Fayette County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States, in the southwestern part of the state, along the Maryland and West Virginia lines. It had a population of 128,804 at the 2020 census and covers 798 square miles (2,070 km2) centred near 39°55′N 79°39′W.
Uniontown is the county seat; its postal code is 15401. The county contains 2 cities, 17 boroughs, 23 townships, and a number of census-designated places and unincorporated communities. Fayette County is in the Eastern time zone and its FIPS code is 42051.
Towns & Villages in Fayette County
Fayette County has two cities, seventeen boroughs, and dozens of smaller census-designated places (CDPs) and unincorporated communities scattered through its coal-country townships. Boroughs are listed as “Town” below; CDPs are unincorporated but tracked separately by the Census Bureau; “Unincorp.” marks a named community with no formal municipal boundary.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uniontown | City · seat | — | 9,984 | 15401 |
| Connellsville | City | — | 7,031 | 15425 |
| Masontown | Town | — | 3,276 | 15461 |
| Brownsville | Town | — | 2,185 | 15417 |
| South Connellsville | Town | — | 1,917 | — |
| Fairchance | Town | — | 1,890 | 15436 |
| Perryopolis | Town | — | 1,705 | 15473 |
| Point Marion | Town | — | 1,156 | 15474 |
| Belle Vernon | Town | — | 1,024 | — |
| Dunbar | Town | Dunbar Township | 1,013 | 15431 |
| Smithfield | Town | — | 831 | 15478 |
| Everson | Town | — | 771 | — |
| Newell | Town | — | 513 | — |
| Fayette City | Town | — | 502 | — |
| Vanderbilt | Town | — | 419 | 15486 |
| Dawson | Town | — | 352 | — |
| Markleysburg | Town | — | 246 | — |
| Ohiopyle | Town | — | 37 | 15470 |
| East Uniontown | CDP | North Union Township | 2,271 | — |
| Leith-Hatfield | CDP | North Union Township | 2,672 | — |
| Oliver | CDP | North Union Township | 2,538 | — |
| Lynnwood-Pricedale | CDP | — | 2,074 | — |
| Hopwood | CDP | South Union Township | 2,062 | 15445 |
| South Uniontown | CDP | South Union Township | 1,325 | — |
| Republic | CDP | German Township | 1,151 | — |
| Bear Rocks | CDP | — | 1,005 | — |
| Fairhope | CDP | Georges Township | 1,146 | — |
| Hiller | CDP | — | 1,258 | — |
| Star Junction | CDP | Lower Tyrone Township | 518 | — |
| Rowes Run | CDP | — | 517 | — |
| Allison | CDP | — | 503 | — |
| New Salem | CDP | Menallen Township | 499 | — |
| Grindstone | CDP | German Township | 489 | — |
| Deer Lake | CDP | — | 482 | — |
| Arnold City | CDP | — | 462 | — |
| Smock | CDP | Franklin Township | 549 | — |
| Farmington | CDP | Wharton Township | 735 | 15437 |
| Lemont Furnace | CDP | North Union Township | 715 | — |
| Buffington | CDP | — | 298 | — |
| Edenborn | CDP | — | 229 | — |
| Ronco | CDP | — | 209 | — |
| Chalkhill | CDP | Wharton Township | 127 | — |
| Naomi | CDP | — | 53 | — |
| Acme | Unincorp. | — | — | 15610 |
| Adah | Unincorp. | Franklin Township | — | — |
| Bitner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Collier | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fairbank | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Footedale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Gans | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hibbs | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lake Lynn | Unincorp. | Springhill Township | — | — |
| Lamberton | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Leckrone | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Leisenring | Unincorp. | Dunbar Township | — | — |
| McClellandtown | Unincorp. | German Township | — | 15458 |
| Melcroft | Unincorp. | Saltlick Township | — | 15462 |
| Normalville | Unincorp. | — | — | 15469 |
| Oliphant Furnace | Unincorp. | South Union Township | — | — |
| Ralph | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sagamore | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| West Leisenring | Unincorp. | Dunbar Township | — | — |
| Whitsett | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wickhaven | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Seven Springs, a small resort borough, straddles the Fayette–Somerset county line; only its Fayette County population share is counted above. Uniontown and Connellsville are the county’s two cities; every other listed place is either a borough (“Town” above), a census-designated place, or an unincorporated community with no independent government.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| North Union Township | — | East Uniontown, Leith-Hatfield, Oliver, Lemont Furnace |
| South Union Township | — | Hopwood, South Uniontown, Oliphant Furnace |
| German Township | — | Republic, Grindstone, McClellandtown |
| Dunbar Township | — | Leisenring, West Leisenring |
| Wharton Township | — | Farmington, Chalkhill |
| Georges Township | — | Fairhope |
| Franklin Township | — | Smock, Adah |
| Menallen Township | — | New Salem |
| Lower Tyrone Township | — | Star Junction |
| Saltlick Township | — | Melcroft |
| Springhill Township | — | Lake Lynn |
| Brownsville Township | — | — |
| Bullskin Township | — | — |
| Connellsville Township | — | — |
