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Pennsylvania Almanac: State Facts and Figures
Browse the state's symbols; state animal, state bird, state flower, state flag, state fossil, state insect, state motto, state seal, state tree, color, dance, fish, mammal, music, nut, reptile seal, and miscellaneous designations, emblems, and mascot of each state with pictures. Find origin of the state name. View the state almanacs, state timelines and peruse state facts and stats such as the capitol, location, and date admitted to the union.
Pennsylvania Almanac
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| Official Name |
Pennsylvania |
| Capital |
Harrisburg |
| Nick Name |
Keystone State |
| Motto |
Virtue, liberty and independence |
| Location & Region |
40.27605 N, 076.88450 W |
Appalachia |
| Constitution Ratified |
1968 |
| Statehood |
December 12, 1787 |
2nd state |
| Population |
12,281,054 |
274.01 sq mi. |
6th |
Largest City
(by population) |
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Upper Darby |
| Bordering States |
Delaware - Maryland - New Jersey - New York - Ohio - West Virginia |
| Number of Counties |
67 Counties in Pennsylvania |
Largest County
(by population) |
Philadelphia County |
1,517,550 |
135 sq mi. |
| Time Zone |
Eastern Standard Time |
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Pennsylvania Climate and Weather |
| Pennsylvania has four distinct seasons, though their length and intensity vary around the state. In general, as you move into the more mountainous regions, the temperatures become cooler, and rain and snow are more frequent.
Spring and summer tend to be wetter than the rest of the year. In the southeast, expect long summers, sometimes uncomfortably hot and humid. Temperatures of 90 F/32 C and higher aren't unusual, though average highs run in the mid 80s F/29 C. Midsummer lows are usually in the 60s F/15-21 C. The western part of the state is somewhat cooler but still tends to be sticky in the summer. Both the humidity and the temperatures are lower in the mountains.
Fall offers warm days -- highs running 66-75 F/17-23 C, with nighttime lows in the 40s and 50s F/4-14 C. Winter is colder and more severe in the north and the mountains. Snowfall ranges from less than 10 in/25 cm in some parts of the state to more than 100 in/255 cm. In the southeast, the winters are rather mild, with snow cover about a third of the time and January temperatures ranging from 21 to 48 F/-5 to -8 C. The mountains are colder, with some days below 0 F/-18 C. |
| Highest Temperature |
111 degrees
July 10, 1936 - Phoenixville |
| Lowest Temperature |
-42 degrees
January 5, 1904 - Smethport |
| Avg Temp: High - Low |
86.2 degrees |
18.0 degrees |
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Pennsylvania Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations (Feet) |
| Mean Elevation |
1,100 |
| Highest Point |
Mt. Davis |
3,213 |
| Lowest Point |
Delaware River |
Sea level |
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Pennsylvania Land Area (Square Miles) |
| Geographic Center |
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| Total Area |
46,055.24 |
33rd |
| Land Area1 |
44,816.61 |
97.32% |
| Water Area2 |
1,238.63 |
2.68% |
| Forested Land Area3 |
58.9% |
Dimensions
(Length - Width) |
283 miles |
160 miles |
Source: (U.S. Census, April 1, 2000)
1. Dry land and land temporarily or partially covered by water, such as marshland, swamps, etc.; streams and canals under one-eighth statute mile wide; and lakes, reservoirs, and ponds under 40 acres.
2. Permanent inland water surface, such as lakes, reservoirs, and ponds having an area of 40 acres or more; streams, sloughs, estuaries, and canals one-eighth statute mile or more in width; deeply indented embayments and sounds, and other coastal waters behind or sheltered by headlands or islands separated by less than 1 nautical mile of water, and islands under 40 acres in area. Excludes areas of oceans, bays, sounds, etc. lying within U.S. jurisdiction but not defined as inland water.
3. 1997 |
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Almanac Provided by SHG Resources |
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