Check out PA’s Myriad of Metropolitan Areas in the CITIES Edition

This list ranks the top 13 PA cities with a few honorable mentions. Like most states, these cities are part of much larger metro areas which are not included in the city’s population. For instance, Philadelphia is the nation’s 6th largest city at 1.5 million people. Though the Philly Metro Area is home to over 6 million. 80% of PA’s residents live in the top 5 metros (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lehigh Valley, Harrisburg and Scranton). If you add up the metro areas of all the cities on this list, it comprises over 97% of the state’s total population. This is how Pennsylvania is able to dedicate nearly 300,000 acres to State Parks, 1.5 million acres to State Game Lands and 2.2 million acres to State Forests.

Pennsylvania has some pretty decent cities. That’s how the state is 33rd in land area, but #5 in population out of all 50. Everyone has heard of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, though our own capital is only the 9th largest city in the Keystone State. Some of these are rather obvious, while other will make you say “That’s from PA?”

Wilkes-Barre

The smallest of our 13 ranked cities, Wilkes-Barre was founded in 1769 and is the seat of Luzerne County. Residents have easy access to the Poconos and the Lehigh Valley. With a population of just over 40,000 – Wilkes-Barre is about the size of Woonsocket, RI. No one knows how to pronouce it, though technically ”Barre” is French. Most say either ”Wilkes-BERRY” or ”Wilkes- BARR-UH”.

State College

The largest borough in PA, State College is at the geographical center of the state and home to Penn State University. Incorporated in 1896, the normal population is around 41,000 or about the size of New Hampshire’s capital. During Penn State football home games, the town’s population balloons to over 230,000 for the weekend. That’s like turning into Richmond, VA in a few hours.

York

The U.S. Congress has met at three different locations in PA, and York is one of them. Founded all the way back in 1741, York is located in southern-central PA, not far from Maryland. Home to nearly 45,000 people, the city is about the size of Biloxi, Mississippi. Not only situated in the heart of the Pretzel Capital of Universe, it’s also the birthplace of the York Peppermint Patty.

Altoona

Yeah, I know that name sounds funny. Altoona was founded in 1849 because the railroad company literally just wanted a stop between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. Home to Horseshoe Curve, a vital part of steel railroad transportation and a Nazi target during WWII. No one believes me, but it’s true. The city is about the size of Palm Springs, CA – but the greater Altoona Area is home to nearly 130,000.

Harrisburg

Our state capital is not even close to the largest city in the state. Harrisburg was founded back in 1791 and is home to about 50,000 people. It is here you will find the Pennsylvania Farm Show (the largest in the U.S.) and nifty places like the Three Mile Island Nuclear Facility. About the size of Saginaw, MI, Harrisburg has been rated #2 on Forbes ”Best Cities to Raise a Family” list. I have no idea why. To me, it’s just… Harrisburg.

Lancaster

Another PA city that has hosted Congress, Lancaster has a lot of history. It was part of the original William Penn Charter in 1681. Birthplace of 15th President James Buchanan, Lancaster’s population is about 60,000 today. The greater area is home to about a half million, many Amish. Since we are not in England, it is pronounced LangKISter, not Lan-Caster. Some people from PA even say it wrong.

Bethlehem

Founded on Christmas Eve 1741, it’s no wonder the place was named Bethlehem. Now home to 75,000 people in the Lehigh Valley, it’s about the size of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Traditionally it has been a huge steel city, much like Pittsburgh. Bethlehem even stood in for industrial China for the second stupid Michael Bay Transformers movie. My grandfather always pronounced it more like ”Bethl’em”.

Scranton

Everyone knows Scranton from NBC’s The Office. Founded in 1778 and incorporated on (what’s now) Valentine’s Day 1856, Scranton became known as ”The Electric City”. It was electrified in 1880 and had the nation’s first electric street cars by 1886. About 77,000 people live in the city, making it the size of Camden, NJ. It’s also where Kevin’s mom got stuck at the airport in Home Alone 😉

Reading

Reading was founded in 1748, about 140 years before Redding, CA. It is home to nearly 90,000 people – kind of like Deluth, Minnesota. Except, Deluth HAS to be way more awesome. Reading calls itself ”The Pretzel Capital”, though Hanover, PA easily makes a gagillion times more pretzels than they do. Also self-proclaimed the ”Baseball Town”, Williamsport should kick their Pagoda.

