Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

Pennsylvania - Wikipedia
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Coordinates
41°N
78°W
 / 
41°N 78°W
 /
41; -78
 (
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Checked
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This is the
latest accepted revision
reviewed
on
17 April 2026
U.S. state
This article is about the U.S. state. For other uses, see
Pennsylvania (disambiguation)
"Penn." redirects here. For other uses, see
Penn
Not to be confused with
Transylvania
State in the United States
Pennsylvania
State
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Flag
Seal
Nicknames
Keystone State;
Quaker State
Motto(s)
Virtue, Liberty, and Independence
Anthem:
Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania within the United States
Country
United States
Before statehood
Province of Pennsylvania
Admitted to the Union
December 12, 1787 (2nd)
Capital
Harrisburg
Largest city
Philadelphia
Largest county or equivalent
Philadelphia
Largest metro
and
urban
areas
Philadelphia
Government
Governor
Josh Shapiro
Lieutenant Governor
Austin Davis
(D)
Legislature
General Assembly
Upper house
State Senate
Lower house
House of Representatives
Judiciary
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
U.S. senators
John Fetterman
(D)
Dave McCormick
U.S. House delegation
10 Republicans
7 Democrats (
list
Area
• Total
46,055 sq mi (119,283 km
• Land
44,743 sq mi (115,883 km
• Water
1,300 sq mi (3,400 km
)  2.7%
• Rank
33rd
Dimensions
• Length
283 mi (455 km)
• Width
170 mi (270 km)
Elevation
1,120 ft (340 m)
Highest elevation
Mount Davis
3,212 ft (979 m)
Lowest elevation
Delaware River
at
Delaware
border
0 ft (0 m)
Population
(2025)
• Total
13,059,432
• Rank
5th
• Density
292/sq mi (112.7/km
• Rank
9th
Median household income
$73,800 (2
23)
• Income rank
28th
Demonyms
Pennsylvanian
Pennamite
Pennsylvanier
(Pennsylvania Dutch)
Language
Official language
None
Spoken language
90.15%
Spanish
4.09%
German
(including
Pennsylvania Dutch
) 0.87%
Chinese
0.47%
Italian
0.43%
Time zone
UTC– 05:00
Eastern
• Summer (
DST
UTC– 04:00
EDT
USPS abbreviation
PA
ISO 3166 code
US-PA
Traditional abbreviation
Pa., Penn., Penna.
Latitude
39°43′ to 42°16′ N
Longitude
74°41′ to 80°31′ W
Website
pa
.gov
State symbols of Pennsylvania
List of state symbols
Flag of Pennsylvania
Seal of Pennsylvania
Emblem of Pennsylvania
Coat of arms of Pennsylvania
Living insignia
Amphibian
Eastern Hellbender
Bird
Ruffed grouse
Dog breed
Great Dane
Fish
Brook trout
Flower
Mountain laurel
Insect
Firefly (Colloquially "Lightning Bug") (
Photuris pensylvanica
Mammal
White-tailed deer
Tree
Eastern hemlock
Inanimate insignia
Beverage
Milk
Dance
Polka
Food
None
Fossil
Trilobite
Soil
Hazleton
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 1999
Lists of United States state symbols
Pennsylvania
officially the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
is a
U.S. state
located in the
Mid-Atlantic
Northeastern
Appalachian
, and
Great Lakes
regions of the United States. It borders
Delaware
to its southeast,
Maryland
to its south, forming the
Mason-Dixon Line
West Virginia
to its southwest,
Ohio
to its west, the
Canadian province
of
Ontario
to its northwest via
Lake Erie
New York
to its north, and the
Delaware River
and
New Jersey
to its east. Pennsylvania's
most populous city
is
Philadelphia
, and the state capital is
Harrisburg
. Pennsylvania is the
fifth-most populous
state in the country, with over 13 million residents as of the
2020 United States census
. Pennsylvania has the
ninth-highest by population density
, and is the
33rd-largest
by land area. The largest
metropolitan statistical area
is the
Philadelphia metropolitan area
in
southeastern Pennsylvania
, also known as the
Delaware Valley
and centered on Philadelphia, the
sixth-most populous U.S. city
. Pennsylvania's second-largest metropolitan area,
Greater Pittsburgh
, is centered in and around
Pittsburgh
, the commonwealth's second-largest city.
Pennsylvania was founded in 1681 through a royal
land grant
to
William Penn
, the son of
the commonwealth's namesake
. Before that, between 1638 and 1655, a southeast portion of the state was part of
New Sweden
, a
Swedish
colony. Established as a haven for religious and political tolerance, the
British
colonial-era
Province of Pennsylvania
was known for its relatively peaceful relations with native tribes,
innovative government system
, and
religious pluralism
. Pennsylvania played a vital and historic role in the
American Revolution
and the ultimately successful quest for independence from the British Empire, hosting the
First
and
Second Continental Congress
in
Philadelphia
, the latter of which formed the
Continental Army
commanded by
George Washington
in 1775, during the
American Revolutionary War
, unanimously adopted the
Declaration of Independence
the following year.
10
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the
U.S. Constitution
after
Delaware
The
Battle of Gettysburg
, fought in July 1863 around
Gettysburg
, was the bloodiest battle of the
American Civil War
with over 51,000
Union
and
Confederate
casualties, and resulted in a repulsion of the Confederacy's invasion of the North. Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, the state's
steel
production and manufacturing-based economy contributed to the development of much of the nation's early infrastructure, including key bridges, skyscrapers, and military hardware used in U.S.-led victories in
World War I
World War II
, and the
Cold War
. In the 21st century, Pennsylvania has garnered the nickname "Cellicon State" for the central role of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the development of
immunotherapies
to treat different cancers.
11
Pennsylvania's geography
is highly diverse. The
Appalachian Mountains
run through the center of the state, the
Allegheny
and
Pocono
mountains span much of
Northeastern Pennsylvania
, and close to
60% of the state is forested
. Although Pennsylvania technically has no oceanic
shoreline
, it has 140 miles (225 km) of
waterfront
along Lake Erie and along the
tidal
Delaware River, the latter of which reaches the
Delaware Bay
, a
marginal bay
of the
Atlantic Ocean
12
History
edit
Main article:
History of Pennsylvania
See also:
List of Pennsylvania firsts
and
List of people from Pennsylvania
Indigenous settlement
edit
Pennsylvania's history of human habitation extends thousands of years before the foundation of the colonial
Province of Pennsylvania
in 1681.
Archaeologists
believe the first
settlement of the Americas
occurred at least 15,000 years ago, during the
Last Glacial Period
, though it is unclear when humans first inhabited present-day Pennsylvania. Between 10,000 and 16,000 years ago,
Native Americans
crossed the two continents, arriving in
North America
13
Meadowcroft Rockshelter
in
Jefferson Township
includes the earliest known signs of human activity in Pennsylvania and perhaps all of North America,
14
including the remains of a civilization that existed over 10,000 years ago and possibly pre-dated the
Clovis culture
15
14
By 1000 AD, in contrast to their nomadic
hunter-gatherer
ancestors
, the native population of Pennsylvania had developed
agricultural
techniques and a mixed food economy.
16
By the time
European colonization of the Americas
began, at least two major Native American tribes inhabited Pennsylvania.
15
The first, the
Lenape
, spoke an
Algonquian language
and inhabited the eastern region of the state, then known as
Lenapehoking
. It included most of present-day
New Jersey
and the
Lehigh Valley
and
Delaware Valley
regions in eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania. The Lenape's territory ended somewhere between the
Delaware River
in the east and the
Susquehanna River
in central Pennsylvania. The second tribe, the
Susquehannock
, spoke an
Iroquoian language
and were based in
Eastern Pennsylvania
along the Susquehanna River.
17
European disease and constant warfare with several neighboring tribes and groups of Europeans weakened these two tribes, and they were grossly outpaced financially as the
Hurons
and
Iroquois
blocked them from proceeding west into
Ohio
during the
Beaver Wars
. As they lost numbers and land, the Hurons abandoned much of their western territory and moved closer to the Susquehanna River, and the Iroquois and Mohawk tribes moved further north. Northwest of the Allegheny River was the Iroquoian
Petun
18
19
who were fragmented into three groups during the Beaver Wars: the Petun of New York, the Wyandot of Ohio, and the Tiontatecaga of the Kanawha River in southern West Virginia. South of the Allegheny River was a nation known as Calicua,
citation needed
which may have been part of the
Monongahela culture
17th century
edit
Main article:
Province of Pennsylvania
William Penn
, a
Quaker
and son of a
prominent admiral
, founded the colonial
Province of Pennsylvania
in 1681.
In the 17th century, the
Dutch
and the
each claimed both sides of the
Delaware River
as part of their colonial lands in America.
20
21
22
The Dutch were the first to take possession.
22
By June 3, 1631, the Dutch began settling the
Delmarva Peninsula
by establishing the
Zwaanendael Colony
on the site of present-day
Lewes, Delaware
23
In 1638, Sweden established the
New Sweden Colony
in the region of
Fort Christina
on the site of present-day
Wilmington, Delaware
. New Sweden claimed and, for the most part, controlled the lower Delaware River region, including parts of present-day Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, but settled few colonists there.
24
25
On March 12, 1664,
King Charles II of England
gave
James, Duke of York
grant
that incorporated all lands included in the original Virginia Company of Plymouth Grant and other lands. This grant was in conflict with the Dutch claim for
New Netherland
, which included parts of today's Pennsylvania.
26
On June 24, 1664, the Duke of York sold the portion of his large grant that included present-day
New Jersey
to
John Berkeley
and
George Carteret
for a proprietary colony. The land was not yet in British possession, but the sale boxed in the portion of New Netherland on the West side of the Delaware River. The British conquest of New Netherland began on August 29, 1664, when
New Amsterdam
was coerced to surrender while facing cannons on British ships in
New York Harbor
27
28
The conquest was completed in October 1664, when the British captured
Fort Casimir
in what today is
New Castle, Delaware
. The
Treaty of Breda
between England, France, and the Netherlands confirmed the English conquest on July 21, 1667,
29
30
although there were temporary reversions.
On September 12, 1672, during the
Third Anglo-Dutch War
, the Dutch reconquered
New York Colony
New Amsterdam
, establishing three County Courts, which went on to become original Counties in present-day
Delaware
and Pennsylvania. The one that later transferred to Pennsylvania was Upland.
31
This was partially reversed on February 9, 1674, when the
Treaty of Westminster
ended the Third Anglo-Dutch War and reverted all political situations to the
status quo ante bellum
. The British retained the Dutch Counties with their Dutch names.
32
By June 11, 1674, New York reasserted control over the outlying colonies, including Upland, and the names started to be changed to British names by November 11, 1674.
33
Upland was partitioned on November 12, 1674, producing the general outline of the current border between Pennsylvania and Delaware.
34
On February 28, 1681, Charles II granted a land charter
35
to
Quaker
leader William Penn to repay a debt of £16,000
36
(around £2,100,000 in 2008, adjusting for retail inflation)
37
owed to William's father. The transaction represents one of the largest land grants to an individual in history.
