Snyder County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States, in the Ridge and Valley section of the Appalachians along the Susquehanna River. It had a population of 39,736 at the 2020 census and covers 329 square miles (850 km2) of land centred near 40°46′N 77°05′W.
Middleburg is the county seat, and its postal code is 17842. The county has 6 boroughs, 8 census-designated places, and 15 townships. Snyder County is in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 42109.
Towns & Villages in Snyder County
Snyder County’s settled places split between six incorporated boroughs and a set of unincorporated villages and census-designated places (CDPs) spread across its 15 townships. The table below lists the county’s principal named places; smaller crossroads and hamlets from local usage follow beneath it.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleburg | Borough · seat | Middlecreek | 1,325 | 17842 |
| Selinsgrove | Borough | Penn | 5,713 | 17870 |
| Shamokin Dam | Borough | Monroe | — | 17876 |
| Beavertown | Borough | Beaver | — | 17813 |
| Freeburg | Borough | Washington | — | 17827 |
| McClure | Borough | West Beaver | — | 17841 |
| Hummels Wharf | CDP | Monroe | — | 17872 |
| Kreamer | CDP | Middlecreek | — | 17833 |
| Kratzerville | CDP | Center | — | 17831 |
| Beaver Springs | CDP | Beaver | — | 17812 |
| Mount Pleasant Mills | CDP | Perry | — | 17853 |
| Paxtonville | CDP | West Perry | — | 17861 |
| Penns Creek | CDP | Franklin | — | 17862 |
| Port Trevorton | CDP | Penn | — | 17864 |
Beyond the boroughs and CDPs, older county gazetteers also record a scatter of small unincorporated crossroads and mill-hamlet names still in local use: Aline, Bannerville, Benfer, Chapman, Coon Hunter, Crossgrove, Dogtown, Dundore, Globe Mills, Hoffer, Independence, Kantz, Locust Grove, Lowell, Mahantango, McKees Half Falls, Meiser Station, Meiserville, Middle Creek, Pallas, Pawling Station, Port Ann, Raubs Mills, Salem, Shadle, Shreiners, Strouptown, Troutwell, Troxelville, and Verdilla. Two names on the old list were dropped as unverified for this county: “Kissimmee” has no record in Snyder County and duplicates a well-known Florida place name, and “Mount Pleasant Mill” (singular) appears to be a duplicate spelling of Mount Pleasant Mills CDP.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Penn | — | Selinsgrove, Port Trevorton |
| Monroe | — | Shamokin Dam, Hummels Wharf |
| Middlecreek | — | Middleburg, Kreamer |
| Beaver | — | Beavertown, Beaver Springs |
| Washington | — | Freeburg |
| West Beaver | — | McClure |
| Perry | — | Mount Pleasant Mills |
| West Perry | — | Paxtonville |
| Franklin | — | Penns Creek |
| Center | — | Kratzerville |
| Adams | — | Troxelville |
| Chapman | — | Chapman |
| Jackson | — | Salem |
| Spring | — | Freeburg vicinity |
| Union | — | Mahantango vicinity |
ZIP Codes
- 17842 — Middleburg (also serves Middlecreek Township)
- 17870 — Selinsgrove (also serves Penn Township and Susquehanna University)
- 17876 — Shamokin Dam
- 17872 — Hummels Wharf
- 17813 — Beavertown
- 17827 — Freeburg
- 17841 — McClure
- 17833 — Kreamer
- 17831 — Kratzerville
- 17812 — Beaver Springs
- 17853 — Mount Pleasant Mills
- 17861 — Paxtonville
- 17862 — Penns Creek
- 17864 — Port Trevorton
Smaller unincorporated hamlets share the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Snyder County sits in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province, with the Susquehanna River forming its eastern edge past Selinsgrove and Shamokin Dam and the Shade Mountain and Jacks Mountain ridgelines running through its interior. Of its 332 square miles, 329 are land and 2.8 are water. The county borders Union County to the north (linked below), Northumberland County to the east across the Susquehanna, Juniata County to the south, and Mifflin County to the west.
Its bordering counties: Union County (north), Northumberland County (east, no live page here), Juniata County (south), and Mifflin County (west).
Demographics
Snyder County had 39,736 residents at the 2020 census. Its two largest communities are Selinsgrove (5,713), home to Susquehanna University, and Middleburg (1,325), the county seat. Median household income runs below the Pennsylvania median of $73,824, reflecting the county’s largely rural and agricultural economic base. Population density is roughly 121 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture remains central to Snyder County’s economy, with more than 400 working farms across its valley townships producing dairy, poultry, and grain. Selinsgrove anchors the county’s largest employer base, led by Susquehanna University and Evangelical Community Hospital’s satellite services; the borough’s riverside downtown and the university’s campus draw much of the county’s retail and dining activity. Manufacturing, once a larger share of county jobs, has declined since the early 2000s. Middleburg hosts the annual Snyder County Fair, a long-running late-summer agricultural fair.
History
Snyder County was formed on March 2, 1855, from the western part of Union County, part of a wave of new Pennsylvania counties carved out in that era to shorten travel to a county seat. It was named for Simon Snyder, who served as Pennsylvania’s governor from 1808 to 1817 and was one of the state’s earliest German-immigrant-descended chief executives. Middleburg, already established as a market town, was chosen as the new county’s seat.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 11/15 and U.S. Route 522 cross the county, along with Pennsylvania Routes 35, 104, 204, and 235, linking Selinsgrove and Middleburg to the wider Susquehanna Valley.
- Lewisburg — 10 miles north
- Sunbury — 8 miles northeast
- Lewistown — 25 miles southwest
- Harrisburg — 55 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Williamsport Regional Airport, roughly 35 miles north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Snyder County?
It is in central Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River in the Ridge and Valley region, about 55 miles north of Harrisburg.
What is the population of Snyder County?
39,736 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Snyder County?
329 square miles of land (850 km2), making it one of Pennsylvania’s smaller counties.
What is the county seat of Snyder County?
Middleburg is the county seat.
How many towns are in Snyder County?
Six boroughs and eight census-designated places, plus a scatter of smaller unincorporated hamlets across its 15 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Snyder County?
Fourteen ZIP codes cover the county, led by 17842 (Middleburg) and 17870 (Selinsgrove); see the ZIP Codes section above for the full list.
What university is in Snyder County?
Susquehanna University, a private liberal-arts college, is in Selinsgrove.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Pennsylvania.