Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Erie
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Locator map of Erie County, Pennsylvania.
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Discover
Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait. Oil on canvas, 1887.
Rediscovered Artists: 6 Big Names That Time Almost Forgot
United States Electoral College votes by state
How Many Electoral College Votes Does Each U.S. State Have?
Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd
Causes of the Great Depression
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Globe South America, map
What’s the Difference Between Hispanic and Latino?
Statue of Nostradamus
Nostradamus and His Prophecies
David Cameron. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom talk during the G8 Summit at the Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, June 17, 2013
What’s the Difference Between a President and a Prime Minister?
Locator map of Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Erie

county, Pennsylvania, United States
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Erie-county-Pennsylvania
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

Erie, county, extreme northwestern Pennsylvania, U.S., bordered by Lake Erie to the northwest, New York state to the northeast, and Ohio to the southwest. It consists of low hills that rise toward the southeast. The principal waterways are Conneaut, Elk, and French creeks as well as Edinboro Lake and the Union City Dam.

Presque Isle State Park, named for Fort-Presque-Isle (built by the French in 1753), is located on a peninsula that forms a natural harbour for the city of Erie, which is the county seat. This lakeside city, Pennsylvania’s only port on the St. Lawrence Seaway (completed 1959), developed with the opening of the Erie and Pittsburgh Canal (1844) and with railway construction in the 1850s. Waterford is the site of Fort-Le-Boeuf (built 1753), which was a French fortification used during the French and Indian War. The county was created in 1800 and named for the Erie Indians.

Other communities include Corry, Edinboro, North East, and Wesleyville. The main components of the economy are manufacturing (metal and plastic products) and agriculture (potatoes, oats, and grapes). Area 802 square miles (2,077 square km). Pop. (2000) 280,843; (2010) 280,566.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.