Adams County, Pennsylvania

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 522 sqmi, of which 519 sqmi is land and 3.1 sqmi (0.6%) is water. The Borough of Gettysburg is located at the center of Adams County. This county seat community is surrounded on three sides by the Gettysburg National Military Park (GNMP). The Eisenhower National Historic Site adjoins GNMP on its southwestern edge. Most of Adams County's rural landscapes and its mid-19th century roadway pattern remain intact today. Thirteen historic roadways converge at or near Gettysburg Borough. Two circular rings of towns surround Gettysburg; the first is typically found at a distance of approximately 7 mi from Gettysburg. The second ring is found at a distance of 12 to 15 mi from the county seat. This "spokes and wheel" pattern is one of the few examples of Central Place Theory in the Eastern United States.

The county is in the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay and is drained by the Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

• Eisenhower National Historic Site
• Gettysburg National Military Park

Climate

Adams has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa). | Jan record high F = 72 | Feb record high F = 78 | Mar record high F = 87 | Apr record high F = 93 | May record high F = 93 | Jun record high F = 98 | Jul record high F = 104 | Aug record high F = 104 | Sep record high F = 98 | Oct record high F = 92 | Nov record high F = 83 | Dec record high F = 79 | Jan record low F = −25 | Feb record low F = −14 | Mar record low F = 0 | Apr record low F = 16 | May record low F = 27 | Jun record low F = 35 | Jul record low F = 43 | Aug record low F = 35 | Sep record low F = 31 | Oct record low F = 20 | Nov record low F = 12 | Dec record low F = −5

Recreation

Recreational areas of Adams County include

• Caledonia State Park, state park named for an iron furnace that was owned by Thaddeus Stevens. Most of this park is in neighboring Franklin County, but a portion of it extends into Adams. It is near U.S. Route 30 between Chambersburg and Gettysburg.
• Eisenhower National Historic Site, the home and farm of 34th President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• Gettysburg Battlefield, Civil War battlefield fought July 1–3, 1863
• Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, federally designated National Heritage Area in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
• McPherson Ridge, landform used during the Battle of Gettysburg
• Michaux State Forest
• Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 249, providing hunting, trapping and other activities.
• Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve

Government

Commissioners

Adams County is administered by a three-person board of commissioners, who serve four-year terms. Elections occur in the odd-numbered years that precede U.S. presidential elections, with the most recent election falling in 2023. All three commissioners are chosen in the same election, and voters may vote for no more than two of the candidates. The commissioners are responsible for the management of the fiscal and administrative functions of the county.

Elected county officials

As of the May 2024

Politics

Presidential politics

Adams is a consistently Republican county, like most of South Central Pennsylvania. In 2020, Donald Trump carried the county with 66.3% of the vote to Joe Biden's 32.2%. In 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton only received 29.6% of the vote, the lowest share any Democrat had received in the county since George McGovern 44 years prior. No Democratic presidential candidate has won Adams County since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide. However, Democratic strength exists in Gettysburg, which Biden carried 63%-35%.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Adams County consists of two Pennsylvania House Districts. The 91st district is exclusively in Adams County, comprising the southern and middle parts of the county, including Gettysburg. The 193rd District spans into Cumberland County to the north.

Pennsylvania Senate

Adams County is entirely contained within the 33rd Senatorial District, which also includes parts of York and Franklin counties.

United States House of Representatives

From 2012 until 2018, Adams County was part of the 4th Congressional District until the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the Commonwealth's Congressional Districts constituted an illegal partisan Gerrymander. As a result, Adams County was moved from the 4th District to the 13th Congressional District and elected a new representative in the 2018 election.

United States Senate

• John Fetterman, Democratic
• Dave McCormick, Republican

Voter registration

As of February 8, 2025, there were 74,542 registered voters in the county. Republicans hold a majority of the voters. There were 43,362 registered Republicans, 18,828 registered Democrats, 9,476 voters without any partisan affiliation, and 2,876 voters registered to other parties. "Other parties" also includes voters who left their preferred party blank; only those who chose "no affiliation" are included under "no partisan affiliation".

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2017

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 103,852. The median age was 44.7 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.6 males age 18 and over.

36.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 63.3% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 88.1% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian,

There were 40,270 households in the county, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.3% were married-couple households, 15.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 43,007 housing units, of which 6.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.2% were owner-occupied and 22.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.3%.

2022 American Community Survey

As of the 2022, there were 106,027 people and 40,676 households in the county. The population density was 204.4 people per square mile. There were 43,653 housing units with 76% of the units owner occupied.

90.7% of the population 25 years and over were high school graduates, and 24.3% had a bachelor's degree or higher. Per capita income was $36,150, and the median household income was $76,727. 8.4% of the population lived below the poverty line.

7.8% of the population were military veterans. 19% of the population was under 18, 59% between 18 and 64, and 22% 65 or over.

There were 40,676 households, of which 68% were married couples living together, 10% had a female householder with no husband present, 4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 17% were non-families. The average household size was 2.5. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $255,900.

Metropolitan and combined statistical area

The US OMB has designated Adams County as the Gettysburg, PA metropolitan statistical area (MSA). As of the 2010 census the metropolitan area population of 101,407 ranked 19th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 349th most populous in the United States. Adams County is also a part of the larger Harrisburg–York–Lebanon combined statistical area (CSA), which combines the populations of Adams County with those of Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Perry and York counties in Pennsylvania. The combined statistical area ranked 5th in the State of Pennsylvania and 43rd most populous in the United States, with a population of 1,219,422.

