There are 52 municipalities in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Under Pennsylvania law, there are three types of incorporated municipalities in Lycoming County: cities, boroughs and townships. Any municipality in Pennsylvania with more than 10 persons can incorporate as a borough. Any township or borough with a population of at least 10,000 can ask the state legislature to become chartered as a city. There are no unincorporated areas in the county, since all territory in Pennsylvania is incorporated.
The 52 incorporated municipalities in Lycoming County are the subject of the first list, which gives their names and etymologies, dates settled and incorporated, what they were formed from, area, population, and location within the county. Two other lists dealing with former parts of Lycoming County are included. The second list is of former incorporated townships and gives the same information as above on their current status. The third list gives information on the eighteen other Pennsylvania counties which were formed from or contain land originally in the county.
In the 2000 census, the population of Lycoming County was 120,044,[1] making it a "Fifth Class County" (defined by Pennsylvania law as "having a population of 95,000 and more, but less than 145,000 inhabitants").[2] It is included in the Williamsport, Pennsylvania metropolitan statistical area, whose county seat is Williamsport. Lycoming County is located in north central Pennsylvania, about 130 miles (209 km) northwest of Philadelphia and 165 miles (266 km) east-northeast of Pittsburgh, as the crow flies.[3]
As of 2012, Lycoming County has 52 incorporated municipalities: one city, nine boroughs, and 42 townships. Lycoming County's townships include one census-designated place (CDP) and 50 villages. CDPs are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. Villages are marked with signs by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.[4] Neither CDPs nor villages are actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law and their territory is legally part of the township(s) where they are located. The first list also notes the CDP and villages within their respective townships.
At as of 2012, Lycoming County is the largest county by land area in Pennsylvania. While Erie County is larger, nearly half of its area is in Lake Erie. Lycoming County is also larger than Rhode Island, the smallest U.S. state, which has an area of . Its incorporated municipalities range in size from (three of the boroughs) to (McHenry Township). The city of Williamsport has the highest population of any municipality (30,706 or 25.6% of the county total as of 2000), while Brown Township in the northwest corner of the county has the lowest population (111 or 0.092%). Most of the county's population is in the valley along the West Branch Susquehanna River.
| Remarks | Settled[5] [6] | Incorporated | Formed from | Area in square miles (km2) | Population as of 2000 | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsport (city) | Named for William Ross (son of founder Michael Ross); county seat; laid out 1796 | 1769 | 1806 (borough), 1866 (city) | sq mi (24.7 km2) | |||
| Duboistown (borough) | Named for founders John and Mathias Dubois, laid out 1852 | 1773 | 1878 | sq mi (1.7 km2) | |||
| Hughesville (borough) | Named for founder Jeptha Hughes; laid out 1816 | 1816 | 1852 | sq mi (1.7 km2) | |||
| Jersey Shore (borough) | Named the "Jersey Shore" as its founders were from New Jersey and it was on the shore of the West Branch Susquehanna River; laid out 1820 | 1785 | 1826 | sq mi (3.2 km2) | |||
| Montgomery (borough) | Named for the "Montgomery Station" post office; known as "Black Hole" until circa 1836 (for Black Hole Creek) | 1783 | 1887 | sq mi (1.5 km2) | |||
| Montoursville (borough) | Named for Madame Montour and her son Andrew Montour; laid out 1820 | 1768 | 1850 | sq mi (10.8 km2) | |||
| Muncy (borough) | Named for the Munsee phratry of the Lenape; laid out 1797 | 1797 | 1826 | sq mi (2.2 km2) | |||
| Picture Rocks (borough) | Named for Indian pictographs found on the cliffs above Muncy Creek | 1848 | 1875 | sq mi (2.4 km2) | |||
| Salladasburg (borough) | Named for founder Jacob P. Sallada; laid out 1837 | 1837 | 1884 | sq mi (2.0 km2) | |||
