Monroe County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,327. Its county seat is Stroudsburg. The county is part of the Northeast Pennsylvania region of the state. The county was formed from sections of Northampton and Pike counties on April 1, 1836. It was named in honor of James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States.
The county borders Northampton County and the Lehigh Valley to its south, Pike and Wayne counties to its north, Carbon and Luzerne counties to its west, and the Delaware River and Warren County, New Jersey to its east. It is part of the New York metropolitan area, but also receives media from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia radio and television markets.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Monroe County was one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania, largely due to Pocono Mountain-related tourism and partly due to an influx of residents from New York City and its metropolitan area who sought a lower cost of living while still being close enough to commute to the city. The population increased by over 70% from 1990 to 2010, and the commercial and retail sectors expanded significantly, although population growth has since slowed.
The county is home to East Stroudsburg University.
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, flows southward through Monroe County and then into the Lehigh Valley, where it joins the Delaware River in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.5%) is water. It has a humid continental climate (Dfb except for some Dfa in the southern and SE tiers) and the hardiness zone ranges from 5a to 6b. The area code is 570, except in the southwest where the Kunkletown exchange uses 610.
Adjacent counties
- Wayne County (north)
- Pike County (northeast)
- Sussex County, New Jersey (northeast)
- Warren County, New Jersey (east)
- Northampton County (south)
- Carbon County (west)
- Luzerne County (northwest)
- Lackawanna County (northwest)
National protected areas
- Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (part)
- Middle Delaware National Scenic River (part)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 168,327. The median age was 43.2 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.8 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 65.9% White, 14.8% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.9% from some other race, and 9.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 17.0% of the population.
43.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 56.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 62,284 households in the county, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.5% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
!Pop 2010
!
!% 2000
!% 2010
!
|-
|White alone (NH)
|117,592
|119,741
|style='background: #ffffe6; |104,716
|84.78%
|70.50%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |62.20%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|7,902
|20,461
|style='background: #ffffe6; |22,823
|5.69%
|12.04%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.55%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|258
|358
|style='background: #ffffe6; |289
|0.18%
|0.21%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.17%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|1,518
|3,395
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,947
|1.09%
|1.99%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.34%
|-
|Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|30
|60
|style='background: #ffffe6; |56
|0.02%
|0.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.03%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|229
|503
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,407
|0.16%
|0.29%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.83%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|1,963
|3,036
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6,531
|1.41%
|1.78%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.87%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|9,195
|22,288
|style='background: #ffffe6; |28,558
|6.63%
|13.12%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |16.96%
|-
|Total
|138,687
|169,842
|style='background: #ffffe6; |168,327
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 169,842 people, 49,454 households, and 36,447 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 67,581 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 70.5% White Non-Hispanic, 13.2% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. 13.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.9% were of German, 16.8% Irish, 14.5% Italian, 8.8% Pennsylvania German, 5.4% Polish, 5.1% American and 5.1% English ancestry.
There were 49,454 households, out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 20.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.16.
Micropolitan Statistical Area
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has designated Monroe County as the East Stroudsburg, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Prior to 2023, the area was designated as a metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the Metro area had a population of 169,842. The area ranks 12th most populous in the state of Pennsylvania and ranks 244th most populous in the United States.
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has also designated Monroe County as part of the larger Allentown-Bethlehem-East Stroudsburg, PA-NJ Combined Statistical Area.
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As of November 11, 2024, there are 120,056 registered voters in Monroe County.
- Democratic: 51,318 (42.74%)
- Republican: 43,711 (36.41%)
- Independent: 19,275 (16.06%)
- Minor Party: 5,752 (4.79%)
Other county offices
- Controller, Erik Diemer, Democratic
- Coroner, Thomas Yanac, Democratic
- District Attorney, Mike Mancuso, Democratic
- Prothonotary, George Warden, Republican
- Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills, Kate Best, Democratic
- Sheriff, Nick Cirranello, Democratic
- Treasurer, Theresa Johnson, Republican
State Representatives
Source:
- Maureen Madden, Democratic, 115th district
- Jack Rader, Jr., Republican, 176th district
- Tarah Probst, Democrat, 189th district
State senator
- Rosemary Brown, Republican, 40th district
United States Representatives
- Ryan Mackenzie, Republican, Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district
- Robert Bresnahan, Republican, Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district
United States Senators
- Dave McCormick, Republican
- John Fetterman, Democratic
Governor
- Josh Shapiro, Democratic
Transportation
Public transportation
Public transportation throughout the county is provided by the Monroe County Transit Authority (MCTA), known as the "Pocono Pony". MCTA operates a fixed route bus system and a paratransit curb to curb service for eligible populations.
New Jersey Transit is restoring train tracks in northwestern New Jersey along the Lackawanna Cut-off. This would, potentially, also involve the train to go to Scranton from Hoboken, which would go through the Poconos, marking the first time since the early 1970s when the Erie Lackawanna Railroad stopped running daily trains through the area.
