Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and Allegheny counties and the most populous county in Pennsylvania without a major city. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

and largest city is Norristown. The county is part of the

– Camden– Wilmington PA- NJ– DE– MD metropolitan statistical area, known as the

Delaware Valley The Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as Greater Philadelphia and informally called the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia tri-state area, and locally and colloquially Philly–Jersey–Delaware, is a major metropolitan area in the Nor ...

, and marks the Delaware Valley's northern border with the

Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley () is a geography, geographic and urban area, metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a co ...

region of eastern Pennsylvania. The county borders Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city, to its southeast, Bucks County to its east, Berks and Lehigh counties to its north, Delaware County to its south, and Chester County to its southwest. The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part of Philadelphia County. The first courthouse was housed in the Barley Sheaf Inn. It is believed to have been named either for

Richard Montgomery Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish-born American military officer who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and ...

, an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

, or for the Welsh county of

Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire ( ) was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was named after its county town, Montgomery, Powys, Montgomery, which in turn was named after ...

, which was named after one of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

's main counselors, Roger de Montgomerie, since it was part of the Welsh Tract, an area of Pennsylvania settled by

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

from

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which was land and (0.9%) of which was water.

Adjacent counties

* Lehigh County (north) * Bucks County (northeast) * Philadelphia County (southeast) * Delaware County (southwest) * Chester County (west) * Berks County (northwest)

National protected area

Valley Forge National Historical Park Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site and interprets ...

(part)

County-owned parks

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county was 73.27% White (72.18% White, non-Hispanic), 9.55% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American or Alaskan Native, 7.94% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, and 2.87% some other race; 6.13% were two or more races. 6.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest townships/boroughs in Montgomery County include:

Economy

Montgomery County is a suburb of

, the nation's sixth most populous city. Many Montco residents work in the city, but the county is also a major employment center with large business parks in Blue Bell, Lansdale, Fort Washington,

Horsham Horsham () is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

, and King of Prussia attracting thousands of workers from all over the region. The strong job base and taxes generated by those jobs have resulted in Montgomery County receiving the highest credit rating of 'AAA' from

Standard & Poor's S&P Global Ratings (previously Standard & Poor's and informally known as S&P) is an American credit rating agency (CRA) and a division of S&P Global that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks, bonds, and commodities. S&P is co ...

, one of fewer than 30 counties in the United States with such a rating. In 2012, Moody's downgraded the general obligation rating to Aa1, and in 2018 the rating was revised back to Aaa. Major employers include: * Abington School District * ABM Industries * ACTS Retirement-Life Communities *

Aetna Aetna Inc. ( ) is an American managed health care company that sells traditional and consumer directed health care insurance and related services, such as medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans, ...

* Arcadia University *

Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...

GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a Mergers an ...

* Hatfield Quality Meats * Hatboro-Horsham School District *Holy Redeemer Health System * Janssen * Jefferson Abington Hospital *

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

* Lower Merion School District * King of Prussia mall * Main Line Health * McNeil Consumer Healthcare * Merck * Montgomery County Community College *

Motorola Mobility Motorola Mobility LLC, marketing as Motorola, is an American consumer electronics manufacturer primarily producing smartphones and other mobile devices running Android (operating system), Android. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chinese te ...

* Norristown Area School District * North Penn School District *

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...

* Prudential * Quaker Chemical Corporation *

Quest Diagnostics Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is an American clinical laboratory. A Fortune 500, ''Fortune'' 500 company, Quest operates in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Brazil. Quest also maintains collaborative agreements with various hospitals ...

* SEI Investments Company * Souderton Area School District * Spring-Ford Area School District

Education

Colleges and universities

* Arcadia University * Bryn Athyn College *

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh language, Welsh: ) is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as a ...

* DeVry University – Fort Washington * Gwynedd Mercy University *

Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Fr ...

