Schuylkill

Formed March 1, 1811 (45^th county)

Schuylkill County (143,048), Pottsville (13,346)

The classic stone Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival courthouse was erected in 1892 at Laurel Boulevard at 2^nd Street.  United States Highway 209 is three blocks south of the location.  Milton Earl Beebe is the architect.  The building was enlarged in 1933.  There was an 1815 version in Orwigsburg and an 1851 courthouse in Pottsville.  The county was organized on March 1, 1811 from Berks and Northampton counties as the 45^th county.  Schuylkill County is named for the Schuylkill River.  The county seat is named for founder John Pott. 

Schuylkill County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Six Common Pleas Court Judges and Seven Magistrate Court Judges serve Schuylkill County.  The county is in east central Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is southeast and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is southwest of the county.  The county center is in Pottsville 1.2 miles East of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Luzerne, Carbon, Lehigh, Berks, Lebanon, Dauphin, Northumberland, and Columbia counties. 

The area of the county is 778 square miles.  It is 26 out of 67 in the state.  It ranks 25 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 183.9 persons per square mile making it 29 out of 67 in the state.  Schuylkill County has 50.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 81 crosses the county from northeast to southwest from Luzerne County to Lebanon County.  United States Highway 209 goes from Carbon County, east, to Dauphin County, west.  The county resembles a bird in flight.  Pottsville is located south of center in the county.  Pottsville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 9.3% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SKYL-KIL.  This county is in the Pottsville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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