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County · code 42011

Berks CountyPennsylvania

Berks County is a county in Pennsylvania, with its seat in Reading. The county was formed on March 11, 1752.

  • Founded1752
  • County seatReading
  • Named forBerkshire, England
  • Land area856 sq mi + 9.4 sq mi water
  • Population428,849 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped156,937 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Berks County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

LehighSchuylkillChesterLancasterLebanonMontgomery Reading Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Berks on the map of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 67 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Adams CountyAllegheny CountyArmstrong CountyBeaver CountyBedford CountyBlair CountyBradford CountyBucks CountyButler CountyCambria CountyCameron CountyCarbon CountyCentre CountyChester CountyClarion CountyClearfield CountyClinton CountyColumbia CountyCrawford CountyCumberland CountyDauphin CountyDelaware CountyElk CountyErie CountyFayette CountyForest CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGreene CountyHuntingdon CountyIndiana CountyJefferson CountyJuniata CountyLackawanna CountyLancaster CountyLawrence CountyLebanon CountyLehigh CountyLuzerne CountyLycoming CountyMcKean CountyMercer CountyMifflin CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMontour CountyNorthampton CountyNorthumberland CountyPerry CountyPhiladelphia CountyPike CountyPotter CountySchuylkill CountySnyder CountySomerset CountySullivan CountySusquehanna CountyTioga CountyUnion CountyVenango CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWestmoreland CountyWyoming CountyYork CountyBerks County Berks
Counties of Pennsylvania · Berks highlighted

History

Formed in 1752 from Cumberland County, Lancaster County and Philadelphia County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Berks County was created from Cumberland, Lancaster, and Philadelphia counties. It was named after Berkshire. In 1772, Berks lost territory to the creation of Northumberland County; in 1811, it lost more land to Schuylkill County; and in 1865, it lost additional territory to Lebanon County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1752
    Berks County created Berks created from Cumberland, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Non-County Area 1.
    from Cumberlandfrom Lancasterfrom Philadelphia
    · Pa. Stat., ch. 392, sec. 1/5:133-134
  2. 1772
    Lost territory Berks lost to the creation of Northumberland.
    to Northumberland
    · Pa. Stat., ch. 644, sec. 1/8:143-144
  3. 1795
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Berks and Northumberland clarified (no change).
    with Northumberlandno change
    · Pa. Stat., ch. 1848, sec. 1/15:312
  4. 1811
    Lost territory Berks lost to the creation of Schuylkill.
    to Schuylkill
    · Pa. Laws 1810-1811, ch. 54, sec. 1/p. 61
  5. 1848
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Berks and Schuylkill redefined (no change).
    with Schuylkillno change
    · Pa. Laws 1848, no. 89, sec. 1/pp. 98-99
  6. 1849
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Berks and Schuylkill clarified (no change).
    with Schuylkillno change
    · Pa. Laws 1849, no. 215, sec. 6/p. 261
  7. 1865
    Lost territory Berks lost to Lebanon.
    to Lebanon
    · Pa. Laws 1865, no. 385, sec. 1/p. 396

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Berks

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Berks by the Census

Population
428,849 2020 Census count
Housing units
170,742 2020 Census count
Land area
856 square miles
Water area
9.4 square miles
People per sq mi
501 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Permits

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Berks County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Berks County

When was Berks County founded?
Berks County was founded in 1752, formed from Cumberland County, Lancaster County and Philadelphia County, and named after Berkshire, England.
What is the county seat of Berks County?
The county seat of Berks County is Reading.
Is there an online parcel map for Berks County?
Yes. Berks County publishes a parcel map of 156,937 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Berks County's boundary or name changed?
Berks County was created in 1752 from Cumberland County, Lancaster County and Philadelphia County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Lebanon County, Northumberland County and Schuylkill County.
Who issues building permits in Berks County?
The county's page on building permits: Gun Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Berks County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door