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Erie County, Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 42°06′N 80°06′W / 42.10°N 80.10°W / 42.10; -80.10
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For other counties in the United States named Erie County, see Erie County, New York and Erie County, Ohio.

Erie County
County
Erie Federal Courthouse in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie Federal Courthouse in Erie, Pennsylvania
Flag of Erie County
Flag
Official seal of Erie County
Seal
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Erie County
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Map of the United States highlighting Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°06′N 80°06′W / 42.1°N 80.1°W / 42.1; -80.1
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
FoundedNovember 7, 1803
Named afterErie people
SeatErie
Largest cityErie
Area
 • Total
1,558 sq mi (4,040 km2)
 • Land799 sq mi (2,070 km2)
 • Water759 sq mi (1,970 km2)  49%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
270,876 Decrease
 • Density339.1/sq mi (130.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district16th
Websiteeriecountypa.gov Edit this at Wikidata

Erie County is the northernmost county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,876.[1] Its county seat is Erie.[2] The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803.[3] The county is part of the Northwest region of the commonwealth.[a]

History

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The federal government resolved competing claims over the Erie Triangle in 1792, allowing Pennsylvania to purchase the land. Before the resolution, both New York and Pennsylvania had claimed the territory, preventing the formation of county boundaries. On March 12, 1800, Pennsylvania established Erie County from a portion of Allegheny County, which had absorbed the Erie Triangle following the acquisition. Other states attempted to claim the region, but Pennsylvania ultimately secured the area through formal cession.[4]

Because Erie County and its neighboring counties—Crawford, Mercer, Venango, and Warren—initially lacked the population and resources to sustain independent governments, state officials established a temporary five-county administrative unit based in Meadville, Crawford County, to manage regional affairs. Erie County elected its first local officials in 1803.[5] A fire destroyed the Erie County Courthouse on March 23, 1823, erasing all county records accumulated up to that date.[6]

Immigrants of "Yankee" stock—descendants of English Puritans who originally settled New England—first settled Erie County. These early settlers primarily came from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine, often via Upstate New York. They made Erie County culturally similar to New England rather than to the rest of Pennsylvania.[7] They laid out roads, established post routes, constructed public buildings, and encouraged further migration. Many settlers from upstate New York had only recently relocated there from New England following the American Revolutionary War, creating a strong cultural continuity with early New England.

Erie County was part of the Underground Railroad, giving slaves the ability to gain freedom through Lake Erie into Canada, East through New York State, or to stay in Erie with the help of abolitionists and the free black community.[8]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,558 square miles (4,040 km2), of which 799 square miles (2,070 km2) is land and 759 square miles (1,970 km2) (49%) is water.[9] It is the largest county in Pennsylvania by total area. Except for a high ridge several miles from the lake, running nearly parallel to its shore, the terrain is generally rolling and well-watered.[10] It is the only county in the state that occupies a significant amount of land north of the 42nd parallel.

There are two cities in Erie County: Erie and Corry. Other notable population centers include Millcreek, Harborcreek, Summit, and Fairview townships, as well as the boroughs of Edinboro, North East, Girard, Waterford, and Union City. Erie County is bordered on the northeast by Chautauqua County, New York, on the east by Warren County, on the south by Crawford County, and on the west by Ashtabula County, Ohio. Directly north of the county is Lake Erie. Erie County occupies a position on Lake Erie that makes it the only county in Pennsylvania to share a border with Canada, located across the lake on the far shore.

Most of the county has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb), except at lower elevations near enough to the lake, where a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) exists. Average monthly temperatures in downtown Erie range from 26.4°F in January to 70.8°F in July, while in Corry, they range from 23.8°F in January to 68.2°F in July.[11] The hardiness zone in most of Erie County by area is 6a. It has warmed to 7a along the Lake, and the area between the shore and a line a little south of Interstate 90 is 6b. [1]

Because of its location in the northwesternmost part of the state, Erie County is the only county to border both New York and Ohio. It is also the only county in the state on the Canadian border.

