Lebanon County (

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...

: Lebanon Kaundi) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,568. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is the city of

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

. The county was formed from portions of Dauphin and Lancaster counties in 1813, with minor boundary revisions in 1814 and 1821. Lebanon County comprises the Lebanon, Pennsylvania, metropolitan statistical, which is part of the Harrisburg–York–Lebanon combined statistical area. Lebanon is 72 miles northwest of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, which is the nearest major city.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. Most of it is drained by the Swatara Creek into the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

while some eastern portions are drained by the Tulpehocken Creek (which originates in the county near Myerstown) eastward into the Schuylkill River. It consists in large part of a valley.

Climate

The county has a hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(''Dfa'') and the

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

is 6b except along the northern boundary with Dauphin where it is 6a. Average monthly temperatures in center-city Lebanon range from 29.4 °F in January to 74.3 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

* Schuylkill County (northeast) * Berks County (east) * Lancaster County (south) * Dauphin County (west and northwest)

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 332 people per square mile (128/km²). There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile (53/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.46%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 1.29%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.13% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.26% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 4.96% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 45.6% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 11.8%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and 6.1% Irish ancestry. 92.5% spoke

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, 4.2% Spanish and 1.1%

as their first language. There were 46,551 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.70% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

2020 census

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The

U.S. Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, poli ...

has designated Lebanon County as the Lebanon, PA

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

(MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. census the metropolitan area ranked 16th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 296th most populous in the United States with a population of 133,568. Lebanon County is also a part of the larger Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Lebanon County as well as Adams,

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic counties of England, historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th c ...

, Dauphin, Perry, and York Counties in Pennsylvania. The combined statistical ara ranked 5th largest in the state and 43rd largest in the U.S. with a population of 1,219,422.

Politics and government

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans comprise a majority of registered voters in Lebanon County.

United States House of Representatives

The county is located in the 9th congressional district, represented by Dan Meuser, Republican.

State Senate

All of the county falls within the 48th Senatorial District. The seat is currently held by Lebanon business owner and Republican Chris Gebhard.

State House of Representatives

The county is divided into the 101st, 102nd and 104th Pennsylvania House Districts.

101st District

:The 101st District, served by Republican Frank Ryan, includes:

102nd District

:The 102nd District, served by Republican

Russ Diamond Russell H. Diamond (born July 26, 1963) is a far-right American politician and businessman from Pennsylvania. Following a string of unsuccessful runs for various offices, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 102nd D ...

, includes:

104th District

The 104th District, which includes North Annville Twp. and East Hanover Twp., is represented by Republican

Sue Helm Susan C. Helm (born December 12, 1943) is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 104th District and was elected in 2006. Helm earned an associate degree from the Harrisburg Area Community College. She ...

County government

The county is governed by three commissioners, who are elected every four years from a slate of four candidates (two Democrats and two Republicans). Other elected officials include County Controller, Sheriff, Coroner, Prothonotary and Clerk of Court, Recorder of Deeds, County Treasurer, and Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court.

Electoral history

For most of its history, Lebanon County has been one of the most Republican counties in Pennsylvania. The county is strongly Republican even by the standards of south-central Pennsylvania. It is very conservative for an urban county, having only supported a Democrat for president once since 1880. That came when Franklin D. Roosevelt won it in his 46-state landslide reelection; even then, FDR only carried it by 587 votes. The only other time since 1880 that the county has failed to support a Republican was in 1912, when the GOP was mortally divided and

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

carried it on the Bull Moose ticket. As a measure of how Republican the county has been, Democrats have only crossed the 40 percent mark three times since 1936–FDR in 1940 and 1944, and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. In the latter election, Lebanon County was one of only four counties in the state to vote for

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for president ...

, along with Snyder, Union, and Wayne counties. Republicans are no less dominant at the state and local level. The row offices and all but one county commission seat are held by Republicans, and there are no elected Democrats above the county level. In the 2006 election for U.S. Senate, the county cast 21,756 votes (55.1%) for Republican Rick Santorum and 17,737 (44.9%) for Democrat Bob Casey, Jr., who won the race. In that year's

gubernatorial election A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of politica ...

