Potter

Formed March 26, 1804 (41^st county)

Potter County (16,401), Coudersport (2,377)

The white brick Italianate and Greek Revival courthouse was built in 1853.   It was remodeled in 1888 and renovated in 1934.  The courthouse is on Main Street at 2^nd Street.  United States Highway 6 is 2^nd Street in this part of the town.  William Bell provided the courthouse designs.  A County Administration Building augments the courthouse.  Potter County was created on March 26, 1804 from Lycoming County as the 41^st county with Coudersport as the only county seat.  The county is named for American Revolutionary War General James Potter.  The county seat is named for banker Jean Samuel Couder. 

Potter County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Two Common Pleas Court Judges and Three Magistrate Court Judges serve Potter County.  Potter County is on the northern border with New York.  Erie, Pennsylvania is west and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is southeast of the county.  The county center is 14.4 miles Southeast of Coudersport nearer Conrad.  The county is surrounded clockwise by New York and Tioga, Lycoming, Clinton, Cameron, and McKean counties. 

The area of the county is 1081 square miles.  It is 6 out of 67 in the state.  It ranks 63 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 15.2 persons per square mile making it 65 out of 67 in the state.  Potter County has 34.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 6 travels through the county from east to west from Tioga County to McKean County.  Potter County is an overall rectangle with the southwest corner cut away.  Coudersport is located in the western third of the county.  Coudersport is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 14.5% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced KOD-URS-POERT.