38
39
Penn proposed that the land be called New Wales, but there were objections to that name, so he recommended Sylvania (from the
Latin
silva
: "forest, woods"). The King named it Pennsylvania (literally "Penn's Woods") in honor of Admiral Penn. The younger Penn was embarrassed at this name, fearing that people would think he had named it after himself, but King Charles would not rename the grant.
40
Penn established a government with two innovations, the
county commission
and
freedom of religion
, which were subsequently replicated in many of the
Thirteen Colonies
39
What had been Upland on the Pennsylvania side of the Pennsylvania-Delaware border was renamed
Chester County
when Pennsylvania instituted its colonial governments on March 4, 1681.
41
42
Penn signed a peace treaty with
Tamanend
, leader of the Lenape, which began a long period of friendly relations between the Quakers and the Indians.
43
Additional treaties between Quakers and other tribes followed. The
Treaty of Shackamaxon
of William Penn was never violated.
44
45
46
18th century
edit
See also:
Pennsylvania in the American Revolution
Further information:
George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River
Philadelphia campaign
, and
Constitutional Convention (United States)
Shelter House
in
Emmaus
, constructed in 1734 by
Pennsylvania German
settlers, is the oldest continuously occupied building structure in the
Lehigh Valley
and one of the oldest in Pennsylvania
47
Independence Hall
in
Philadelphia
, where the
Declaration of Independence
and
United States Constitution
were adopted in 1776 and 1787–88, respectively
Between 1730 and when the Pennsylvania Colony was shut down by
Parliament
with the
Currency Act
in 1764, the Pennsylvania Colony made its own paper money to account for the shortage of actual gold and silver. The paper money was called
Colonial Scrip
The Colony issued bills of credit, which were as good as gold or silver coins because of their legal tender status. Since they were issued by the government and not a banking institution, they were interest-free, largely defraying the expense of the government and therefore taxation of the people. It also promoted general employment and prosperity, since the government used discretion and did not issue excessive amounts that inflated the currency.
Benjamin Franklin
had a hand in creating this currency, whose utility, he said, was never to be disputed. The currency also met with "cautious approval" by
Adam Smith
48
In 1740, Franklin also founded the
University of Pennsylvania
in
Philadelphia
. The university, one of nine
colonial colleges
, was the first college established in Pennsylvania and one of the first in the nation. Today, it is an
Ivy League
university, which is routinely ranked among the world's best universities.
49
Dickinson College
in
Carlisle
, founded by
Benjamin Rush
and named after John Dickinson, was the first college founded after
Revolutionary War
and the unification of the states.
49
Established in 1773, it was ratified on September 9, 1783, five days after the
Treaty of Paris
James Smith
wrote that in 1763, "the Indians again commenced hostilities, and were busily engaged in killing and scalping the frontier inhabitants in various parts of Pennsylvania. This state was then a Quaker government, and at the first of this war the frontiers received no assistance from the state."
50
The ensuing hostilities became known as
Pontiac's War
After the
Stamp Act Congress
of 1765, delegate John Dickinson of Philadelphia wrote the
Declaration of Rights and Grievances
. The Congress was the first meeting of the
Thirteen Colonies
, which convened at the request of the
Massachusetts
assembly; nine of the 13 colonies sent delegates.
51
Dickinson then wrote
Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, To the Inhabitants of the British Colonies
, which were published in the Pennsylvania Chronicle between December 2, 1767, and February 15, 1768.
When the
Founding Fathers
convened in Philadelphia in 1774, 12 colonies sent representatives to the
First Continental Congress
52
The
Second Continental Congress
, which began in May 1775, authored and signed the
Declaration of Independence
in Philadelphia,
53
but when Philadelphia fell to the
British
in the
Philadelphia campaign
, the Continental Congress moved west, where it met at the
Lancaster
courthouse on Saturday, September 27, 1777, and then to
York
. In York, the Second Continental Congress adopted the
Articles of Confederation
, largely authored by Pennsylvania delegate John Dickinson, that formed 13 independent States
into a new union. Later, the
Constitution
was written, and Philadelphia was once again chosen to be cradle to the new nation.
54
The Constitution was drafted and signed at the
Pennsylvania State House
in Philadelphia, now known as
Independence Hall
, the same building where the Declaration of Independence was previously adopted and signed in 1776.
55
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the
U.S. Constitution
56
five days after
Delaware
became the first. At the time, Pennsylvania was the most ethnically and religiously diverse of the thirteen colonies. Because a third of Pennsylvania's population spoke
German
, the Constitution was presented in German so those citizens could participate in the discussion about it.
Reverend Frederick Muhlenberg
, a
Lutheran
minister and the
first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
, acted as chairman of Pennsylvania's ratifying convention.
57
For half a century, the
Pennsylvania General Assembly
met at various places in the Philadelphia area before it began meeting regularly in Independence Hall in Philadelphia for 63 years.
58
However, events such as the
Paxton Boys
massacres of 1763 had made the legislature aware of the need for a central capital. In 1799, the General Assembly moved to the
Lancaster
Courthouse.
58
19th century
edit
See also:
Pennsylvania in the American Civil War
Battle of Gettysburg
Gettysburg Address
, and
Industrial Revolution in the United States
The
Battle of Gettysburg
, an 1887 portrait by
Thure de Thulstrup
depicting the
Battle of Gettysburg
, fought over three days from July 1 to 3, 1863, in
Gettysburg
. It was the
deadliest battle
ever fought on American soil and the bloodiest battle in all of American military history. But the
Union army
's victory at Gettysburg proved the
Civil War's turning point
, paving the way for the
Union
's ultimate victory two years later and the nation's preservation.
On November 19, 1863,
President Abraham Lincoln
(center, facing camera) traveled to present-day
Gettysburg National Cemetery
and delivered the
Gettysburg Address
, a 271-word address considered one of the most famous speeches in American history.
59
60
The
Pennsylvania General Assembly
met in the old
Dauphin County
Court House until December 1821
58
when the
Federal
-style Hills Capitol, named for Lancaster architect
Stephen Hills
, was constructed on a hilltop land grant of four acres set aside for a seat of state government in
Harrisburg
by the son and namesake of
John Harris, Sr.
, a
Yorkshire
native who founded a trading post and ferry on the east shore of the
Susquehanna River
in 1705.
61
The Hills Capitol burned down on February 2, 1897, during a heavy snowstorm, presumably because of a faulty
flue
58
The General Assembly met at a nearby
Methodist Church
until a new capitol could be built. Following an architectural selection contest,
Chicago
architect
Henry Ives Cobb
was asked to design and build a replacement building. However, the legislature had little money to allocate to the project. When they dubbed the roughly finished, somewhat industrial Cobb Capitol building complete, the General Assembly refused to occupy the building. In 1901, political and popular indignation prompted a second contest that was restricted to Pennsylvania architects;
Joseph Miller Huston
of Philadelphia was chosen to design the present
Pennsylvania State Capitol
that incorporated Cobb's building into a magnificent public work, finished and dedicated in 1907.
58
From 1857 to 1861,
James Buchanan
, a
Franklin County
native, served as the 15th U.S. president, the first president to be born in Pennsylvania.
62
Over three days, from July 1 to 3, 1863, during the
American Civil War
, the
Battle of Gettysburg
was fought near
Gettysburg
. The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of both the Civil War and of any battle in American history. The
Union army
's victory at Gettysburg also proved the
Civil War's turning point
, leading to the
Union
's victory two years later and the nation's preservation. Several months later, on November 19, 1863, then
U.S. president
Abraham Lincoln
traveled to Gettysburg, where he participated in a ceremonial consecration of present-day
Gettysburg National Cemetery
and delivered the
Gettysburg Address
, a 271-word speech that is one of the most famous
speeches
in
American history
63
During the Civil War, an estimated 350,000 Pennsylvanians served in the Union army, including 8,600 African American
military volunteers
The politics of Pennsylvania were for decades dominated by the financially conservative
Republican
-aligned
Cameron machine
, established by
U.S. Senator Simon Cameron
64
who later served as Lincoln's
Secretary of War
. Control of the machine was subsequently passed on to Cameron's son
J. Donald Cameron
, whose ineffectiveness resulted in a transfer of power to
Matthew Quay
and later to
Boies Penrose
The post-Civil War era, known as the
Gilded Age
, saw the continued rise of industry in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was home to some of the largest steel companies in the world.
Andrew Carnegie
founded the
Carnegie Steel Company
in
Pittsburgh
and
Charles M. Schwab
founded
Bethlehem Steel
in
Bethlehem
. Other titans of industry, including
John D. Rockefeller
and
Jay Gould
, also operated in Pennsylvania. In the latter half of the 19th century, the U.S.
oil industry
was born in
Western Pennsylvania
, which supplied the vast majority of
kerosene
for years thereafter. As the
Pennsylvania oil rush
developed, Pennsylvania's oil boom towns, such as
Titusville
, rose and later fell. Coal mining, primarily in the state's
Coal Region
in the northeast region of the state, also was a major industry for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1903,
Milton S. Hershey
began construction on a chocolate factory in
Hershey, Pennsylvania
The Hershey Company
grew to become the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America.
Heinz Company
was also founded during this period. These huge companies exercised a large influence on the politics of Pennsylvania; as
Henry Demarest Lloyd
put it, oil baron John D. Rockefeller "had done everything with the Pennsylvania legislature except refine it".
65
Pennsylvania created a Department of Highways and engaged in a vast program of road-building, while railroads continued to see heavy usage.
citation needed
The growth of industry eventually provided middle class incomes to working-class households after the development of labor unions helped them gain living wages. However, the rise of unions also led to a rise of
union busting
with several private police forces springing up.
65
Pennsylvania was the location of the first documented organized strike in North America, and Pennsylvania was the location of two hugely prominent strikes, the
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
and the
Coal Strike of 1902
. The eight-hour day was eventually adopted, and the coal and iron police were banned.
66
20th century
edit
Bethlehem Steel
in
Bethlehem
was one of the world's leading steel manufacturers for most of the 20th century. In 1982, however, it discontinued most of its operations, declared bankruptcy in 2001, and was dissolved in 2003.
In the beginning of the 20th century, Pennsylvania's economy was centered on steel manufacturing,
logging
coal mining
textile
production, and other forms of industrial
manufacturing
. A surge in immigration to the U.S. during the late 19th and early 20th centuries provided a steady flow of cheap labor for these industries, which often employed children and people who could not speak English from
Southern
and
Eastern Europe
citation needed
Thousands of Pennsylvanians volunteered during the
Spanish–American War
. Pennsylvania was an important industrial center during
World War I
. The state provided over 300,000 soldiers during the war. On May 31, 1918, the
Pittsburgh Agreement
was signed in
Pittsburgh
, signed by
Tomáš Masaryk
and established
Czechoslovakia
as an independent nation.
In 1922, 310,000 Pennsylvania miners joined the
UMW General coal strike
, which lasted 163 days and shut down most of the state's coal mines.
67
68
In 1923,
President Calvin Coolidge
established the
Allegheny National Forest
under the authority of the
Weeks Act
of 1911.
69
The forest is located in the northwest part of the state in
Elk
Forest
McKean
, and
Warren
Counties for the purposes of timber production and watershed protection in the
Allegheny River
basin. The Allegheny is the state's only national forest.