Education

Colleges and universities

• Gettysburg College
• United Lutheran Seminary

Community, junior and technical colleges

• Harrisburg Area Community College

Public school districts

School districts include:

• Bermudian Springs School District
• Conewago Valley School District
• Fairfield Area School District
• Gettysburg Area School District
• Littlestown Area School District
• Upper Adams School District

Public charter schools

• Gettysburg Montessori Charter School – Gettysburg (K-6)
• Vida Charter School – Gettysburg (K-6)

County residents may apply to attend any of the Commonwealth's 14 (as of 2015) public, cyber charter schools at no additional cost to the parents.

Private schools

As reported by Pennsylvania Department of Education May 2024

• Adams County Christian Academy – Gettysburg
• Delone Catholic High School – McSherrystown
• Forest Lane Mennonite School – Gettysburg
• Freedom Christian School – Gettysburg
• Gettysburg Adventist Christian School – Gettysburg
• Indian Acres Amish School - Gettysburg
• JIL Christian School – Biglerville
• Pheasant Cottage Amish School - Littlestown
• St. Francis Xavier School - Gettysburg
• St. Teresa of Calcutta School (Conewago) - Hanover
• St. Teresa of Calcutta School -McSherrystown

Intermediate Unit

Lincoln Intermediate Unit (IU#12) region includes Adams, Franklin, and York counties. The agency offers school districts, home schooled students and private schools many services including: Special education services, combined purchasing, and instructional technology services. It runs Summer Academy, which offers both art and academic strands designed to meet the needs of gifted, talented and high achieving students. Additional services include: Curriculum Mapping, Professional Development for school employees, Adult Education, Nonpublic School Services, Business Services, Migrant & ESL (English as a Second Language), Instructional Services, Special Education, Management Services, and Technology Services. It provides a GED program for adults to earn a high school diploma, and offers literacy programs. The Lincoln Intermediate Unit is governed by a 13-member board of directors, each a member of a local school board from the 25 school districts. Board members are elected by school directors of all 25 school districts for three-year terms that begin July 1. There are 29 intermediate units in Pennsylvania. They are funded by school districts, state and federal program specific funding and grants; they do not have the power to tax.

Libraries

• A R Wentz Library – Gettysburg
• Adams County Historical Society – Gettysburg
• Carroll Valley Library – Carroll Valley
• Adams County Law Library – Gettysburg
• Adams County Library - Gettysburg
• Harbaugh-Thomas Library – Biglervilleh
• Jean Barnett Trone Memorial Library of East Berlin – East Berlin
• Littlestown Community Library – Littlestown
• Musselman Library – Gettysburg
• New Oxford Area Library – New Oxford

Transportation

Air

There are currently no scheduled commercial flights into Adams County. The nearest airports with regular commercial service are in Hagerstown, Maryland (Hagerstown Regional Airport), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Harrisburg International Airport), and Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Lancaster Airport).

Bus

Public bus service in Adams County is available through the Adams County Transit Authority.

Major roads and highways

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Adams County, as well as unincorporated areas and CDPs:

Boroughs

• Abbottstown
• Arendtsville
• Bendersville
• Biglerville
• Bonneauville
• Carroll Valley
• East Berlin
• Fairfield
• Gettysburg (county seat)
• Littlestown
• McSherrystown
• New Oxford
• York Springs

Townships

• Berwick
• Butler
• Conewago
• Cumberland
• Franklin
• Freedom
• Germany
• Hamilton
• Hamiltonban
• Highland
• Huntington
• Latimore
• Liberty
• Menallen
• Mount Joy
• Mount Pleasant
• Oxford
• Reading
• Straban
• Tyrone
• Union

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data, but are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

• Aspers
• Cashtown
• Gardners
• Hampton
• Heidlersburg
• Hunterstown
• Idaville
• Lake Heritage
• Lake Meade
• Midway
• McKnightstown
• Orrtanna
• Table Rock

Unincorporated areas

• Advance
• Amatus
• Barlow
• Beechersville
• Berlin Junction
• Bermudian
• Bittinger
• Bridgeport
• Brush Run
• Brushtown
• Brysonia
• Cedar Ridge
• Centennial
• Center Mills
• Charnita
• Cross Keys
• Deardorffs Mill
• Edgegrove
• Fairplay
• Five Points
• Flora Dale
• Fountain Dale
• Gargol
• Georgetown
• Germantown
• Gladhill
• Goldenville
• Green Springs
• Greenmount
• Greenstone
• Guernsey
• Guldens
• Hafer's Mill
• Hershey Heights
• Hilltown
• Indian Village
• Irishtown
• Iron Springs
• Jacks Mountain
• Kingsdale
• Knoxlyn
• Latimore
• Maria Furnace
• Menges Mill
• Mount Hope
• Mount Misery
• Mount Tabor
• Mummasburg
• New Chester
• Oak Grove
• Peach Glen
• Plainview
• Round Hill
• Quaker Valley
• Sedgwick
• Sell
• Seven Stars
• Shanks Mill
• Slate Ridge
• Square Corner
• Stremmels
• The Pines
• Two Taverns
• Virginia Mills
• Waldheim
• Wenksville
• Whitehall
• Zora

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Adams County.

† county seat

Notable people

• Joel Funk Asper, former U.S. Congressman
• Gabor Boritt, historian of Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War, professor at Gettysburg College
• Jake Boritt, documentary producer
• Henry R. Brinkerhoff, former U.S. Congressman
• David A. Day, former Lutheran missionary to Liberia
• Dwight D. Eisenhower and Mamie Eisenhower, their retirement home outside Gettysburg is preserved as Eisenhower National Historic Site
• Erik Harris, professional football player, Atlanta Falcons
• John A. Hauser, former president of C. H. Musselman Company
• Eddie Plank, former Major League Baseball pitcher; third winningest left-handed pitcher of all time and 1946 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee
• John S. Rice, former U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands
• John Studebaker, co-founder of company that became the Studebaker Corporation

Notes

References

References

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