York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 434,972. Its county seat is York. The county was created on August 19, 1749, from part of Lancaster County and named either for the Duke of York, an early patron of the Penn family, or for the city and shire of York in England.
York County comprises the York-Hanover, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania.
Based on the Articles of Confederation having been adopted in York by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, the local government and business community began referring to York in the 1960s as the first capital of the United States of America. The designation has been debated by historians ever since. Congress considered York, and the borough of Wrightsville, on the eastern side of York County along the Susquehanna River, as a permanent capital of the United States before Washington, D.C., was selected.
Video York County, Pennsylvania
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 911 square miles (2,360 km2), of which 904 square miles (2,340 km2) is land and 6.5 square miles (17 km2) (0.7%) is water. The county is bound to its eastern border by the Susquehanna River. Its southern border is the Mason-Dixon line, which separates Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Adjacent counties
- Cumberland County (north)
- Dauphin County (northeast)
- Lancaster County (east)
- Harford County, Maryland (southeast)
- Baltimore County, Maryland (south)
- Carroll County, Maryland (southwest)
- Adams County (west)
Major highways
Maps York County, Pennsylvania
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 381,751 people, 148,219 households, and 105,531 families residing in the county. The population density was 422 people per square mile (163/km²). There were 156,720 housing units at an average density of 173 per square mile (67/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.76% White, 3.69% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.96% of the population. 42.0% were of German, 12.6% American, 7.7% Irish, 6.4% English and 5.1% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.8% spoke English and 2.9% Spanish as their first language.
There were 148,219 households out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.
As of 2006, the York-Hanover Metropolitan Statistical Area was the fastest-growing metro area in the Northeast region, and was ranked among the fastest-growing in the nation, according to the "2006 Population Estimates for Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas" (U.S. Census Bureau). The estimates listed York-Hanover as the 95th fastest-growing metro area in the nation, increasing 9.1 percent between 2000 and 2006.
York County is home to Martin's Potato Chips in Thomasville, Utz Quality Foods, Inc. in Hanover, Snyder's of Hanover in Hanover, Hanover Foods in Hanover, Gibble's Potato Chips in York, Wolfgang Candy in York, The Bon-Ton in York, Dentsply in York, and a major manufacturing branch of Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
Dialect
The Central Pennsylvania accent and the Susquehanna dialect are the two most commonly heard speech patterns in the county, however there are numerous Mennonites and other persons of Pennsylvania Dutch descent that inhabit the county, who tend to speak with dialects similar to Pennsylvania Dutch English.
There is an increasingly large Hispanic population in and around the city of York, many of whom speak Spanish as their first language.
Metropolitan Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated York County as the York-Hanover, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau ranked the York-Hanover, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 9th most populous in the state of Pennsylvania, and 115th most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States as of July 1, 2012.
The Office of Management and Budget has further designated the York-Hanover Metropolitan Statistical Area as a component of the more extensive Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area, the 43rd most populous combined statistical area and the 49th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. The CSA ranks 5th in the state of Pennsylvania.
Politics and government
As of November 2008, there are 299,414 registered voters in York County.
- Republican: 143,261 (47.85%)
- Democratic: 112,207 (37.48%)
- Other Parties: 43,946 (14.68%)
County commissioners
- Susan Byrnes, Chairman, Republican
- Christopher B. Reilly, Vice-chairman, Republican
- Doug Hoke, Democrat
Other county offices
State House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
Education
Public school districts
Vocational school
- York County School of Technology
Public charter schools
Independent schools
Intermediate Unit
Lincoln Intermediate Unit (IU#12) region includes: Adams County, Franklin County and York County. The agency offers school districts, home schooled students and private schools many services including: special education services, combined purchasing, and instructional technology services. It runs Summer Academy which offers both art and academic strands designed to meet the individual needs of gifted, talented and high achieving students. Additional services include: Curriculum Mapping, Professional Development for school employees, Adult Education, Nonpublic School Services, Business Services, Migrant & ESL (English as a Second Language), Instructional Services, Management Services, and Technology Services. It also provides a GED program to adults who want to earn a high school diploma and literacy programs. The Lincoln Intermediate Unit is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, each a member of a local school board from the 25 school districts. Board members are elected by school directors of all 25 school districts for three-year terms that begin the first day of July. There are 29 intermediate units in Pennsylvania. They are funded by school districts, state and federal program specific funding and grants. IUs do not have the power to tax.
Colleges and universities
Adult education
Communities
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 in York County:
City
- York (county seat)
Boroughs
Townships
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.
Unincorporated communities
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of York County.
+ county seat
Notable residents
- John Andrews, born in York County was a United States Navy sailor awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during the Korean Expedition in 1872
- Caitlan Coleman, a hostage in Afghanistan for five years, during which time she gave birth to four children
- Halestorm, rock band hailing from the town of Red Lion, located in Southern York County
- Bob Hoffman, founder of York Barbell, U.S. weightlifter named "Father of World Weightlifting" by the International Weightlifting Federation
- Brian Keene, best-selling novelist
- James Kelly, member of the United States House of Representatives from 1805 to 1809
- Jeff Koons, American artist and sculptor
- John Kuhn, NFL football player
- George M. Leader, 36th governor of Pennsylvania
- Live, popular rock band of the 1990s
- Del McCoury, raised in York County, became leader of the Grammy award-winning bluegrass band, the Del McCoury Band. His two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, graduates of Susquehannock High School, also play in the band.
- Cameron Mitchell, actor, born in Dallastown, located in York County
- Craig Sheffer, actor
- James Alonzo Stahle, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1895 to 1897
- Tom Wolf, 47th governor of Pennsylvania
See also
References
Further reading
- Gibson, John, ed. A Biographical History of York County, Pennsylvania (Genealogical Publishing Com, 1886)
- Marcello, Ronald E. Small Town America in World War II: War Stories from Wrightsville, Pennsylvania (University of North Texas Press, 2014) 452 pp.
- Prowell, George Reeser. History of York County, Pennsylvania. Vol. 1. (JH Beers, 1907) online
External links
- York County official website
- Official Travel and Tourism site
- York County Heritage Trust
- York County history from the York Daily Record/Sunday News
- York County USGenWeb Project: good resource for History and Genealogy in York County
- York Town Square history blog
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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