70
In 1922, the
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
began being constructed for the
Sesquicentennial Exposition
in Philadelphia being held in 1926. The chief engineer of the bridge was Polish-born
Ralph Modjeski
, the design engineer was
Leon Moisseiff
, the supervising architect was
Paul Philippe Cret
, and the construction engineer was
Montgomery B. Case
. Work began on January 6, 1922. At the peak of construction, 1,300 people worked on the bridge, and 15 died during its construction. The bridge was originally painted by a commercial painting company owned by David A. Salkind, of Philadelphia, which also painted the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge opened to traffic on July 1, 1926, three days ahead of its scheduled opening on the nation's 150th anniversary. At completion, its 1,750-foot (533-meter) span was the
world's longest for a suspension bridge
, a distinction it held until the opening of the
Ambassador Bridge
connecting
Detroit, Michigan
, with
Windsor, Ontario
, Canada, in 1929.
71
During
World War II
, Pennsylvania manufactured 6.6 percent of total U.S. military armaments for the war, the sixth-most of the 48 states.
72
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
served as an important naval base during the war, and Pennsylvania produced many of the war's most important military leaders, including
George C. Marshall
Hap Arnold
Jacob Devers
, and
Carl Spaatz
. During World War II, over a million Pennsylvanians served in the armed forces, and more
Medals of Honor
were awarded to Pennsylvanians than to individuals from any other state.
citation needed
On March 28, 1979, the
Three Mile Island accident
was the most significant
nuclear accident
in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.
73
74
The state was hard-hit by the decline and restructuring of the steel industry and other heavy industries during the late 20th century. With job losses came heavy population losses, especially in the state's largest cities. Pittsburgh lost its place among the
top ten most populous cities in the United States
in 1950, and Philadelphia dropped to the fifth and is currently the
sixth-largest city
after decades of ranking among the top three.
After 1990, as information-based industries became more important in the economy, state and local governments put more resources into the old, well-established public library system. Some localities, however, used new state funding to cut local taxes.
75
New ethnic groups, especially
Hispanics and Latinos
, began entering the state to fill low-skill jobs in agriculture and service industries. For example, in
Chester County
Mexican
immigrants brought the
Spanish language
, increased
Catholicism
, high birth rates, and cuisine when they were hired as agricultural laborers; in some rural localities, they made up half or more of the population.
76
Stateside Puerto Ricans
have built a large community in the state's third-largest city,
Allentown
, where they comprise over 40% of the city's population as of 2000.
77
In the late 20th century, as Pennsylvania's historical national and even global leadership in
mining
largely ceased and its
steelmaking
and other heavy manufacturing sectors slowed, the state sought to grow its service and other industries to replace the jobs and economic productivity lost from the downturn of these industries. Pittsburgh's concentration of universities has enabled it to be a leader in technology and healthcare. Similarly, Philadelphia has a concentration of university expertise. Healthcare, retail, transportation, and tourism are some of the state's growing industries of the postindustrial era. As in the rest of the nation, most residential population growth has occurred in suburban rather than central city areas, although both major cities have had significant revitalization in their downtown areas.
78
Philadelphia anchors the
seventh-largest
metropolitan area
in the country and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, and Pittsburgh is the center of the nation's 27th-largest metropolitan areas. As of 2020, the
Lehigh Valley
in eastern Pennsylvania is the nation's 69th-largest metropolitan area.
79
Pennsylvania also has six additional metropolitan areas that rank among the nation's 200-most populous metropolitan areas. Philadelphia forms part of the
Northeast megalopolis
and is associated with the
Northeastern United States
. Pittsburgh is part of the
Great Lakes megalopolis
and is often associated with the
Rust Belt
21st century
edit
Further information:
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
and
United Airlines Flight 93
The
Stonycreek Township
crash site of
Flight 93
, one of four planes hijacked in the
September 11 attacks
; the site is now a
national memorial
. Flight 93 passengers wrestled with
al-Qaeda terrorist hijackers
for control of the plane, preventing it from being flown into the
White House
or
U.S. Capitol
80
During the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States
, the small town of
Shanksville, Pennsylvania
, received worldwide attention after
United Airlines Flight 93
crashed into a field in
Stonycreek Township
, located 1.75 miles (2.82 km) north of the town. All 40 civilians and 4
Al-Qaeda
hijackers on board were killed. The hijackers had intended to crash the plane into either the
United States Capitol
or
The White House
80
After learning from family members via air phone of the earlier attacks on the
World Trade Center
, however, Flight 93's passengers revolted against the hijackers and fought for control of the plane, causing it to crash. It was the only one of the four aircraft hijacked that day that never reached its intended target and the heroism of the passengers has been commemorated.
81
In October 2018, the
Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation
, a
conservative Jewish
synagogue, experienced the
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
, which resulted in 11 fatalities.
82
On July 13, 2024, near
Butler, Pennsylvania
an assassination attempt
on the 45th President of the United States
Donald Trump
occurred. Since the inception of the 21st century, Pennsylvania has garnered the additional nickname of "Cellicon State" for the central role of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the development of
immunotherapies
to treat different cancers.
11
Geography
edit
Main article:
Geography of Pennsylvania
Further information:
List of counties in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is 170 miles (274 km) north to south and 283 miles (455 km) east to west.
83
Of a total 46,055 square miles (119,282 km
),
44,817 square miles (116,075 km
) are land, 490 square miles (1,269 km
) are inland waters, and 749 square miles (1,940 km
) are waters in
Lake Erie
84
It is the
33rd-largest state
in the United States.
85
Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 km)
86
of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km)
12
of shoreline along the
Delaware Estuary
. Of the original
Thirteen Colonies
, Pennsylvania is the only state that does not border the
Atlantic Ocean
. With 86,000 miles of rivers and streams, Pennsylvania has the highest density of waterways of any state in the continental United States.
87
88
The boundaries of the state are the
Mason–Dixon line
(39°43' N) to the south,
Twelve-Mile Circle
on the Pennsylvania-
Delaware
border, the
Delaware River
to the east, 80°31' W to the west, and the
42° N
to the north, except for a short segment on the western end where a
triangle
extends north to Lake Erie. The state has five geographical regions:
Allegheny Plateau
Ridge and Valley
Atlantic Coastal Plain
Piedmont
, and
Erie Plain
Climate
edit
Main article:
Climate of Pennsylvania
The
Köppen climate types
of Pennsylvania based on 1991–2020
climate normals
Autumn in
North Branch Township
in
Wyoming County
in October 2011
Pennsylvania's diverse topography produces a variety of climates, though the entire state experiences cool to cold winters and very warm, humid summers. Straddling two major zones, much of the state has a
humid continental climate
Köppen climate classification
Dfa
or
Dfb
). The southern portion of the state has a
humid subtropical
climate. The largest city,
Philadelphia
, has a
humid subtropical climate
(Köppen
Cfa
).
Summers are generally hot and humid. Moving toward the mountainous interior of the state, the winter climate becomes colder, the number of cloudy days increases, and snowfall amounts are greater. Western areas of the state, particularly locations near Lake Erie, can receive over 100 inches (250 cm) of snowfall annually, and the entire state receives plentiful precipitation throughout the year. The state may be subject to severe weather from spring through summer into autumn. Tornadoes occur annually in the state, sometimes in large numbers, such as 30 recorded tornadoes in 2011; violent tornadoes, however, are rarer than they are in states further west.
89
Monthly Average High and Low Temperatures For Various Pennsylvania Cities (in °F)
City
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
Jun.
Jul.
Aug.
Sep.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Allentown
36/20
40/22
49/29
61/39
72/48
80/58
84/63
82/61
75/53
64/41
52/33
40/24
Erie
34/21
36/21
44/27
56/38
67/48
76/58
80/63
79/62
72/56
61/45
50/37
38/27
Harrisburg
37/23
41/25
50/33
62/42
72/52
81/62
85/66
83/64
76/56
64/45
53/35
41/27
Philadelphia
40/26
44/28
53/34
64/44
74/54
83/64
87/69
85/68
78/60
67/48
56/39
45/30
Pittsburgh
36/21
39/23
49/30
62/40
71/49
79/58
83/63
81/62
74/54
63/43
51/35
39/25
Scranton
33/19
37/21
46/28
59/38
70/48
78/56
82/61
80/60
72/52
61/41
49/33
38/24
Sources:
90
91
92
93
94
Municipalities
edit
Main article:
List of municipalities in Pennsylvania
See also:
List of counties in Pennsylvania
List of cities in Pennsylvania
List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania
List of townships in Pennsylvania
List of county seats in Pennsylvania (by population)
List of census-designated places in Pennsylvania
, and
List of populated places in Pennsylvania
Cities in Pennsylvania include
Philadelphia
Reading
Lebanon
, and
Lancaster
in the southeast,
Pittsburgh
in the southwest, and the tri-cities of
Allentown
Bethlehem
, and
Easton
in the central east, known as the
Lehigh Valley
. The
northeast
includes the former
anthracite coal
mining cities of
Scranton
Wilkes-Barre
Pittston
Nanticoke
, and
Hazleton
Erie
is located in the northwest.
State College
is located in the central region.
Williamsport
is in the north-central region with
York
Carlisle
, and the state capital
Harrisburg
on the
Susquehanna River
in the east-central region of the state.
Altoona
and
Johnstown
are in the state's west-central region.
The state's three-most populated cities, in order of size, are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown.
Largest municipalities in Pennsylvania
Source:
95
Rank
Name
County
Pop.
Rank
Name
County
Pop.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
1,603,797
11
Lancaster
Lancaster
58,039
Pittsburgh
Allegheny
302,971
12
Millcreek Township
Erie
54,073
Allentown
Lehigh
125,845
13
Lower Paxton Township
Dauphin
53,501
Reading
Berks
95,112
14
Haverford Township
Delaware
50,431
Erie
Erie
94,831
15
Harrisburg
Dauphin
50,099
Upper Darby Township
Delaware
85,681
16
York
York
44,800
Scranton
Lackawanna
76,328
17
Wilkes-Barre
Luzerne
44,328
Bethlehem
Northampton
75,781
18
Altoona
Blair
43,963
Lower Merion Township
Montgomery
63,633
19
Hempfield Township
Westmoreland
41,466
10
Bensalem Township
Bucks
62,707
20
Penn Hills
Allegheny
41,059
Adjacent states and province
edit
Ontario
(Province of
Canada
) (Northwest)
New York
(North and Northeast)
New Jersey
(East and Southeast)
Delaware
(Extreme Southeast)
Maryland
(South)
West Virginia
(Southwest)
Ohio
(West)
Demographics
edit
Further information:
List of people from Pennsylvania
Historical population
Census
Pop.
