Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Northumberland
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Locator map of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.
Read Next
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd
Causes of the Great Depression
President's bingo. Guess and select to correct president based on images.
Britannica’s U.S. Presidents Bingo
Discover
Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?
Title: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, December 14, 1825: repression of the troop mutiny - watercolor by Carl Ivanovitch Kollman, 1825 depicts Decembrist uprising clashing with cavalry, with spectators watching. (new style December 26, 1825) Europe. Saint
8 of the Largest Empires in History
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
Locator map of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Northumberland

county, Pennsylvania, United States
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

Northumberland, county, central Pennsylvania, U.S., consisting of a mountainous region in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley physiographic province bounded to the west by the Susquehanna and West Branch Susquehanna rivers. Other waterways include Chillisquaque, Shamokin, Mahanoy, and Mahantango creeks.

Shikellamy State Park, situated at the point where the West Branch Susquehanna and Susquehanna join, is named for an 18th-century Iroquois leader who governed the Susquehannock (Susquehanna) Indian village of Shamokin there; the site is now occupied by Sunbury, the county seat. The county was created in 1772 and named for Northumberland, Eng. Other communities include Shamokin, Mount Carmel, Milton, Kulpmont, and Watsontown.

The major economic activities are manufacturing (textiles and transportation equipment), agriculture (field crops and poultry), and anthracite coal mining. Area 460 square miles (1,191 square km). Pop. (2000) 94,556; (2010) 94,528.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.