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Erie County, Pennsylvania | ||
Erie County Courthouse
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Location in the state of Pennsylvania | ||
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. | ||
Founded | March 12, 1800 | |
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Seat | Erie | |
Largest city | Erie | |
Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,558 sq mi (4,035 km²) 798.9 sq mi (2,069 km²) 759.1 sq mi (1,966 km²), 48.7% | |
Population - (2020) - Density |
270,876 351.2/sq mi (136/km²) | |
Website | www.eriecountygov.org |
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2020, the population was 270,876. Its county seat is the City of Erie.
Geography[]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,558 square miles (4,035.2 km2), of which 798.9 square miles (2,069 km2) is land and 759.1 square miles (1,966 km2) (48.7%) is water. There are only two cities in Erie County: the City of Erie and the City of Corry.
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, with the nearest landmass beyond it being the province of Ontario, Canada.
It is the only county in the state north of the 42nd parallel.
History[]
Erie County was established on March 12, 1800 from part of Allegheny County, which absorbed the lands of the disputed Erie Triangle in 1792. Prior to 1792, the region was claimed by both New York and Pennsylvania, so no county demarcations were made until the federal government intervened. See interactive Pennsylvania County Formation Maps
Since Erie County and its newly-established neighboring counties of Crawford, Mercer, Venango, and Warren were initially unable to sustain themselves, a five-county administrative organization was established at Crawford County's Meadville to temporarily manage government affairs in the region. Erie elected its own county officials in 1803.[1]
Demographics[]
Historical populations | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
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% | |
United States Census Bureau |
According to the 2010 United States Census, there were 280,566 people, 110,413 households, and 70,196 families residing in the county. The population density was 351.2 inhabitants per square mile (135.6 /km2). There were 119,138 housing units at an average density of 149.1 per square mile (57.6 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.2 percent White, 7.2 percent Black or African American, 0.2 percent Native American, 1.1 percent Asian, 0.03 percent Pacific Islander, 1.2 percent from other races, and 2.1 percent from two or more races. A further 3.4 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.4% were of German, 12.5% Polish, 12.3% Italian, 10.1% Irish, 6.5% English and 6.4% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
Of the total number of household, 27.2 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4 percent were married couples living together, 13.2 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4 percent were non-families. 29.3 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.5 percent under the age of 20. The median age was 38.6 years. For every 100 females there were 96.73 males.
Government and politics[]
Prior to 1960, Erie County was primarily Republican in presidential elections, only backing Democratic Party candidates in four elections from 1888 to 1956. Since 1960, it has become primarily Democratic with only four Republican wins in the county in presidential elections from 1960 to the present.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
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No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
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% |
The county seat of government is in Erie, Pennsylvania. The county has a home-rule charter and is run by a county executive. The current County Executive is Kathy Dahlkemper. Dahlkemper assumed the office in January 2014 after ousting incumbent Barry Grossman in the 2013 Democratic primary and defeating Republican Don Tucci in the general election. 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. see latest list
Name | Party | Term start | Term end |
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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 | Incumbent |
Erie County Council[]
The legislature consists of a county council. The Erie County Council is made up of seven councilpersons elected to represent seven geographical districts. see map A chair and vice chair are chosen among the councilpersons to lead the council.
- Kim Clear, Democratic, District 1-Millcreek Township Districts 2 through 10, 12 through 17, and 22 through 25
- Andre Horton, Democratic, Chairman, District 2-Erie 1st Ward Districts 1 through 8; Erie 2nd Ward Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9; Erie 3rd Ward Districts 1, 3, 4 and 5; Erie 4th Ward Districts 1 through 9; and Lawrence Park Township Districts 1, 2, and 3
- Mary Rennie, Democratic, District 3-Erie's 2nd Ward District 8; Erie's 3rd Ward Districts 2, 6 and 7; Erie's 5th Ward Districts 1, 2, 11 and 20; Erie's 6th Ward; and Millcreek Township Districts 11, 18, 19 and 20
- Carl Anderson III, Democratic, District 4-Erie's 2nd Ward District 5; Erie's 5th Ward Districts 3 through 10, 12 through 19, and 21; Wesleyville Borough District 2 (West District); and Millcreek Township Districts 1 and 21
- Brian Shank, Republican, District 5-North East Borough 1st and 2nd Wards; Wesleyville Borough District 1 (East District); and Greene, Harborcreek, North East and Summit townships.
