Tioga County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States, on the New York state line in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 41,045 at the 2020 census and covers 1,137 square miles (2,940 km2) — 1,134 square miles of land and 3.2 square miles of water — centred near 41°46′N 77°15′W.
Wellsboro is the county seat; its postal code is 16901. The county has 10 boroughs, 5 census-designated places and 29 townships, plus dozens of smaller unincorporated hamlets and crossroads. It observes Eastern time.
Towns & Villages in Tioga County
Tioga County’s incorporated municipalities are all boroughs — there are no cities. Wellsboro is the seat; Blossburg, Elkland, Knoxville, Lawrenceville, Liberty, Mansfield, Roseville, Tioga and Westfield are the other nine. Arnot, Mainesburg, Millerton, Morris Run and Sabinsville are Census Bureau-designated places within townships. Everything else below is an unincorporated hamlet, crossroads or former rail stop — some, like Fall Brook, Morris Run and Arnot, are the remains of 19th-century coal-mining and lumber settlements that never incorporated.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellsboro | Borough · seat | 3,192 | 16901 |
| Mansfield | Borough | 3,096 | 16933 |
| Blossburg | Borough | 1,551 | 16912 |
| Westfield | Borough | 1,027 | 16950 |
| Elkland | Borough | 1,590 | 16920 |
| Knoxville | Borough | 701 | 16928 |
| Lawrenceville | Borough | 623 | 16929 |
| Liberty | Borough | 394 | 16930 |
| Tioga | Borough | 708 | 16946 |
| Roseville | Borough | 222 | — |
| Arnot | CDP | — | 16911 |
| Mainesburg | CDP | — | 16932 |
| Millerton | CDP | — | 16936 |
| Morris Run | CDP | — | — |
| Sabinsville | CDP | — | 16943 |
| Ansonia | Unincorp. | — | 16910 |
| Antrim | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Asaph | Unincorp. | — | 16921 |
| Austinburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Azelta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Balsam | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beeman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blackwell | Unincorp. | — | 17726 |
| Blakes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brooklyn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Broughton Hollow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brownlee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| C V Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Charleston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cherry Flats | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Christian Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clymer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coolidge Hollow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Covington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cowanesque | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crooked Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Daggett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Davis Station | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dexter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Doane | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dogtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Draper | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duncan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Lawrence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elbridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fall Brook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Farmington Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gaines | Unincorp. | — | 16921 |
| Gaines Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gleason | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gurnee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hammond | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hartsfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heise Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Henslertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hoytville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jackson Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jackson Summit | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jobs Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Keeneyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kellytown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kennedy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lambs Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Landrus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lawrence Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leetonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Marsh | Unincorp. | — | 16931 |
| Lorenton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Manhattan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maple Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mardin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marsh Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marshlands | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Middlebury Center | Unincorp. | — | 16935 |
| Mill Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mitchell Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mixtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morris | Unincorp. | — | 16938 |
| Mount Pleasant | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nauvoo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nelson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newelltown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Niles Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northeast | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northwest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Odle Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ogdensburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olmsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Osceola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Owassee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Painter Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Paisley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Penbryn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Phillips | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pitts | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Plank | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Potter Brook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rexford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rising | Unincorp. | — | — |
| River West | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roundtop | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sebring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shinglebury | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shortsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Somers Lane | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South Union | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spencertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stokesdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stony Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sylvester | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Three Springs Run | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Thumptown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tiadaghton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tioga Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tompkins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trowbridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Veilstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Waltrous | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wellsboro Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Covington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whitneyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Williard | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two pairs are easy to mix up: Middlebury Center (an unincorporated hamlet) is distinct from Middlebury Township, and Tioga borough is distinct from Tioga Township — both carry the county and river’s name.