Major highways
thumb|[[Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania|I-80 eastbound in Monroe County]]
Education
Colleges and universities
- East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (in East Stroudsburg)
- Northampton Community College Monroe Campus (in Tannersville)
Public school districts
thumb|Map of Monroe County public school districts
They are:
- East Stroudsburg Area School District
- Pleasant Valley School District
- Pocono Mountain School District
- Stroudsburg Area School District
Charter schools
- Evergreen Community Charter School, Cresco
Technology schools
- Monroe Career and Technical Institute, Bartonsville
Private schools
- Art Learning Center, East Stroudsburg
- Character Builders Christian Academy, Pocono Pines
- Monsignor McHugh School, Cresco - Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, **closed in 2020**
- Notre Dame Elementary School, East Stroudsburg
- Notre Dame High School, East Stroudsburg
- St Pauls Lutheran Pre-School, East Stroudsburg
- Stroudsburg 7th Day Adventists School, Stroudsburg
- Triumphant & Excellence Academy 1, East Stroudsburg
- Triumphant & Excellence Academy 2 TEA Institute, Tobyhanna
- Triumphant Living Heritage, Marshalls Creek
- Victory Baptist Christian School, Brodheadsville
- The Growing Concern Elementary School, Stroudsburg
Private schools are as reported in EdNA school database maintained and published by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2011
Industry
The Tobyhanna Army Depot, the U.S. Department of Defense's largest center for the repair and fabrication of electronic systems, is located in Monroe County. It was identified in 2004 as the largest employer in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Parks and trails
thumb|The view from [[Big Pocono State Park at Camelback Mountain]]
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which "includes nearly of mountains, valleys and floodplains," is partially located in Monroe County. The county also has Pennsylvania state parks, such as Big Pocono State Park and parts of the Delaware State Forest, Gouldsboro State Park, and Tobyhanna State Park.
The Appalachian Trail passes through Monroe County. David Pierce wrote in the Pocono Record, "The public footpath—from Georgia to Maine—has a particularly scenic but rugged section that straddles Monroe County’s southern border..." He stated that "trail hiking has long been an integral part of Monroe County's identity..."
During the Revolutionary War in 1779, General John Sullivan marched his troops through Monroe County on their expedition to fight the Iroquois tribe in New York State. There are many historical markers identifying the Sullivan Trail. Sergeant Moses Fellows of the Third New Hampshire Regiment described the area as "...very poor & Barren and I think as never will Be Settled.”
The Long Pond Conservation Easement has over of public access land with numerous trail systems. It's one of the most extensive public access trail systems in Monroe County.
Dixon Miller State Forest – this is an extensive trail system in Long Pond, PA.
Jonas Mountain Nature Preserve is over of Trail system that encompasses an old mountain ridge, and Jonas Creek.
Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge has elaborate Trail systems, and public access.
Mount Wismer is a scenic hike in Monroe County.
Nothstein Preserve is an elaborate wooded trail system in the Poconos
Chestnut mountain nature preserve is a many acre preserve atop the Plateau.
The county is home to the Tannersville Cranberry Bog, the southernmost boreal bog in the Eastern United States.
Resorts
thumb|Inn At Pocono Manor in May 2015
thumb|[[The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort]]
Two of the earliest Pocono resorts, founded by rival factions of the Philadelphia Quaker community, were located in Monroe County: Inn at Buck Hill Falls (1901) and Pocono Manor (1902). These resorts did not allow liquor or dancing, and evening dress was discouraged. The Quakers "brought a quiet, unostentatious style to the region," Buck Hill's stone facade became a model for close to 300 stately stone-and-shingle homes in the region. Buck Hill closed in 1990 and the Inn at Pocono Manor was mostly destroyed by fire in 2019.
Skytop Lodge, built in 1928, is also located in Monroe County and has been described as a "Dutch Colonial-style manor house." Designed in reaction to the Quaker resorts, it had a dance floor and served liquor in a basement bar. Bandleader Fred Waring purchased the resort in 1943, renamed it the Shawnee Inn, and broadcast his radio shows from there. The Shawnee Inn is a Spanish colonial revival building with white-Moorish architecture and Spanish tiled roofs,
Mount Airy Lodge, which expanded from an eight-room inn into the largest Pocono resort, was located in Monroe County. Headliners, such as Bob Hope, Milton Berle, and Connie Francis, performed in the Crystal Room, Mount Airy's 2,000-seat theater. Comedian Mickey Freeman said, "The food was lousy, but it was a legalized orgy." The resort's heyday was in the 1960s and 1970s before closing in 2001. In October 2007 the Mount Airy Casino Resort opened on the site.
As of July 2015, there were three resorts in Monroe County with indoor water parks: Great Wolf Lodge, Aquatopia at Camelback Resort, and Kalahari Resort.
Communities
thumb|Map of Monroe County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The only boroughs or towns being over 15,000 in population in the 2020 Census are Coolbaugh, Middle Smithfield and Stroud.
