York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2004, the population is 401,613. York County is located in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in south-central Pennsylvania.

York County was created on August 19, 1749 from part of Lancaster County and named either for the Duke of York, an early patron of the Penn family, or for the city and shire of York in England. Its county seat is the city of York⁶.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,358 km² (910 mi²). 2,343 km² (904 mi²) of it is land and 15 km² (6 mi²) of it (0.64%) is water. The county is bound to its eastern border by the Susquehanna River. Its southern border is the Mason-Dixon Line, which separates Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Adjacent 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)

Demographics

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As of the census² of 2000, there were 381,751 people, 148,219 households, and 105,531 families residing in the county. The population density was 163/km² (422/mi²). There were 156,720 housing units at an average density of 67/km² (173/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.76% White, 3.69% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.96% of the population.
A farm in York County, Pennsylvania