Northampton County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States, on the Delaware River in the state’s Lehigh Valley region. It had a population of 312,951 at the 2020 census and covers 377 square miles (980 km2), of which 370 square miles (960 km2) is land, centred near 40°45′N 75°21′W.
Easton is the county seat, postal code is 18042. The county has 2 cities, 18 boroughs, several unincorporated communities, and 16 townships. It is in the Eastern time zone; the FIPS code is 42095.
Towns & Villages in Northampton County
Northampton County’s incorporated places split into 2 cities and 18 boroughs, plus a long list of unincorporated villages and hamlets inside its townships. Bethlehem straddles the Northampton–Lehigh county line, with most of its population and downtown on the Northampton side. The table below marks the county seat, incorporated places with confirmed 2020 populations, and notable unincorporated communities carried over from historical listings.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easton | City · seat | — | 27,881 | 18042 |
| Bethlehem (Northampton part) | City | — | — | 18017/18018/18020 |
| Bangor | Borough | — | 5,347 | 18013 |
| Bath | Borough | — | 2,747 | 18014 |
| Chapman | Borough | — | 150 | 18073 |
| East Bangor | Borough | — | 936 | 18013 |
| Freemansburg | Borough | — | 1,918 | 18017 |
| Glendon | Borough | — | 340 | 18042 |
| Hellertown | Borough | — | 6,325 | 18055 |
| Nazareth | Borough | — | 6,079 | 18064 |
| North Catasauqua | Borough | — | 2,731 | 18032 |
| Northampton | Borough | — | 9,857 | 18067 |
| Pen Argyl | Borough | — | 3,715 | 18072 |
| Portland | Borough | — | 537 | 18351 |
| Roseto | Borough | — | 1,632 | 18013 |
| Stockertown | Borough | — | 656 | 18083 |
| Tatamy | Borough | — | 1,113 | 18085 |
| Walnutport | Borough | — | 2,116 | 18088 |
| West Easton | Borough | — | 1,041 | 18042 |
| Wilson | Borough | — | 7,321 | 18042 |
| Wind Gap | Borough | — | 2,868 | 18091 |
| Danielsville | Unincorp. | Lehigh | — | 18038 |
| Klecknersville | Unincorp. | Lehigh/Moore | — | — |
| Kreidersville | Unincorp. | Allen | — | — |
| Lower Saucon (Leithsville) | Unincorp. | Lower Saucon | — | 18015 |
| Martins Creek | Unincorp. | Lower Mount Bethel | — | 18063 |
| Moorestown | Unincorp. | Moore | — | — |
| Mount Bethel | Unincorp. | Upper Mount Bethel | — | 18343 |
| Raubsville | Unincorp. | Williams | — | — |
| Seemsville | Unincorp. | East Allen | — | — |
| Shimersville | Unincorp. | Lower Saucon | — | — |
| Weaversville | Unincorp. | Allen | — | — |
Bethlehem is included as a reference point because part of the city lies in Northampton County, but its population figures are reported under Lehigh County, where the bulk of the city and its official seat of local government sit. Several of the old list’s entries — Bath Junction, Belfast Junction, Benders Junction, Martins Creek Junction, and similar — are historic railroad-siding names rather than present-day places, and are omitted here along with duplicate or single-source hamlet names that could not be corroborated (see notes).
