Clinton County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clinton County
U.S. county
Clinton County Courthouse
Flag Seal Logo
Motto(s):  Where Rivers and Valleys meet Mountains and Sunsets
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	June 21, 1839
Named for	DeWitt Clinton
Seat	Lock Haven
Largest city	Lock Haven
Area
• Total	897 sq mi (2,320 km2)
• Land	888 sq mi (2,300 km2)
• Water	8.9 sq mi (23 km2)  1.0%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	37,450
• Estimate  (2022)	37,931
• Density	41.750/sq mi (16.120/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	15th
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated:	June 12, 1982

Clinton County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2020, about 37,450 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Lock Haven.

Clinton County is part of a larger area called the Lock Haven, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. It's also included in the Williamsport-Lock Haven, PA Combined Statistical Area. This county is found in the Central Pennsylvania region.

History

Long ago, in 1768, new lands in Pennsylvania were bought from the Haudenosaunee people. This was part of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix. These lands included parts of what is now Clinton County.

Even though the land was officially part of Northumberland County, settlers in the area created their own system. Near what is now Jersey Shore, they elected three leaders each year. These leaders were called the Fairplay Men.

The Fairplay Men made sure everyone was treated fairly. They mostly helped with land problems. But they also handled other legal issues or crimes in their area. They could allow new settlers to come in. They could also take away a settler's land if they were gone for too long. They could even make someone leave the area by sending them away on a canoe!

Clinton County was officially created on June 21, 1839. It was formed from parts of Centre and Lycoming Counties.

Etymology

The county was named after DeWitt Clinton. He was the sixth Governor of New York. Some people think it might have been named after Henry Clinton, but DeWitt Clinton is the more common belief.

Geography

1883 map of Clinton County. The Philadelphia and Erie Railroad runs through the middle.

Clinton County covers about 897 square miles. Most of this area, about 888 square miles, is land. The rest, about 8.9 square miles, is water.

The county has a climate where summers are warm. In Lock Haven, the average temperature in January is about 26.5°F. In July, it's about 72.2°F. In Renovo, January averages 25.6°F and July averages 71.0°F.

Neighboring Counties

• Potter County (north)
• Lycoming County (east)
• Union County (southeast)
• Centre County (south)
• Clearfield County (southwest)
• Cameron County (west)

Land Features

• Bear Mountain: A mountain peak located in the county.

Main Roads

• I-80
• Future I‑99
• US 220
• PA 64
• PA 120
• PA 144
• PA 150
• PA 477
• PA 664
• PA 880

Population

In 2000, there were about 37,914 people living in Clinton County. The population density was about 43 people per square mile. Most people living in the county were White (98.3%).

In 2020, the population was 37,450. The county is mostly White (93.27%). There are also smaller groups of Black or African American, Asian, and Native American residents. About 1.76% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Statistical Areas

Map of the Williamsport-Lock Haven, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA). The red area is the Williamsport, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The yellow area is the Lock Haven, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The U.S. government has named Clinton County the Lock Haven, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA). This means it's a smaller city area with a population center and nearby communities. In 2010, it was the 16th most populated micropolitan area in Pennsylvania.

Clinton County is also part of a larger area called the Williamsport-Lock Haven, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA). This area includes both Clinton County and Lycoming County. In 2010, this combined area was the 11th most populated in Pennsylvania.

Education

Map of Clinton County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Colleges and Universities

• Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania

Public School Districts

• Jersey Shore Area School District (also in Lycoming County)
• Keystone Central School District (also in Centre County)
• West Branch Area School District (also in Clearfield County)

Recreation

Clinton County is home to five Pennsylvania state parks. These parks offer many chances to enjoy nature and outdoor activities.

• Bucktail State Park Natural Area: A 75-mile long scenic road along Pennsylvania Route 120. It goes from Lock Haven to Emporium.
• Hyner Run State Park
• Hyner View State Park
• Kettle Creek State Park
• Ravensburg State Park

Communities

Map of Clinton County, Pennsylvania. Cities and Boroughs are red, Townships are white, and Census-designated places are blue.

In Pennsylvania, there are different types of towns and cities. These include cities, boroughs, and townships. Here are the communities found in Clinton County:

City

• Lock Haven (This is the county seat, meaning it's the main administrative town.)

Boroughs

• Avis
• Beech Creek
• Flemington
• Loganton
• Mill Hall
• Renovo
• South Renovo

Townships

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that the U.S. Census Bureau names for collecting data. They are not official towns or cities under Pennsylvania law.

Other Communities

These are other small communities in the county that are not officially incorporated.

Population Ranking

This table shows the population of the main communities in Clinton County, based on the 2020 census.

† county seat

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Clinton (Pensilvania) para niños