* Manor College * Montgomery County Community College * Pennsylvania College of Optometry (Salus University) * Penn State Abington – a commonwealth campus of

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
* Rosemont College * St. Charles Borromeo Seminary *

Saint Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a Private university, private Jesuits, Jesuit university in Philadelphia, Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Jesuits, Society of J ...

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

– Ambler *

Ursinus College Ursinus College is a private liberal arts college in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869 and occupies a campus. Ursinus College's forerunner was the Freeland Seminary founded in 1848. Its $127 million endowment supports about 1, ...

Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian theology, theological seminary in the Reformed theology, Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Prince ...

Public school districts

Map of Montgomery County Pennsylvania School Districts

School districts: * Abington School District * Boyertown Area School District * Cheltenham Township School District * Colonial School District * Hatboro-Horsham School District * Jenkintown School District * Lower Merion School District * Lower Moreland Township School District * Methacton School District * Norristown Area School District * North Penn School District * Perkiomen Valley School District * Pottsgrove School District * Pottstown School District * Souderton Area School District * Springfield Township School District * Spring-Ford Area School District * Upper Dublin School District * Upper Merion Area School District * Upper Moreland School District * Upper Perkiomen School District * Wissahickon School District * Bryn Athyn School District – exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.

Private secondary schools

Academy Of The New Church Boys SchoolAcademy Of The New Church Girls School
* Abington Friends School * The Baldwin School * AIM Academy * Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, formerly known as the Akiba Hebrew Academy * Bishop McDevitt High School (closed) *Calvary Baptist School * Coventry Christian Schools * Dock Mennonite Academy * Friends' Central School * Germantown Academy * Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School * Haverford School * The Hill School *Huntingdon Valley Christian Academy *Indian Creek Mennonite School *Lakeside School * Lansdale Catholic High School * La Salle College High School *Lincoln Academy *Main Line Academy * Martin Luther School *Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Catholic School *Meadowbrook School * Merion Mercy Academy * Mount Saint Joseph Academy *New Life Youth and Family Services *The Pathway School * The Perkiomen School
Phil-Mont Christian Academy
* Pope John Paul II Catholic High School, replaced Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School and Saint Pius X High School in 2010. * Reformation Christian School * Saint Aloysius School * Saint Basil Academy (closed) * Saint Katherine Day School * Stowe Lighthouse Christ Academy * The Shipley School * Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia * Trinity Christian Academy * Valley Christian School at Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church * Valley Forge Baptist Academy * Wordsworth Academy * Wyncote Academy

Night schools/adult education

*Abington Township Adult School *Cheltenham Township Adult School

Communities

Map of Montgomery County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels

Under Pennsylvania law, five types of incorporated municipalities are listed:

cities A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 ...

, townships, home rule municipalities (which can include communities that bear the name "Borough" or "Township") and, in at most two cases,

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

. These boroughs, townships, and home rule municipalities are located in Montgomery County:

Home rule municipalities

* Bryn Athyn * Cheltenham Township * Horsham Township * Norristown (county seat) * Plymouth Township * Whitemarsh Township

Boroughs

* Ambler * Bridgeport * Bryn Athyn * Collegeville * Conshohocken * East Greenville * Green Lane *

Hatboro Hatboro (known locally as the Boro) is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,238 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History The town of Hatboro is located on land ...

* Hatfield * Jenkintown * Lansdale * Narberth * Norristown *

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

* Pennsburg * Pottstown * Red Hill * Rockledge * Royersford * Schwenksville * Souderton *

Telford Telford () is a town in the Telford and Wrekin borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Shropshire, England. The wider borough covers the town, its suburbs and surrounding towns and villages. The town is close to the county's eastern b ...

(lies partly in Bucks County) * Trappe * West Conshohocken

Townships

* Abington *

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

* Douglass * East Norriton *

Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...

