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County · code 42047

Elk CountyPennsylvania

Elk County is a county in Pennsylvania, with its seat in Ridgway. The county was formed in 1843 and covers 826.9 square miles.

  • Founded1843
  • County seatRidgway
  • Named forCervus canadensis canadensis
  • Land area827 sq mi + 4.9 sq mi water
  • Population30,990 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped25,005 checked 15 October 2026
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Updated

McKeanCameronJeffersonClearfieldForestWarren Ridgway Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Elk 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 CountyBerks CountyBlair CountyBradford CountyBucks CountyButler CountyCambria CountyCameron CountyCarbon CountyCentre CountyChester CountyClarion CountyClearfield CountyClinton CountyColumbia CountyCrawford CountyCumberland CountyDauphin CountyDelaware 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 CountyElk County Elk
Counties of Pennsylvania · Elk highlighted

History

Formed in 1843 from Clearfield County, Jefferson County and McKean County

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

Elk County was formed in 1843 from Clearfield County, Jefferson County and McKean County, and named after Cervus canadensis canadensis. Ridgway is the county seat.

Deeds and plats from before 1843 for land now in Elk County may have been recorded in Clearfield County, Jefferson County and McKean County.

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

  1. 1843
    Elk County created Elk created from Clearfield, Jefferson, and McKean.
    from Clearfieldfrom Jeffersonfrom McKean
    · Pa. Laws 1843, no. 150, sec. 1/p. 312
  2. 1855
    Lost territory Elk lost to McKean.
    to McKean
    · Pa. Laws 1855, no. 375, sec. 2/pp. 357-358; Wessman, 15-16
  3. 1860
    Lost territory Elk lost to the creation of Cameron.
    to Cameron
    · Pa. Laws 1860, no. 598, secs. 1-2/pp. 697-698
  4. 1868
    Gained territory Elk gained from Clearfield and Jefferson.
    from Clearfieldfrom Jefferson
    · Pa. Laws 1868, no. 611, sec. 1/pp. 651-652
  5. 1870
    Gained territory Elk gained from Forest.
    from Forest
    · Pa. Laws 1870, no. 351, sec. 1/pp. 363-364
  6. 1871
    Gained territory Elk gained from Clearfield.
    from Clearfield
    · Pa. Laws 1871, no. 138, sec. 1/p. 125; Wessman, 15-16
  7. 1872
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Elk and Forest clarified (no change).
    with Forestno change
    · Pa. Laws 1872, no. 821, sec. 1/p. 861

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Elk

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

Elk by the Census

Population
30,990 2020 Census count
Housing units
16,836 2020 Census count
Land area
827 square miles
Water area
4.9 square miles
People per sq mi
37 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

Elk County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Elk County

When was Elk County founded?
Elk County was founded in 1843, formed from Clearfield County, Jefferson County and McKean County, and named after Cervus canadensis canadensis.
What is the county seat of Elk County?
The county seat of Elk County is Ridgway.
Is there an online parcel map for Elk County?
Yes. Elk County publishes a parcel map of 25,005 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Elk County's boundary or name changed?
Elk County was created in 1843 from Clearfield County, Jefferson County and McKean County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 later changes, chiefly involving Clearfield County, Cameron County and Forest County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Elk 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