McKean County is a rural county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,432.^[1] Its county seat is Smethport.^[2] The county was created in 1804 and organized in 1826.^[3] It was named in honor of former Pennsylvania Governor and Declaration of Independence signer Thomas McKean.^[4] The county is part of the North Central Pennsylvania region of the state.^{[lower-alpha 1]}

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McKean County
County
McKean County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°48′40″N 78°26′41″W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	September 1, 1826
Named for	Thomas McKean
Seat	Smethport
Largest city	Bradford
Area
• Total	984 sq mi (2,550 km2)
• Land	979 sq mi (2,540 km2)
• Water	5.0 sq mi (13 km2)  0.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	40,432
• Density	41/sq mi (16/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	15th
Website	www.mckeancountypa.org

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McKean County comprises the Bradford, Pennsylvania micropolitan statistical area. It includes the Allegheny National Forest and borders New York. McKean County boasts of being "The Black Cherry Capital of the World."

McKean County was founded because of its natural resources of oil and timber, both of which continue to provide a significant input to the economy. Today, a university, rural medical center, federal prison and manufacturing companies balance the area's economy.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 984 square miles (2,550 km²), of which 979 square miles (2,540 km²) is land and 5.0 square miles (13 km²) (0.5%) is water.^[5] It has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in downtown Bradford range from 23.0 °F in January to 67.6 °F in July, while in Mount Jewett they range from 21.2 °F in January to 65.1 °F in July.^[6]

As of the 2000 census,^[13] there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile (18 people/km²). There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 units per square mile (8.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.46% White, 1.87% Black, 0.32% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 1.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 35.0% German, 22.2% Irish, 14.6% Italian, 12.3% English, 10.0% Swedish, 8.6% American, 5.8% Polish, and 3.7% French ancestry.

There were 18,024 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 23.70% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.70 males.

The United States Office of Management and Budget^[15] has designated McKean County as the Bradford, PA micropolitan statistical area (USA).^[16] As of the 2010 U.S. Census^[17] the micropolitan area ranked 13th most populous in Pennsylvania and the 277th most populous in the United States with a population of 43,450.

There is one Pennsylvania state park in McKean County. Kinzua Bridge State Park is between U.S. Route 6 and Pennsylvania Route 59, just east of the Allegheny National Forest near Mount Jewett. When it was built, it was the highest and longest railroad bridge in the world. It was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and its Bureau of Parks as one of "Twenty Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks" and is a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. A tornado destroyed much of the bridge in 2003.

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in McKean County:

• National Register of Historic Places listings in McKean County, Pennsylvania