* Hatfield *

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

* Lower Frederick * Lower Gwynedd * Lower Merion * Lower Moreland * Lower Pottsgrove * Lower Providence * Lower Salford * Marlborough * Montgomery * New Hanover * Perkiomen *

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

* Skippack * Springfield * Towamencin * Upper Dublin * Upper Frederick * Upper Gwynedd * Upper Hanover * Upper Merion * Upper Moreland * Upper Pottsgrove * Upper Providence * Upper Salford * West Norriton * West Pottsgrove * Whitemarsh * Whitpain * Worcester

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated places

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

s are geographical areas designated by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here, as well. * Arcadia University * Ardmore * Audubon * Bala Cynwyd * Blue Bell * Bryn Mawr * Cheltenham (Cheltenham Village) * Eagleville * Elkins Park * Evansburg * Flourtown * Fort Washington * Gilbertsville * Glenside * Halfway House * Harleysville *

* King of Prussia * Kulpsville *

McKinley McKinley may refer to: People *McKinley (name), a page for people with the surname and given name "McKinley" **William McKinley, 25th president of the United States. Places Philippines * Fort William McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio) in Metro Ma ...

* Maple Glen * Merion Station * Mont Clare * Montgomeryville * Oreland * Penn Wynne * Plymouth Meeting * Pottsgrove * Rosemont * Roslyn * Sanatoga * Skippack * Spring House * Spring Mount * Stowe * Swedeland * Trooper * Villanova (partly in Delaware County) * Willow Grove * Woxall * Wyncote * Wyndmoor Even though the historic village of Valley Forge, as well as the park, are partially located within Montgomery County, the modern village is in Chester County, PA

Other communities

* Ardsley * Bethayres * Dresher * Frederick, a village in New Hanover Township. * Graterford * Gladwyne *

Gwynedd Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...

* Gwynedd Valley * Huntingdon Valley (small sections in Bucks County) * Lafayette Hill * Lederach * Linfield * Meadowbrook * Melrose Park * Oaks * Port Providence * Wynnewood (partly in Delaware County)

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Montgomery County. † ''county seat''

Transportation

Major roads and highways

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

Public transportation

The county is served by the

SEPTA SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...

, which include bus, commuter rail, and interurban rail services. Pottstown Area Rapid Transit (PART) also provides bus services around the Pottstown area in the western portion of the county. * SEPTA ** City Division and Suburban Division bus routes ** Regional Rail's Cynwyd, Lansdale/Doylestown, Manayunk/Norristown, Paoli/Thorndale,

Warminster Warminster () is a historic market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in south-west Wiltshire, England, on the western edge of Salisbury Plain. The parish had a population of 18,173 in 2021. The name ''Warminster'' occurs first i ...

, and West Trenton lines ** Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), an interurban light rapid transit line connecting the Norristown Transportation Center to 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby, Delaware County

Airports

Commercial airline service is provided primarily by Philadelphia International Airport, one of the nation's largest commercial airports, located in

and

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

counties. Other public use airports include Heritage Field in Limerick Township, Wings Field in Blue Bell, and Pottstown Municipal Airport in Pottstown.

Culture

* The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP), a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

organization founded by Glenn Doman, was established in Wyndmoor in 1955. The IAHP is an educational organization that teaches parents about child brain development, and is a treatment center for brain-injured children. *The Old York Road Symphony, based in Abington, is one of the oldest all-volunteer orchestras in the country, founded in 1932.

Climate

The majority of 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 cold ...

(''Dfa''). In most southern areas of the county and along the Schuylkill River including Pottstown a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'') exists. 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 widely ...

is 7a for the majority of the county and 7b in most areas south of Interstate 276. 6b only continues to exist in some very small higher areas in the north

Politics

As of May 19, 2025, there are 614,908 registered voters in Montgomery County. * Democratic Party (United States), Democratic: 301,143 (48.97%) * Republican: 209,053 (34.00%) *

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

: 77,115 (12.54%) *

Minor parties A minor party is a political party that plays a smaller (in some cases much smaller, even insignificant in comparison) role than a major party in a country's politics and elections. The difference between minor and major parties can be so great ...