Adjacent counties

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Major highways

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18001,468—
18103,758156.0%
18208,553127.6%
183017,04199.2%
184031,34483.9%
185038,74223.6%
186049,43227.6%
187065,97333.5%
188074,68813.2%
189086,07415.2%
190098,47314.4%
1910115,51717.3%
1920153,53632.9%
1930175,27714.2%
1940180,8893.2%
1950219,38821.3%
1960250,68214.3%
1970263,6545.2%
1980279,7806.1%
1990275,572−1.5%
2000280,8451.9%
2010280,566−0.1%
2020270,876−3.5%
[12]

According to the 2020 United States Census, there were 270,876 people, 110,846 households, and 66,504 families residing in Erie County. The population density was approximately 339 inhabitants per square mile (131/km2), reflecting a slight decline from the 2010 Census. There were 119,138 housing units at an average density of about 149 per square mile (58/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.9% White, 7.3% Black or African American, 2.3% Asian, 0.5% Native American or other races, and 4.4% identifying as two or more races. Individuals of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) comprised 4.4 percent of the population. Ancestry data, based on American Community Survey estimates, indicated that approximately 24 percent of residents were of German descent, 12.5 percent Polish, 12.3 percent Italian, 10.1 percent Irish, 6.5 percent English, and 6.4 percent identified as having "American" ancestry.[13][14]

Of the 110,846 households, 26.8 percent included children under the age of 18. Married couples living together accounted for 42.7 percent of households, while 14.5 percent had a female householder with no husband present. Non-family households made up 37.2 percent of the total. Individuals living alone comprised 30.7 percent of all households, and 12.1 percent had someone aged 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.38, and the average family size was 2.98.[15]

According to the 2020 census, 26.5 percent of Erie County's population was under the age of 20. The median age stood at 39.5 years. For every 100 females, the county recorded approximately 96.1 males.[16]

2020 census

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Erie County Racial Composition[17]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 219,180 81%
Black or African American (NH) 19,821 7.32%
Native American (NH) 343 0.13%
Asian (NH) 6,358 2.35%
Pacific Islander (NH) 58 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 13,086 4.83%
Hispanic or Latino 12,030 4.44%

Metropolitan Statistical Area

[edit]
See also: List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas and List of Combined Statistical Areas
Map of the Erie-Meadville, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), composed of:
  Erie, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area
  Meadville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget[18] has designated Erie County as the Erie, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. Census[19] the metropolitan area ranked 11th-most populous in Pennsylvania and the 164th-most populous in the United States with a population of 280,566.

Erie County is part of the larger Erie-Meadville, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Erie County as well as Crawford County to the south. The Combined Statistical Area ranked seventh in Pennsylvania and 102nd-most populous in the United States with a population of 369,331.

Largest populations in Erie County

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2023 rank City Type 2023 estimate 2020 Census Change Highest Population (Year)
1 Erie City 92,957 94,852 −2.00% 138,440 (1960)
2 Millcreek Township 53,101 54,070 −1.79% 54,256 (2013)
3 Harborcreek Township 16,580 16,630 −0.30% 17,629 (2014)
4 Fairview Township 11,270 11,139 +1.18% 11,270 (2023)
5 Summit Township 7,273 7,339 −0.90% 7,339 (2020)
6 North East Township 6,439 6,529 −1.38% 7,702 (2000)
7 Corry City 6,075 6,208 −2.14% 7,911 (1950)
8 Edinboro Borough 5,821 4,963 +17.29% 7,736 (1990)

Government and politics

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Before 1960, Erie County was primarily Republican in presidential elections, only backing Democratic Party candidates in four elections from 1888 to 1956. Since 1960, the county has become primarily Democratic, with only five Republican wins in presidential elections from 1960 to the present. Nevertheless, since the 2016 presidential election, the county has become increasingly competitive, with Donald Trump narrowly winning the county that year, followed by Joe Biden narrowly flipping the county in 2020. Most recently, Trump reclaimed it in 2024.[20] Since 1992, the county has voted for the statewide winner in presidential elections.

