County outline
Where Jefferson County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.3% of Jefferson County’s measured area and water for 0.7%. Its combined area converts to 1,701.2 square kilometers or approximately 420,373 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 652.472 | 1,689.895 | 417,582.1 |
| Water | 4.361 | 11.295 | 2,791 |
| Total | 656.833 | 1,701.19 | 420,373.1 |
How Jefferson County compares
By original Census land area, Jefferson County ranks #35 of 67 in Pennsylvania and #1443 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.999 times the Pennsylvania county-equivalent median of 653.3 square miles. It accounts for 1.5% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Pennsylvania ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Jefferson County
The Census Bureau estimates that 43,255 people lived in Jefferson County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,148 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #48 of 67 in Pennsylvania. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 44,501, the population has declined by 1,246 (−2.8%), compared with +0.4% for Pennsylvania as a whole.
With 652.5 square miles of land, that is 66 people per square mile (26 per km²), placing Jefferson County #1,302 nationally for density and #49 in Pennsylvania. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Pennsylvania median is 137. Put another way, there are about 9.7 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 44,488 | 44,132 | 43,731 | 43,637 | 43,340 | 43,255 |
| Change | — | −356 | −401 | −94 | −297 | −85 |
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 Jefferson County
Jefferson County is divided into 34 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 Punxsutawney borough, with 5,558 residents (12.8% of the county). The largest by land is Warsaw township, at 50.9 mi², or 7.8% of the county’s land. The county seat, Brookville borough, has 3,883 residents.
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punxsutawney borough | 5,558 | −3.7% | 3.366 | 0.5% |
| Brookville boroughCounty seat | 3,883 | −2.9% | 3.146 | 0.5% |
| Winslow township | 2,487 | −2.5% | 45.1 | 6.9% |
| Reynoldsville borough | 2,473 | −2.9% | 1.388 | 0.2% |
| Snyder township | 2,304 | −2.7% | 41.1 | 6.3% |
| Brockway borough | 2,213 | −2.9% | 1.185 | 0.2% |
| Bell township | 1,956 | −2.7% | 18.6 | 2.8% |
| Henderson township | 1,889 | −2.7% | 21.9 | 3.4% |
| Washington township | 1,845 | −2.4% | 47.6 | 7.3% |
| Young township | 1,670 | −2.6% | 15.4 | 2.4% |
| Warsaw township | 1,333 | −2.5% | 50.9 | 7.8% |
| Pine Creek township | 1,300 | −2% | 28.3 | 4.3% |
| Eldred township | 1,239 | −2.7% | 46.5 | 7.1% |
| Perry township | 1,217 | −2.6% | 28.4 | 4.4% |
| Rose township | 1,118 | −2.9% | 19.1 | 2.9% |
Show the other 19 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| McCalmont township | 1,103 | −2.8% | 26.2 |
| Sykesville borough | 1,078 | −3% | 1.583 |
| Oliver township | 980 | −2.7% | 30 |
| Knox township | 979 | −2.8% | 31.4 |
| Falls Creek borough | 963 | −2.8% | 0.921 |
| Union township | 830 | −2.2% | 17.6 |
| Ringgold township | 753 | −2.6% | 19.1 |
| Gaskill township | 660 | −2.5% | 21.4 |
| Big Run borough | 622 | −2.7% | 0.691 |
| Summerville borough | 496 | −2.9% | 0.595 |
| Beaver township | 454 | −3% | 21.3 |
| Clover township | 417 | −3% | 15.9 |
| Corsica borough | 312 | −2.2% | 0.453 |
| Porter township | 293 | −2% | 17.7 |
| Polk township | 277 | −2.5% | 32.1 |
| Barnett township | 226 | −2.6% | 14.6 |
| Timblin borough | 140 | −3.4% | 0.904 |
| Heath township | 115 | −1.7% | 27.6 |
| Worthville borough | 72 | −2.7% | 0.179 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Jefferson County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Jefferson County is not part of any metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area in the Office of Management and Budget’s July 2023 delineation; 1,306 other county equivalents are also outside one. These areas are built around an urban core of at least 10,000 people plus the counties tied to it by commuting, so counties outside them are generally rural.
ZIP codes
30 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Jefferson County; 23 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
157111571515730157331574415764157671577015772157761577815780157811578415801158231582415825158281582915840158471585115853158601586315864158651622216240
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 Jefferson County
Jefferson County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Clearfield County (1,144.9 mi²) and the smallest is Forest County (427.3 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Jefferson County forms a block of 5,133.2 mi² of land, of which it holds 12.7%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Jefferson | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearfield County | 1,144.9 | 1.8× larger | Compare |
| Indiana County | 827.4 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Elk County | 827 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Armstrong County | 653.3 | about the same | Compare |
| Clarion County | 600.8 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Forest County | 427.3 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Jefferson County compared with U.S. states?
Jefferson County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.6 times as much. Pennsylvania’s county land could hold about 69 areas the size of Jefferson County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 25.5 miles (41.1 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 Jefferson County?
Jefferson County has more land than 1,779 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 Jefferson County at #1,553 nationally by total area, 110 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 0.7%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.5 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 Jefferson County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1442 | Cumberland County, North Carolina | 652.6 | Compare |
| #1443 | Jefferson County, Pennsylvania | 652.5 | This county |
| #1444 | Rensselaer County, New York | 652.5 | 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 41.138028, -79.012419. 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: 1,689,893,932 m²; AWATER: 11,294,609 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 Jefferson County?
Jefferson County, Pennsylvania has 652.5 square miles (1,689.9 km²) of land and 4.361 square miles of water, for a total area of 656.8 square miles. It ranks #1443 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Jefferson County the largest county in Pennsylvania?
No. Jefferson County ranks #35 of 67 in Pennsylvania by land area. The largest is Lycoming County, with 1,228.9 square miles of land.
What counties border Jefferson County?
Jefferson County shares a land border with Elk County, Clearfield County, Indiana County, Clarion County, Armstrong County, and Forest County.
What is the population of Jefferson County?
The Census Bureau estimates Jefferson County had 43,255 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,148 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 66 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Jefferson County?
The county seat of Jefferson County is Brookville.
What cities and towns are in Jefferson County?
Jefferson County has 34 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Punxsutawney borough, Brookville borough, Winslow township, Reynoldsville borough, and Snyder township.
Is Jefferson County part of a metropolitan area?
No. Jefferson County is outside every metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation.
How many ZIP codes are in Jefferson County?
30 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Jefferson County, and 23 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Jefferson County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.6 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Jefferson County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 417,582 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 420,373 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.