Erie

Erie

Erie (; EER-ee) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth-largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 at the 2020 census. The estimated population in 2023 had decreased to 92,732. The Erie metropolitan area, equivalent to all of Erie County, consists of 266,096 residents. The Erie–Meadville combined statistical area had a population of 369,331 at the 2010 census. Erie is located approximately 80 miles from Buffalo, 90 miles from Cleveland, and 120 miles from Pittsburgh. Erie's manufacturing sector remains prominent in the local economy, while insurance, healthcare, higher education, technology, service industries, and tourism are emerging as significant economic drivers. Like the other Great Lakes port cities, Erie is accessible to the oceans via the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River network in Canada. The local climate is humid, four-seasonal, and snowy, with pleasant summers and harsh winters, owing to its southern lakeshore location. The city was named for the Native American Erie people who lived in the area until the mid-17th century. Erie is nicknamed both the "Gem City", in reference to it once being known as the "Gem of the Great Lakes" due to its fine natural harbor; and more recently, the "Flagship City", from a local marketing effort to promote its status as the home port of Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship Niagara.

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