York County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids York County
U.S. county
York County Administrative Center in York, Pennsylvania
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	August 19, 1749
Named for	Duke of York
Seat	York
Largest city	York
Area
• Total	911 sq mi (2,360 km2)
• Land	904 sq mi (2,340 km2)
• Water	6.5 sq mi (17 km2)  0.7%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	456,438
• Density	481.1/sq mi (185.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	10th, 11th

York County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States. A county is like a large area of land with its own local government. In 2020, about 456,438 people lived here.

The main town, or county seat, is York. The county was started on August 19, 1749. It was formed from a part of Lancaster County. It might have been named after the Duke of York. He was an early supporter of the Penn family. Or, it could be named after the city and county of York in England. York County is in the South Central part of Pennsylvania.

York County is part of the York-Hanover area. This area is also connected to the larger Harrisburg-York-Lebanon region. It is located in the Susquehanna Valley. This valley is a large, rich farming area in South Central Pennsylvania.

Some people believe York was the first capital of the United States. This is because the Articles of Confederation were adopted here in 1777. Historians still discuss this idea. York and Wrightsville were even considered as the permanent capital. But later, Washington, D.C. was chosen.

York County is home to many well-known companies. These include Martin's Potato Chips and Utz Quality Foods, Inc.. You can also find Snyder's of Hanover and Hanover Foods here. Other famous businesses are Wolfgang Candy and a big Harley-Davidson Motor Company factory. York International (for cooling equipment) and York Barbell are also in the county.

Exploring York County's Geography

A beautiful waterfall near the Mason-Dixon Trail in southeast York County.

A peaceful farm in York County.

York County covers about 911 square miles. Most of this is land (904 square miles). Only a small part (6.5 square miles) is water. The Susquehanna River forms the eastern border of the county. To the south, the Mason–Dixon line separates Pennsylvania from Maryland.

York County is generally hilly. It rises towards the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwest. Here, it is bordered by Yellow Breeches Creek. Inside the county, there are rivers like Codorus and Conewago Creek. There are also several lakes, including Lehman, Kiwanis, Marburg, and Pinchot.

Neighboring Counties

York County shares borders with these other counties:

• Cumberland County (north)
• Dauphin County (northeast)
• Lancaster County (east)
• Harford County, Maryland (southeast)
• Baltimore County, Maryland (south)
• Carroll County, Maryland (southwest)
• Adams County (west)

Main Roads and Highways

York County's Climate

Most of York County has a climate with hot summers. This is called a humid continental climate. Some lower areas in the east have a humid subtropical climate. This means they have warm, humid summers and mild winters.

People and Population of York County

In 2000, there were 381,751 people living in York County. There were about 148,219 households. A household is a group of people living in one home. The county had about 422 people per square mile.

Most people (92.76%) were White. About 3.69% were African American. Around 2.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino. Many people had German (42.0%) or Irish (7.7%) backgrounds. Most people (94.8%) spoke English at home.

About 32.50% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.52 people. The average family had 2.98 people. The population was spread out by age. About 24.60% were under 18 years old. The average age was 38 years.

Between 2000 and 2006, the York-Hanover area grew quickly. It was one of the fastest-growing areas in the Northeast. The number of Hispanic or Latino residents in York city also grew a lot between 2000 and 2010.

2020 Census Information

Here is a breakdown of the different groups of people in York County from the 2020 census:

Local Dialects and Accents

In York County, you might hear the Central Pennsylvania accent. This is a way of speaking common in the area. Many people also have Pennsylvania Dutch backgrounds. They often speak with a special Pennsylvania Dutch English accent.

Understanding Metropolitan Areas

The U.S. government calls York County the York–Hanover, PA metropolitan statistical area (MSA). This means it's a large city area and its nearby communities that are closely connected. In 2012, it was the 9th biggest MSA in Pennsylvania.

York–Hanover is also part of an even bigger area. This is called the Harrisburg–York–Lebanon combined statistical area (CSA). A CSA connects several MSAs that are close to each other. In 2017, this larger area had about 1.26 million people. It was the 5th largest CSA in Pennsylvania.

Education in York County

Map showing school districts in York County.

York County has many schools for students of all ages.

Public School Districts

These are the public school districts in York County:

Vocational Schools

• York County School of Technology - This school helps students learn job skills.

Public Charter Schools

Charter schools are public schools that have more freedom in how they operate.

Independent Schools

These are private schools in York County:

Intermediate Unit (IU#12)

The Lincoln Intermediate Unit (IU#12) helps schools in York, Adams, and Franklin counties. It provides services like special education and help with technology. It also runs a Summer Academy for talented students. The IU helps adults earn a high school diploma through a GED program.

Colleges and Universities

Adult Education Programs

• YTI Career Institute
• Motorcycle Technology Center
• York Time Institute

Communities of York County

Map of cities, towns, and townships in York County. Cities and boroughs are in red, townships in white, and census-designated places in blue.

In Pennsylvania, there are four main types of towns and cities: cities, boroughs, townships, and one special case called a "town." York County has 72 of these different communities.

City

• York (This is the county seat, the main town.)

Boroughs

Boroughs are smaller towns with their own local governments.

Townships

Townships are areas of land that are usually larger than boroughs and often include rural areas.

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

CDPs are areas that the U.S. Census Bureau names for collecting population data. They are not officially governed towns.

Other Unincorporated Communities

These are other small communities in York County that do not have their own local governments.

Community Population Ranking

This table shows the communities in York County ranked by their population in 2010.

† county seat

Airports in the Area

York County does not have regular passenger flights. But it does have two airports for smaller planes. These are Capital City Airport and York Airport. The county works with other nearby counties to manage airports. The closest airports with passenger service are Harrisburg International Airport, Lancaster County Airport, and BWI.

Famous People from York County

Many interesting people have come from York County:

See also

In Spanish: Condado de York (Pensilvania) para niños