Somerset

Formed April 17, 1795 (23^rd county)

Somerset County (74,147), Somerset (6,051)

The domed masonry Beaux Arts and Classical Renaissance Revival courthouse was built in 1905.  It is situated on Fairview Street at Court Street.  Pennsylvania State Highway 601 is one block west of the site.  J. C. Fulton provided the designs.  The building was renovated in 2003.  There were also 1801 and 1853 versions.  An Administration Building was added in 1999.  Somerset County was established on April 17, 1795 from Bedford County as the 23^rd county with Somerset as the only county seat.  The county and its county seat are named for Somerset, England. 

Somerset County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Four Common Pleas Court Judges and Five Magistrate Court Judges serve Somerset County.  The county is on the southwest border with Maryland.  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is northwest and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is northeast of the county.  The county center is 8.8 miles East of Somerset nearer Shanksville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cambria and Bedford counties and Maryland and Fayette, and Westmoreland counties. 

The area of the county is 1081 square miles.  It is 7 out of 67 in the state.  It ranks 37 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 68.6 persons per square mile making it 47 out of 67 in the state.  Somerset County has 31.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highways 70/76 cross the county from east to west from Bedford County to Westmoreland County.  United States Highway 30 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Bedford to Westmoreland counties.  United States Highway 40 clips the southwest corner from Maryland, south, to Fayette County, west.  United States Highway 219 enters from the north, Cambria County, and exits to the south, Maryland.  The highest point in Pennsylvania, Mount Davis, is in the county.  The county shaped resembles a fat penguin facing east.  The City of Somerset is located west of center in the county.  Somerset is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 8.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Somerset Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Seven Springs