: 27,597 (4.49%) Montgomery County historically was a stronghold for the Republican Party. The county was the only one carried by Barbara Hafer in the 1990 gubernatorial election over the incumbent governor, Bob Casey. However, the Democratic Party has made substantial gains in the county over the last quarter-century and gained the registration edge early in 2008. Like neighboring Bucks County, the county voted Democratic during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

era, voting Democratic between 1856 and 1876, except in 1860 and 1872. Like most of Philadelphia's suburbs, the brand of Republicanism practiced in Montgomery County for much of the 20th century was moderate. As the national parties have polarized, the county's voters have increasingly supported Democrats at the national level. The county voted for the Republican presidential nominee in all but two elections from 1880 to 1988, that being in 1892 and 1964. However, Montgomery County residents have voted for the Democratic presidential nominee since 1992, with the margins progressively increasing between every election, except in 2012. In the 2020 election,

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

became the first Democrat to obtain over 60% of the county's vote. Despite

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

's victory in the state of Pennsylvania in the 2016 presidential election, Montgomery County was one of the few counties in Pennsylvania that swung in the Democratic presidential candidates' direction with

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

winning Montgomery County with 58.87% of the vote, an improvement from

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's 56.6% vote share in 2012. In the 2016 U.S. Senate and Pennsylvania Attorney General elections, Montgomery County voted for Katie McGinty and

Josh Shapiro Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was the attorney general of Pen ...

, both Democrats. Most county-level offices were held by Republicans until after the 2007 election, when Democrats picked up control of five row offices. Democrats have also won several elections in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in recent years, including two GOP-leaning State House districts in 2004, the 148th with Mike Gerber and the 153rd with current

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

. Today, although the county is very Democratic at the national level, at the state and local level, it is not specifically partisan. In the 2004 United States Senate election, 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 ...

won the county over Montco resident Joe Hoeffel, but Democrat Bob Casey, Jr. out-polled

Rick Santorum Richard John Santorum Sr. ( ; born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, author, and political commentator who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1995 to 2007. He was the Senate's Chairman of the United Sta ...

in the 2006 Senate election. In 2006, Democrat Rick Taylor unseated incumbent Republican Eugene McGill in the 151st, although Taylor lost in 2010 to Republican Todd Stephens and, in 2008, Democrat Matthew Bradford unseated incumbent Republican Jay Moyer in the 70th. Six of the county's 12 state house seats and four of the county's eight senate seats are now held by Democrats. All four statewide Democratic candidates carried Montgomery in 2008, with Barack Obama receiving 60% of the county's vote. Barack Obama won Montgomery County in 2008 and 2012.

Government

Montgomery County is governed by a three-person county commission. The current composition is two Democrats and one Republican. By law, the county commission must have one member of a minority party represented.

County commissioners

County row offices

''As of the November 2019 election:''

Same-sex marriage

On July 24, 2013, Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes, a Democrat, announced he would begin issuing

marriage license A marriage license (or marriage licence in Commonwealth spelling) is a document issued, either by a religious organization or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry. The procedure for obtaining a license varies between jurisdictions ...

s to same-sex couples, flouting Pennsylvania law banning such unions. Hanes called the commonwealth's ban "arbitrary and suspect", saying he believes it violates the Pennsylvania Constitution and the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

. The Republican administration of Governor Tom Corbett filed suit in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in an attempt to block Hanes from licensing same-sex marriage. Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini ordered Hanes in September 2013 to stop issuing same-sex marriage licenses. After Federal Judge John Jones threw out Pennsylvania's ban on same-sex marriage in May 2014, calling it unconstitutional, offices in other counties were able to issue these licenses, while Hanes had to wait for the ruling against him to be removed.

United States Senate

United States House of Representatives

State senate

State House of Representatives

References

External links

*
Valley Forge & Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau
{{Coord, 40.21, -75.37, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-PA_source:UScensus1990 1784 establishments in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1784