United States presidential election results for Erie County, Pennsylvania[21][22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 68,866 49.91% 67,456 48.89% 1,657 1.20%
2020 66,869 48.63% 68,286 49.66% 2,339 1.70%
2016 60,069 48.01% 58,112 46.44% 6,948 5.55%
2012 49,025 41.16% 68,036 57.12% 2,053 1.72%
2008 50,351 39.25% 75,775 59.07% 2,145 1.67%
2004 57,372 45.57% 67,921 53.95% 605 0.48%
2000 49,027 43.64% 59,399 52.88% 3,909 3.48%
1996 39,884 36.66% 57,508 52.86% 11,399 10.48%
1992 39,283 33.35% 56,381 47.86% 22,140 18.79%
1988 48,306 46.76% 53,913 52.19% 1,081 1.05%
1984 55,860 51.12% 52,471 48.02% 935 0.86%
1980 48,918 47.42% 45,946 44.54% 8,298 8.04%
1976 49,641 46.20% 55,385 51.55% 2,413 2.25%
1972 61,542 58.22% 42,022 39.75% 2,149 2.03%
1968 43,134 43.20% 51,604 51.68% 5,109 5.12%
1964 31,393 29.93% 72,944 69.55% 549 0.52%
1960 51,525 48.82% 53,723 50.90% 295 0.28%
1956 54,430 61.46% 33,802 38.17% 323 0.36%
1952 48,836 56.89% 36,619 42.66% 391 0.46%
1948 33,806 53.45% 28,159 44.52% 1,280 2.02%
1944 35,247 51.40% 32,912 47.99% 419 0.61%
1940 36,608 53.28% 31,735 46.18% 371 0.54%
1936 25,607 39.18% 33,042 50.56% 6,706 10.26%
1932 18,371 45.43% 19,592 48.44% 2,479 6.13%
1928 30,542 60.97% 19,278 38.48% 277 0.55%
1924 19,480 61.29% 3,502 11.02% 8,802 27.69%
1920 19,465 63.68% 6,311 20.65% 4,793 15.68%
1916 8,933 43.30% 9,641 46.73% 2,056 9.97%
1912 4,958 26.93% 5,633 30.60% 7,817 42.47%
1908 10,828 55.76% 6,173 31.79% 2,418 12.45%
1904 11,951 62.84% 5,119 26.92% 1,948 10.24%
1900 11,816 58.47% 7,281 36.03% 1,110 5.49%
1896 11,819 54.74% 9,210 42.65% 563 2.61%
1892 8,918 49.76% 7,589 42.34% 1,416 7.90%
1888 9,372 54.23% 7,111 41.15% 798 4.62%
1884 9,230 54.77% 6,725 39.91% 896 5.32%
1880 8,752 55.12% 6,471 40.76% 654 4.12%
United States Senate election results for Erie County, Pennsylvania1[23]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 65,603 47.94% 67,868 49.60% 3,371 2.46%

The county seat of government is in Erie. Erie County operates under a home-rule charter and elects a county executive to manage its government. The current County Executive is Brenton Davis.[24] Davis assumed the office on January 3, 2022, following the retirement of County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper. The remaining elected officials of the executive branch are the Erie County Controller, Erie County Coroner, Erie County District Attorney, Erie County Sheriff, and Erie County Clerk of Records. see latest list

Erie County Executives
Name Party Term start Term end
Russell Robison Republican 1978 1982
Judith M. Lynch Democratic 1982 2002
Richard Schenker Republican 2002 2006
Mark A. DiVecchio Democratic 2006 2010
Barry Grossman Democratic 2010 2014
Kathleen Dahlkemper Democratic 2014 2022
Brenton Davis Republican 2022 Incumbent

Row officers

[edit]
Office Holder Party
County Executive Brenton Davis Republican
Clerk of Records Aubrea Hagerty-Haynes Democratic
Controller Dr. Kyle Foust Democratic
Coroner Lyell Cook Republican
District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz Republican
Sheriff Chris Campanelli Democratic

Judiciary

[edit]

Nine judges serve on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas, and fifteen magisterial district judges preside over the county's district courts. A district court administrator, along with a deputy and an assistant court administrator, manages court operations. Erie County maintains its courthouse near Perry Square in downtown Erie, operates a county prison, and oversees a combined 911/Emergency Management Agency through the Erie County Department of Public Safety in Summit Township.

