County outline
Where Elk County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.4% of Elk County’s measured area and water for 0.6%. Its combined area converts to 2,154.7 square kilometers or approximately 532,449 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 827.013 | 2,141.954 | 529,288.3 |
| Water | 4.939 | 12.792 | 3,161 |
| Total | 831.952 | 2,154.746 | 532,449.3 |
How Elk County compares
By original Census land area, Elk County ranks #21 of 67 in Pennsylvania and #1022 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.266 times the Pennsylvania county-equivalent median of 653.3 square miles. It accounts for 1.8% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Pennsylvania ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Elk County
The Census Bureau estimates that 29,926 people lived in Elk County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,487 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #59 of 67 in Pennsylvania. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 30,994, the population has declined by 1,068 (−3.4%), compared with +0.4% for Pennsylvania as a whole.
With 827 square miles of land, that is 36 people per square mile (14 per km²), placing Elk County #1,845 nationally for density and #61 in Pennsylvania. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Pennsylvania median is 137. Put another way, there are about 18 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 30,940 | 30,796 | 30,447 | 30,201 | 30,067 | 29,926 |
| Change | — | −144 | −349 | −246 | −134 | −141 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Elk County
Elk County is divided into 12 municipalities and townships. In Pennsylvania, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is St. Marys city, with 12,253 residents (40.9% of the county). The largest by land is Jones township, at 144.8 mi², or 17.5% of the county’s land. The county seat, Ridgway borough, has 3,893 residents.
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marys city | 12,253 | −3.8% | 99.3 | 12% |
| Ridgway boroughCounty seat | 3,893 | −3.4% | 2.612 | 0.3% |
| Fox township | 3,495 | −2.3% | 67.2 | 8.1% |
| Ridgway townshipCounty seat | 2,384 | −2.3% | 86.9 | 10.5% |
| Johnsonburg borough | 2,291 | −4.5% | 2.883 | 0.3% |
| Jay township | 1,884 | −4.1% | 67.7 | 8.2% |
| Jones township | 1,530 | −2.7% | 144.8 | 17.5% |
| Horton township | 1,309 | −4.2% | 57 | 6.9% |
| Highland township | 389 | −2.8% | 86.8 | 10.5% |
| Benezette township | 215 | −1.4% | 106.8 | 12.9% |
| Spring Creek township | 193 | −3% | 63.6 | 7.7% |
| Millstone township | 90 | −4.3% | 41.5 | 5% |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Elk County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Elk County is a central county of the St. Marys, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Elk County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 827 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #252 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #440 by population.
ZIP codes
15 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Elk County; 12 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
158211582315827158311583215841158451584615853158571586015868158701673416735
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Elk County
Elk County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is Clearfield County (1,144.9 mi²) and the smallest is Cameron County (396.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Elk County forms a block of 4,427.4 mi² of land, of which it holds 18.7%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Elk | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearfield County | 1,144.9 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| McKean County | 979.7 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Jefferson County | 652.5 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Forest County | 427.3 | 1.9× smaller | Compare |
| Cameron County | 396.1 | 2.1× smaller | Compare |
How big is Elk County compared with U.S. states?
Elk County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.3 times as much. Pennsylvania’s county land could hold about 54 areas the size of Elk County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 28.8 miles (46.3 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Elk County?
Elk County has more land than 2,200 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Elk County at #1,115 nationally by total area, 93 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.6 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Elk County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1021 | Burke County, Georgia | 827 | Compare |
| #1022 | Elk County, Pennsylvania | 827 | This county |
| #1023 | Bailey County, Texas | 827 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 41.427332, -78.653937. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,141,953,818 m²; AWATER: 12,791,433 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Elk County?
Elk County, Pennsylvania has 827 square miles (2,142 km²) of land and 4.939 square miles of water, for a total area of 832 square miles. It ranks #1022 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Elk County the largest county in Pennsylvania?
No. Elk County ranks #21 of 67 in Pennsylvania by land area. The largest is Lycoming County, with 1,228.9 square miles of land.
What counties border Elk County?
Elk County shares a land border with Cameron County, McKean County, Forest County, Clearfield County, and Jefferson County.
What is the population of Elk County?
The Census Bureau estimates Elk County had 29,926 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,487 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 36 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Elk County?
The county seat of Elk County is Ridgway.
What cities and towns are in Elk County?
Elk County has 12 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are St. Marys city, Ridgway borough, Fox township, Ridgway township, and Johnsonburg borough.
Is Elk County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the St. Marys, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Elk County?
15 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Elk County, and 12 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Elk County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.3 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Elk County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 529,288 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 532,449 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.