Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg
Official seal of Harrisburg
Official logo of Harrisburg
Map
Interactive map of Harrisburg
Harrisburg is located in Pennsylvania
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is located in the United States
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Coordinates: 40°16′11″N 76°52′32″W / 40.26972°N 76.87556°W / 40.26972; -76.87556
Country United States
StatePennsylvania
CountyDauphin
European settlementc. 1719; 305 years ago (1719)
Incorporated1791; 233 years ago (1791)
CharterMarch 19, 1860; 164 years ago (1860-03-19)
Founded byJohn Harris, Jr.[1]
Named forJohn Harris, Sr.
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorWanda Williams (D)
 • City ControllerCharlie DeBrunner (D)
 • City Council
 • State SenateJohn DiSanto (R)
 • State RepresentativePatty Kim (D)
Area
 • City
11.86 sq mi (30.73 km2)
 • Land8.12 sq mi (21.03 km2)
 • Water3.75 sq mi (9.70 km2)
 • Urban
259.7 sq mi (672.6 km2)
Elevation335 ft (102 m)
Population
 • City
50,099
 • Estimate 
(2022)
50,183
 • Density6,174.26/sq mi (2,383.98/km2)
 • Urban
490,859 (US: 86th)
 • Urban density1,961.5/sq mi (757.3/km2)
 • Metro
591,712 (US: 98th)
 • CSA
1,295,259 (US: 46th)
 [5]
Demonym(s)Harrisburger, Harrisburgian
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
17101-17113, 17120-17130, 17140, 17177
Area code717 and 223
FIPS code42-32800[6]
GNIS feature ID1213649[4]
InterstatesI-76, I-81, I-83 and I-283
WaterwaysSusquehanna River
Primary AirportHarrisburg International Airport- MDT (Major/International)
Secondary AirportCapital City Airport- CXY (Minor)
Public transitCapital Area Transit
Websiteharrisburgpa.gov
DesignatedSeptember 23, 1946[7]

Harrisburg (/ˈhærɪsˌbɜːrɡ/, Pennsylvania Dutch: Harrisbarrig) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger principal city of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area, also known as the Susquehanna Valley, which had a population of 591,712 in 2020 and is the fourth-most populous metro area in Pennsylvania.[8] Harrisburg is situated on the east bank of the Susquehanna River and is located 83 miles (134 km) southwest of Allentown and 107 miles (172 km) northwest of Philadelphia.

Harrisburg played a role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to develop into one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States. In the mid- to late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing, agriculture, and food services. These economic fluctuations contributed to Harrisburg experiencing a decline of nearly half its population between 1950 and 2000. However, the region is seen as financially stable in part due to the high concentration of state and federal government agencies.[9]

The Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the U.S., was first held in Harrisburg in 1917 and has been held there every early to mid-January since.[10] The city also hosts the annual Great American Outdoor Show, the largest of its kind in the world, among many other events. Harrisburg experienced the Three Mile Island accident on March 28, 1979, in nearby Middletown.

  1. ^ "About the County - History". Dauphin County. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Harrisburg City Council Homepage". City of Harrisburg. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  3. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference QF2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. ^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on March 21, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  8. ^ "2020 Census". census.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  9. ^ "Harrisburg area ranked among Top 10 recession-proof cities". Harrisburg Patriot News. 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  10. ^ 75th Farm Show: A History of Pennsylvania's Annual Agricultural Exposition Archived March 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Dan Cupper, Accessed January 29, 2010.