Columbia County Information

Population: 63,202 (1990), 64,492 (1995)
Square Miles: 486
Population per square mile: 133
Municipalities: 33 (9 boroughs, 24 townships)

Explore Columbia County!

Columbia County was created on March 22, 1813 from part of Northumberland County. Bloomsburg, the county seat since November 30, 1847, was incorporated as a town on March 4, 1870, and still is the only incorporated town in the state.

Columbia County is located in the Mid-eastern portion of Pennsylvania. The north branch of the Susquehanna River flows through the County in a broad valley and divides it into northern and southern segments of approximately equal size. I-80 and US Route 11 parallel the river on their course through Columbia County. PA Route 487 traverses the area north and south.

Topographically, the county is characterized by the parallel ridges and valleys which are common in central and south central Pennsylvania. Of the total land area, 313,000 acres, approximately 50 percent is forest with a further 37 percent utilized as cropland and pasture. Most of the county’s agricultural activity is in field crops, vegetables, dairy products, livestock, Christmas trees, cut flowers and horticultural specialties. Agriculture has gross receipts of nearly $40 million annually.

Columbia County, in the heart of Pennsylvania, is home to rural farmlands, state game lands, state forests, nature preserves, campgrounds, Jakey Hollow State Forest Area and the Susquehanna River and its tributaries. Almost 20,000 acres of state game land are used for hunting, boating, hiking, bird watching and nature study while there are plenty of lakes and streams for bass, trout, muskie, pickeral and many other fish.

The state’s third largest concentration of covered bridges can be found in Columbia County. Among the 20 beautiful bridges are the two best known: the Twin bridges, East and West Paden. Not actually twins (one is a 72-foot Queenpost and the other is a 121-foot Burr) they’re so close together on the same road they’re the only true twins in Pennsylvania. Bypassed many years ago, they have been preserved in a park and are now used for picnic pavilions. You can also fish well-known waters like Fishing Creek, Briar Creek Lake and the Susquehanna River.

Urban and built-up areas total some 170,400 acres. The two major urban areas of Columbia County, Bloomsburg and Berwick, are located along the Susquehanna River. Bloomsburg grew during the 19th century with its iron industry, which lasted about 75 years. Bloomsburg then developed a major mill industry, producing carpets, hosiery, rayon and undergarments. It is still important today. Berwick used its access to the roads, railroads, and canals to develop a production center for the components of railways. The first all-steel railroad cars made in America were produced in Berwick. During World War II the plants produced tanks. About 54% of the 2,400 workers in the county are employed in manufacturing, the highest percentage in the state. Anthracite coal was mined in the southern part of the county while farming was productive in the valleys.

Bloomsburg University, with an enrollment of 9,000 students, is important to the town both economically and culturally. And, don’t forget the Bloomsburg Fair, one of the largest in the east, it attracts 620,000 visitors every September.

Our diversity is both people and geography. The people of any community are what make it unique and Columbia County is no exception. Columbia County is pleased to offer you the hospitality and warmth of an era gone by.

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Need some stats for your county? Check out these resources:

Government information site on demographics, economics, and educational information: http://govinfo.library.orst.edu

US Census Bureau
United States Department of Commerce
To find timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States, click here: http://www.census.gov

USDA Home Page: http://www.usda.gov