Note
%±
1790
434,373
1800
602,365
38.7%
1810
810,091
34.5%
1820
1,049,458
29.5%
1830
1,348,233
28.5%
1840
1,724,033
27.9%
1850
2,311,786
34.1%
1860
2,906,215
25.7%
1870
3,521,951
21.2%
1880
4,282,891
21.6%
1890
5,258,113
22.8%
1900
6,302,115
19.9%
1910
7,665,111
21.6%
1920
8,720,017
13.8%
1930
9,631,350
10.5%
1940
9,900,180
2.8%
1950
10,498,012
6.0%
1960
11,319,366
7.8%
1970
11,793,909
4.2%
1980
11,863,895
0.6%
1990
11,881,643
0.1%
2000
12,281,054
3.4%
2010
12,702,379
3.4%
2020
13,002,700
2.4%
2025 (est.)
13,059,432
0.4%
Source: 1910–2020
96
Pennsylvania population density map
Pennsylvania
population pyramid
As of the
2020 U.S. census
, Pennsylvania had a population of 13,011,844, up from 12,702,379 in 2010. Pennsylvania is the
fifth-most populated state
in the U.S. after
California
Texas
Florida
, and
New York
, and having overtaken
Illinois
as of the 2020 census.
97
In 2019, net
migration
to other states resulted in a decrease of 27,718, and
immigration
from other countries resulted in an increase of 127,007. Net migration to Pennsylvania was 98,289. Migration of native Pennsylvanians resulted in a decrease of 100,000 people. 7.2% of the population was foreign-born as of 2021.
98
99
Pennsylvania's
center of population
is in
Duncannon
in
Perry County
100
According to the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
's 2022
Annual Homeless Assessment Report
, there were an estimated 12,691
homeless
people in Pennsylvania.
101
102
Place of origin
edit
Among Pennsylvania residents, as of 2020, nearly three out of four, 74.5%, are native to the state and were born in Pennsylvania, 18.4% were born in a different U.S. state, 1.5% were born in
Puerto Rico
, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s), and 5.6% were foreign born.
103
Foreign-born Pennsylvanians are largely from Asia (36.0%), Europe (35.9%), and Latin America (30.6%) with the remainder from Africa (5%), North America (3.1%), and Oceania (0.4%). The state's largest ancestry groups, expressed as a percentage of total people who responded with a particular ancestry for the 2010 census, were
German
28.5%,
Irish
18.2%,
Italian
12.8%,
African Americans
9.6%,
8.5%,
Polish
7.2%, and
French
4.2%.
104
105
As of 2018, the top countries of origin for Pennsylvania's immigrants were
India
, the
Dominican Republic
China
Mexico
, and
Vietnam
106
Race and ethnicity
edit
Ethnic origins of Pennsylvanians
Map of counties in Pennsylvania by racial and ethnic plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census
The vast majority of Pennsylvania's population is made up of Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Non-Hispanic Whites make up the majority of Pennsylvania; they are mostly descended from German, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Italian, and English immigrants. Rural portions of South Central Pennsylvania are recognized nationally for their
Amish communities
Wyoming Valley
, including
Scranton
and
Wilkes-Barre
, has the highest percentage of white residents of any metropolitan area with a population of 500,000 or above in the U.S.; in Wyoming Valley, 96.2% of the population claim to be white with no Hispanic background.
Romani people
have been present in the state since the mid-1800s.
107
The state's Hispanic or Latino American population grew by 82.6% between 2000 and 2010, marking one of the largest increases in a state's Hispanic population. The significant growth of the Hispanic or Latino population is due to migration to the state mainly from
Puerto Rico
, a U.S. territory, and to a lesser extent immigration from countries such as the
Dominican Republic
Mexico
, and various
Central
and
South American
nations and a wave of Hispanic and Latinos leaving
New York City
and
New Jersey
for more affordable living.
108
The majority of Hispanic or Latino Americans in Pennsylvania are of
Puerto Rican
descent.
109
110
Most of the remaining Hispanic or Latino population is made up of
Mexicans
and
Dominicans
, and the majority of Hispanics and Latinos are concentrated in Philadelphia, the
Lehigh Valley
, and South Central Pennsylvania.
111
The Hispanic or Latino population is greatest in
Bethlehem
Allentown
Reading
Lancaster
York
, and around Philadelphia. As of 2010, the vast majority of Hispanics and Latino Americans in Pennsylvania, about 85%, live within a 150-mile (240 km) radius of Philadelphia, and about 20% live in the city itself.
Pennsylvania's Asian population more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, comprising mostly Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino immigrants, and many Asians moving to
Philadelphia
from New York City. The rapid growth of this community has given Pennsylvania one of the largest Asian populations in the nation.
Among the state's black population, the vast majority in the state are African American. There are also a growing number of black residents of
West Indian
recent African
, and
Hispanic or Latino
origins.
112
Most Blacks live in the Philadelphia area, Pittsburgh, or South Central Pennsylvania.
citation needed
Additionally, in 2020, 31,052 identified as being Native American alone, and 158,112 did in combination with one or more other races.
113
Racial and ethnic composition as of the
2020 census
Race and ethnicity
113
Alone
Total
White (non-Hispanic)
73.4%
76.6%
African American (non-Hispanic)
10.5%
11.8%
Hispanic or Latino
8.1%
Asian
3.9%
4.5%
Native American
0.1%
1.1%
Pacific Islander
0.02%
0.1%
Other
0.4%
1.3%
Historical racial and ethnic composition to 2020
Racial and ethnic composition
1990
114
2000
115
2010
116
2020
117
White
88.5%
85.4%
81.9%
75.0%
Black
9.2%
10.0%
10.9%
10.9%
Asian
1.2%
1.8%
2.8%
3.9%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
0.2%
0.2%
Native Hawaiians
and
other Pacific Islanders
Other race
1.0%
1.5%
2.4%
3.9%
Two or more races
1.2%
1.9%
6.0%
Pennsylvania – racial and ethnic composition
Note: The US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity
NH = Non-Hispanic
Pop 2000
118
Pop 2010
119
Pop 2020
120
% 2000
% 2010
% 2020
White
alone (NH)
10,322,455
10,094,652
9,553,417
84.05%
79.47%
73.47%
Black or African American
alone (NH)
1,202,437
1,327,091
1,368,978
9.79%
10.45%
10.53%
Native American
or
Alaska Native
alone (NH)
14,904
16,909
15,028
0.12%
0.13%
0.12%
Asian
alone (NH)
218,296
346,288
506,674
1.78%
2.73%
3.90%
Pacific Islander
alone (NH)
2,691
2,715
3,162
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
Other race
alone (NH)
13,086
16,469
54,541
0.11%
0.13%
0.42%
Mixed race or Multiracial
(NH)
113,097
178,595
451,285
0.92%
1.41%
3.47%
Hispanic or Latino
(any race)
394,088
719,660
1,049,615
3.21%
5.67%
8.07%
Total
12,281,054
12,702,379
13,002,700
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
Birth data
edit
Note: data for births of
White Hispanic
origin have not been collected, but included in one
Hispanic
group; people of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Live births by single race/ethnicity of mother
Race
2013
121
2014
122
2015
123
2016
124
2017
125
2018
126
2019
127
2020
128
2021
129
2022
130
2023
131
White
98,751 (70.0%)
99,306 (69.8%)
97,845 (69.4%)
94,520 (67.8%)
92,297 (67.0%)
90,862 (67.0%)
88,710 (66.1%)
85,956 (65.8%)
88,168 (66.5%)
85,031 (65.3%)
82,284 (64.8%)
Black
24,770 (17.6%)
24,024 (16.9%)
24,100 (17.1%)
18,338 (13.1%)
18,400 (13.4%)
17,779 (13.1%)
17,585 (13.1%)
17,118 (13.1%)
16,748 (12.6%)
16,616 (12.8%)
15,766 (12.4%)
Asian
6,721 (4.7%)
7,067 (5.0%)
6,961 (4.9%)
6,466 (4.6%)
6,401 (4.6%)
6,207 (4.6%)
6,214 (4.6%)
6,074 (4.6%)
5,980 (4.5%)
6,212 (4.8%)
6,028 (4.7%)
American Indian
423 (0.3%)
368 (0.3%)
390 (0.3%)
86 (0.1%)
135 (0.1%)
128 (0.1%)
119 (0.1%)
83 (>0.1%)
88 (>0.1%)
162 (0.1%)
141 (0.1%)
Hispanic
(any race)
14,163
(10.1%)
14,496
(10.2%)
14,950
(10.6%)
15,348
(11.0%)
15,840
(11.5%)
15,826
(11.7%)
16,718
(12.5%)
16,741
(12.8%)
17,163
(12.9%)
18,118
(13.9%)
18,505
(14.6%)
Total
140,921
(100%)
142,268
(100%)
141,047
(100%)
139,409
(100%)
137,745
(100%)
135,673
(100%)
134,230
(100%)
130,693
(100%)
132,622
(100%)
130,252
(100%)
126,951
(100%)
Age and poverty
edit
As of the 2010 census, Pennsylvania had the fourth-highest proportion of elderly (65+) citizens in the nation at 15.4%, compared to a national average of 13.0%.
132
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the state's poverty rate was 12.5% in 2017 compared to 13.4% for the U.S. as a whole.
133
Languages
edit
An
Amish
family riding in a traditional
Amish buggy
in
Lancaster County
. As of 2024, Pennsylvania has an Amish population of 92,660, the
largest
of any state in the nation.
As of 2010, 90.2% (10,710,239) of Pennsylvania residents age five and older spoke
at home as a
primary language
while 4.1% (486,058) spoke
Spanish
, 0.9% (103,502) spoke
German
, including
Pennsylvania Dutch
, and 0.5% (56,052) spoke
Chinese
, including
Mandarin
. In total, 9.9% (1,170,628) of Pennsylvania's population age
5 and older spoke a
mother tongue
other than English.
134
Pennsylvania Dutch language
edit
Main article:
Pennsylvania Dutch language
Pennsylvania German
, spoken by nearly one percent of Pennsylvania's population as of 2010, is often misleadingly called Pennsylvania Dutch. The term Dutch used to mean German,
135
(including, at the time, from the
Netherlands
) before the Latin derived "German" replaced it. When referring to the language spoken by the
Pennsylvania Dutch people
, Pennsylvania German, it means
German
- the modern
German language
word for "German" is "Deutsch" - cognate with the Pennsylvania German word "Deitsch". Pennsylvania German is a descendant of German from the
West Central German
dialect family and is closest to
Palatine German
. Pennsylvania German is still very vigorous as a first language among
Old Order Amish
and
Old Order Mennonites
, principally in the
Lancaster County
and
Berks County
areas; it is almost extinct as an everyday language outside the
plain communities
, though a few words have passed into English usage.
Religion
edit
Religious self-identification in Pennsylvania (April 2023
Franklin & Marshall College
poll)
136
Unaffiliated
(32.0%)
Protestantism
(29.0%)
Catholicism
(24.0%)
Other (14.0%)
Of the original
Thirteen Colonies
, Pennsylvania and
Rhode Island
had the most religious freedom.
137
Voltaire
, writing of
William Penn
in 1733, observed: "The new sovereign also enacted several wise and wholesome laws for his colony, which have remained invariably the same to this day. The chief is, to ill-treat no person on account of religion, and to consider as brethren all those who believe in one God."
138
One result of this uncommon freedom was a wide religious
diversity
, which continues to the present.
