Clarion County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States, in the northwestern part of the state, about 77 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. It had a population of 37,241 at the 2020 census, an estimated 36,680 by 2024, and covers 610 square miles (1,580 km2) centred near 41°11′N 79°25′W.
Clarion is the county seat and home to PennWest Clarion, the county’s only four-year
university; its postal code is 16214. The county holds 12 boroughs, 5 census-designated places
and roughly two dozen smaller unincorporated communities across 22 townships, and it runs on
Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 42031.
Towns & Villages in Clarion County
Clarion County has 46 named places on record: 12 incorporated boroughs, 5 census-designated
places and 29 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. Borough ·
seat marks the county seat; CDP stands for census-designated place; Unincorp. covers crossroads
and rural hamlets with no formal boundary.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarion | Borough · seat | — | 3,931 | 16214 |
| Marianne | CDP | Elk/Paint | 1,063 | — |
| Knox | Borough | — | 1,093 | 16232 |
| New Bethlehem | Borough | — | 978 | 16242 |
| Rimersburg | Borough | — | 942 | 16248 |
| East Brady | Borough | — | 818 | 16028 |
| Sligo | Borough | — | 681 | 16255 |
| Strattanville | Borough | — | 537 | 16258 |
| Hawthorn | Borough | — | 477 | 16230 |
| Shippenville | Borough | — | 442 | 16254 |
| St. Petersburg | Borough | — | 336 | 16054 |
| Crown | CDP | Farmington | 265 | 16220 |
| Tylersburg | CDP | Farmington | 196 | 16361 |
| Foxburg | Borough | — | 181 | 16036 |
| Leeper | CDP | Farmington | 136 | 16233 |
| Callensburg | Borough | — | 150 | 16213 |
| Vowinckel | CDP | Farmington | 130 | 16260 |
| Curllsville | Unincorp. | — | — | 16221 |
| Fairmount City | Unincorp. | — | — | 16224 |
| Fisher | Unincorp. | Millcreek | — | 16225 |
| Kossuth | Unincorp. | — | — | 16331 |
| Lamartine | Unincorp. | Salem | — | 16375 |
| Lickingville | Unincorp. | Licking | — | 16332 |
| Limestone | Unincorp. | Limestone | — | 16234 |
| Lucinda | Unincorp. | Knox Twp | — | 16235 |
| Marble | Unincorp. | Washington | — | 16334 |
| Mayport | Unincorp. | — | — | 16240 |
| Snydersburg | Unincorp. | Knox Twp | — | 16257 |
| Turkey City | Unincorp. | — | — | 16058 |
| Fryburg | Unincorp. | Washington | — | 16326 |
| Cooksburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Helen Furnace | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Scotch Hill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Turnip Hole | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Venus | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Perryville | Unincorp. | Perry | — | — |
| Hagantown | Unincorp. | Perry | — | — |
| West Freedom | Unincorp. | Perry | — | — |
| Dutch Hill | Unincorp. | Perry | — | — |
| West Monterey | Unincorp. | Perry | — | — |
| Pilgrimham | Unincorp. | Salem | — | — |
| Licking | Unincorp. | Washington | — | — |
| Newmansville | Unincorp. | Washington | — | — |
| Wolf’s Corners | Unincorp. | Washington | — | — |
| Reidsburg | Unincorp. | Monroe | — | — |
| Piney | Unincorp. | Piney Twp | — | — |
Two names on this list recur elsewhere in the county. Knox is both an independent borough
(population 1,093) and the name of a separate township that borders it on the north; the
population and ZIP above are for the borough alone. Marianne, a census-designated place of 1,063
residents, straddles the line between Elk and Paint townships, so it does not belong to either
township’s own population count.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Clarion | 3,647 | Contains the boroughs of Clarion (county seat) and Strattanville |
| Limestone | 1,870 | Limestone |
| Washington | 1,869 | Fryburg, Marble, Licking, Newmansville, Wolf’s Corners |
| Beaver | 1,828 | Contains the borough of Knox on its north side |
| Farmington | 1,779 | Tylersburg, Leeper, Crown, Vowinckel; part of Cook Forest State Park |
| Paint | 1,645 | Western part of Marianne CDP |
| Monroe | 1,496 | Reidsburg |
| Elk | 1,433 | Part of Marianne CDP; borders the borough of Shippenville |
| Redbank | 1,334 | Contains the borough of Hawthorn |
| Porter | 1,287 | Near Smithland |
| Madison | 1,163 | No named hamlet of record |
| Ashland | 1,116 | No named hamlet of record |
| Knox | 993 | Lucinda, Snydersburg |
| Toby | 984 | Borders the boroughs of Rimersburg and Sligo |
| Perry | 922 | Perryville, Hagantown, West Freedom, Dutch Hill, West Monterey |
| Salem | 901 | Lamartine, Pilgrimham |
| Licking | 573 | Lickingville; surrounds the borough of Callensburg |
| Highland | 533 | No named hamlet of record |
| Richland | 473 | Borders the boroughs of St. Petersburg and Foxburg |
| Piney | 402 | Piney; borders the borough of Sligo |
| Millcreek | 361 | Fisher |
| Brady | 75 | Borders the borough of East Brady on the Allegheny River |
ZIP Codes
- 16214 — Clarion (the county seat)
- 16220 — Crown
- 16221 — Curllsville
- 16224 — Fairmount City
- 16225 — Fisher
- 16028 — East Brady
- 16036 — Foxburg
- 16054 — St. Petersburg
- 16058 — Turkey City
- 16213 — Callensburg
- 16230 — Hawthorn
- 16232 — Knox
- 16233 — Leeper
- 16234 — Limestone
- 16235 — Lucinda
- 16240 — Mayport
- 16242 — New Bethlehem
- 16248 — Rimersburg
- 16254 — Shippenville
- 16255 — Sligo
- 16257 — Snydersburg
- 16258 — Strattanville
- 16260 — Vowinckel
- 16326 — Fryburg
- 16331 — Kossuth
- 16332 — Lickingville
- 16334 — Marble
- 16361 — Tylersburg
- 16375 — Lamartine
Marianne, Cooksburg, Helen Furnace, Scotch Hill, Turnip Hole, Venus, Perryville, Hagantown,
West Freedom, Dutch Hill, West Monterey, Pilgrimham, Licking, Newmansville, Wolf’s Corners,
Reidsburg and Piney have no ZIP code of their own; mail to those places is delivered under the
nearest listed town’s code.
