Clinton County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,450. Its county seat is Lock Haven. Clinton County comprises the Lock Haven, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Williamsport-Lock Haven, PA Combined Statistical Area. The county is part of the Central region of the commonwealth.

History In the Treaty of Fort Stanwix of 1768, new lands in Pennsylvania were purchased from the Haudenosaunee for colonial settlement, including parts of what is now Clinton County. The land was formally associated with Northumberland County, but a group of organized settlers near modern Jersey Shore elected three commissioners each March who were responsible for seeing that everyone was dealt with fairly. This became known as the Fairplay System. Most of the rulings seem to have dealt with property issues, but they dealt with any legal or criminal cases in their area. They granted permission for new settlers to enter the area, could take away a settler's land claim if they were absent more than six weeks (except for military service), and could expel a person (by setting them adrift in a canoe on the river). The county was created on June 21, 1839, from parts of Centre and Lycoming Counties.

Etymology The county name is in honor of the sixth Governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton. Some alternate sources suggest the namesake is Henry Clinton.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water. The county has a humid continental climate which is warm-summer (Dfb) except in lower areas near the West Branch and the Bald Eagle Creek which are hot-summer (Dfa). Average monthly temperatures in Lock Haven range from 26.5 °F in January to 72.2 °F in July, while in Renovo they range from 25.6 °F in January to 71.0 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

Landforms Bear Mountain - a USGS GNIS registered mountain peak ( at ) on the "Mill Hall" topographic map

Major highways

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Clinton County, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)38,59336,78237,12537,61834,93399.03%98.92%97.92%95.87%93.28%Black or African American alone (NH)1261431896124160.32%0.38%0.50%1.56%1.11%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)26494229510.07%0.13%0.11%0.07%0.14%Asian alone (NH)621161501992110.16%0.31%0.40%0.51%0.56%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census7157xx0.02%0.04%0.02%Other race alone (NH)2511418700.06%0.00%0.04%0.05%0.19%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census1823101,100xx0.48%0.79%2.94%Hispanic or Latino (any race)139912054376620.36%0.24%0.54%1.11%1.77%Total38,97137,18237,91439,23837,450 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 37,450, and the median age was 41.5 years; 21.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 3.4% from two or more races, while Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.8% of the population.

52.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 47.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 15,199 households in the county, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.4% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 18,603 housing units, of which 18.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.6% were owner-occupied and 29.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.3% White, 0.52% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. 0.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 36.0% were of German, 15.6% American, 9.6% Irish, 8.6% Italian and 7.4% English ancestry.

There were 14,773 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

Micropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Clinton County as the Lock Haven, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA). As of the 2010 U.S. census the micropolitan area ranked 16th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 315th most populous in the United States with a population of 39,238. Clinton County is also a part of the Williamsport-Lock Haven, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the population of both Clinton County and the Lycoming County areas. The Combined Statistical Area ranked 11th in the State of Pennsylvania and 143rd most populous in the United States with a population of 155,349.

Government and politics

Clinton County has historically been Republican like the rest of central Pennsylvania, Democrats captured the registration edge in early 2008. Each of the three row-office statewide winners carried Clinton in 2008. In 2006, Democrat Bob Casey Jr. received 54% of its vote when he unseated incumbent Republican US Senator Rick Santorum and Ed Rendell received 56% of the vote against Lynn Swann. The conservative tendencies of the county were again reestablished in 2008 when then-Senator Obama lost the county vote 48% to John McCain's 51%. This was followed in 2010 with U.S. Senate candidate, Republican Pat Toomey, receiving 59% to 41% for Democrat Joe Sestak. In 2012, Mitt Romney carried the county 55% to President Obama's 43%, while incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey, Jr. received 44% to his Republican challenger, Tom Smith's 53%.

Voter registration As of February 6, 2024, there are 21,710 registered voters in Clinton County.

Republican: 12,411 (57.17%) Democratic: 6,497 (29.93%) Independent: 2,015 (9.28%) Third Party: 787 (3.63%)

County commissioners Jim Russo, chairman, Republican Jeffrey Snyder, vice chairman, Republican Angela Harding, Democrat

Other county offices Chief Clerk, Desiree Meyers Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary, Cynthia Love, Republican District Attorney, David Strouse, Democrat Register of Wills, Jennifer Hoy, Republican Treasurer, Michelle Kunes, Republican Auditor, Jacqui Anastos, Republican Auditor, Michelle Crowell, Democrat Auditor, Cathy Gedon, Republican Sheriff, Kerry Stover, Democrat Coroner Zach Hanna, Democrat

State senate District Senator Party25 Cris Dush Republican

State House of Representatives District Representative Party76 Stephanie Borowicz Republican

United States House of Representatives District Representative Party15 Glenn Thompson Republican

United States Senate Senator PartyJohn Fetterman DemocraticDave McCormick Republican

Education

Colleges and universities Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania

Public school districts Jersey Shore Area School District (also in Lycoming County) Keystone Central School District (also in Centre County) West Branch Area School District (also in Clearfield County)

Recreation There are five Pennsylvania state parks in Clinton County. Bucktail State Park Natural Area is a scenic route along Pennsylvania Route 120 stretching from Lock Haven to Emporium in Cameron County. Hyner Run State Park Hyner View State Park Kettle Creek State Park Ravensburg State Park

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Clinton County:

City Lock Haven (county seat)

Boroughs Avis Beech Creek Flemington Loganton Mill Hall Renovo South Renovo

Townships

Allison Bald Eagle Beech Creek Castanea Chapman Colebrook Crawford Dunnstable Gallagher Greene Grugan Lamar Leidy Logan Noyes Pine Creek Porter Wayne West Keating Woodward

Former townships East Keating

Census-designated places Census-designated places are unincorporated communities designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.

Castanea Clintondale Dunnstown Farwell Lamar McElhattan North Bend Rauchtown Rote Salona Tylersville Woolrich

Other unincorporated communities

Cooks Run Farrandsville Hyner Keating Mackeyville Westport

Population ranking The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Clinton County.

† county seat

RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation (2020 Census) 1 † Lock Haven City 8,108 2 Mill Hall Borough 1,479 3 Avis Borough 1,473 4 Dunnstown CDP 1,464 5 Flemington Borough 1,271 6 McElhattan CDP 1,224 7 Renovo Borough 1,061 8 Castanea CDP 1,047 9 Beech Creek Borough 736 10Rauchtown (partially in Lycoming County) CDP 722 11 Lamar CDP 561 12 Rote CDP 488 13 Loganton Borough 469 14 South Renovo Borough 411

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Clinton County, Pennsylvania Project Ketch

References

External links

Clinton County Government Homepage Open Access edition of The History of Centre and Clinton counties, Pennsylvania (1883) by John Blair Linn at the Penn State University Library website