Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie, Pennsylvania
City
Downtown Erie
Perry Square
USS Niagara
Bicentennial Tower
Erie Art Museum
Presque Isle Bay
Nicknames: 
The Bay City, The Flagship City, The Gem City, The Lake City
Interactive map of Erie
Erie
Erie
Coordinates: 42°7′46″N 80°5′6″W / 42.12944°N 80.08500°W / 42.12944; -80.08500
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
CountyErie
First settled1753 (1753)
FoundedApril 18, 1795 (1795-04-18)
IncorporatedApril 14, 1851 (1851-04-14)
Named afterErie people
Government
 • MayorJoe Schember (D)
Area
 • City
19.37 sq mi (50.16 km2)
 • Land19.13 sq mi (49.55 km2)
 • Water0.24 sq mi (0.61 km2)  about 1.04%
Elevation
728 ft (222 m)
Population
 • City
94,831
 • Density4,956.67/sq mi (1,913.81/km2)
 • Metro
270,876 (Erie Metro)
DemonymErieite(s)
GDP
 • Metro$13.171 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
16501−16512, 16514−16515, 16522, 16530−16534, 16538, 16541, 16544, 16546, 16550, 16553−16554, 16563, 16565
Area codes814 and 582
FIPS code42-24000
Websitecityof.erie.pa.us

Erie[a] is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 at the 2020 census.[4][5] The two-county Erie metropolitan area had a population of 270,876 in 2020.[6] Erie is about 80 miles (130 km) from Buffalo, 90 miles (140 km) from Cleveland, and 120 miles (190 km) from Pittsburgh.[7]

The city takes its name from the Native American Erie people, who inhabited the area until the mid-17th century. Its nicknames include "Gem City", a reference to its fine natural harbor, the "Gem of the Great Lakes"; and more recently, "Flagship City", from a local marketing effort to play up the homeport of Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship Niagara.[8]

Part of the Rust Belt, Erie has seen manufacturing decline as a share of its economy, while insurance, healthcare, higher education, technology, service industries, and tourism have grown. Like the other Great Lakes port cities, Erie is accessible to the oceans via the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River network in Canada. The local climate is humid, four-seasonal, and snowy, with warm summers and harsh winters, owing to its southern lakeshore location.

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  2. ^ "Erie city, Pennsylvania: 2020 Census Redistricting Data (PL 94‑171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  3. ^ "Gross Domestic Product for Erie, PA MSA". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  4. ^ "Erie drops to fifth largest city in Pennsylvania". WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. YourErie.com. August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  5. ^ "Interesting Facts about Erie County". Erie County Government. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
  6. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  7. ^ "All About Erie, PA - Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership".
  8. ^ "About Erie". The City of Erie. 2010. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2011.


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