Pennsylvania's population in 2010 was 12,702,379; of these, 6,838,440 (53.8%) were estimated to belong to some sort of organized religion. According to the
Association of Religion Data Archives
(ARDA) at
Pennsylvania State University
, the largest religious bodies in Pennsylvania by adherents were the
Catholic Church
with 3,503,028 adherents, the
United Methodist Church
with 591,734 members, and the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
with 501,974 members. Since 2014, among the state's religious population, 73% were
Christian
, according to
Pew Research Center
139
In 2020, the
Public Religion Research Institute
estimated 68% of the population identified with Christianity.
140
As of 2014, 47% of all Pennsylvanians identified as
Protestants
, making
Protestantism
far and away the most prominent religious affiliation among Pennsylvanians. Among all self-identified Christians in the state, however, 24% identified as
Catholics
, the most of any Christian religious affiliation. In April 2023, a
Franklin & Marshall College
poll found that a plurality of Pennsylvania residents were
unaffiliated
, with the rest predominately being
Protestant
or
Catholic
136
Pennsylvania, especially the
Greater Pittsburgh
area, has one of the largest communities of
Presbyterians
in the nation, the third-highest by percentage of population and the largest outright in membership as
Protestant
Christians.
141
The
American Presbyterian Church
, with about 250,000 members and 1,011 congregations, is the largest Presbyterian denomination, and the
Presbyterian Church in America
is also significant, with 112 congregations and approximately 23,000 adherents; the
EPC
has around 50 congregations, including the
ECO
, according to 2010 estimates. The fourth-largest
Protestant
denomination, the
United Church of Christ
, has 180,000 members and 627 congregations in the state. The
American Baptist Churches USA
, also referred to as the Northern Baptist Convention is based in
King of Prussia
Pennsylvania was the center state of the
German Reformed
denomination from the 1700s.
142
Bethlehem
is one of the headquarters of the
Moravian Church
in the U.S. Pennsylvania also has a very large
Amish
population, second only to
Ohio
among U.S. states.
143
As of 2000, there was a total Amish population of 47,860 in Pennsylvania and an additional 146,416
Mennonites
and 91,200
Brethren
. The total
Anabaptist
population including
Bruderhof
was 232,631, about two percent of the population.
144
While Pennsylvania owes its existence to
Quakers
, and much of the historic character of Pennsylvania is ideologically rooted in the teachings of the
Religious Society of Friends
(as they are officially known), practicing Quakers are a small minority of about 10,000 adherents as of 2010.
145
Economy
edit
See also:
List of Pennsylvania counties by per capita income
Pennsylvania's unemployment rate between 1976 and 2021
The U.S. unemployment rate during these years
As of 2024, Pennsylvania's
gross state product
(GSP) is $1.017 trillion, the
sixth-largest
among all U.S. states, behind
California
Texas
New York
Florida
, and
Illinois
146
If Pennsylvania
were an independent country
, its economy, as of 2023, would rank as the 20th-largest in the world.
147
On a per capita basis, Pennsylvania's 2021 per capita income of $68,957 ranks 21st among the 50 states.
148
As of 2016, there were 5,354,964 people in employment in Pennsylvania with 301,484 total employer establishments.
needs update
In 2025, 99.6% of businesses in Pennsylvania were
small businesses
, and employed 45.2% of the state's work force.
149
As of May 2025, the state's unemployment rate is 3.9%.
150
The state has five manufacturing centers:
Philadelphia
in the southeast,
Pittsburgh
in the southwest,
Erie
in the northwest,
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre
in the northeast, and the
Lehigh Valley
in the east.
151
Since the inception of the 21st century, Pennsylvania has garnered the additional nickname of "Cellicon State" for the central role of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the development of
immunotherapies
to treat different cancers.
11
Pennsylvania is home to 23 of the nation's 500 largest companies that comprise the
Fortune
500
, including two that rank in the top 100,
Cencora
(formerly AmeriSource Bergen) in
Conshohocken
, which is the nation's 11th-largest company, and
Comcast
in Philadelphia, which is the 29th-largest.
152
Philadelphia is home to six of the
Fortune
500 companies,
153
with more located in suburbs like
King of Prussia
; it is a leader in the financial
154
and insurance industries. Pittsburgh is home to eight
Fortune
500 companies, including
U.S. Steel
PPG Industries
Heinz
, and
GE Transportation
153
Hershey is home to
The Hershey Company
, one of the world's largest chocolate manufacturers. In eastern Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley has become an epicenter for the growth of the U.S.
logistics
industry, including
warehousing
and the
intermodal transport
of goods.
155
Like many U.S. states,
Walmart
is the largest private employer in Pennsylvania. The state's second-largest employer is the
University of Pennsylvania
, an
Ivy League
private
research university
in Philadelphia.
156
Pennsylvania is home to the oldest investor-owned utility company in the U.S.,
The York Water Company
As of 2018, Pennsylvania ranks first in the nation in a few economic sectors and niches, including barrels of
beer
produced annually (3.9 million),
farmers' markets
(over 6,000),
food processing
companies (2,300), hardwood
lumber
production (a billion board feet annually),
mushroom farms
(68),
natural gas
production,
potato chip
manufacturing (24 facilities manufacturing one-fourth of the nation's total), and
pretzel
manufacturing (80 percent of the nation's total).
157
Other notable Pennsylvania companies include
C. F. Martin & Company
, based in
Nazareth
, which manufacturers Martin Guitars, used by some of the world's most prominent
guitarists
, including
Johnny Cash
Elvis Presley
Bob Dylan
Neil Young
John Lennon
Kurt Cobain
Eric Clapton
, and others.
158
Agriculture
edit
Main article:
Agriculture in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania ranks 19th overall among U.S. states in agricultural production.
159
Its leading agricultural products are
mushrooms
, apples,
Christmas trees
layer chickens
nursery
sod
, milk,
corn
for
silage
, grapes (including
juice grapes
), and horses production. Pennsylvania ranks eighth in the nation in
winemaking
The
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
worked with private companies to establish "PA Preferred" as a way to brand agricultural products grown or made in the state.
160
The financial impact of agriculture in Pennsylvania
161
includes employment of more than 66,800 people employed by the food
manufacturing
industry and over $1.7 billion in food product
export
as of 2011.
Banking
edit
The first nationally chartered bank in the U.S., the
Bank of North America
, was founded in 1781 in Philadelphia. After a series of mergers, the Bank of North America is now part of
Wells Fargo
. Pennsylvania is home to the first nationally chartered bank under the 1863
National Banking Act
. That year, the Pittsburgh Savings & Trust Company received a national charter and renamed itself the First National Bank of Pittsburgh as part of the National Banking Act. That bank is still in existence today as
PNC
and remains based in Pittsburgh. PNC is currently the state's largest and the nation's sixth-largest bank.
Film
edit
See also:
Harrisburg in film and television
List of films and television shows shot in Pennsylvania
List of films shot in the Lehigh Valley
, and
List of films shot in Pittsburgh
The
Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit
began in 2004 and stimulated the development of a film industry in the state.
162
Gambling
edit
Main article:
Gambling in Pennsylvania
See also:
List of casinos in Pennsylvania
Rivers Casino
, located in the
Chateau
section of
Pittsburgh
on the
Ohio River
, one of
Pennsylvania's 17 casinos
Casino gambling was legalized in Pennsylvania in 2004. As of 2010, there are
17 casinos
in the state.
163
Mining
edit
Coal mining in Pennsylvania dates back to the mid-1700s. Since then, over 15 billion tons of coal were removed from the state. Production peaked in 1918. As mine output decreased, some 250,000 acres of mine land were abandoned.
164
165
As of 2024, the state has the largest inventory of abandoned mines in the United States, creating environmental problems such as water pollution and ground subsidence which damages above-ground buildings.
Allegheny
and
Westmoreland
counties alone account for over 550 abandoned sites. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for remediation of such problems.
166
Healthcare
edit
See also:
List of hospitals in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 52
trauma centers
, including 20 Level 1 trauma centers.
167
As of 2024,
Highmark
is the dominant
health insurance
company in most regions with the exception of the
Philadelphia metropolitan area
where
Independence Blue Cross
is number one and the
Bloomsburg–Berwick metropolitan area
where
Geisinger Health System
is dominant.
168
Across the state,
CVS (Aetna)
is second. Other major companies providing insurance plans include Capital Blue Cross,
UnitedHealth
, and
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
168
State government
edit
Main article:
Government of Pennsylvania
See also:
Commonwealth (U.S. state)
Pennsylvania has had five
constitutions
during its statehood:
169
1776
1790
1838
1874
, and
1968
. Before that the province of Pennsylvania was governed for a century by a
Frame of Government
, of which there were four versions: 1682, 1683, 1696, and 1701.
169
The capital of Pennsylvania is
Harrisburg
. The legislature meets there in the
State Capitol
In a 2020 study, Pennsylvania was ranked as the 19th-hardest state for citizens to vote.
170
Executive
edit
Further information:
List of governors of Pennsylvania
and
List of Pennsylvania state agencies
The current Governor is
Josh Shapiro
. The other elected officials composing the executive branch are the
Lieutenant Governor
Austin Davis
Attorney General
Dave Sunday
Auditor General
Timothy DeFoor
, and
Pennsylvania Treasurer
Stacy Garrity
. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor run as a ticket in the general election and are up for re-election every four years during the midterm elections. The elections for Attorney General, Auditor General, and Treasurer are held every four years coinciding with a Presidential election.
171
Legislative
edit
Main article:
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The
Pennsylvania State Capitol
in
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania has a
bicameral legislature
that was established in the
Pennsylvania Constitution
, which was ratified in 1790. The original Frame of Government of William Penn had a unicameral legislature.
172
The
General Assembly
includes 50
senators
and 203
representatives
Kim L. Ward
is currently
president pro tempore
of the State Senate,
Joe Pittman
the
majority leader
, and
Jay Costa
the
minority leader
173
Joanna McClinton
is
speaker
of the House of Representatives, with
Matthew Bradford
as majority leader and
Bryan Cutler
as minority leader.
174
As of 2025, the Republicans hold the majority in the State Senate (27–23) and the Democrats in the State House (102–101). Pennsylvania is one of four states that currently have divided party control of the state legislature.
175
Judiciary
edit
Main article:
Judiciary of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is divided into 60 judicial districts.
176
With the exception of
Philadelphia County
, most have district justices and justices of the peace who preside over most preliminary hearings in felony and misdemeanor offenses, all minor (summary) criminal offenses, and small civil claims.
176
Most criminal and civil cases originate in the Courts of Common Pleas, which also serve as
appellate court
176
The
Superior Court
hears all appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas not expressly designated to the
Commonwealth Court
or
Supreme Court
. The Superior Court also has original jurisdiction to review
probable cause
governmental requests for
warrants
in
wiretap
surveillance.
176
The Commonwealth Court is limited to appeals from final orders of certain state agencies and certain designated cases from the Courts of Common Pleas.
176
The
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
is the state's final appellate court. All judges in Pennsylvania are elected, and the
chief justice
of the state's Supreme Court is determined by seniority.
