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