There are 56 municipalities classified as cities in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.^[1] Each city is further classified based on population, with Philadelphia being of the first class, Pittsburgh of the second class, Allentown of the second class A, and the remaining 53 cities being of the third class.

While the default form of government for third class cities is the Third Class City Code, only 18 cities still use this form of government. The City of Parker is the only city that still operates under a special act, and has a weak mayor-council form of government. All three cities not of the third class, along with 22 third class cities, have adopted home rule charters, which give the cities broader powers to manage their affairs. When a city adopts a home rule charter, it does not lose its status as a city nor its classification.^[2]

Two cities have adopted optional plans under the same law. From 1957 to 1972, third class cities were able to adopt optional charters, of which 10 remain in effect. Cities that operate under home rule charters, optional plans, or optional charters are also found in the List of Pennsylvania municipalities and counties with home rule charters, optional charters, or optional plans.

Home rule municipalities that are styled as cities but not classified as cities are not included below.

Cities gallery

Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania and sixth-largest city in the United States with a population of 1.6 million
Pittsburgh, the second-largest city in Pennsylvania
Allentown, the third-largest city in Pennsylvania
Reading, the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania
Erie, the fifth-largest city in Pennsylvania

List of cities in Pennsylvania

† County Seat

Name	Type	County^[3]	Class	Population (2020 Census)	Incorporation date (as city)	Area (sq miles)^[4]
Aliquippa	City	Beaver	Third	9,238^[5]	1987	4.19
Allentown†	City	Lehigh	Second	125,845^[6]	1867	17.55
Altoona	City	Blair	Third	43,963^[7]	1868	9.91
Arnold	City	Westmoreland	Third	4,772^[8]	1939	0.73
Beaver Falls	City	Beaver	Third	9,005^[9]	1928	2.13
Bethlehem	City	Lehigh Northampton	Third	75,781^[10]	1917	19.10
Bradford	City	McKean	Third	7,849^[11]	1879	3.35
Butler†	City	Butler	Third	13,502^[12]	1816	2.72
Carbondale	City	Lackawanna	Third	8,828^[13]	1851	3.24
Chester	City	Delaware	Third	32,605^[14]	1866	4.84
Clairton	City	Allegheny	Third	6,181^[15]	1922	2.79
Coatesville	City	Chester	Third	13,350^[16]	1915	1.81
Connellsville	City	Fayette	Third	7,031^[10]	1911	2.18
Corry	City	Erie	Third	6,210^[17]	1866	5.99
DuBois	City	Clearfield	Third	7,510^[18]	1914	3.18
Duquesne	City	Allegheny	Third	5,254^[19]	1918	1.82
Easton†	City	Northampton	Third	28,127^[20]	1887	4.07
Erie†	City	Erie	Third	94,831^[21]	1851	19.08
Farrell	City	Mercer	Third	4,258^[22]	1932	1.27
Franklin†	City	Venango	Third	6,077^[10]	1868	4.68
Greensburg†	City	Westmoreland	Third	14,976^[23]	1928	4.06
Harrisburg†	City	Dauphin	Third	50,135^[24]	1860	8.13
Hazleton	City	Luzerne	Third	29,963^[25]	1891	6.01
Hermitage	City	Mercer	Third	16,230^[26]	1976	29.23
Jeannette	City	Westmoreland	Third	8,780^[27]	1938	2.39
Johnstown	City	Cambria	Third	18,411^[28]	1889	5.89
Lancaster†	City	Lancaster	Third	58,039^[29]	1818	7.23
Lebanon†	City	Lebanon	Third	26,814^[30]	1885	4.17
Lock Haven†	City	Clinton	Third	8,108^[31]	1870	2.50
Lower Burrell	City	Westmoreland	Third	11,758^[32]	1959	11.26
McKeesport	City	Allegheny	Third	17,727^[33]	1891	5.5
Meadville†	City	Crawford	Third	13,050^[34]	1866	4.38
Monessen	City	Westmoreland	Third	6,876^[35]	1921	2.89
Monongahela	City	Washington	Third	4,159^[36]	1873	1.98
Nanticoke	City	Luzerne	Third	10,628^[37]	1926	3.49
New Castle†	City	Lawrence	Third	21,926^[38]	1869	8.31
New Kensington	City	Westmoreland	Third	12,170^[39]	1934	3.95
Oil City	City	Venango	Third	9,613^[40]	1871	4.49
Parker	City	Armstrong	Third	695^[41]	1873	0.87
Philadelphia†	City	Philadelphia	First	1,603,797^[42]	1701	134.1
Pittsburgh†	City	Allegheny	Second	302,971^[43]	1816	55.37
Pittston	City	Luzerne	Third	7,591^[44]	1894	1.55
Pottsville†	City	Schuylkill	Third	13,346^[45]	1911	4.89
Reading†	City	Berks	Third	95,112^[46]	1847	9.88
St. Marys	City	Elk	Third	12,738^[47]	1992	99.32
Scranton†	City	Lackawanna	Third	76,328^[48]	1866	25.31
Shamokin	City	Northumberland	Third	6,942^[49]	1949	0.83
Sharon	City	Mercer	Third	13,147^[50]	1917	3.77
Sunbury†	City	Northumberland	Third	9,719^[51]	1920	2.06
Titusville	City	Crawford	Third	5,262^[52]	1866	2.90
Uniontown†	City	Fayette	Third	9,984^[53]	1864	2.04
Warren†	City	Warren	Third	9,404^[54]	1832	2.91
Washington†	City	Washington	Third	13,176^[10]	1924	2.95
Wilkes-Barre†	City	Luzerne	Third	44,328^[55]	1871	6.98
Williamsport†	City	Lycoming	Third	27,754^[56]	1866	8.73
York†	City	York	Third	44,800^[57]	1887	5.29

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Cities gallery

List of cities in Pennsylvania

See also

References