	Scranton
Lancaster County	10 May 1729	Chester County	English city of Lancaster.	Lancaster
Lawrence County	20 Mar 1849	Beaver and Mercer Counties	In honor of James Lawrence (1781-1813), a naval captain during the War of 1812. He is probably best known today for his last words or "dying command" "Don't give up the ship!"	New Castle
Lebanon County	16 Feb 1813	Dauphin and Lancaster Counties	The Biblical term for "White Mountain", which references the piety of the county's Moravian founders	Lebanon
Lehigh County	06 Mar 1812	Northampton County	Lehigh River	Allentown
Luzerne County	25 Sep 1786	Northumberland County	In honor of Anne-César, Chevalier de la Luzerne (1741-1791), the French ambassador to the U.S. who aided republican causes	Wilkes-Barre
Lycoming County	13 Apr 1795	Northumberland County	Lycoming Creek, itself named for the Lenape word "iacomic", meaning "great steam"	Williamsport
McKean County	26 Mar 1804	Lycoming County	In honor of Thomas McKean (1734-1817), the second Governor of Pennsylvania	Smethport
Mercer County	12 Mar 1800	Allegheny County	In honor of Hugh Mercer (1726-1777); a Scottish soldier, physician, and brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.	Mercer
Mifflin County	19 Sep 1789	Cumberland and Northumberland Counties	In honor of Thomas Mifflin (1744-1800), the first Governor of Pennsylvania	Lewistown
Monroe County	01 Apr 1836	Pike and Northampton Counties	In honor of James Monroe (1758-1831); a Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States (1817-1825)	Stroudsburg
Montour County	03 May 1850	Columbia County	in honor of Madame Montour (1667 or c. 1685-c. 1753), colonial ambassador to the Native Americans	Danville
Montgomery County	10 Sep 1784	Philadelphia County	The historic Welsh county of Montgomeryshire or Richard Montgomery (1738-1775), a major general in the American Revolutionary War. He was killed in the 1775 Battle of Quebec	Norristown
Northampton County	11 Mar 1752	Bucks County	English city of Northampton	Easton
Northumberland County	21 Mar 1772	Lancaster, Berks, Bedford, Cumberland, and Northampton Counties	The English county of Northumberland	Sunbury
Perry County	22 Mar 1820	Cumberland County	In honor of Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819); a naval commodore in the War of 1812	New Bloomfield
Philadelphia County	22 Jan 1682	One of the three original counties	The "Brotherly love" from Greek philos ("love") and adelphos ("brother")	Philadelphia
Pike County	26 Mar 1814	Wayne County	In honor of Zebulon Pike (1779-1813), an American brigadier general and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado was renamed (from El Capitan)	Milford
Potter County	26 Mar 1804	Lycoming County	In honor of James Potter (1729-1789), a farmer, and politician from Colonial- and Revolutionary-era Pennsylvania and a brigadier general of Pennsylvania militia during the American Revolutionary War	Coudersport
Schuylkill County	01 Mar 1811	Berks and Northampton Counties	Schuylkill River, itself a Dutch corruption of a Lenape word possibly meaning "hidden river"	Pottsville	Parts of Columbia County and Luzerne County was added on March 3, 1818
Snyder County	02 Mar 1855	Union County	In honor of Simon Snyder (1759-1819), third Governor of Pennsylvania	Middleburg
Somerset County	17 Apr 1795	Bedford County	The historic English county of Somerset	Somerset
Sullivan County	15 Mar 1847	Lycoming County	In honor of John Sullivan (1740-1795); an Irish-American major general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress, Governor of New Hampshire, and a United States federal judge	Laporte
Susquehanna County	21 Feb 1810	Luzerne County	Susquehanna River, itself named after an Algonquin word for "muddy current"	Montrose
Tioga County	26 Mar 1804	Lycoming County	Tioga River, itself named for the Lenape word for "forks of the stream"	Wellsboro
Union County	22 Mar 1813	Northumberland County	The federal Union of the States	Lewisburg
Venango County	12 Mar 1800	Allegheny and Lycoming Counties	A corruption of the Lenape word "onenge", meaning "otter"	Franklin
Warren County	12 Mar 1800	Allegheny and Lycoming Counties	In honor of Joseph Warren (1741-1775), a physician and a major general in the American Revolutionary War	Warren
Washington County	28 Mar 1781	Westmoreland County	In honor of George Washington (1732-1799); commanding general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, a Founding Father, and first U.S. President (1789-1797)	Washington
Wayne County	21 Mar 1798	Northampton County	In honor of Anthony "Mad Anthony" Wayne (1745-1796), a brigadier general during the American Revolutionary War	Honesdale
Westmoreland County	26 Feb 1773	Bedford County	The historic English county of Westmorland	Greensburg
Wyoming County	04 Apr 1842	Luzerne County	Delaware word meaning "at the big river flat"	Tunkhannock
York County	19 Aug 1749	Lancaster County	The English city of York	York

List of Old Former / Extinct Pennsylvania Counties

Pennsylvania has no counties that are lost, defunct or extinct.

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