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Elk County, Pennsylvania
Elk County Courthouse
County courthouse in Ridgway
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Elk County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Map of the U.S
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S.
Founded 18 April 1843
Named for Eastern elk
Seat Ridgway
Largest city St. Marys
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

832 sq mi (2,155 km²)
827 sq mi (2,142 km²)
4.9 sq mi (13 km²), 0.6%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

30,990
37.25/sq mi (14/km²)
Congressional district 15th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.co.elk.pa.us

Elk County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 30,990.[1] Its county seat is Ridgway.[2] The county was created on April 18, 1843, from parts of Jefferson, Clearfield and McKean Counties, and is named for the eastern elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis) that historically inhabited the region.

Geography[]

Elk County consists of low rolling hills, carved by frequent drainages and heavily wooded.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 832 square miles (2,150 km2), of which 827 square miles (2,140 km2) is land and 4.9 square miles (13 km2) (0.6%) is water.[3] Elk has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Ridgway range from 23.2 °F in January to 67.4 °F in July, while in Saint Marys they range from 22.6 °F in January to 66.8 °F in July. [1]

Adjacent counties[]

National protected area[]

  • Allegheny National Forest (part)

State protected areas[]

  • Bendigo State Park
  • Elk State Park

Major highways[]

  • US 219 US 219
  • No imageTruck plateNo image
    US 219 US 219 Truck
  • PA-66 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 66]]
  • PA-120 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 120]]
  • PA-153 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 153]]
  • PA-255 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 255]]
  • PA-321 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 321]]
  • PA-555 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 555]]
  • PA-948 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 948]]
  • PA-949 [[Template:Infobox road/PA/link PA|PA 949]]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1850 3,531
1860 5,915 67.5%
1870 8,488 43.5%
1880 12,800 50.8%
1890 22,239 73.7%
1900 32,903 48.0%
1910 35,871 9.0%
1920 34,981 −2.5%
1930 33,431 −4.4%
1940 34,443 3.0%
1950 34,503 0.2%
1960 37,328 8.2%
1970 37,770 1.2%
1980 38,338 1.5%
1990 34,878 −9.0%
2000 35,111 0.7%
2010 31,946 −9.0%
[4]
USA Elk County, Pennsylvania age pyramid

Population pyramid

As of the 2000 United States Census,[5] there were 35,112 people, 14,124 households, and 9,745 families in the county. The population density was 42/sqmi (16/km2). There were 18,115 housing units at an average density of 22/sqmi (8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.96% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races. 0.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 41% were of German, 13% Italian, 9% American, 6% Irish, 4% Polish, 4% Swedish, 3% English.

There were 14,124 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.

The county population contained 24.00% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.

Politics and government[]

2020 United States Presidential Election in Elk County, Pennsylvania

2020 Presidential Election Shaded by City and Township
Trump:    50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

United States presidential election results for Elk County, Pennsylvania[6]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 12,140 71.64% 4,522 26.68% 284 1.68%
2016 10,025 68.91% 3,853 26.49% 669 4.60%
2012 7,579 57.08% 5,463 41.14% 237 1.78%
2008 6,676 46.48% 7,290 50.76% 396 2.76%
2004 7,872 54.10% 6,602 45.37% 76 0.52%
2000 7,347 54.10% 5,754 42.37% 479 3.53%
1996 4,889 37.57% 5,749 44.18% 2,375 18.25%
1992 4,908 35.48% 5,016 36.26% 3,908 28.25%
1988 6,737 52.86% 5,879 46.13% 128 1.00%
1984 8,470 60.47% 5,486 39.17% 51 0.36%
1980 7,175 52.49% 5,898 43.15% 596 4.36%
1976 6,159 46.98% 6,713 51.21% 237 1.81%
1972 7,900 61.20% 4,710 36.49% 298 2.31%
1968 6,193 44.09% 6,886 49.02% 967 6.88%
1964 4,354 29.36% 10,455 70.51% 19 0.13%
1960 7,155 45.96% 8,398 53.95% 14 0.09%
1956 8,947 61.84% 5,498 38.00% 23 0.16%
1952 7,702 54.26% 6,448 45.42% 45 0.32%
1948 5,148 48.98% 5,363 51.02% 0 0.00%
1944 5,645 47.80% 6,097 51.63% 67 0.57%
1940 6,949 49.99% 6,920 49.78% 31 0.22%
1936 5,489 35.12% 9,035 57.80% 1,107 7.08%
1932 5,797 46.39% 6,461 51.70% 239 1.91%
1928 5,234 40.23% 7,705 59.23% 70 0.54%
1924 6,626 70.85% 1,370 14.65% 1,356 14.50%
1920 5,267 66.14% 2,093 26.28% 604 7.58%
1916 2,829 52.34% 2,186 40.44% 390 7.22%
1912 603 10.50% 2,057 35.82% 3,082 53.67%
1908 2,991 51.52% 2,531 43.60% 283 4.88%
1904 3,820 55.25% 2,857 41.32% 237 3.43%
1900 3,254 50.06% 3,105 47.77% 141 2.17%
1896 2,807 49.57% 2,717 47.98% 139 2.45%
1892 1,438 38.94% 2,126 57.57% 129 3.49%
1888 1,321 41.09% 1,824 56.73% 70 2.18%
1884 1,082 40.27% 1,447 53.85% 158 5.88%
1880 720 30.74% 1,534 65.50% 88 3.76%