| South Williamsport (borough) | Named for its geographic location, south of Williamsport; | 1790 | 1886 | sq mi (5.5 km2) | |||
| Named for Joseph B. Anthony, a county judge circa 1844 and later Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice | 1773 | 1844 | sq mi (41.1 km2) | ||||
| Named for James Armstrong, a local lawyer | 1795 | 1842 | sq mi (66.2 km2) | ||||
| Named for Solomon Bastress of Jersey Shore, former member of the state legislature and associate judge | 1837 | 1854 | sq mi (22.4 km2) | ||||
| Named for the Brady family, some of the earliest settlers in the area | 1790 | 1855 | sq mi (22.4 km2) | ||||
| Named for Jacob Brown, a general from Pennsylvania in the War of 1812; includes the villages of Cedar Run and Slate Run | 1790 | 1815 | Mifflin and Pine Townships | sq mi (190.8 km2) | |||
| Named for its cascading mountain streams; includes the village of Kellyburg | 1843 | 1843 | Hepburn and Plunketts Creek Townships | sq mi (105.9 km2) | |||
| Named for DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York (1817–1822, 1824–1828) | 1825 | 1825 | sq mi (74.5 km2) | ||||
| Named for David Cogan, a pioneer who settled on Larrys Creek in 1825; includes the villages of Beech Grove, Brookside, Cogan House, and White Pine | 1825 | 1843 | Jackson and Mifflin Townships | sq mi (181.1 km2) | |||
| 1784 | 1832 | Mifflin and Brown Townships | sq mi (179.7 km2) | ||||
| Eldred Township | Named for C. D. Eldred, an associate on the bench; includes the village of Warrensville | 1802 | 1858 | sq mi (37.1 km2) | |||
| Named for "beautiful rolling land of the fertile river bottom" | 1742 | 1825–1826 | sq mi (30.4 km2) | ||||
| Named for Benjamin Franklin; includes the village of Lairdsville | 1795 | 1822 | sq mi (63.4 km2) | ||||
| Named for James Gamble, the judge who authorized the election that led to its creation; includes the village of Calvert and Rose Valley Lake | 1784 | 1875 | Lewis and Cascade Townships | sq mi (119.5 km2) | |||
| Named for William Hepburn, a founding father of Williamsport and Lycoming County; includes the villages of Cogan Station (also in Lycoming Township) and Hepburnville | 1784 | 1804 | sq mi (43.1 km2) | ||||
| Named for Andrew Jackson (prior to his presidency); includes the village of Buttonwood | 1811 | 1824 | sq mi (92.2 km2) | ||||
| Named for Alexander Jordan, president judge of the district court when formed; includes the villages of Lungerville and Unityville | 1812 | 1854 | sq mi (53.6 km2) | ||||
| Named for Ellis Lewis, president judge of the district court when formed; includes the villages of Bodines, Field Station, and Trout Run | 1812 | 1835 | sq mi (98.0 km2) | ||||
| Named for its abundant limestone, originally known as "Adams Township" for John Adams (name changed 1835); includes the villages of Collomsville, Oriole, and Oval | 1789 | 1824 | sq mi (88.5 km2) | ||||
| Named for Loyalsock Creek; second most populous municipality in the county | 1768 | 1786 | sq mi (55.0 km2) | ||||
| Named for Lycoming Creek; includes the villages of Cogan Station (also in Hepburn Township) and Quiggleville | 1773 | 1858 | sq mi (39.8 km2) | ||||
| Named for Alexander H. McHenry, a Jersey Shore surveyor; includes the villages of Cammal, Haneyville, Jersey Mills, and Okome | 1785 | 1861 | sq mi (198.1 km2) | ||||
| Named for Archibald McIntyre, a founder of the Williamsport and Elmira Railroad; includes the villages of Marsh Hill and Ralston | 1794 | 1848 | sq mi (122.4 km2) | ||||
| Named for H. I. McNett, who led the drive for its formation; includes the villages of Chemung, Ellenton, Leolyn, Penbryn, and Roaring Branch | 1805 | 1878 | sq mi (87.5 km2) | ||||
| Named for Thomas Mifflin, the first governor of Pennsylvania (1790–1799) | 1790 | 1803 | sq mi (72.2 km2) | ||||
| Named for Mill Creek; includes part of the village of Huntersville (also in Wolf Township) | 1795 | 1879 | sq mi (29.5 km2) | ||||
| Named for a legend that the acres surveyed here were larger than a standard acre; includes the village of Opp | 1790 | 1813 | sq mi (62.0 km2) | ||||
| Named for the Munsee phratry of the Lenape; as it is older than Lycoming County, it is often called the "Mother Township"; includes the village of Pennsdale | 1772 | 1772 | sq mi (40.8 km2) | ||||
| Named for Muncy Creek; includes the village of Clarkstown | 1773 | 1797 | sq mi (53.7 km2) | ||||