176
Local government
edit
Main article:
Local government in Pennsylvania
Map of
Pennsylvania's 67 counties
Pennsylvania Municipalities
Pennsylvania is divided into 67
counties
177
Counties are further subdivided into municipalities that are either incorporated as cities,
boroughs
, or
townships
178
The most populous county in Pennsylvania and
24th-most populous county
in the United States
is
Philadelphia County
, which includes the city of
Philadelphia
, with a 2020 population of 1,603,797; the state's least populous county is
Cameron
with a population of 4,547.
179
There are a total of 56 cities in Pennsylvania, which are classified by population as either first-class, second-class, or third-class cities.
177
180
Philadelphia, the state's largest city with a population exceeding 1.6 million, is Pennsylvania's only first-class city.
178
Pittsburgh
(303,000) and
Scranton
(76,000) are second-class and second-class 'A' cities, respectively.
178
All of the state's remaining cities including
Allentown
, the state's third-largest city, and
Reading
, its fourth-largest, to
Parker
, the state's smallest city with a population of only 820, are designated as third-class cities.
181
First- and second-class cities are governed by a "strong mayor" form of
mayor–council government
, whereas third-class cities are governed by either a "weak mayor" form of government or a
council–manager government
178
Pennsylvania boroughs are generally smaller in population than the state's cities, and most of the state's cities were incorporated as boroughs prior to being designated cities.
178
There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania, all of which are governed by the "weak mayor" form of mayor-council government.
177
178
The largest borough in Pennsylvania is
State College
(40,501) and the smallest is
Centralia
Townships are the third type of municipality in Pennsylvania and are classified as either first-class or second-class townships. There are 1,454 second-class townships and 93 first-class townships.
182
Second-class townships can become first-class townships if they have a population density greater than 300 inhabitants per square mile (120/km
) and a
referendum
is passed supporting the change.
182
Pennsylvania's largest township is
Upper Darby Township
(85,681), and the smallest is
East Keating Township
There is one exception to the types of municipalities in Pennsylvania:
Bloomsburg
was incorporated as a town in 1870 and is, officially, the only town in the state.
183
In 1975,
McCandless Township
adopted a home-rule charter under the name of "Town of McCandless", but is, legally, still a first-class township.
184
The state has 56 cities, 958 boroughs, 93 first-class townships, 1,454 second-class townships, and one town (Bloomsburg) for a total of 2,562 municipalities.
Taxation
edit
Pennsylvania had the 15th-highest state and local tax burden in the nation as of 2012, according to the
Tax Foundation
185
Residents paid a total of $83.7 billion in state and local taxes with a per capita average of $4,589 annually. Residents share 76% of the total tax burden. Many state politicians have tried to increase the share of taxes paid by out-of-state sources. Suggested revenue sources include taxing natural gas drilling as Pennsylvania is the only state without such a tax on gas drilling.
186
Additional revenue prospects include trying to place tolls on interstate highways; specifically
Interstate 80
, which is used heavily by out of state commuters with high maintenance costs.
187
Sales taxes
provide 39% of Pennsylvania's state revenue;
personal income taxes
34%; motor vehicle taxes about 12%, and taxes on
cigarettes
and alcoholic beverages 5%.
188
The personal income tax is a flat 3.07%. An individual's taxable income is based on the following eight types of income: compensation (salary); interest; dividends; net profits from the operation of a business, profession or farm; net gains or income from the dispositions of property; net gains or income from rents, royalties, patents and copyrights; income derived through estates or trusts; and gambling and
lottery
winnings (other than
Pennsylvania Lottery
winnings).
189
Counties, municipalities, and
school districts
levy taxes on real estate. In addition, some local bodies assess a
wage tax
on personal income. Generally, the total wage tax rate is capped at 1% of income but some municipalities with
home rule
charters may charge more than 1%. Thirty-two of Pennsylvania's sixty-seven counties levy a
personal property tax
on stocks, bonds, and similar holdings. With the exception of the city of
Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania, municipalities and school districts are allowed to enact a local earned income tax within the purview of Act 32. Residents of these municipalities and school districts are required to file a local income tax return in addition to federal and state returns. This local return is filed with the local income tax collector, a private collection agency appointed by a particular county to collect the local earned income and local services tax (the latter a flat fee deducted from salaried employees working within a particular municipality or school district).
190
Philadelphia
has its own local income taxation system. Philadelphia-based employers are required to withhold the Philadelphia wage tax from the salaries of their employees. Residents of Philadelphia working for an employer are not required to file a local return as long as their Philadelphia wage tax is fully withheld by their employer. If their employer does not withhold the Philadelphia wage tax, residents are required to register with the Revenue Department and file an Earnings Tax return. Residents of Philadelphia with self-employment income are required to file a Net Profits Tax (NPT) return, while those with business income from Philadelphia sources are required to obtain a Commercial Activity License (CAL) and pay the Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) and the NPT. Residents with unearned income except interest from checking and savings accounts are required to file and pay the School Income-tax (SIT).
191
The complexity of Pennsylvania's local tax filing system has been criticized by experts, who note that the outsourcing of collections to private entities is akin to
tax farming
and that many new residents are caught off guard and end up facing failure to file penalties even if they did not owe any tax. Attempts to transfer local income tax collections to the state level by having a separate local section on the state income tax return, currently the method used to collect local income taxes in
New York
Maryland
Indiana
, and
Iowa
, have been unsuccessful.
192
State law enforcement
edit
See also:
Crime in Pennsylvania
The
Pennsylvania State Police
is the chief law enforcement agency in the Pennsylvania.
Politics
edit
Main article:
Politics of Pennsylvania
See also:
Elections in Pennsylvania
Voter registration totals as of October 13, 2025:
193
Party
Registered voters
Percentage
Democratic
3,808,415
42.81%
Republican
3,640,700
40.93%
Unaffiliated
1,126,700
12.67%
Other/minor parties
319,478
3.59%
Total
8,895,293
100.00%
2024 U.S. presidential election results
by county in Pennsylvania
Democratic
Republican
Since the latter half of the 20th century, Pennsylvania has been perceived as a powerful
swing state
, and winning Pennsylvania has since been deemed as essential to
U.S. presidential candidates
. Only thrice between
1932
and
1988
(1932, 1948, and
1968
, with
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
, and
Richard Nixon
, respectively) has a presidential candidate been able to win the White House while losing Pennsylvania.
Between 1992 and 2016, Pennsylvania trended
Democratic
in presidential elections;
Bill Clinton
won the state twice by large margins and
Al Gore
won it by a slightly closer margin in 2000. In the
2004 presidential election
John F. Kerry
beat President
George W. Bush
in Pennsylvania, 2,938,095 (51%) to 2,793,847 (48%). In the
2008 presidential election
, Democrat
Barack Obama
defeated
Republican
John McCain
in Pennsylvania, 3,276,363 (54%) to 2,655,885 (44%).
In the
2016 United States presidential election
, however, Republican
Donald Trump
broke the Democratic streak in the state, winning by 2,970,733 (48%) votes to 2,926,441 (47%) votes.
194
The state returned to the Democratic column in
2020
by voting for
Joe Biden
over Trump, 3,458,229 (50%) to 3,377,674 (49%). In
2024
, Pennsylvania swung back to Trump, with the former president winning 3,543,308 (50%) to Vice President
Kamala Harris
's 3,423,042 (49%). The state holds 19
electoral
votes.
195
Despite voting for the Democratic ticket for president in every election between 1992 and 2012, Pennsylvania has a history of electing Republican U.S. senators. From 2009 to 2011, the state was represented by two Democratic senators for the first time since 1947 after Republican Senator
Arlen Specter
switched party affiliation. In 2010, Republicans recaptured a U.S. Senate seat and a majority of the state's congressional seats, control of both chambers of the state legislature, and the governorship. Democrats won back the governorship, however, four years later in the
2014 election
. It was the first time since a governor became eligible for reelection that an incumbent governor had been defeated in a reelection bid.
Historically, Democratic strength was concentrated in Philadelphia in the southeast, the Pittsburgh, and
Johnstown
areas in the southwest, and
Scranton
and
Wilkes-Barre
in the northeast. Republican strength was concentrated in the Philadelphia suburbs and the more rural areas in the state's central, northeastern, and western portions, some of which have long been considered among the nation's most conservative areas. Since 1992, however, the Philadelphia suburbs have swung Democratic; the brand of Republicanism there was traditionally moderate. In the 21st century, however, Pittsburgh suburbs, which historically had been Democratic strongholds, have swung more Republican.
Democratic political consultant
James Carville
once pejoratively described Pennsylvania as "Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh in the west, and Alabama in the middle", suggesting that political power in the state was based in its two largest cities, which have been reliably Democratic, offset by the state's large rural power base, which has proven equally reliably Republican. Political analysts and editorials refer to central Pennsylvania as the "T" in statewide elections. The state's three valleys (
Delaware
Lehigh
, and
Wyoming
Valleys) and
Greater Pittsburgh
generally vote Democratic, while the majority of the counties in the central part of the state vote Republican. As a result, maps showing the results of statewide elections invariably form a shape that resembles a "T".
Pennsylvania retains the
death penalty
, although there is currently a gubernatorial hold on executions.
196
Federal representation
edit
Main article:
Pennsylvania's congressional districts
See also:
United States congressional delegations from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's two
U.S. senators
are Republican
Dave McCormick
and Democrat
John Fetterman
Pennsylvania has
17 seats
in the
U.S. House of Representatives
as of 2023.
197
Education
edit
Main article:
Education in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 500 public school districts, thousands of private schools, publicly funded colleges and universities, and over 100 private institutions of higher education.
Primary and secondary education
edit
See also:
List of high schools in Pennsylvania
and
List of school districts in Pennsylvania
South Philadelphia High School
on
Broad Street
in
South Philadelphia
in February 2010
Under state law, school attendance in Pennsylvania is mandatory for children between ages eight and 17, or until graduation from an accredited high school, whichever is earlier, unless students are
homeschooled
198
As of 2005, 83.8% of Pennsylvania residents age 18 to 24 are high school graduates. Among residents age 25 and over, 86.7% have graduated from high school.
The following are the four-year graduation rates for students completing high school in 2016:
199
Cohort
All Students
Male
Female
White
Hispanic
Black
Asian
Special Education
% graduating
86.09
84.14
88.13
90.48
72.83
73.22
91.21
74.06
Among Pennsylvania high school graduates as of 2009, 27.5% of them went on to obtain a bachelor's degree or higher degree.
200
State students consistently do well in standardized testing. In 2007, Pennsylvania ranked 14th in the nation in mathematics, 12th in reading, and 10th in writing for eighth grade students.
201
In 1988, the
Pennsylvania General Assembly
passed Act 169, which allows parents or guardians to homeschool their children as an alternative to compulsory school attendance. The law specifies varying geographic requirements and responsibilities on the part of parents and school districts.
202
Higher education
edit
See also:
List of colleges and universities in Pennsylvania
The
Statue of Benjamin Franklin
on the campus of the
University of Pennsylvania
in
West Philadelphia
, which pays tribute to
Benjamin Franklin
, a
Founding Father
who founded the university, now an
Ivy League
institution and one of the world's top universities, in 1740
203
"Pennsylvania has the fourth most higher education institutions of any state", according to
Inside Higher Ed
, with 250 universities and colleges.
