Monroe County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,327. Its county seat is Stroudsburg. The county was formed from sections of Northampton and Pike counties on April 1, 1836.
Named in honor of James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, the county is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania, along its border with New Jersey. Monroe County is coterminous with the East Stroudsburg, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It also borders the Wyoming Valley, the Lehigh Valley, and has connections to the Delaware Valley and the Tri-State Area as part of New York City’s Designated Media Market, but also receiving media from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia areas.
The county is home to East Stroudsburg University. For many recent decades, Monroe County was one of the fastest-growing counties in the state of Pennsylvania, partially due to tourism, and partially due to transplants from the New York City Area desiring a lower cost of living while still being close enough to commute to work in the city. The population increased by over 70% from 1990 to 2010, and the commercial and retail sectors expanded significantly, although population growth has since slowed.
The Lehigh River, a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River, flows through Monroe County.
| Name: | Monroe County |
|---|---|
| FIPS code: | 42-089 |
| State: | Pennsylvania |
| Founded: | April 1, 1836 |
| Named for: | James Monroe |
| Seat: | Stroudsburg |
| Total Area: | 617 sq mi (1,600 km²) |
| Land Area: | 608 sq mi (1,570 km²) |
| Total Population: | 168,327 |
| Population Density: | 277/sq mi (107/km²) |
| Time zone: | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| Summer Time Zone (DST): | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Website: | www.monroecountypa.gov |
Monroe County location map. Where is Monroe County?
Monroe County Road Map
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 617 square miles (1,600 km), of which 608 square miles (1,570 km) is land and 9.0 square miles (23 km) (1.5%) is water. It has a humid continental climate (Dfb except for some Dfa in the southern and SE tiers) and the hardiness zone ranges from 5a to 6b. The area code is 570, except in the southwest where the Kunkletown exchange uses 610.
Adjacent counties
- Wayne County (north)
- Pike County (northeast)
- Sussex County, New Jersey (northeast)
- Warren County, New Jersey (east)
- Northampton County (south)
- Carbon County (west)
- Luzerne County (northwest)
- Lackawanna County (northwest)
National protected areas
- Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (part)
- Middle Delaware National Scenic River (part)
Monroe County Topographic Map
Monroe County Satellite Map
Monroe County Outline Map
