Washington

Formed March 28, 1781 (12^th county)

Washington County (209,325), Washington (13,176)                

The domed Beaux Arts courthouse was built in 1900.  It replaced an 1842 version.  It is located at Beau and Main streets.  United States Highway 40 is one block to the north of the location.  F. J. Osterling is the courthouse architect.  The county was established on March 28, 1781 from Westmoreland County as the 12^th county with Washington as the only county seat.  Washington County and its county seat are named for American Revolutionary General George Washington.  Washington County is the birthplace of 1 Pennsylvania governor, Edward Martin. 

Washington County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Seven Common Pleas Court Judges and Eight Magistrate Court Judges serve Washington County.  Washington County is in southwest Pennsylvania on the border with West Virginia.  The Monongahela River forms its eastern border.  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is northeast and Wheeling, West Virginia is west of the county.  The county center is 5.5 miles Southeast of Washington nearer Laboratory.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Allegheny, Westmoreland, Fayette, and Greene counties and West Virginia and Beaver County. 

The area of the county is 861 square miles.  It is 19 out of 67 in the state.  It ranks 18 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 243.1 persons per square mile making it 22 out of 67 in the state.  Washington County has 31.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 crosses the county from east to west from Westmoreland County to West Virginia.  Interstate Highway 79 travels north to south from Allegheny County to Greene County.  United States Highway 19 parallels Interstate Highway 79 from Allegheny to Greene counties.  United States Highway 22 clips the north from Allegheny County, northeast, to West Virginia, west.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Fayette County to West Virginia.  The county resembles the nose of a person.  The City of Washington is located slightly west of center in the county.  Washington is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 6.3% of the county population.  This county is in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area.