Geography
Clarion County sits on the Allegheny Plateau in northwestern Pennsylvania, a region of steep,
forested hills cut by narrow river valleys. Of its 610 square miles, 601 are land and 9.0 are
water, about 1.5 percent, concentrated in the Clarion and Allegheny rivers rather than any large
lake. The Clarion River forms part of the county’s northeastern boundary; a surveyor named
Daniel Stanard gave the river its name in 1817, reporting that its rapids sounded like a distant
clarion horn, replacing the earlier name Tobeco or Toby Creek. Cook Forest State Park, known for
its stand of old-growth white pine and hemlock, occupies part of the river valley in Farmington
Township. The Allegheny River forms the county’s southeastern edge near East Brady and Brady
Township.
Forest County lies to the north, Jefferson County to the east, Armstrong County to the south,
Butler County to the southwest, and Venango County to the northwest. Forest County, Jefferson County, Armstrong County, Butler County and Venango County all border Clarion County
directly.
Demographics
Clarion County had a population of 37,241 at the 2020 census, and the latest Census Bureau
estimate puts the county near 36,680 residents as of 2024, a small decline typical of rural
northwestern Pennsylvania. Clarion borough and Knox borough are the two largest incorporated
places, at 3,931 and 1,093 residents. Median household income in the county was $62,649 in 2024,
below Pennsylvania’s statewide 2023 figure of $73,824. Population density works out to about
62 people per square mile of land, low even by rural Pennsylvania standards, reflecting the
county’s hilly, heavily wooded terrain.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and social assistance is the county’s largest employment sector, with about
3,199 workers, followed by manufacturing at 2,249 and retail trade at 2,245. PennWest Clarion, a
campus of Pennsylvania Western University founded in 1867, is Clarion borough’s largest
institution and a major local employer. The county’s glass-manufacturing history includes
the former Owens-Illinois plant in Clarion, once a significant industrial employer tied to the
region’s natural gas and oil fields. The county’s biggest annual event is the Autumn
Leaf Festival in Clarion, a nine-day celebration each late September into early October that
draws close to 500,000 visitors and coincides with PennWest Clarion’s homecoming weekend;
it began in 1953.
History
Pennsylvania’s legislature formed Clarion County on 11 March 1839, carving it out of
parts of Venango and Armstrong counties. The county takes its name from the Clarion River, itself
named in 1817 by surveyor Daniel Stanard for the trumpet-like sound of its rapids. Clarion
borough was settled the same year the county formed and was incorporated in 1841. The surrounding
hills produced natural gas, oil, lumber and coal through the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, shaping the small industrial towns that grew up along the Clarion and Allegheny
rivers.
Getting There
Interstate 80 crosses Clarion County west to east, with exits serving Richland Township near
Emlenton, the Knox area, Shippenville and Clarion, including direct access to PennWest Clarion.
US Route 322 and Pennsylvania Routes 28, 36, 58, 66, 68, 157, 208, 338, 368, 478, 536 and 861 also
serve the county.
- Pittsburgh — about 77 miles southwest of Clarion
- Brookville, Jefferson County — about 70 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, on the county’s eastern side
Pittsburgh International Airport is the nearest major commercial airport. Amtrak has no
station in Clarion County; the closest station is in Pittsburgh, on the Pennsylvanian route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Clarion County located?
It sits on the Allegheny Plateau in northwestern Pennsylvania, about 77 miles northeast of
Pittsburgh, bordered by Forest, Jefferson, Armstrong, Butler and Venango counties.
What is the population of Clarion County?
37,241 at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate near 36,680.
How big is Clarion County?
610 square miles (1,580 km2), of which 601 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Clarion County?
Clarion is the county seat, incorporated in 1841 and home to PennWest Clarion.
How many towns and villages are in Clarion County?
Twelve boroughs — Clarion, Knox, New Bethlehem, Rimersburg, East Brady, Sligo, Strattanville,
Hawthorn, Shippenville, St. Petersburg, Foxburg and Callensburg — plus five
census-designated places and 29 named unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes does Clarion County use?
16214 for Clarion, 16232 for Knox, 16242 for New Bethlehem, 16248 for Rimersburg, and 25 other
codes covering the county’s smaller boroughs and hamlets.
What is Clarion County known for?
The Autumn Leaf Festival, a nine-day event each fall that draws nearly half a million visitors,
and Cook Forest State Park’s old-growth forest along the Clarion River.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Pennsylvania.