| Named for the Indian phrase, "Nippeno-wi", meaning a warm and genial summer like place; includes the village of Antes Fort, which was named for Fort Antes (abandoned during the Big Runaway) | 1769 | 1786 | sq mi (29.1 km2) | ||||
| Named indirectly for Lycoming Creek, it was originally part of Lycoming Township, the name was changed in 1858 when the township was divided; includes the census-designated place of Garden View | 1773 | 1785 | sq mi (24.6 km2) | ||||
| Named for Penn Township, Berks County; includes part of the village of Glen Mawr (also in Shrewsbury Township) | 1774 | 1828 | sq mi (69.2 km2) | ||||
| Named for William Piatt, an associate county judge when it was created; includes the village of Larryville | 1769 | 1858 | sq mi (26.3 km2) | ||||
| Named for its vast stands of pine trees; includes the villages of English Center and Oregon Hill | 1806 | 1856 | sq mi (196.3 km2) | ||||
| Named for Plunketts Creek; includes the villages of Barbours and Proctor | 1776 | 1838 | Franklin Township and Davidson Township now part of Sullivan County | sq mi (143.1 km2) | |||
| Named for David R. Porter, Pennsylvania governor (1839–1845) | 1772 | 1840 | sq mi (20.6 km2) | ||||
| Named for Shrewsbury Township, New Jersey; includes the villages of Glen Mawr (also in Penn Township) and Tivoli | 1794 | 1804 | sq mi (45.3 km2) | ||||
| Named for the West Branch Susquehanna River which forms the northern boundary; includes the village of Nisbet | 1801 | 1838 | Nippenose and Armstrong Townships | sq mi (20.2 km2) | |||
| Originally named "Pollock Township" for local judge, name changed to Fairfield Township in 1853; includes the villages of Farragut and Loyalsockville | 1796 | 1851 | sq mi (47.2 km2) | ||||
| Named for George Washington; includes the village of Elimsport | 1760 | 1785 | sq mi (125.7 km2) | ||||
| Named for Oliver Watson, president of a bank in Williamsport; includes the village of Tombs Run | 1784 | 1845 | Porter and Cummings Townships | sq mi (61.0 km2) | |||
| Named for George Wolf, governor of Pennsylvania (1829–1835); | 1777 | 1834 | sq mi (50.7 km2) | ||||
| Named for Apollos Woodward, an associate judge; includes the village of Linden | 1772 | 1855 | sq mi (35.3 km2) | ||||
| Garden View, (census-designated place) | sq mi (2.7 km2) | ||||||
The territory which today makes up Lycoming County was purchased from the Iroquois in two treaties signed at Fort Stanwix in New York: the first treaty was in 1768, and the second treaty was in 1784. The county was formed on April 13, 1795 from part of Northumberland County.[7] The county originally contained seven townships when formed: Lower Bald Eagle, Loyalsock, Lycoming, Muncy, Nippenose, Pine Creek, and Washington. Today Pine Creek is part of Clinton County and Lower Bald Eagle is part of both Centre and Clinton counties, but the rest are still in Lycoming County, although many other municipalities have been formed from these since.
When originally formed in 1795, Lycoming County was "roughly estimated at about 12,000 square miles" (31,000 km2). Its territory stretched north to the New York state line, west to the Allegheny River, south nearly to the source of the West Branch Susquehanna River, and east to include modern Sullivan County and a bit beyond. However, by 1800, just five years after its formation, the first territory was taken from it to form new counties, a process that continued until 1847.
Twenty other Pennsylvania counties today contain land that was once part of Lycoming County: five were formed completely from it (Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Tioga, and Sullivan), eight were formed from it and other counties (Armstrong, Bradford, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Indiana, Venango, and Warren), three were formed from counties that were themselves formed partly from it (Cameron, Clarion, and Elk), Forest was formed from a county that was formed completely from it, two (Luzerne and Wyoming) contain territory that was part of lycoming County in 1795, and finally Union received a township from it in 1861.[8] [9]
The second table lists each of the twenty two known former incorporated areas in the county, and information on the modern township successors of these today. Note that former townships are only known for nine of the twenty counties containing land from Lycoming.