Townships
Tioga County has 29 townships. Population figures for individual townships are not independently confirmed here; the table below lists the townships with a settlement each is known to contain.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | — | Charleston |
| Covington | — | Covington |
| Delmar | — | Wellsboro (adjacent) |
| Duncan | — | Duncan |
| Elk | — | Arnot |
| Farmington | — | Farmington Hill |
| Gaines | — | Gaines |
| Hamilton | — | Sabinsville |
| Jackson | — | Jackson Center, Jackson Summit |
| Lawrence | — | Lawrenceville, Millerton |
| Liberty | — | Liberty |
| Middlebury | — | Middlebury Center |
| Morris | — | Morris, Morris Run |
| Nelson | — | Nelson |
| Osceola | — | Osceola |
| Richmond | — | Mansfield (adjacent) |
| Rutland | — | Roseville |
| Shippen | — | Sabinsville area |
| Sullivan | — | Mainesburg |
| Tioga | — | Tioga borough (adjacent), Tioga Junction |
| Union | — | Union Center |
| Ward | — | Blackwell |
| Westfield | — | Westfield borough (adjacent) |
| Bloss | — | Blossburg (adjacent) |
| Brookfield | — | Brookfield |
| Chatham | — | — |
| Clymer | — | Clymer |
| Deerfield | — | — |
| Putnam | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 16901 — Wellsboro (county seat)
- 16933 — Mansfield
- 16912 — Blossburg
- 16920 — Elkland
- 16928 — Knoxville
- 16929 — Lawrenceville
- 16930 — Liberty
- 16946 — Tioga
- 16950 — Westfield
- 16932 — Mainesburg (also serves nearby Sullivan Township hamlets)
- 16936 — Millerton
- 16943 — Sabinsville
- 16921 — Gaines / Asaph
- 16938 — Morris
- 16935 — Middlebury Center
- 16931 — Little Marsh
- 16911 — Arnot
- 16910 — Ansonia
- 17726 — Blackwell
Roseville and most of the smaller crossroad hamlets listed above have no dedicated ZIP and are served by the nearest post-office town.
Geography
Tioga County sits on the Allegheny Plateau, cut by the Tioga River and, in its southern reaches, by Pine Creek — the “Pennsylvania Grand Canyon” runs through Tioga State Forest near Wellsboro. Forested ridges cover most of the county, with farmland concentrated in the narrower river valleys.
It borders Steuben County, New York to the north, Chemung County, New York to the northeast, Bradford County to the east, Lycoming County to the south, and Potter County to the west.
Demographics
Tioga County had 41,045 residents at the 2020 census. Wellsboro and Mansfield are its two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs below the Pennsylvania median of $73,824, typical of the state’s rural north-central counties. Population density is roughly 36 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, forestry and tourism anchor the county’s economy today, a shift from its 19th- and early 20th-century base in coal mining and lumber, which drew Irish, German and Eastern European immigrants to camps like Fall Brook, Morris Run and Arnot. Mansfield University (now part of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania) is a major regional employer and draws students to the county. Pine Creek Gorge and the surrounding state forest and parks support an outdoor-recreation and lodging trade centred on Wellsboro, whose gas-lit Main Street is a regional tourist draw.
History
Tioga County was formed on March 26, 1804 from part of Lycoming County and formally organized in 1812. It takes its name from the Tioga River, itself from a Native American word usually translated as “at the forks of the stream.” Coal and lumber boomtowns such as Fall Brook and Morris Run flourished in the late 1800s and early 1900s, then largely emptied out as those industries declined, leaving several of the county’s ghost-town-adjacent unincorporated places.
Getting There
Interstate 99 and US Routes 6 and 15 cross the county; Pennsylvania Routes 14, 49, 249, 287, 328, 349, 362, 414, 549 and 660 provide local connections.
- Williamsport, PA — 42 miles south
- Elmira, NY — 30 miles north
- Corning, NY — 28 miles north
- Scranton, PA — 90 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Elmira Corning Regional Airport in Chemung County, New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tioga County, Pennsylvania?
It is in north-central Pennsylvania, on the New York state line, between the Lycoming and Potter county lines to the south and west.
What is the population of Tioga County?
41,045 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Tioga County?
1,137 square miles (2,940 km2), of which 3.2 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Tioga County?
Wellsboro is the county seat.
How many towns are in Tioga County?
Ten boroughs, five census-designated places, and dozens of smaller unincorporated hamlets spread across 29 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Tioga County?
Wellsboro is 16901; other post-office towns include Mansfield 16933, Blossburg 16912, Elkland 16920 and Westfield 16950.
What is Pine Creek Gorge?
Also called the “Pennsylvania Grand Canyon,” it is a deep gorge cut by Pine Creek through Tioga State Forest in the southern part of the county, a major hiking and rafting draw.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Pennsylvania.