Politics

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As of June 30, 2025, there are 174,412 registered voters in Erie County.

Voter Registration Statistics in Erie County, Pennsylvania (as of June 30, 2025)
Party Registered Voters Percentage
Democratic 76,927 44.11%
Republican 70,826 40.61%
Independent / No Affiliation 19,873 11.39%
Third Party 6,786 3.90%

The county is considered a bellwether politically.[25]

State Senate

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Senator Party District
Dan Laughlin Republican Pennsylvania's 49th Senatorial District
Scott Hutchinson Republican Pennsylvania's 21st Senatorial District

State House of Representatives

[edit]
Representative Party District
Patrick J. Harkins Democratic Pennsylvania's 1st Representative District
Robert Merski Democratic Pennsylvania's 2nd Representative District
Ryan Bizzarro Democratic Pennsylvania's 3rd Representative District
Jake Banta Republican Pennsylvania's 4th Representative District
Brad Roae Republican Pennsylvania's 6th Representative District

United States Senate

[edit]
Senator Party
John Fetterman Democratic
Dave McCormick Republican

United States House of Representatives

[edit]
Representative Party District
Mike Kelly Republican Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district

Education

[edit]

Public school districts

[edit]
Map of Erie County, Pennsylvania School Districts

Approved private schools

[edit]

Community College

[edit]

After years of advocacy on the issue, the Erie County Council approved sponsorship of the Erie County Community College on June 28, 2017. Council Chairman Jay Breneman and colleagues Andre Horton, Kathy Fatica, and Fiore Leone voted in favor of sponsoring the community college, which County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper later signed. The County Executive's administration took the lead in presenting the proposal to the Pennsylvania State Board of Education for approval, supported by a cross-section of business, civic, labor, and community leaders.[26][27]

Recreation

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There are two Pennsylvania state parks in Erie County, and both are on the shores of Lake Erie.

Recreation

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Annual events

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Libraries

[edit]

The Erie County library system operates the foremost public library in Erie, comprising five branches and a bookmobile.[29] In 1996, the county opened the Raymond M. Blasco, M. D. Memorial Library, named for its benefactor.[30] Now called the Main Library or the Erie County Public Library, it ranks as the third-largest library in Pennsylvania.[31] The library relocated from downtown Erie to the bayfront as part of a redevelopment initiative that also introduced the Erie Maritime Museum, Bayfront Convention Center, and Bicentennial Tower on Dobbins Landing. The Main Library features waterfront views of Presque Isle Bay and frequently overlooks the historic U.S. Brig Niagara docked nearby. This relocation, completed approximately 25 years ago, helped revitalize Erie's waterfront, which had remained underdeveloped before the project.[32]

The second floor of the Main Library is home to an art collection, containing historic pieces like Summer Afternoon, Isle of Shoals by Frederick Childe Hassam. The display also features several local artists.[32] The library works with the International Institute of Erie (IIE) to offer tours of the library, a collection of foreign-language books, and other practical information about immigration processes.[32] The library also provides a heritage room where one can conduct genealogy research concerning their ancestors who resided in Erie County or Northwest Pennsylvania.[33]

The four remaining libraries within the Erie County library system are the Edinboro Branch Library, Iroquois Avenue Branch Library, Lincoln Community Center Branch Library, and Millcreek Branch Library.[29] The other public libraries of Erie County include the Albion Area Public Library, Corry Public Library, McCord Memorial Library, Rice Avenue Public Library, Union City Public Library, and Waterford Public Library.[34]

Communities

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Map of Erie County, Pennsylvania, with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. There are 38 incorporated municipalities in Erie County, including 2 cities, 14 boroughs, and 22 townships. Erie County includes the following cities, boroughs, and townships:

Cities

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Boroughs

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Townships

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Census-designated places

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Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may also be listed here.