| Henry Clay Township | — | — |
| Jefferson Township | — | — |
| Luzerne Township | — | — |
| Nicholson Township | — | — |
| Perry Township | — | — |
| Redstone Township | — | — |
| Springfield Township | — | — |
| Stewart Township | — | — |
| Upper Tyrone Township | — | — |
| Washington Township | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 15401 — Uniontown (also serves East Uniontown, South Uniontown)
- 15425 — Connellsville
- 15417 — Brownsville
- 15461 — Masontown
- 15473 — Perryopolis
- 15474 — Point Marion
- 15478 — Smithfield
- 15436 — Fairchance
- 15431 — Dunbar
- 15486 — Vanderbilt
- 15445 — Hopwood
- 15437 — Farmington
- 15458 — McClellandtown
- 15462 — Melcroft
- 15469 — Normalville
- 15470 — Ohiopyle
- 15610 — Acme
Most of the county’s small boroughs and unincorporated communities share a ZIP code with a nearby post-office town rather than having their own.
Geography
Fayette County spans the transition from Pittsburgh Plateau foothills in its western third to the forested, mountainous Laurel Highlands in the east, where Chestnut Ridge and Laurel Ridge run north–south. The Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers cross the county, and the Youghiogheny’s gorge at Ohiopyle is one of the East Coast’s best-known whitewater runs. Coal seams underlie much of the county, and abandoned mine works and coke-oven ruins are common in the older river-valley communities.
Fayette County borders Westmoreland County to the north, Somerset County to the east, Garrett County, Maryland, to the southeast, Preston County, West Virginia, to the south, Monongalia County, West Virginia, to the southwest, Greene County to the west, and Washington County to the northwest.
Demographics
Fayette County had 128,804 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 163 people per square mile of land. Uniontown (9,984) and Connellsville (7,031) are its two largest communities, followed by Masontown (3,276) and Brownsville (2,185). Median household income in the county runs well below the Pennsylvania median of $73,824, a legacy of the coal and coke industry’s long decline through the second half of the 20th century.
Economy & Local Life
Coal mining and coke production built Fayette County’s economy from the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s, when the H. C. Frick Coke Company operated dozens of coal patches and coke-oven works along the Connellsville seam. Today the county’s economy leans on healthcare (Uniontown Hospital is the county’s largest single employer), county and local government, retail along the US 40 corridor, and tourism. Ohiopyle State Park draws whitewater paddlers, hikers, and cyclists on the Great Allegheny Passage trail, and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington is a major destination employer near Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright’s house just across the Fayette–Westmoreland line.
History
Fayette County was formed on September 26, 1783, from part of Westmoreland County and named for the Marquis de Lafayette. Its territory saw earlier military history: George Washington’s first combat action took place near present-day Farmington, and the reconstructed Fort Necessity National Battlefield marks the site. The county also fell within the unrest of the Whiskey Rebellion in the 1790s, when western Pennsylvania farmers resisted the federal excise tax on distilled spirits. From the late 1800s into the mid-1900s, Fayette County was a national center of coal and coke production, with dozens of company-owned coal-patch towns built along the rail lines that still dot the map today.
Getting There
US 40 (the historic National Road) and US 119 are the county’s main highways, and the Mon-Fayette Expressway (Pennsylvania Turnpike 43) links Uniontown north toward Pittsburgh.
- Pittsburgh, PA — about 55 miles northwest
- Morgantown, WV — about 30 miles south
- Somerset, PA — about 30 miles east
- Washington, PA — about 30 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Pittsburgh International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Fayette County, Pennsylvania?
It is in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, bordering Maryland and West Virginia.
What is the population of Fayette County?
128,804 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Fayette County?
798 square miles (2,070 km2), of which 790 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Fayette County?
Uniontown is the county seat.
How many towns are in Fayette County?
Two cities, seventeen boroughs, and dozens of smaller census-designated places and unincorporated communities across 23 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Fayette County?
Uniontown uses 15401 and Connellsville uses 15425; smaller communities share ZIP codes with the nearest post-office town — see the ZIP Codes section above.
What is Fayette County known for?
Its coal and coke mining history, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, and Ohiopyle State Park on the Youghiogheny River.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Pennsylvania.