Erie

Named after a huge lake and just a cool moniker period, Erie is the first on our list to top a population of 100,000. Located at the extreme northwest corner of the state, it was first settled in 1753 and officially founded in 1795. About the size of Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Erie is home to Presque Isle State Park, Waldameer Amusement Park, a casino, horse track and once to Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship Niagara.

Allentown

Located in the Lehigh Valley, Allentown has been around since 1751. With a population of 120,000 – it is the third largest city in PA and about the size of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Unlike stinky Reading, Allentown is pretty awesome and a quick trip to New York City or Philadelphia. Billy Joel even wrote a song about it. Allentown and Bethlehem look like one contiguous city on a map.

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is an extremely important historical city for PA and the country, second only to Philadelphia in this state. Founded in 1758 and now home to over 300,000 – less than half of it’s peak when Pittsburgh was the Steel Capital of the Universe. The city has 3 rivers, 446 bridges and is a very ‘livable’ metropolitan area. Pittsburgh is the home of Heinz Foods, PPG Industries, and the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates.

Philadelphia

The United States was born in Philadelphia, now the nation’s 6th largest city. The official count of over 1.5 million people does not consider bordering townships or the greater metro area which jumps that number to several million (yeah, take that Phoenix). The City of Brotherly Love is home to the Eagles, Flyers, Phillies and 76ers. Founded in 1682, Philly needs several lists all to itself. Instead, we’ll add a few honorable mentions to this one.

Jim Thorpe

HONORABLE MENTION Jim Thorpe is a really neat town in the Poconos founded in 1818 and now has a population of only 5,000. It was originally called Mauch Chunk and the story is kind of weird. Olympic legend Jim Thorpe died in 1953 and Mauch Chunk bought the naming rights from his widow. Yeah, the town is a marketing stunt. Still a nice place though.

Bloomsburg

HONORABLE MENTION Bloomsburg makes this list as the only actual town in all of PA. Everything else is either a city, borough, or township. With a population of about 15,000, this town is home to Bloomsburg University. The Bloomsburg Fair has been held annually since 1855 and has drawn nearly a half million people. There is a nuclear power plant just up the Susquhanna River in Berwick.

Hershey

HONORABLE MENTION Hershey is world famous, but it’s not a town, nor a city, nor a village. It just kind of exists in Derry Township in Dauphin County. Basically, Milton Hershey’s Chocolate Company is so powerful that he just made his own town and own park and whatever he wanted. Sort of like a less-weird Walt Disney. It’s now home to 15,000 people and The Sweetest Place on Earth.

Pottsville

HONORABLE MENTION It only has about the same population as Hershey with 15,000, but Pottsville makes this list as the home of America’s Oldest Brewery. The city was founded in 1806 and Yuengling in 1829. Pottsville is also home to the 1925 NFL Champion Maroons. I was born in Hershey, grew up near Pottsville and now I live near the next city on the list…

Williamsport

HONORABLE MENTION First settled in 1769, Williamsport now has a population of 30,000. It’s about an hour from where I live now and is home of the Little League World Series. Teams from all over the planet play there every August – and let me tell you – traffic is pretty rough south of the Market Street Bridge. The Little League Museum and U.S. 15 South have a hand in that.

Wellsboro

HONORABLE MENTION The last place on the list is also where I am writing this. Wellsboro was first settled in 1806 and to this day only has a population just over 3,000 (the smallest included here). It is home to the ‘PA Grand Canyon’ (aka Pine Creek Gorge) and is about the most picturesque town you will ever find. That’s it for PA Cities: not the largest, but they sure are old and historically significant.