The following cities, boroughs, and townships are located in Monroe County:
Boroughs
- Delaware Water Gap
- East Stroudsburg
- Mount Pocono
- Stroudsburg (county seat)
Townships
- Barrett
- Chestnuthill
- Coolbaugh
- Eldred
- Hamilton
- Jackson
- Middle Smithfield
- Paradise
- Pocono
- Polk
- Price
- Ross
- Smithfield
- Stroud
- Tobyhanna
- Tunkhannock
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.
- Arlington Heights
- Brodheadsville
- Effort
- Emerald Lakes
- Gouldsboro
- Indian Mountain Lake (partially in Carbon County)
- Mountainhome
- Penn Estates
- Pocono Pines
- Saw Creek (mostly in Pike County)
- Saylorsburg
- Sierra View
- Sun Valley
Unincorporated communities
- Analomink
- Appenzell
- Bartonsville
- Blakeslee
- Bossardsville
- Canadensis
- Cherry Valley
- Cresco
- Hamilton Square
- Henryville
- Jonas
- Kellersville
- Kemmertown
- Kresgeville
- Kunkletown
- Long Pond
- Marshalls Creek
- McIlhaney
- McMichaels
- Meistertown
- Neola
- Paradise Valley
- Pocono Manor
- Pocono Summit
- Reeders
- Sciota
- Scotrun
- Shawnee on Delaware
- Skytop
- Snydersvillle
- South Stroudsburg
- Swiftwater
- Tannersville
- Tobyhanna
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Monroe County.
† county seat
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Rank
!City/Town/etc.
!Municipal type
!Population (2010 Census)
|- style="background:seaShell;"
| 1
| East Stroudsburg
| Borough
| 9,840
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 2
| Arlington Heights
| CDP
| 6,333
|- style="background:seaShell;"
| 3
| † Stroudsburg
| Borough
| 5,567
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 4
| Sierra View
| CDP
| 4,813
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 5
| Penn Estates
| CDP
| 4,493
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 6
| Indian Mountain Lake (partially in Carbon County)
| CDP
| 4,372
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 7
| Saw Creek (mostly in Pike County)
| CDP
| 4,016
|- style="background:seaShell;"
| 8
| Mount Pocono
| Borough
| 3,170
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 9
| Emerald Lakes
| CDP
| 2,886
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 10
| Sun Valley
| CDP
| 2,399
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 11
| Effort
| CDP
| 2,269
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 12
| Brodheadsville
| CDP
| 1,800
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 13
| Pocono Pines
| CDP
| 1,409
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 14
| Mountainhome
| CDP
| 1,182
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 15
| Saylorsburg
| CDP
| 1,126
|- style="background:honeyDew;"
| 16
| Gouldsboro (mostly in Wayne County)
| CDP
| 890
|- style="background:seaShell;"
| 17
| Delaware Water Gap
| Borough
| 746
|}
Watersheds
Monroe County has three major watersheds, all of which are part of the Delaware River Watershed.
The Brodhead Watershed, the Aquashicola Pohopoco Watershed, and the Tobyhanna Tunkhannock Watershed.
Climate
Pocono Plateau Region
According to the Trewartha climate classification system, the higher elevation Pocono Plateau Region of Monroe County has a Temperate Continental climate (Dc) with warm summers (b), cold winters (o) and year-around precipitation (Dcbo). Dcbo climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ , four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥ , all months with an average mean temperature < and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are comfortably humid on the Pocono Plateau, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on July 15, 1995, and the highest daily average mean dew point was on January 8, 2006. July is the peak month for thunderstorm activity which correlates with the average warmest month of the year. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was on September 30, 2010. During the winter months, the plant hardiness zone is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was on January 21, 1994. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < . The average snowiest month is January which correlates with the average coldest month of the year. Ice storms and large snowstorms depositing ≥ of snow occur nearly every year, particularly during nor’easters from December through March.
Ridge and Valley Region
According to the Trewartha climate classification system, the lower elevation Ridge and Valley section of Monroe County has a Temperate Continental climate (Dc) with hot summers (a), cold winters (o) and year-around precipitation (Dcao). Dcao climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ , four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥ , at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are slightly humid in the Ridge and Valley, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on July 22, 2011, and the highest daily average mean dew point was on January 8, 2006. July is the peak month for thunderstorm activity which correlates with the average warmest month of the year. The average wettest month is September which correlates with tropical storm remnants during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was on August 10, 2005. During the winter months, the plant hardiness zone is 6a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of .
The Nature Conservancy's Hauser Nature Center is a destination for hiking and ecological tourism in Long Pond.
Pocono Plateau Region
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, the higher elevation Pocono Plateau Region of Monroe County would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Hardwood (106) with a dominant vegetation form of Northern hardwood forest (26). The peak spring bloom typically occurs in early-May and peak fall color usually occurs in early-October. The plant hardiness zone is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of .
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Monroe County, Pennsylvania