Ghost Towns
List of cities in Pennsylvania

Cities may theoretically be first-class, second-class, second-class A, or third-class (of which there are 54), according to population and adoption of certain ordinances. However, all first-class (of which there is 1), second-class (of which there is 1), and second-class A (of which there is 1) cities, as well as 24 third-class cities, have adopted Home Rule Charters, which change a city's relationship with the state so much that they are generally no longer considered to be a city under state law. However, they are still considered cities for classification purposes. Unlike other similar lists for Pennsylvania's towns and boroughs and townships, this list does include cities with Home Rule Charters, as, unlike in the previous cases, excluding them would severely limit the comprehensibility of this list. As in those previous cases, however, it should be strongly emphasized that these are not really cities under state law, and they are therefore also listed in "List of Pennsylvania Municipalities and Counties with Home Rule Charters, Optional Charters, or Optional Plans," and are indicated below.

In addition to Home Rule Charters, third-class cities were able to adopt Optional Charters from 1957 to 1972, and all cities (since 1972) have been able to adopt Optional Plans. Optional Charters and Plans function approximately the same way, the major difference being that new applications for the former are no longer accepted and that the latter has been generalized to apply to any municipality in the state. The third-class cities which adopted Optional Charters before 1972 and have not since adopted Home Rule Charters, of which there are 11, still retain them. In addition, 3 third-class cities have Optional Plans. Optional Charters and Plans function mostly to allow the city (or any other municipality, in the case of Optional Plans) to design its own form of local government, but do not significantly change the relationship between the city (or other municipality) and the state, and therefore these cities are still considered cities under state law. Finally, the City of Parker employs a unique (for Pennsylvania cities) form of local government, that of the weak mayor council form, which is established under a special law uniquely for that city; it is still considered a city under state law. Because of Home Rule Charters, Optional Charters, Optional Plans, and Parker's unique situation, only 14 of Pennsylvania's cities still use one of the two standard forms of Pennsylvania city government, the council-manager or mayor-council forms.


NameCountyClass[1]Population (2010 Census)Incorporation
date (as city)
Home Rule/Charter/Plan(?)
AliquippaBeaverThird9,4381987No
AllentownLehighThird118,0321867Home Rule
AltoonaBlairThird46,3201868Home Rule
ArnoldWestmorelandThird5,1571939No
Beaver FallsBeaverThird8,9871928No
BethlehemLehigh
Northampton
Third74,9821917Charter
BradfordMcKeanThird8,7701879No
ButlerButlerThird13,7571918No
CarbondaleLackawannaThird8,8911851Home Rule
ChesterDelawareThird33,9721866Home Rule
ClairtonAlleghenyThird6,7961922Home Rule
CoatesvilleChesterThird13,1001915Home Rule
ConnellsvilleFayetteThird7,6371911No
CorryErieThird6,6051866No
DuBoisClearfieldThird7,7941914Plan
DuquesneAlleghenyThird5,5651918No
EastonNorthamptonThird26,8001887Home Rule
ErieErieThird101,7861851Charter
FarrellMercerThird5,1111932Home Rule
FranklinVenangoThird6,5451868Home Rule
GreensburgWestmorelandThird14,8921928Home Rule
HarrisburgDauphinThird49,5281860Charter
HazletonLuzerneThird25,3401891Plan
HermitageMercerThird16,2201976Home Rule
JeannetteWestmorelandThird9,6541938No
JohnstownCambriaThird20,9781889Home Rule
LancasterLancasterThird59,3221818Charter
LatrobeWestmorelandThird8,9441999Home Rule
LebanonLebanonThird25,4771885Home Rule
Lock HavenClintonThird9,7721870Charter
Lower BurrellWestmorelandThird11,7611959No
McKeesportAlleghenyThird19,7311891Home Rule
MeadvilleCrawfordThird13,3881866Charter
MonessenWestmorelandThird7,7201921No
MonongahelaWashingtonThird4,3001873No
NanticokeLuzerneThird10,4651926Home Rule
New CastleLawrenceThird23,2731869Charter
New KensingtonWestmorelandThird13,1161934No
Oil CityVenangoThird10,5571871Charter
ParkerArmstrongThird8401873No
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaFirst1,526,0061701Home Rule
PittsburghAlleghenySecond305,7041816Home Rule
PittstonLuzerneThird7,7391894Home Rule
PottsvilleSchuylkillThird14,3241911No
ReadingBerksThird88,0821847Home Rule
St. MarysElkThird13,0701992Home Rule
ScrantonLackawannaSecond A76,0891866Home Rule
ShamokinNorthumberlandThird7,3741949No
SharonMercerThird14,0381917Home Rule
SunburyNorthumberlandThird9,9051920No
TitusvilleCrawfordThird5,6021866Charter
UniontownFayetteThird10,3721864No
WarrenWarrenThird9,7101832Home Rule
WashingtonWashingtonThird13,6631924No
Wilkes-BarreLuzerneThird41,4981871Home Rule
WilliamsportLycomingThird29,3811866Charter
YorkYorkThird43,7181887Charter