Erie

Formed March 12, 1800 (34^th county)

Erie County (270,869), Erie (94,849)

The masonry Greek Revival building was erected in 1855 and added on in 1889 and 1929.  The structure was restored in 2001 and enlarged again in 2005.  The facility is on 6^th Street between Sassafras and Peach streets.  Pennsylvania State Highway 5 passes six blocks south of the courthouse.  Thomas U. Walter designed the courthouse.  The county was established on March 12, 1800 from Allegheny County as the 34^th county with Erie as the only county seat.  There were 1808 and 1825 courthouses previously.  Erie County and its county seat are named for Lake Erie. 

The area of the county is 799 square miles.  It is 23 out of 67 in the state.  It ranks 15 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 339.0 persons per square mile making it 19 out of 67 in the state.  Erie County has 47.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 79 originates in the county and travels south into Crawford County.  Interstate Highway 86 comes from New York, east, and terminates.  Interstate Highway 90 goes northeast to southwest from New York to Ohio.  United States Highway 6 enters from Warren County, east, and exits into Crawford County, south.  United States Highway 6 North originates and terminates in the county.  United States Highway 19 originates and parallels Interstate Highway 79 into Crawford County.  United States Highway 20 parallels Interstate Highway 90 from New York to Ohio. 

Erie County government consists of a sheriff and 7 Council Members.  Eight Common Pleas Court Judges and Fourteen Magistrate Court Judges serve Erie County.  Erie County is in the northwest corner of the state.  It borders New York and Ohio.  Lake Erie forms its northern border with Canada.  The county center is in Erie 5.5 miles South-Southeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and New York and Warren and Crawford counties and Ohio.  Erie County resembles a hatchet lying on its back.  The City of Erie is on the northern border of the county.  Erie is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 35.0% of the county population.  This county is in the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Wesleyville