| Erie County, Pennsylvania | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
|
 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | March 12, 1800 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Erie |
| Largest city | Erie |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,558 sq mi (4,035 km²) 802 sq mi (2,077 km²) 756 sq mi (1,958 km²), 48.54% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
280,843 350/sq mi (135/km²) |
| Website: www.eriecountygov.org | |
| County flag |  |
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 280,843. Its county seat is Erie.[1]
Contents |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,558 square miles (4,036 km²), of which, 802 square miles (2,077 km²) of it is land and 756 square miles (1,959 km²) of it (48.54%) is water. There are only two cities in Erie County; the City of Erie and the City of Corry.
Erie County is bordered on the northeast by Chautauqua County, New York, on the east by Warren County, on the south by Crawford County, and on the west by Ashtabula County, Ohio. Directly north of the county is Lake Erie, with the nearest landmass beyond it being the province of Ontario, Canada.
History
Erie County was established on March 12, 1800 from part of Allegheny County, which absorbed the lands of the disputed Erie Triangle in 1792. Prior to 1792, the region was claimed by both New York and Pennsylvania, so no county demarcations were made until the federal government intervened. See interactive Pennsylvania County Formation Maps
Since Erie County and its newly-established neighboring counties of Crawford, Mercer, Venango, and Warren were initially unable to sustain themselves, a five-county administrative organization was established at Crawford County's Meadville to temporarily manage government affairs in the region. Erie elected its own county officials in 1803. [2]
Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 280,843 people, 106,507 households, and 71,040 families residing in the county. The population density was 350 people per square mile (135/km²). There were 114,322 housing units at an average density of 143 per square mile (55/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.90% White, 6.13% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 2.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.4% were of German, 12.5% Polish, 12.3% Italian, 10.1% Irish, 6.5% English and 6.4% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 106,507 households out of which 31.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.50% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.
Government and politics
The county seat of government is in Erie, Pennsylvania. The county has a home-rule charter and is run by a county executive. The Erie County Executive as of June 2007 is Mark A. DiVecchio. The remaining elected officials of the executive branch are the Erie County Controller, Erie County Coroner, Erie County District Attorney, Erie County Sheriff, and Erie County Clerk. see latest list
The county executive appoints a chief public defender to the Erie County Public Defender's Office [6] and members of a Criminal Justice Advisory Board [7].
Erie County Department of Public Safety and the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) relocated to a new public safety building located near the Erie County Vocational Technical School in Summit Township in January 2008. 9-1-1 dispatcher and HAZMAT operations will be based at the new facility. Seven new communications towers and backup power generation will be features of the new reinforced concrete building, which will be able to withstand a Category F3 tornado. Erie County Department of Corrections operates the Erie County Prison, which is located on Ash Street between East 18th Street and the railroad tracks in Erie.
| + Erie County Executives | ||
| Name | Party | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Russell Robison | Republican | 1978 – 1982 |
| Judith M. Lynch | Democrat | 1982 – 2002 |
| Richard Schenker | Republican | 2002 – 2006 |
| Mark A. DiVecchio | Democrat | 2006 – 2010 |
| Barry Grossman (Incumbent) | Democrat | 2010 – |
County legislature
The legislature consists of a county council. The Erie County Council is made up of seven councilmen elected to represent seven geographical districts. see map A chairman and vice chairman are chosen among the councilmen to lead the council.
- Phil Fatica, Democrat (District 1 - west city)
- Joseph F. Giles, Democrat (Vice Chairman, District 2 - city lakefront)
- Fiore Leone, Democrat (Chairman, District 3 - south central city)
- Ronald Cleaver, Democrat (also known as Whitey Cleaver) (District 4 - southeast city)
- Kyle W. Foust, Democrat (District 5 - northeast suburbs)
- David E. Mitchell, Republican (District 6 - southeast suburbs)
- Carol J. Loll, Republican (District 7 - west suburbs).
Judiciary
The judiciary is made up of nine judges serving the Erie County Court of Common Pleas and forty-six magisterial district judges serve the district courts. Court administration is managed by a district court administrator, deputy court administrator, and assistant court administrator. The Erie County Courthouse is located on Perry Square in downtown Erie.
Row officers
- Clerk of Records, Pat Fetzner, Democrat
- Controller, Sue Weber, Democrat
- Coroner, Lyell Cook, Democrat
- District Attorney, Bradley Foulk, Republican (deceased); currently held by Jack Daneri
- Sheriff, Bob Merski, Democrat
Politics
As of November 2008, there are 185,081 registered voters in Erie County [2].
- Democratic: 102,061 (55.14%)
- Republican: 62,861 (33.96%)
- Other Parties: 20,159 (10.89%)
Erie County tends to be Democratic-leaning in statewide elections, with all four statewide winners carrying it in 2008. The margins of victory for the Democratic Presidential candidate in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 elections in Erie County were 9, 8, and 20 percentage points, respectively.
Pennsylvania State Senate
- Mary Jo White (R), Pennsylvania's 21st Senatorial District
- Jane M. Earll (R), Pennsylvania's 49th Senatorial District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- Patrick J. Harkins (D), Pennsylvania's 1st Representative District
- Florindo J. Fabrizio (D), Pennsylvania's 2nd Representative District
- John Hornaman (D), Pennsylvania's 3rd Representative District
- Curtis G. Sonney (R), Pennsylvania's 4th Representative District
- John R. Evans (R), Pennsylvania's 5th Representative District
United States House of Representatives
Municipalities
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Erie County:
Cities
Boroughs
Townships
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
Education
Public School Districts
- Corry Area School District
- Erie City School District
- Fairview School District
- Fort LeBoeuf School District
- General McLane School District
- Girard School District
- Harbor Creek School District
- Iroquois School District
- Millcreek Township School District
- North East School District
- Northwestern School District
- Union City Area School District
- Wattsburg Area School District
Recreation
There are two Pennsylvania state parks in Erie County and both are on the shores of Lake Erie.
- Erie Bluffs State Park - one of Pennsylvania's newest state parks
- Presque Isle State Park - one of Pennsylvania's oldest state parks
See also
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ History of Erie County, Pennsylvania. Chicago: Warner, Beers and Company, 1884. Volume I, Part II, Chapter I, pg 137
- ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&_county=Erie+County&_cityTown=Erie+County&_state=05000US42049
- ^ http://www.mapzones.org/Erie_County_Pennsylvania.html
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Erie County Public Defenders Office, Access to Justice, 2006 [1]
- ^ JNET
External links
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