| Remarks | Settled | Incorporated< | -- ! scope="col" width="*" | Formed from --> | Area in square miles (km2) | Population as of 2000 | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now in Clinton County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County[10] [11] | ? | before 1839 | mi2 (5.2 km2) | ||||
| Brady Township (now Gregg Township) | Now in Union County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1798 | 1798 | mi2 (39.2 km2) | |||
| Now in McKean County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County[12] | 1798 | 1798 | mi2 (105.4 km2) | ||||
| Now in Clinton County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1780 | before 1839 | mi2 (258.7 km2) | ||||
| Now in Sullivan County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County[13] | 1816 | 1824 | mi2 (149.8 km2) | ||||
| Now in Clinton County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1777 | before 1839 | mi2 (48.4 km2) | ||||
| Now in Sullivan County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1806 | 1833 | mi2 (202.3 km2) | ||||
| Now in Clinton County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County[14] | 1785 | before 1810 | mi2 (24.8 km2) | ||||
| Now in Sullivan County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1798 | 1804 | mi2 (100.2 km2) | ||||
| Now in Sullivan County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1794 | 1833 | mi2 (113.7 km2) | ||||
| Now in Sullivan County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1800 | 1839 | mi2 (100.0 km2) | ||||
| Now in Cameron County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County, then one of twelve original townships in Clinton County (1839), then one of four original townships in Cameron (1860)[15] | 1811 | before 1839 | mi2 (191.6 km2) | ||||
| Limestone Township (now Crawford Township) | Now in Clinton County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County, name changed 1841. | 1780 | 1824 | mi2 (57.2 km2) | |||
| Lower Bald Eagle Township (now Bald Eagle Township) | Now in Clinton County, incorporated as part of Northumberland County, became part of Lycoming County in 1795 | 1772 | 1772 | mi2 (107.7 km2) | |||
| Now in Cameron County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County, then one of twelve original townships in Clinton County (1839), then one of four original townships in Cameron (1860) | 1810 | before 1839 | mi2 (133.4 km2) | ||||
| Now in Clinton County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1785 | 1772 | mi2 (38.6 km2) | ||||
| Now in Jefferson County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County[16] | 1785 | 1772 | mi2 (73.9 km2) | ||||
| Plunketts Creek Township (now Hillsgrove Township) | Now in Sullivan County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County, name changed in 1856.[17] | 1786 | 1847 | mi2 (73.6 km2) | |||
| Now in Sullivan County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County | 1799 | 1803 | mi2 (124.5 km2) | ||||
| Now in Tioga County, incorporated as part of Lycoming County[18] | 1792 | 1797 | mi2 (104.8 km2) | ||||
| Upper Bald Eagle Township (now Spring Township) | Now in Centre County, incorporated as part of Northumberland County, became part of Lycoming County in 1795; Name changed in 1801 to "Spring Township"[19] | 1772 | 1772 | mi2 (67.0 km2) | |||
| 1768 | 1798 | mi2 (59.2 km2) | |||||
The map shown below is clickable; click on any municipality label to be redirected to the article for that city, borough or township.
a. Bald Eagle Township was formed in 1772 as one of the seven original townships in Northumberland County (Muncy Township is the only other of the seven which is now part of Lycoming County). In August 1785, Washington Township was formed from Bald Eagle, and in November 1785 parts of Bald Eagle Township were added to the newly formed Lycoming and Pine Creek townships (the bulk of their territory had been purchased from the Iroquois in 1784). In May 1786, Bald Eagle Township was split into three new townships: Nippenose, Upper Bald Eagle, and Lower Bald Eagle. In 1789, Mifflin County was formed from Upper Bald Eagle Township and half of Potter Township (itself formed partly from the original Bald Eagle Township in May 1774).[20]
When Lycoming County was formed in 1795, Lower Bald Eagle was one of the original seven townships. Centre County was formed in 1800 from parts of Huntingdon, Lycoming, Mifflin, and Northumberland counties. Centre County originally had eight townships, with two (Lower Bald Eagle and Upper Bald Eagle), taken from Lycoming County. It is not clear if this Upper Bald Eagle was a newly formed township, or some portion of the original not taken when Mifflin County was formed.[21] || Some territory from Lower Bald Eagle Township remained in Lycoming County.
In 1801, Centre County renamed "Upper Bald Eagle Township" as "Spring Township" and "Lower Bald Eagle Township" as "Bald Eagle Township". In 1839 Clinton County was formed from Centre and Lycoming counties, with Bald Eagle Township as one of three taken from Centre County. Today neither Centre nor Lycoming counties have a township named "Bald Eagle".
b. According to Meginness (Chapter 14), Wayne Township was formed from Nippenose Township in 1798, while part of Lycoming County. Note that the PHMC sheet on Clinton County incorrectly says it was formed as part of Northumberland County, but neither the Lycoming nor Northumberland County histories support this. When Clinton County was formed in 1839, there were 12 original townships. It "embraced the following townships then in Centre County, viz., Bald Eagle, Lamar, and Logan; and from Lycoming, Allison, Chapman, Colebrook, Dunstable, Grove, Lumber, Limestone, Pine Creek, and Wayne." Since Lamar was formed from Bald Eagle, 11 of the 12 original townships came at least indirectly from Lycoming County. Limestone was split from the Lycoming County township of the same name, then attached to Wayne Township, and renamed Crawford Township when it was reformed. Grove and Lumber townships became part of Cameron County, but the remaining ten townships are still in Clinton County.
c. When originally formed in 1803, Shrewsbury Township encompassed all of modern Sullivan County. Elkland Township was formed from Shrewsbury in 1804, as were Cherry (1824), Davidson and Forks Townships (both 1833). Plunketts Creek Township was formed from Franklin and Davidson Townships in 1838, and Fox Township was formed from Elkland in 1839. When Sullivan County was formed in 1847, both Shrewsbury and Plunketts Creek Townships were split, with each county originally having a township of that name (Plunketts Creek Township in Sullivan County changed its name to Hillsgrove Township in 1856).
Unless otherwise noted, all information on area and population comes from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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