Chester County was formed in 1682. It was one of the three original counties of Pennsylvania, along with Philadelphia and Bucks counties. In 1789 part of Chester County split away, becoming Delaware County.

Delaware County’s biggest town at the time was Chester, and so Chester County made its county seat in Turk’s Head, and renamed that village as West Chester. The population of West Chester in 1799 was 374.

Chester County boasts a long history of agricultural and industrial activity. In 1885 two Kennett Square florists began growing mushrooms. Today, the county is the largest producer in the nation, and we are known as the “Mushroom Capital of the World”. The nation’s earliest iron and steel forges began in Chester County, in Phoenixville in 1813 and shortly afterwards in Coatesville.

Today, Chester County is largely residential, since the dawn of suburban migration in the 1950’s. A sharp increase in population began in the 1970’s, and today Chester County is Pennsylvania’s most affluent and fastest growing county, with a population nearing half a million people.

Home to many nationally known firms, such as Vanguard and Wyeth Laboratories, the north east part of Chester County is a booming office corridor of high tech pharmaceutical companies. The southern part of the county is home to many of our tourist attractions such as Longwood Gardens; and, most of Chester County still retains its “horse country feel."

There are five universities here, including West Chester University (undergraduate enrollment 16,000). Chester County is about thirty minutes from the Philadelphia International Airport, and Center City Philadelphia can generally be reached in forty-five minutes.

Fast Facts:

Chester County is located in the southeast corner of the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania, bordering Maryland and Delaware.

We are just 115 miles south of New York City, 120 miles north of Washington D.C., 45 miles east of Lancaster, PA. and 35 miles south west of Philadelphia.

Based on the 2000 Census information, Chester County has a median family income of $79,916 – which is the highest income level in PA.

The population of Chester County in 2000 was 433,501 people. This was in increase of 15% from 1990.

Our time zone is Eastern Standard Time.