- Scott Rastetter, Republican, District 6-City of Corry; the boroughs of Edinboro, Elgin, Union City, Waterford and Wattsburg; and Amity, Concord, Greenfield, LeBoeuf, Union, Venango, Washington, Waterford and Wayne townships
- Ellen Schauerman, Republican, District 7-Boroughs of Albion, Cranesville, Girard, Lake City, McKean and Platea, as well as Conneaut, Elk Creek, Fairview, Franklin, Girard, McKean and Springfield townships
Judiciary[]
The judiciary is made up of nine judges serving the Erie County Court of Common Pleas and fifteen magisterial district judges serve the district courts. Court administration is managed by a district court administrator, deputy court administrator, and assistant court administrator. The Erie County Courthouse is located near Perry Square in downtown Erie. Erie County also operates a County Prison, and a combined 911/Emergency Management Agency under the Erie County Department of Public Safety, which is located in Summit Township.
Row officers[]
- Clerk of Records, Kenneth Gamble, Democratic (Was appointed after the retirement of Pat Fetzner in 2015[3])
- Controller, Dr. Kyle W. Foust, Democrat
- Coroner, Lyell Cook, Republican
- District Attorney, Jack Daneri, Republican
- Sheriff, John Loomis, Democratic
Politics[]
As of November 1, 2021, there are 177,186 registered voters in Erie County.[4]
- Democratic: 85,603 (48.31%)
- Republican: 67,062 (37.85%)
- Independent: 16,612 (9.38%)
- Third Party:: 7,909 (4.46%)
Unlike most of northwestern Pennsylvania, Erie County tends to lean Democratic in statewide and national elections. All four statewide winners carried the county in 2008. The margins of victory for the Democratic presidential candidate in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 elections in Erie County were 9, 8, and 20 percentage points, respectively. In 2016, however, Republican Donald Trump continued a trend seen elsewhere in the region, turning Erie County red. He was also the first Republican presidential candidate to carry Erie County since 1984.
The county is considered a bellwether polity.[5]
State Senate[]
- Dan Laughlin (R), Pennsylvania's 49th Senatorial District
- Michele Brooks (R), Pennsylvania's 50th Senatorial District
State House of Representatives[]
- Patrick J. Harkins (D), Pennsylvania's 1st Representative District
- Robert Merski (D), Pennsylvania's 2nd Representative District
- Ryan A. Bizzarro (D), Pennsylvania's 3rd Representative District
- Curtis G. Sonney (R), Pennsylvania's 4th Representative District
- Brad Roae (R), Pennsylvania's 6th Representative District
- Parke Wentling (R), Pennsylvania's 17th Representative District
United States House of Representatives[]
- Mike Kelly (R), Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district
United States Senate[]
- Pat Toomey, Republican
- Bob Casey, Democrat
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 Erie County:
Cities[]
Boroughs[]
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Townships[]
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Census-designated places[]
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 be listed here as well.
- Avonia
- Northwest Harborcreek
Education[]
Public school districts[]
- Corry Area School District
- Erie City School District
- Fairview School District
- Fort LeBoeuf School District
- General McLane School District
- Girard School District
- Harbor Creek School District
- Iroquois School District
- Millcreek Township School District
- North East School District
- Northwestern School District
- Union City Area School District
- Wattsburg Area School District
Approved private schools[]
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has 36 Approved Private Schools including the Charter Schools for the Blind and Deaf. Students attending these schools come from across the commonwealth. The private schools are licensed by the State Board of Private Academic Schools. They provide a free appropriate special education for students with severe disabilities. The cost of tuition for these schools is paid 60% by the state and 40% by the local school district where the student is a resident. Pennsylvania currently has four PA chartered and 30 non-charter APSs for which the Department approves funding. These schools provide a program of special education for over 4,000 day and residential students. Parents are not charged for the services at the school.[6] In 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Education budgeted $98 million for tuition of children in approved private schools and $36.8 million for students attending the charter schools for the deaf and blind.[7]
- Barber National Institute, Erie, PA
Recreation[]
There are two Pennsylvania state parks in Erie County and both are on the shores of Lake Erie.
- Erie Bluffs State Park - one of Pennsylvania's newest state parks
- Presque Isle State Park - one of Pennsylvania's oldest state parks
See also[]
- List of municipal authorities in Erie County, Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, Pennsylvania
References[]
- ^ History of Erie County, Pennsylvania. Chicago: Warner, Beers and Company, 1884. Volume I, Part II, Chapter I, pg 137
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS.
- ^ "Fetzner retires from clerk of records post". http://www.goerie.com/article/20150131/NEWS02/301319928/fetzner-retires-from-clerk-of-records-post.
- ^ "Voter registration statistics by county". Pennsylvania Department of State. https://www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections/OtherServicesEvents/VotingElectionStatistics/Documents/currentvotestats.xls.
- ^ David Wasserman (October 6, 2020), "The 10 Bellwether Counties That Show How Trump Is in Serious Trouble", Nytimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/opinion/biden-trump-bellwether-counties-.html
- ^ Approved Private Schools and Chartered Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Pennsylvania Department of Education website, accessed April 2010.
- ^ Tommasini, John, Assistant Secretary of Education, Testimony before the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee Hearing on SB982 of 2010. given April 14, 2010
External links[]
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