Wayne

Formed March 21, 1798 (25^th county)

Wayne County (51,151), Honesdale (4,460)                

The red brick Second Empire and Italianate courthouse was erected in 1880.  It sits at the intersection of Court and 9^th streets.  United States Highway 6 is two blocks west of the site.  J. A. Wood is the designer.  The structure was enlarged in 1976 and a County Office Building augments the courthouse.  There were 1800 and 1843 versions of the courthouse earlier.  Bethany was the first county seat until Honesdale assume the role in 1843.  Wayne County was formed on March 21, 1798 from Northampton County as the 25^th county.  It is named for American Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.  He is also the namesake for the county seat of Greene County.  The county seat is named for businessman, Philip Hone. 

Wayne County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One Common Pleas Court Judge and Four Magistrate Court Judges serve Wayne County.  The county is in the northeast corner of the state on the border with New York.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is south and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is southwest of the county.  The Delaware River forms its eastern border.  The county center is 7.5 miles North of Honesdale nearer Dyberry.  The county is surrounded clockwise by New York and Pike, Monroe, Lackawanna, and Susquehanna counties. 

The area of the county is 751 square miles.  It is 29 out of 67 in the state.  It ranks 43 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 68.1 persons per square mile making it 48 out of 67 in the state.  Wayne County has 14.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 84 clips the southern tip of the county from east to west from Pike County to Lackawanna County.  United States Highway 6 enters from Pike County, east, and exits into Lackawanna County, west.  The county looks like a tall capital letter D.  Honesdale is located near the center of the county.  Honesdale is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 8.7% of the county population.