Quick Facts

Dauphin County, located in south-central Pennsylvania, was created on March 4, 1785, from part of Lancaster County and named Dauphin, after the title of the eldest son of the French King.   Harrisburg, the county seat, is named for its founder, John Harris.  It is a region filled with opportunity, diversity, and an exceptional quality of life.

Dauphin County's strategic location has been important throughout its rich history.  It is a natural location for the state capital and is a critical hub for east coast transportation systems as a convergence point in the Boston-to-Richmond northeast corridor.  Positioned to provide cost effective access to eastern US markets while maintaining a superior living environments, Dauphin County is known as a choice location of business and industry.  Dauphin County serves as a major distribution hub for many companies servicing the east coast's top metropolitan markets.  Dauphin County is the home of Tyco Electronics/AMP, Hershey Chocolate USA and Hershey Amusement Park.

Harrisburg, the Capital City, is the urban nucleus of Dauphin County.  It is the region's cultural, business and government center.  The city has been the county seat since 1785 and Pennsylvania's capital since 1812.  Beautifully situated on the mile-wide Susquehanna River and back-dropped by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Harrisburg has merged big-city influence and sophistication with small-town friendliness and charm.  The upper tier of Dauphin County provides a quiet county setting with quaint towns lying in pristine mountain valleys.  Several national companies have located here due to availability of land, an established workforce of people committed to quality work, and a proximity to interstate highways, including several new road projects that are planned or underway.  In contrast, the county's southern portion is much more urbanized in and around Harrisburg and Hershey.  This region boasts a number of economic development resources including Harrisburg International Airport, the New Baldwin Corridor Enterprise Zone which spans seven municipalities, over 20 major industrial parks and office districts, a highway system developed far beyond what one would expect for an area this size, as well as main line Amtrak passenger service and an intermodal terminus for double stack rail freight.

Dauphin County has just the right mix for diverse lifestyles: experience the ultimate in cultural events, entertainments and recreation, whether it is golfing, biking, fishing, hunting, braving adventuresome water sports, exploring art galleries, museums, the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, historic mansions, or a stroll along Riverfront Park. Enjoy the local professional sporting events, concerts, plays and national trade shows held at Riverside Stadium, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, the Hershey Arena and a multitude of theaters.  It's a wonderful place to live, work, play and do business. We have it all in Dauphin County.

A thriving city, robust business and industry, serene suburbia, farming communities and superlative R&R, surrounded by rolling fields, waterways, and the Appalachian Mountains.  Dauphin County is the home of the State Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, since 1785.  Formerly known as an industrial and manufacturing center, we are swiftly emerging as the 5th fastest growing high-tech center in the nation.

You will find our area to be an excellent place to live, work, raise a family and play!  Join the many people around Central Pennsylvania who believe they have found the perfect place to live, raise a family and be happy.

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