204
The state is ranked second among the nation's top destinations for freshman out-of-state college students, according to
NPR
PBS
affiliate
WHYY
, which cites a study by the
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania
(AICUP).
205
Pennsylvania is third in the nation for the quantity of "Best Colleges", according to
The Wall Street Journal
206
The
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
(PASSHE), which includes 14 state-owned universities and colleges, is Pennsylvania's
public university
system.
West Chester University
is by far the largest of the 14 with nearly 15,000 students. The
Commonwealth System of Higher Education
is the organizing body of Pennsylvania's four state-related schools, which include
Pennsylvania State University
Lincoln University
, the
University of Pittsburgh
, and
Temple University
. There are 15 publicly funded two-year
community colleges
and technical schools in Pennsylvania that are separate from the PASSHE system, and many private two- and four-year technical schools, colleges, and universities.
Carnegie Mellon University
Pennsylvania State University
, the
University of Pennsylvania
, and the
University of Pittsburgh
are members of the
Association of American Universities
, an invitation-only organization of leading research universities.
Lehigh University
, founded in 1865 and located in
Bethlehem
, is a private research university. The Pennsylvania State University is Pennsylvania's
land-grant university
Sea Grant College
, and
Space Grant College
The University of Pennsylvania, founded in
West Philadelphia
in 1740 by
Benjamin Franklin
, a
Founding Father
of the nation, is Pennsylvania's only
Ivy League
university, and is the geographically most southern of the nation's eight Ivy League universities. The University of Pennsylvania was one of the
first universities established in the nation
; its medical school,
Perelman School of Medicine
, founded in 1765, was the first
medical school
established in the nation.
The
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
(LECOM) is a private graduate school of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy with a main campus in Erie, a branch campus in
Greensburg
, and two additional campuses outside Pennsylvania. It is the largest medical school in the United States.
207
The
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
is the first and oldest
art school
in the United States.
208
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy
, now part of
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
, was the first
pharmacy school
in the United States.
209
Recreation
edit
See also:
Gambling in Pennsylvania
List of festivals in Pennsylvania
, and
List of Pennsylvania state parks
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
's
Steel Force
and
Thunderhawk
roller coasters in
Allentown
; Steel Force is the eighth-longest
steel roller coaster
in the world with a first drop of 205 feet (62 m) and a top speed of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).
210
Founded in 1884, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is the fifth-oldest amusement park in the nation.
211
Pennsylvania is home to the nation's first zoo, the
Philadelphia Zoo
212
Other zoos also accredited by the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA) are the
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
Lehigh Valley Zoo
and
ZooAmerica
213
Erie Zoo
was formerly accredited by AZA, but lost its accreditation in 2021.
214
Pennsylvania is home to some of the most notable museums in the nation, including the
Allentown Art Museum
in
Allentown
Carnegie Museums
in
Pittsburgh
, the
Philadelphia Museum of Art
in
Philadelphia
, and
several others
. One unique museum is the
Houdini Museum
in Scranton, the only building in the world devoted to the legendary magician.
215
Pennsylvania is also home to the
National Aviary
, located in Pittsburgh.
All 121
state parks
in Pennsylvania feature free admission.
Pennsylvania's notable amusement parks include
Conneaut Lake Park
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dutch Wonderland
DelGrosso's Park
Great Wolf Lodge
Hersheypark
Idlewild and Soak Zone
Kalahari Resorts Poconos
Kennywood
Knoebels
Lakemont Park
Sandcastle Waterpark
Sesame Place Philadelphia
, and
Waldameer & Water World
. The largest indoor waterpark resort on the
U.S. East Coast
is
Splash Lagoon
in
Erie
The state's notable music festivals include
Musikfest
, the nation's largest free music festival held annually each August in
Bethlehem
216
the
Philadelphia Folk Festival
Creation Festival
, and Purple Door. The
Great Allentown Fair
, held annually at the
Allentown Fairgrounds
since the 19th century, is one of the nation's longest-running annual fairs.
There are nearly one million licensed hunters in Pennsylvania.
White-tail deer
black bear
cottontail rabbit
squirrel
turkey
, and
grouse
are common game species. Pennsylvania is considered one of the finest
wild turkey
hunting states in the nation, alongside
Texas
and
Alabama
. Sport hunting in Pennsylvania provides a massive boost for the state's economy. A report from The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the
Pennsylvania General Assembly
, reported that hunting, fishing, and furtaking generated a total of $9.6 billion statewide.
The
Boone and Crockett Club
reports that five of the ten largest
black bear
entries came from the state.
217
The state also has a tied record for the largest hunter shot black bear in the
Boone and Crockett
record books at 733 lb (332 kg) and a
skull
of 23 3/16, tied with a bear shot in
California
in 1993.
217
As of 2007, Pennsylvania has the second-highest number of Boone and Crockett-recorded record black bears at 183, behind
Wisconsin
's 299.
217
Transportation
edit
The
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
, abbreviated as PennDOT, is responsible for transport issues in Pennsylvania.
Air
edit
See also:
List of airports in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia International Airport
, the busiest airport in the state and the
21st-busiest airport
in the nation with over 13 million passengers in 2023
Pennsylvania has seven major airports:
Philadelphia International
Pittsburgh International
Lehigh Valley International
Harrisburg International
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International
Erie International
, and
State College Regional
. A total of 134 public-use airports are located in the state.
218
Bus and coach
edit
Intercity bus service is provided between cities in Pennsylvania and other major points in the Northeast by
BoltBus
Fullington Trailways
Greyhound Lines
Martz Trailways
Megabus
OurBus
Trans-Bridge Lines
, and various
Chinatown bus
companies. In 2018,
OurBus
began offering service from
West Chester
Malvern
King of Prussia
, and
Fort Washington
to
New York City
Highways and roads
edit
See also:
List of Interstate Highways in Pennsylvania
List of state routes in Pennsylvania
, and
Pennsylvania Turnpike
PennDOT owns 39,861 miles (64,150 km) of the 121,770 miles (195,970 km) of roadway in the state, making it the fifth-largest state highway system in the United States.
219
The
Pennsylvania Turnpike
system is 535 miles (861 km) long, with the mainline portion stretching from
Ohio
to Philadelphia and
New Jersey
219
It is overseen by the
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
. Another major east–west route is
Interstate 80
, which runs primarily in the northern tier of the state from Ohio to New Jersey at the
Delaware Water Gap
Interstate 90
travels the relatively short distance between Ohio and New York through
Erie County
, in the extreme northwestern part of the state.
Primary north–south highways are
Interstate 79
from its terminus in Erie through
Pittsburgh
to
West Virginia
Interstate 81
from
New York state
through
Scranton, Lackawanna County
and
Harrisburg
to
Maryland
and
Interstate 476
, which begins 7 miles (11 km) north of the
Delaware
border, in
Chester, Delaware County
and travels 132 miles (212 km) to
Clarks Summit
, where it joins I-81. All but 20 miles (32 km) of I-476 is the Northeast Extension of the
Pennsylvania Turnpike
. The highway south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is officially called the "Veterans Memorial Highway", but is commonly referred to colloquially as the "Blue Route".
Rail
edit
See also:
List of Pennsylvania railroads
and
List of public transit authorities in Pennsylvania
Amtrak
's
Pennsylvanian
on
Horseshoe Curve
in
Logan Township
SEPTA
is the sixth-largest transit agency in the United States and operates the
commuter
heavy
and
light rail
transit, and
transit bus
service in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit
is the 25th-largest transit agency and provides transit bus and light rail service in and around Pittsburgh.
220
Intercity passenger rail transit is provided by
Amtrak
, with the majority of traffic occurring on the
Keystone Service
in the high-speed
Keystone Corridor
between Harrisburg and Philadelphia's
30th Street Station
before heading north to New York City, and the
Northeast Regional
, which provides regular high-speed service up and down the
Northeast Corridor
. The
Pennsylvanian
follows the same route from New York City to Harrisburg, but extends out to Pittsburgh. The
Capitol Limited
also passes through Pittsburgh, as well as
Connellsville
, on its way from Chicago to
Washington, D.C.
218
Traveling between Chicago and New York City, the
Lake Shore Limited
passes through Erie once in each direction.
218
There are 67
short-line
, freight railroads operating in Pennsylvania, the highest number in any U.S. state.
218
With more than four million
inter-city rail
passengers in 2018, Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is Amtrak's third-busiest train station in the nation after
Penn Station
in
Manhattan
and
Union Station
in
Washington, D.C.
221
and North America's
12th-busiest
train station overall.
Water
edit
See also:
Port of Philadelphia
and
Port of Pittsburgh
The
Port of Pittsburgh
is the second-largest
inland port
in the United States and the 18th-largest port overall; the
Port of Philadelphia
is the 24th-largest port in the United States.
222
Pennsylvania's only port on the
Great Lakes
is located in Erie. The
Allegheny River Lock and Dam Two
is the most-used
lock
operated by the
United States Army Corps of Engineers
of its 255 nationwide.
223
The dam impounds the
Allegheny River
near
Downtown Pittsburgh
Culture
edit
See also:
Culture of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Culture of Philadelphia
Culture of Pittsburgh
LGBT culture in Philadelphia
List of museums in Pennsylvania
; and
Music of Pennsylvania
Food
edit
Pat's King of Steaks
in
South Philadelphia
is widely credited with inventing the
cheesesteak
in 1933.
224
The Hershey Company
in
Hershey
In 2008, author Sharon Hernes Silverman wrote in the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
that Pennsylvania was the
snack food
capital of the world.
225
It leads all other states in the manufacture of
pretzels
and
potato chips
. In 1861, as the
Civil War
was beginning,
Sturgis Pretzel House
in
Lititz
was first to introduce the pretzel to American consumers. Two other Pennsylvania-based companies, Immergut Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels in
Intercourse
and
Snyder's of Hanover
in
Hanover
, are leading national pretzel manufacturers. Two of the nation's three leading potato chip companies are based in Pennsylvania:
Utz Brands
, which started making chips in Hanover in 1921, and
Wise Foods
, which started making chips in
Berwick
the same year; the third,
Frito-Lay
is owned by
Plano, Texas
-based
PepsiCo
. Additional Pennsylvania-based companies, including
Herr's
in
Nottingham
Martin's Potato Chips
in
Thomasville
, are popular chip manufacturers.
The Hershey Company
in
Hershey
is a nearly $9 billion a year company and one of the world's leading manufacturers of
chocolate
; the company was founded in Hershey by
Milton S. Hershey
in 1894.
226
Gertrude Hawk Chocolates
is based in
Dunmore
. Other notable companies include
Just Born
in
Bethlehem
, makers of
Hot Tamales
Mike and Ikes
, the Easter favorite marshmallow
Peeps
, and
Boyer Brothers
of
Altoona
, which manufacturers Mallo Cups. The pretzel company
Auntie Anne's
began as a market-stand in
Downingtown
, and now has corporate headquarters in
Lancaster
227
Traditional Pennsylvania Dutch foods include chicken pot pie, ham pot pie, schnitz un knepp (dried apples, ham, and dumplings),
fasnachts
(raised doughnuts), scrapple, pretzels, bologna, chow-chow, and
Shoofly pie
Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe
, based in
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
, specializes in potato bread, another
traditional Pennsylvania Dutch food
D.G. Yuengling & Son
, America's oldest brewery, has been brewing beer in
Pottsville
since 1829.