Population ranking

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The 2010 United States census ranked the population of the following municipalities in Erie County as follows.[19]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 † Erie City 101,786
2 Northwest Harborcreek CDP 8,949
3 Corry City 6,605
4 Edinboro Borough 6,438
5 North East Borough 4,294
6 Lawrence Park CDP 3,982
7 Wesleyville Borough 3,341
8 Union City Borough 3,320
9 Girard Borough 3,104
10 Lake City Borough 3,031
11 Fairview CDP 2,348
12 Penn State Erie (Behrend) CDP 1,629
13 Waterford Borough 1,517
14 Albion Borough 1,516
15 Avonia CDP 1,205
16 Cranesville Borough 638
17 Platea Borough 430
18 Mill Village Borough 412
19 Wattsburg Borough 403
20 McKean Borough 388
21 Elgin Borough 218

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Includes Erie, Mercer, Crawford, and Venango Counties
  1. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Pennsylvania: Individual County Chronologies". Pennsylvania Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  4. ^ "State and County Maps of Pennsylvania". Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  5. ^ Whitman, Benjamin; et al. (1884). "Part II, Chapter I". History of Erie County, Pennsylvania: Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc. Vol. 1. Erie, Pennsylvania: Warner, Beers and Company. p. 137.
  6. ^ Whitman, Benjamin; et al. (1884). "Chapter XVII County Buildings". History of Erie County, Pennsylvania: Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc. Vol. 1. Erie, Pennsylvania: Warner, Beers and Company. p. 283.
  7. ^ Rosenberry, Lois Kimball Mathews (1909). The Expansion of New England: The Spread of New England Settlement and Institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620–1865. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 151.
  8. ^ Meyer, Melinda.Journey to Freedom National Park Service. Erie County Historical Society. November 17, 2010. http://www.nps.gov. (December 6, 2012)
  9. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  10. ^ "Erie. II. A county of Pennsylvania" . Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.
  11. ^ "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University".
  12. ^ "Census 2020".
  13. ^ "Erie County, Pennsylvania Population 2020 Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  14. ^ "Erie County, PA Demographic Statistics". Census Dots. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  15. ^ "Erie County, Pennsylvania: Selected Social Characteristics". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  16. ^ "Erie County, Pennsylvania: Age and Sex". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  17. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Erie County, Pennsylvania".
  18. ^ "Office of Management and Budget". February 7, 2017.
  19. ^ a b "2010 Census". Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  20. ^ "Pivot Counties in Pennsylvania", ballotpedia.org, retrieved September 19, 2024
  21. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  22. ^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 5,019 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 1,972 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 800 votes, and Socialist Labor candidate Arthur Reimer received 26 votes.
  23. ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  24. ^ Rao, A. J. "Davis vows to usher in 'era of change,' unity as new Erie County executive". Erie Times-News. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  25. ^ David Wasserman (October 6, 2020), "The 10 Bellwether Counties That Show How Trump Is in Serious Trouble", The New York Times
  26. ^ Erie County Council approves community college sponsorship
  27. ^ "Community College Proposal". Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  28. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Presque Isle State Park: Tranquility Found. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  29. ^ a b "Facilities – Erie County Public Library". September 2, 2010.
  30. ^ "History of the Library – Erie County Public Library". September 2, 2010.
  31. ^ "Facts". www.ci.erie.pa.us. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  32. ^ a b c "This Seaport is Now a Library, but It's Still a Portal to the World". The Atlantic. September 5, 2016.
  33. ^ "Genealogy – Heritage Room at Blasco – Erie County Public Library". January 6, 2011.
  34. ^ "Public Libraries of Erie County".
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42°06′N 80°06′W / 42.10°N 80.10°W / 42.10; -80.10

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