, the county cast 22,775 votes (57.5%) for Republican

Lynn Swann Lynn Curtis Swann (born March 7, 1952) is an American former American football, football player, broadcaster, politician, and athletic director, best known for his association with the University of Southern California and the Pittsburgh Steelers ...

and 16,813 (42.5%) for Democrat

Ed Rendell Edward Gene Rendell (; born January 5, 1944) is an American lawyer, prosecutor, politician, and author. He served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011, as chair of the national Democratic Party, and as the 96th Mayor of Philad ...

, who won the race. In the 2004 presidential election, the county cast 37,089 votes (66.6%) for Republican George W. Bush and 18,109 (32.5%) for Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

. In that same year's election for U.S. Senate, the county cast 35,336 votes (66.8%) for Republican

Arlen Specter Arlen Specter (February 12, 1930 – October 14, 2012) was an American lawyer, author and politician who served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2011. Specter was a Democrat from 1951 to 1965, then a Republican fr ...

, 13,182 for Democrat

Joe Hoeffel Joseph Merrill Hoeffel III ( ; born September 3, 1950) is an American author and politician. A Democrat, Hoeffel was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005, representing Pennsylvania's 13th congressional distri ...

, 3,320 (6.3%) for Constitution Party candidate Jim Clymer, and 1,083 (2.0%) for

Libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...

Betsy Summers. In the 2008 presidential election the county cast 34,314 votes (58.59%) for Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

and 23,310 votes (39.8%) for

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

. In the 2016 presidential election, the county cast 38,804 votes (65,9 %) for Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

and 17,860 votes (30,3 %) for Democrat

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

. In the 2002 gubernatorial election, the county cast 22,659 votes (62.7%) for Republican Mike Fisher and 12,712 (35.2%) for Democrat

, who won the race. In the 2002 race for the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican George Gekas received 21,733 votes (60.9%) from the county while Democrat

Tim Holden Thomas Timothy Holden (born March 5, 1957) is an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2013. Holden was the dean of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation durin ...

received 13,945 (39.1%); Holden won.

Education

Colleges and universities

Harrisburg Area Community College , mottoeng = Knowledge Restores Truth , established = 1964, accredited in 1967 , type = Public, Community College , president = John J. "Ski" Sygielski, Ed.D. , city = Harrisburg , state = PA , country = USA , undergrad = 19,000 , admin ...

(Lebanon Campus) *

Lebanon Valley College Lebanon Valley College (LVC, Lebanon Valley, or The Valley) is a private college in Annville, Pennsylvania. History Lebanon Valley was founded on February 23, 1866, with classes beginning May 7 of that year and its first class graduating in 18 ...

Evangelical Seminary Evangelical Seminary is a private graduate school and interdenominational seminary in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. It is part of Kairos University. History The Evangelical Congregational (EC) Church began with the conversion of Jacob Albright, ...

Public school districts

* Annville-Cleona School District * Cornwall-Lebanon School District *

Eastern Lebanon County School District Eastern Lebanon County High School, referred to as ELCO High School, is located in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. It is a four-year high school with a total student enrollment of 747. The high-school campus also contains the district's intermediate and ...

* Lebanon School District * Northern Lebanon School District * Palmyra Area School District

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:

cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

, and, in at most two cases,

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Lebanon County:

City

(county seat)

Boroughs

* Cleona *

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

Jonestown The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, a U.S.–based cult under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became internationall ...

* Mount Gretna * Myerstown *

Palmyra Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early secon ...

* Richland

Townships

* Annville *

Bethel Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...

* Cold Spring * East Hanover *

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

* Millcreek * North Annville *

North Cornwall North Cornwall ( kw, An Tiredh Uhel) is an area of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is also the name of a former local government district, which was administered from Bodmin and Wadebridge . Other towns in the area are Launceston, Bude, P ...