Voter Registration[]

As of June 9, 2022, there are 20,083 registered voters in Elk County.[7]




<div class="transborder" style="position:absolute;width:100px;line-height:0;

Circle frame

Chart of Voter Registration

  Republican (54.17%)
  Democratic (34.29%)
  Third Party/Independent (11.54%)
  • Democratic: 6,887 (34.29%)
  • Republican: 10,879 (54.17%)
  • Third Party: 2,317 (11.54%)

Elk County tended to be politically competitive in statewide and national elections, but has recently become a solid Republican county like most of rural Pennsylvania. The county was carried by George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. The county was carried by Barack Obama in 2008 and by Mitt Romney in 2012 over Obama's victorious ticket. Like most other rural counties, both in Pennsylvania and nationwide, Donald Trump strongly won the county in 2016 and 2020 -- increasing his margin in the latter, making it the strongest performance by any single candidate in the county's history (although Coolidge had carried the county by a larger margin in 1924).

The county has frequently voted with the eventual winner of national elections, from 1920 to 2008, except for 1928 when Al Smith carried the county with nearly 60% of the vote over winner Herbert Hoover, 1940 when Wendell Willkie carried the county with a very slim margin of 29 votes over incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt, and in 1968, when Hubert Humphrey won it over eventual winner Richard Nixon.

County commissioners[]

  • Joseph Daghir, Republican
  • M. Fritz Lecker, Republican
  • Matthew G. Quesenberry, Democrat

[8]

Other county offices[]

  • Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary, Susanne Schneider, Republican
  • Coroner, Michelle Muccio, Republican
  • District Attorney, Shawn McMahon,
  • Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds, Pete Weidenboerner, Democrat
  • Sheriff, Todd Caltagarone, Republican
  • Treasurer, Peggy Schneider, Democrat

State representative[9][]

  • Mike Armanini, Republican, 75th district

State senator[9][]

  • Cris Dush, Republican, 25th district

U.S. representative[]

  • Glenn "G.T." Thompson, Republican, 15th district

Education[]

Map of Elk County Pennsylvania School Districts

Map of Elk County, Pennsylvania School Districts

Public school districts[]

  • Brockway Area School District
  • Forest Area School District
  • Kane Area School District
  • Johnsonburg Area School District
  • Ridgway Area School District
  • Saint Marys Area School District

Private schools[]

  • Elk County Catholic High School
  • St Boniface School - Kersey
  • St Leo School - Ridgway
  • St Marys Catholic Elementary School = Saint Marys
  • St Marys Catholic Middle School = Saint Marys
  • North Central Workforce Investment Board - Ridgway
  • Anne Forbes Nursery School - Ridgway

Libraries[]

  • Elk County Library System - Saint Marys
  • Johnsonburg Public Library - Johnsonburg
  • Ridgway Free Public Library - Ridgway
  • Saint Marys Public Library - Saint Marys
  • Tri State Coll Library Co-Op - Rosemont
  • Wilcox Public Library - Wilcox

Communities[]

Map of Elk County Municipalities shaded in red and blue

Elk County boroughs and municipalities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs, and townships are located in Elk County:

City[]

Boroughs[]

Census-designated places[]

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Arroyo
  • Dagus Mines
  • Loleta
  • Portland Mills[10]

Townships[]

  • Benezette
  • Fox
  • Highland
  • Horton
  • Jay
  • Jones
  • Millstone
  • Ridgway
  • Spring Creek

Population ranking[]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Elk County.[11]

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 St. Marys City 13,070
2 Ridgway Borough 4,078
3 Johnsonburg Borough 2,483
4 Kersey CDP 937
5 Weedville CDP 542
6 Byrnedale CDP 427
7 Wilcox CDP 383
8 James City CDP 287
9 Force CDP 253

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Elk County, Pennsylvania

References[]

Coordinates: 41°25′N 78°39′W / 41.42, -78.65

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Elk County, Pennsylvania. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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