Elk County, Pennsylvania
County seat: Ridgway · Population 29,926 (2025) · 827 sq mi
Elk County is the 59th most populous of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, with 29,926 people (2025 estimate). Its county seat is Ridgway. It is part of the District 2 region, one of the 11 PennDOT engineering districts. The map shows its 3 cities and towns and the 6 neighboring counties.
Elk County facts
- County seat
- Ridgway
- Population (2025 estimate)
- 29,926 −3.5% since 2020
- Land area
- 827 sq mi 21st largest of 67
- Water area
- 5 sq mi
- Population density
- 36 per sq mi
- Established
- 1843
- Named after
- Cervus canadensis canadensis subspecies of mammal
- Largest city
- St. Marys 12,253
- Median household income
- $66,380
- Cities and towns
- 3 plus 6 CDPs
- ZIP codes
- 15
- Time zone
- Eastern
- FIPS code
- 42047
Cities and towns in Elk County
Elk County has 3 incorporated cities, towns and villages. Populations count the people living inside Elk County; cities that cross a county line also list the other counties.
| Name | Type | Population 2025 | Also in |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marys | City | 12,253 | |
| Ridgway (county seat) | Borough | 3,893 | |
| Johnsonburg | Borough | 2,291 |
Unincorporated communities (CDPs)
Census-designated places are communities without their own city government; the county provides their services.
| Community | Population | Also in |
|---|---|---|
| Kersey | 743 | |
| Weedville | 523 | |
| Byrnedale | 434 | |
| Wilcox | 323 | |
| Force | 226 | |
| James City | 174 |
ZIP codes in Elk County
15 ZIP codes reach into Elk County. ZIP codes ignore county lines, so some also cover a neighboring county.
- 15821
- 15823 also Jefferson County
- 15827
- 15831
- 15832 also Cameron County
- 15841
- 15845
- 15846
- 15853 also Jefferson County
- 15857
- 15860 also Jefferson and Clarion counties
- 15868
- 15870 also McKean County
- 16734
- 16735 also McKean County
Population of Elk County, 2020–2025
Elk County shrank by 1,068 people (−3.5%) between April 2020 and July 2025: 883 more deaths than births and a net loss of 188 people from migration.
| Year (July 1) | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 30,940 |
| 2021 | 30,796 |
| 2022 | 30,447 |
| 2023 | 30,201 |
| 2024 | 30,067 |
| 2025 | 29,926 |
Neighboring counties
- Cameron County east · 4,211 people
- McKean County north · 38,984 people
- Jefferson County southwest · 43,255 people
- Forest County west · 6,614 people
- Clearfield County south · 78,100 people
- Warren County northwest · 37,038 people
Printable Elk County map
The PDF is a vector file with real text: it prints sharp on Letter paper and you can search it for a town. The PNG is 2400 pixels wide for slides and documents. Both are free to use with a credit to WhichCounty.
- PDF (Letter) (89 KB)
- PNG (2400 px) (68 KB)
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Sources
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files (1:500,000).
- Population: Census Bureau county and city estimates, Vintage 2025. CDP populations: American Community Survey 2020–2024.
- Places and ZIP codes: Census Bureau 2026 Gazetteer and 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files.
- County seat, founding year and name origin: Wikidata (CC0), checked against state sources.
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