Among the regional foods associated with Philadelphia are
cheesesteaks
hoagies
soft pretzels
Italian water ice
Irish potato candy
scrapple
Tastykake
, and
strombolis
. In Pittsburgh, tomato ketchup was improved by
Henry John Heinz
from 1876 to the early 20th century. Famous to a lesser extent than Heinz ketchup is the Pittsburgh's
Primanti Brothers Restaurant
sandwiches,
pierogies
, and
city chicken
. In northeastern Pennsylvania, Italian heritage has popularized a variety of pizza styles. Outside of
Scranton
, in
Old Forge
, there are dozens of Italian restaurants specializing in pizza made with thick, light crust, and American cheese.
New York–style pizza
is popular in
Wilkes-Barre
Erie
also has its share of foods, including Greek sauce and
sponge candy
Sauerkraut
along with pork and mashed potatoes is a traditional meal on New Year's Day in Pennsylvania; its tradition began with the
Pennsylvania Dutch
who believe the meal leads to good luck in the new year to come. Among other
foods and drinks commonly found in Pennsylvania Dutch Country
are chicken pot pie (a type of soup made with egg noodles and unrelated to the more commonly found baked pie),
shoofly pie
scrapple
, sand tarts (a type of thin cookie), and
birch beer
Whoopie pies
, an American favorite, are also said to trace their roots back to
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Sports
edit
Main article:
Sports in Pennsylvania
Professional sports
edit
The
Philadelphia Eagles
are presented with the
Vince Lombardi Trophy
on February 4, 2018, after winning
Super Bowl LII
, in which they defeated the
New England Patriots
41–33.
Pittsburgh Steelers
' fans waving the
Terrible Towel
, a tradition that dates back to
1975
Citizens Bank Park
in
South Philadelphia
, home of the
Philadelphia Phillies
, the oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in American professional sports
NASCAR
racing at
Pocono Raceway
in
Long Pond
Pennsylvania is home to eight major league professional sports teams: the
Philadelphia Phillies
and
Pittsburgh Pirates
of
Major League Baseball
, the
Philadelphia 76ers
of the
NBA
, the
Philadelphia Eagles
and
Pittsburgh Steelers
of the
NFL
, the
Philadelphia Flyers
and
Pittsburgh Penguins
of the
NHL
, and the
Philadelphia Union
of
Major League Soccer
. Among them, these teams have accumulated seven
World Series
championships (with the Pirates winning five and Phillies winning two), 16
National League
pennants (with the Pirates winning nine and Phillies winning seven), three pre-
Super Bowl
era NFL championships (all won by the Eagles), eight
Super Bowl
championships (with the Steelers winning six and the Eagles two), two NBA championships (both won by the 76ers), and seven
Stanley Cup
championships (with the Penguins winning five and Flyers winning two).
With
five professional sports teams
and some of the most passionate sports fans in the nation,
Philadelphia
is often described as the "nation's best sports city".
228
229
In addition to its two Major League Baseball franchises, Pennsylvania is home to two
Triple-A
-level teams, the highest level of
Minor League Baseball
play. The
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
, affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies, are based in
Allentown
, where they play at
Coca-Cola Park
. The
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
, affiliated with the
New York Yankees
, are based in
Moosic
, where they play at
PNC Field
Pennsylvania is home to four
Double-A level baseball
teams: the
Altoona Curve
Erie SeaWolves
Harrisburg Senators
, and
Reading Fightin Phils
. Pennsylvania has two
collegiate summer baseball
teams affiliated with the
MLB Draft League
: the
State College Spikes
and
Williamsport Crosscutters
. In independent baseball, the state has three teams, the
Lancaster Stormers
Washington Wild Things
, and
York Revolution
In addition to its two National Hockey League teams, Pennsylvania has three
American Hockey League
ice hockey
teams: the
Hershey Bears
affiliated with the
Washington Capitals
, the
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers, and the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
affiliated with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It also has an
ECHL
-level ice hockey team, the
Reading Royals
, and an
Arena Football League
team, the
Philadelphia Soul
. These Pennsylvania-based developmental-level professional teams have accumulated 12
Triple-A
and Double-A baseball league titles (Altoona Curve (1) Reading Fightin Phils (4), and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Senators (6)), 3
ArenaBowl
championships (Soul), and 11
Calder Cups
(Bears).
In addition to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer, Pennsylvania has two
lower level
professional soccer teams:
Philadelphia Union II
of
MLS Next Pro
and the
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
of the
USL Championship
230
Since 1959, the
Little League World Series
has been held annually in August in
South Williamsport
near where
Little League Baseball
was founded in
Williamsport
231
In professional golf,
Arnold Palmer
, one of the 20th century's most accomplished professional golfers, comes from
Latrobe
, and
Jim Furyk
, a current
PGA
player grew up near in
Lancaster
. PGA tournaments in Pennsylvania include the 84 Lumber Classic played at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in
Farmington
and the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic played at Glenmaura National Golf Club in
Moosic
Philadelphia is home to
Love Park
, located across from
City Hall
, which is a popular
skateboard
location that hosted
ESPN
's
X Games
in 2001 and 2002.
232
Motorsports
edit
In motorsports, the
Mario Andretti
dynasty of race drivers hails from
Nazareth
in the
Lehigh Valley
. Pennsylvania racetracks include
Jennerstown Speedway
in
Jennerstown
Lake Erie Speedway
in
North East
Lernerville Speedway
in
Sarver
, and
Pocono Raceway
in
Long Pond
, which is home to two
NASCAR Cup Series
races and an
IndyCar Series
race. The state is also home to
Maple Grove Raceway
, near
Reading
, which hosts major
National Hot Rod Association
-sanctioned drag racing events each year.
There are also two
motocross
race tracks that host a round of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championships in Pennsylvania.
High Point Raceway
is located in
Mount Morris, Pennsylvania
, and Steel City is located in
Delmont, Pennsylvania
Horse racing
tracks in Pennsylvania include
The Meadows
in
North Strabane Township
Mohegan Pennsylvania
in Wilkes-Barre,
Penn National
in
Grantville
Presque Isle Downs
in
Summit Township
, and
Parx Racing
Harrah's Philadelphia
in Chester, which was the home course of
Smarty Jones
, winner of the
2004 Kentucky Derby
and
2004 Preakness Stakes
. Harrah's Philadelphia also hosts
harness racing
and Presque Isle Downs also hosts
thoroughbred racing
College sports
edit
In
college football
, three Pennsylvania universities compete in
NCAA Division I
, the highest level of sanctioned collegiate play in the sport:
Penn State
in the
Big Ten Conference
Pitt
in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
, and
Temple
in the
American Athletic Conference
Over their respective college football histories, Penn State claims two
national championships
(1982 and 1986) and seven undefeated seasons (1887, 1912, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1986, and 1994) and Pitt has won nine national championships (1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, and 1976) and had eight undefeated seasons (1904, 1910, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1937, and 1976).
233
Penn State plays its home games at
Beaver Stadium
, a 106,572-capacity stadium that is the
second-largest stadium in the nation
; the team is coached by
James Franklin
. Pitt plays its home games at
Acrisure Stadium
, a 68,400-capacity stadium it shares with the
Pittsburgh Steelers
; the team is coached by
Pat Narduzzi
. Over their respective histories, four additional Pennsylvania universities and colleges have won national college football championships:
Lafayette
in
Easton
(1896),
Villanova
in
Villanova
(2009),
Penn
in Philadelphia (1895, 1897, 1904, and 1908),
234
and
Washington & Jefferson
in
Washington
(1921).
In
college basketball
, six
Philadelphia-area
universities (Drexel, La Salle, Penn, St. Joseph's, Temple, and Villanova), collectively known as the
Big 5
, have a rivalry tradition. National titles in college basketball have been won by
La Salle
(1954),
Temple
(1938),
Penn
(1920 and 1921),
Pitt
(1928 and 1930), and
Villanova
(1985, 2016, and 2018).
Pennsylvania has several universities and colleges known as national leaders in
college wrestling
Penn State
, coached by
Cael Sanderson
, has won ten
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
in its history, second most among all universities and colleges after
Oklahoma State
Lehigh
in
Bethlehem
has had 28 NCAA Division I individual champions over its history.
Nicknames
edit
Since 1802, Pennsylvania has been known as the
Keystone State
, which remains the state's most popular and widely used nickname.
235
The nickname "Keystone State" originates with the agricultural and architectural term "
keystone
", and is based on the central role that Pennsylvania played geographically and functionally among the original
Thirteen Colonies
from which the nation was established, the important founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, that were signed and ratified in Pennsylvania, and the central role that Pennsylvania played in the nation's early manufacturing and agricultural development.
236
237
Less often, Pennsylvania is referred to as
the Coal State
the Oil State
, and
the Steel State
, in recognition of the important role these respective industries played in the state in the 19th and 20th centuries.
238
The State of Independence
appears on several current day road signs entering Pennsylvania from bordering states.
Pennsylvania residents and those of surrounding states sometimes refer to Pennsylvania by the state's abbreviation,
PA
239
Pennsylvania was historically referred to by the nickname
Quaker State
during the
colonial era
240
based on the influential role that
William Penn
and other
Quakers
played in establishing the
first frame of government
constitution for the Province of Pennsylvania that guaranteed
liberty
of
conscience
, which was a reflection of Penn's knowledge of the hostility Quakers confronted when they opposed religious rituals, taking oaths, violence, war, and military service, and what they viewed as ostentatious
frippery
241
242
243
In the 21st century, Pennsylvania has garnered the additional nickname of "Cellicon State" for the central role of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the development of
immunotherapies
to treat different cancers.
11
Notable people
edit
Main article:
List of people from Pennsylvania
Sister regions
edit
See also:
List of sister cities in Pennsylvania
Kedah
, Malaysia
Matanzas Province
, Cuba
244
Rhône-Alpes
, France
See also
edit
Pennsylvania portal
United States portal
Index of Pennsylvania-related articles
Outline of Pennsylvania
Notes
edit
Elevation adjusted to
North American Vertical Datum of 1988
eɪ
PEN
-sil-
VAY
-nee-ə
PEN
-sil-
VAYN
-yə
lit.
Penn's forest country
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsilfaani
Pennsylvania is one of
only four U.S. states
to use the term "Commonwealth" in its official name, along with
Massachusetts
Virginia
, and
Kentucky
At the time, Vermont had not yet seceded from New York State.
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.
References
edit
Citations
edit
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Pennsylvania doesn't officially designate a single "state food"...
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Trostle, Sharon, ed. (2009).
The Pennsylvania Manual
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ISBN
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Related documents
Discourse Concerning Western Planting
(1584)
Mayflower Compact
(1620)
Mourt's Relation
(1622)
Of Plymouth Plantation
(1630–1651)
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
(1638)
Quintipartite Deed
(1676)
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