Erie County | |
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 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofPennsylvania | |
 Pennsylvania's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:42°06′N80°06′W / 42.1°N 80.1°W /42.1; -80.1 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| Founded | November 7, 1803 |
| Named after | Erie people |
| Seat | Erie |
| Largest city | Erie |
| Government | |
| • County Executive | Brenton Davis (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,558 sq mi (4,040 km2) |
| • Land | 799 sq mi (2,070 km2) |
| • Water | 759 sq mi (1,970 km2) 49% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 270,876 |
| • Density | 339.1/sq mi (130.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 16th |
| Website | eriecountypa |
Erie County is the northernmostcounty in theCommonwealth ofPennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,876.[1] Itscounty seat isErie.[2] The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803.[3] The county is part of theNorthwest region of the commonwealth.[a]
The federal government resolved competing claims over theErie 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 ofAllegheny 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, andWarren—initially lacked the population and resources to sustain independent governments, state officials established a temporary five-county administrative unit based inMeadville, 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 settledNew England—first settled Erie County. These early settlers primarily came fromConnecticut,Rhode Island, andMaine, often viaUpstate New York. They made Erie County culturally similar to New England rather than to the rest ofPennsylvania.[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 theAmerican Revolutionary War, creating a strong cultural continuity with early New England.
Erie County was part of theUnderground 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]
According to theU.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 the42nd 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 byChautauqua County, New York, on the east byWarren County, on the south byCrawford County, and on the west byAshtabula County, Ohio. Directly north of the county isLake Erie. Erie County occupies a position onLake Erie that makes it the only county inPennsylvania to share a border withCanada, located across the lake on the far shore.
Most of the county has a warm-summerhumid 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] Thehardiness 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 bothNew York andOhio. It is also the only county in the state on theCanadian border.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 1,468 | — | |
| 1810 | 3,758 | 156.0% | |
| 1820 | 8,553 | 127.6% | |
| 1830 | 17,041 | 99.2% | |
| 1840 | 31,344 | 83.9% | |
| 1850 | 38,742 | 23.6% | |
| 1860 | 49,432 | 27.6% | |
| 1870 | 65,973 | 33.5% | |
| 1880 | 74,688 | 13.2% | |
| 1890 | 86,074 | 15.2% | |
| 1900 | 98,473 | 14.4% | |
| 1910 | 115,517 | 17.3% | |
| 1920 | 153,536 | 32.9% | |
| 1930 | 175,277 | 14.2% | |
| 1940 | 180,889 | 3.2% | |
| 1950 | 219,388 | 21.3% | |
| 1960 | 250,682 | 14.3% | |
| 1970 | 263,654 | 5.2% | |
| 1980 | 279,780 | 6.1% | |
| 1990 | 275,572 | −1.5% | |
| 2000 | 280,845 | 1.9% | |
| 2010 | 280,566 | −0.1% | |
| 2020 | 270,876 | −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]
| 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 orLatino | 12,030 | 4.44% |
TheUnited States Office of Management and Budget[18] has designated Erie County as theErie, PAMetropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the2010 U.S. census[19] the metropolitan area ranked 11th-most populous in Pennsylvania and the164th-most populous in the United States with a population of 280,566.
Erie County is part of the largerErie-Meadville, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Erie County as well asCrawford County to the south. TheCombined Statistical Area ranked seventh in Pennsylvania and102nd-most populous in the United States with a population of 369,331.
| 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) |
Before1960, Erie County was primarily Republican in presidential elections, only backing Democratic Party candidates in four elections from1888 to1956. Since 1960, the county has become primarily Democratic, with only five Republican wins in presidential elections from 1960 to the present. Nevertheless, since the2016 presidential election, the county has become increasingly competitive, withDonald Trump narrowly winning the county that year, followed byJoe Biden narrowly flipping the county in2020. Most recently, Trump reclaimed it in 2024.[20] Since 1992, the county has voted for the statewide winner in presidential elections, and has done so in all but one since 1948.
| 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% |
| 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 inErie. Erie County operates under a home-rule charter and elects acounty 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
| 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 |
| 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 |
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 nearPerry 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.
As of June 30, 2025, there are 174,412 registered voters in Erie County.
| 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 abellwether politically.[25]
| Senator | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Dan Laughlin | Republican | Pennsylvania's 49th Senatorial District |
| Scott Hutchinson | Republican | Pennsylvania's 21st Senatorial District |
| Senator | Party |
|---|---|
| John Fetterman | Democratic |
| Dave McCormick | Republican |
| Representative | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Kelly | Republican | Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district |
School districts include:[26]
After years of advocacy on the issue, the Erie County Council approved sponsorship of theErie 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.[27][28]
There are twoPennsylvania state parks in Erie County, and both are on the shores ofLake Erie.
The Erie County library system operates the foremost public library in Erie, comprising five branches and abookmobile.[30] In 1996, the county opened theRaymond M. Blasco, M. D. Memorial Library, named for its benefactor.[31] Now called the Main Library or the Erie County Public Library, it ranks as the third-largest library inPennsylvania.[32] The library relocated from downtown Erie to the bayfront as part of a redevelopment initiative that also introduced theErie Maritime Museum,Bayfront Convention Center, andBicentennial Tower on Dobbins Landing. The Main Library features waterfront views ofPresque Isle Bay and frequently overlooks the historicU.S. Brig Niagara docked nearby. This relocation, completed approximately 25 years ago, helped revitalize Erie's waterfront, which had remained underdeveloped before the project.[33]
The second floor of the Main Library is home to an art collection, containing historic pieces like Summer Afternoon, Isle of Shoals byFrederick Childe Hassam. The display also features several local artists.[33] 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.[33] The library also provides a heritage room where one can conductgenealogy research concerning their ancestors who resided in Erie County orNorthwest Pennsylvania.[34]
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.[30] 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.[35]
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:
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by theU.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.
The2010 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 |
Places adjacent to Erie County, Pennsylvania | |
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Municipalities and communities ofErie County, Pennsylvania,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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