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Palmer | 21,464 | Palmer Heights, Prospect Park |
| Bethlehem | 24,921 | Farmersville, Butztown |
| Forks | 15,555 | Stockertown-adjacent, Sullivan Trail corridor |
| Lower Saucon | 11,251 | Leithsville, Seidersville, Shimersville |
| Plainfield | 7,152 | Pen Argyl-adjacent farmland |
| Lower Mount Bethel | 4,568 | Martins Creek |
| Moore | 10,614 | Moorestown, Klecknersville |
| Allen | 4,214 | Weaversville, Kreidersville |
| Upper Nazareth | 6,171 | Rural Nazareth-area growth corridor |
| Bushkill | 8,776 | Bushkill Center |
| East Allen | 7,481 | Seemsville, Howertown |
| Lehigh | 7,133 | Danielsville, Cherryville |
| Lower Nazareth | 6,163 | Farmland east of Nazareth |
| Upper Mount Bethel | 5,712 | Mount Bethel, Sandts Eddy |
| Hanover | — | Airport-industrial corridor near Bethlehem |
| Williams | — | Raubsville, Delabole |
ZIP Codes
- 18042 — Easton (also serves Glendon, West Easton, Wilson)
- 18013 — Bangor (also serves East Bangor, Roseto)
- 18014 — Bath
- 18017/18018/18020 — Bethlehem (Northampton County portion)
- 18032 — North Catasauqua
- 18038 — Danielsville
- 18055 — Hellertown
- 18063 — Martins Creek
- 18064 — Nazareth
- 18067 — Northampton
- 18072 — Pen Argyl
- 18073 — Chapman
- 18083 — Stockertown
- 18085 — Tatamy
- 18088 — Walnutport
- 18091 — Wind Gap
- 18343 — Mount Bethel
- 18351 — Portland
Small unincorporated hamlets inside these townships, such as Klecknersville, Seemsville, or Shimersville, typically share the ZIP code of the nearest post office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Northampton County sits where the Lehigh River joins the Delaware River, with the Delaware forming the county’s entire eastern border with New Jersey. The Blue Mountain ridge crosses the county’s northern townships, separating the Lehigh Valley lowlands from the Poconos foothills, while the southern half is rolling farmland and suburban growth spreading out from Easton and Bethlehem. Bordering counties are Monroe County to the north, Carbon County to the northwest, Lehigh County to the west, Bucks County to the south, and Warren County, New Jersey, across the Delaware River to the east.
Demographics
Northampton County had 312,951 residents at the 2020 census, making it one of the more populous counties in eastern Pennsylvania. Its two largest communities are the Northampton County portion of Bethlehem and the city of Easton (27,881), followed by the borough of Northampton (9,857). Median household income runs close to the Pennsylvania median of $73,824, with suburban Palmer and Bethlehem townships generally above that figure and rural northern townships below it. Population density across the county averages roughly 846 people per square mile, concentrated along the Route 22 and Delaware River corridors.
Economy & Local Life
The county’s economy has shifted from its 19th- and 20th-century cement and steel base — Bethlehem Steel’s flagship plant once anchored the region — toward healthcare, logistics, and higher education. Major employers include St. Luke’s University Health Network, Lehigh Valley Health Network, and warehousing operations that have expanded along the I-78 and Route 33 corridors. Lafayette College sits in Easton, and Moravian University’s campus extends into the Northampton County side of Bethlehem. Musikfest, held each August primarily on the Bethlehem side of the city, draws visitors from across the region into Northampton County’s downtown Easton and Bethlehem districts alike.
History
Northampton County was formed in 1752 from part of Bucks County, one of the original counties carved out under Pennsylvania’s colonial-era expansion. It was named for the English county of Northamptonshire, and its seat, Easton, was named after Easton Neston, a country house in that same English county. The county grew rapidly in the 19th century around slate quarrying in its northern boroughs (Bangor, Pen Argyl, Roseto) and the cement and iron industries along the Lehigh and Delaware rivers, and it later shared in the industrial rise and 1990s-era decline of Bethlehem Steel, whose former South Bethlehem plant site (partly in Northampton County) has since been redeveloped for entertainment and cultural use.
Getting There
Northampton County is served by U.S. Route 22, Route 33, and Interstate 78, which cross the county east–west and connect Easton and Bethlehem to the wider Lehigh Valley and northern New Jersey.
- Bethlehem (Lehigh County side) — 5 miles west of Easton
- Allentown — 15 miles west
- Philadelphia — 60 miles south
- New York City — 75 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) in Allentown, about 15 miles from Easton.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Northampton County?
It is in eastern Pennsylvania, on the Delaware River across from New Jersey, in the Lehigh Valley region.
What is the population of Northampton County?
It had a population of 312,951 at the 2020 census.
How big is Northampton County?
It covers 377 square miles (980 km2), of which 370 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Northampton County?
Easton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Northampton County?
The county has 2 cities and 18 boroughs, plus numerous unincorporated communities across its 16 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Northampton County?
ZIP codes include 18042 (Easton), 18064 (Nazareth), 18067 (Northampton), 18013 (Bangor), and 18055 (Hellertown), among others listed above.
Is Bethlehem in Northampton County?
Part of it is. The city of Bethlehem straddles the Northampton–Lehigh county line, with its downtown and South Side historic district falling on the Northampton County side.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Pennsylvania.