County outline
Where Monroe County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 98.6% of Monroe County’s measured area and water for 1.4%. Its combined area converts to 1,598.3 square kilometers or approximately 394,952 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 608.361 | 1,575.648 | 389,351 |
| Water | 8.751 | 22.665 | 5,600.6 |
| Total | 617.112 | 1,598.313 | 394,951.7 |
How Monroe County compares
By original Census land area, Monroe County ranks #36 of 67 in Pennsylvania and #1594 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.931 times the Pennsylvania county-equivalent median of 653.3 square miles. It accounts for 1.4% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Pennsylvania ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Monroe County
The Census Bureau estimates that 167,179 people lived in Monroe County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #424 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #20 of 67 in Pennsylvania. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 168,292, the population has declined by 1,113 (−0.7%), compared with +0.4% for Pennsylvania as a whole.
With 608.4 square miles of land, that is 275 people per square mile (106 per km²), placing Monroe County #542 nationally for density and #20 in Pennsylvania. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Pennsylvania median is 137. Put another way, there are about 2.3 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 168,310 | 168,747 | 167,459 | 166,762 | 166,818 | 167,179 |
| Change | — | +437 | −1,288 | −697 | +56 | +361 |
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 Monroe County
Monroe County is divided into 20 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 Coolbaugh township, with 20,681 residents (12.4% of the county), and it is also the largest by land at 86.1 mi². The county seat, Stroudsburg borough, has 5,809 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Price township grew fastest since then (+3%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolbaugh township | 20,681 | −0.6% | 86.1 | 14.2% |
| Stroud township | 19,629 | −1% | 31.1 | 5.1% |
| Chestnuthill township | 16,555 | −1.1% | 37.4 | 6.1% |
| Middle Smithfield township | 15,964 | −0.4% | 53.2 | 8.7% |
| Pocono township | 10,902 | +0.2% | 34.2 | 5.6% |
| East Stroudsburg borough | 9,438 | −2.4% | 2.844 | 0.5% |
| Hamilton township | 8,520 | −0.8% | 38.3 | 6.3% |
| Tobyhanna township | 8,380 | +0.9% | 50.2 | 8.3% |
| Smithfield township | 7,890 | −1% | 22.9 | 3.8% |
| Polk township | 7,414 | −0.7% | 30.8 | 5.1% |
| Tunkhannock township | 6,960 | −0.8% | 38.6 | 6.3% |
| Jackson township | 6,500 | −1.2% | 29.5 | 4.8% |
| Stroudsburg boroughCounty seat | 5,809 | −2.1% | 1.725 | 0.3% |
| Ross township | 5,519 | +0.8% | 22.9 | 3.8% |
| Barrett township | 4,010 | −1% | 52.4 | 8.6% |
Show the other 5 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price township | 3,795 | +3% | 25.1 |
| Mount Pocono borough | 3,047 | −1.4% | 3.454 |
| Paradise township | 2,884 | −0.7% | 21.3 |
| Eldred township | 2,613 | +0.6% | 24.5 |
| Delaware Water Gap borough | 669 | −1.8% | 1.93 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Monroe County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Monroe County is a central county of the East Stroudsburg, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Monroe County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 608.4 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #350 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #4 by population. It belongs to the Allentown-Bethlehem-East Stroudsburg, PA-NJ Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
35 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Monroe County; 31 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
1805818071182101830118302183211832218323183241832518326183271833018331183321833318334183351834218344183461834718349183501835318354183551835618357183601837018372184241846618610
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 Monroe County
Monroe County shares a land border with 8 county equivalents, including 2 in New Jersey. It has more land than 6 of them. The largest neighbor is Luzerne County (889.9 mi²) and the smallest is Warren County (356.5 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Monroe County forms a block of 4,853.9 mi² of land, of which it holds 12.5%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Monroe | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne County | 889.9 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Wayne County | 725.8 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Pike County | 544.9 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Sussex CountyNew Jersey | 518.5 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Lackawanna County | 458.8 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Carbon County | 381.4 | 1.6× smaller | Compare |
| Northampton County | 369.8 | 1.6× smaller | Compare |
| Warren CountyNew Jersey | 356.5 | 1.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is Monroe County compared with U.S. states?
Monroe County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.7 times as much. Pennsylvania’s county land could hold about 74 areas the size of Monroe County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 24.7 miles (39.7 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 Monroe County?
Monroe County has more land than 1,628 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 Monroe County at #1,688 nationally by total area, 94 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 1.4%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.2 percentage points higher. 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 Monroe County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1593 | Macon County, Alabama | 608.7 | Compare |
| #1594 | Monroe County, Pennsylvania | 608.4 | This county |
| #1595 | Summit County, Colorado | 608.3 | 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 41.056246, -75.329097. 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: 1,575,647,523 m²; AWATER: 22,664,084 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 Monroe County?
Monroe County, Pennsylvania has 608.4 square miles (1,575.6 km²) of land and 8.751 square miles of water, for a total area of 617.1 square miles. It ranks #1594 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Monroe County the largest county in Pennsylvania?
No. Monroe County ranks #36 of 67 in Pennsylvania by land area. The largest is Lycoming County, with 1,228.9 square miles of land.
What counties border Monroe County?
Monroe County shares a land border with Pike County, Carbon County, Northampton County, Warren County, New Jersey, Wayne County, Lackawanna County, Luzerne County, and Sussex County, New Jersey.
What is the population of Monroe County?
The Census Bureau estimates Monroe County had 167,179 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #424 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 275 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Monroe County?
The county seat of Monroe County is Stroudsburg.
What cities and towns are in Monroe County?
Monroe County has 20 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Coolbaugh township, Stroud township, Chestnuthill township, Middle Smithfield township, and Pocono township.
Is Monroe County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the East Stroudsburg, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Monroe County?
35 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Monroe County, and 31 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Monroe County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.7 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Monroe County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 389,351 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 394,952 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.