Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
| Lancaster County, Pennsylvania | ||
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 Location in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania |
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 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | May 10, 1729 | |
| Named for | Lancaster, Lancashire | |
| Seat | Lancaster | |
| Largest city | Lancaster | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 984 sq mi (2,549 km2) | |
| • Land | 944 sq mi (2,445 km2) | |
| • Water | 40 sq mi (104 km2), 4.1% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 536,624 | |
| • Density | 569/sq mi (220/km²) | |
| Congressional districts | 7th, 16th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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Lancaster County local /ˈlæŋkᵻstər/, (Pennsylvania German: Lengeschder Kaundi) sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the south central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 519,445. Its county seat is Lancaster.
Lancaster County comprises the Lancaster, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The County of Lancaster is a popular tourist destination, with the Amish community there being a major attraction. The term Pennsylvania Dutch comes from Pennsylvania German language, derived from the German Deutsch ('German'), Dutch Duits ('German'), Deitsch ('Dutch' which in this usage has nothing to do with the people or language of the Netherlands): they are the descendants of Germans (Deutsche) who immigrated in the 18th and 19th centuries for the freedom of religion offered by William Penn. They were also attracted by the rich soil and mild climate of the area. Also attracted to promises of religious freedom, French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution settled this area in 1710. There were also significant numbers of English, Welsh and Ulster Scots (also known as the Scotch-Irish in the colonies).
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