* North Lebanon * North Londonderry * South Annville *

South Lebanon Southern Lebanon () is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa Districts, the southernmost distric ...

* South Londonderry * Swatara *

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

* West Cornwall * West Lebanon

Census-designated places

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

s are geographical areas designated by the

for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. * Annville * Avon * Campbelltown * Fort Indiantown Gap * Fredericksburg *

Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after Eas ...

* Lebanon South * Mount Gretna Heights * Newmanstown * Pleasant Hill *

Quentin Quentin is a French male given name from the Latin first name ''Quintinus'', diminutive form of '' Quintus'', that means "the fifth".Albert Dauzat, ''Noms et prénoms de France'', Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et commentée par Marie-T ...

* Sand Hill * Schaefferstown * Timber Hills

Other unincorporated communities

Anthracite Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the hig ...

* Bellegrove * Beverly Heights * Bordnersville * Buffalo Springs * Bunker Hill * Canaan Grove * Clear Spring * Coffeetown * Colebrook * Coheva *

Dogtown Dogtown or Dog Town may refer to: Entertainment * ''Dogtown'' (film), a 1997 film * "Dogtown" (''The Simpsons''), a 2017 season episode * '' DogTown'', a National Geographic Channel series * ''Dogtown'', a 2006 television show, starring Geraldine ...

* East Hanover *

Ebenezer Ebenezer may refer to: Bible * Eben-Ezer, a place mentioned in the Books of Samuel People * Ebenezer (given name), a male given name Places Australia * Ebenezer, New South Wales * Ebenezer, Queensland, a locality in the City of Ipswich * Ebene ...

* Edisonville * Eustontown * Flintville * Fontana * Freeport Mills *

Gold Mine Gold Mine may refer to: * Gold Mine (board game) *Gold Mine (Long Beach), an arena *"Gold Mine", a song by Joyner Lucas from the 2020 album ''ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characteri ...

* Gravel Hill * Greble * Green Point *

Hamlin Hamlin may refer to: Places * Hamlin, Iowa, a city * Hamlin, Kansas, a city * Hamlin, Kentucky, a town * Hamlin, Maine, a town * Hamlin, Michigan, a former community * Hamlin, New York, a town ** Hamlin (CDP), New York, a census-designated pl ...

* Harper Tavern * Hauckville * Heilmandale * Indiantown * Inwood * Iona * Johnstown * Kleinfeltersville * Kutztown *

Lawn A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses and other durable plants such as clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawnmower (or sometimes grazing animals) and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes. ...

* Lickdale * McGillstown * Midway * Millardsville * Millbach * Millbach Springs *

Mount Ararat Mount Ararat or , ''Ararat''; or is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in the extreme east of Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest peak in Turkey and th ...

* Mount Pleasant * Mount Wilson * Mount Zion *

Murray Murray may refer to: Businesses * Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles * Murrays, an Australian bus company * Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust * D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...

* Nacetown * Ono * Pansy Hill * Plainville * Prescott * Reinoeldville * Reistville * Rocherty * Rockwood * Sheridan * Shirksville * Springhaven * Stricklerstown * Syner * Union Water Works * Upper Lawn * Valley Glenn * Waldeck * Weavertown, Jackson Township * Weavertown, North Lebanon Township * West Jonestown * Westmont * Woodfort * Zinns Mill

Ghost towns

* Cold Spring * Rausch Gap

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Lebanon County. † ''county seat''

Parks and recreational places

Memorial Lake State ParkUnion Canal Tunnel ParkLions Lake ParkColeman's Memorial ParkStoever's Dam ParkSouth Hill's ParkMount Gretna LakeMiddle Creek Wildlife Management AreaLebanon Valley Rails to Trails

References

External links

*
County of Lebanon
(official website)
Lebanon County Pages

Lebanon County Historical Society

Lebanon County Tourism Promotion Agency

Lebanon Valley Exposition Center and Fairgrounds

{{authority control Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1813 establishments in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1813