Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and Allegheny counties and the most populous county in Pennsylvania without a major city. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

and largest city is Norristown. The county is part of the

– Camden– Wilmington PA- NJ– DE– MD metropolitan statistical area, known as the

Delaware Valley The Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as Greater Philadelphia and informally called the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia tri-state area, and locally and colloquially Philly–Jersey–Delaware, is a major metropolitan area in the Nor ...

, and marks the Delaware Valley's northern border with the

Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley () is a geography, geographic and urban area, metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a co ...

region of eastern Pennsylvania. The county borders Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city, to its southeast,

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

to its east, Berks and Lehigh counties to its north, Delaware County to its south, and

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States ** Chester County Council, boy scout council in Pennsylvania. * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire ...

to its southwest. The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part of

Philadelphia County Philadelphia County is the most populous of the 67 counties of Pennsylvania and the 24th-most populous county in the nation. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,603,797. It is coextensive with Philadelphia, the nation's ...

. The first courthouse was housed in the

Barley Sheaf Inn Barley Sheaf Inn is a historic inn and tavern located at East Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is a 2 1/2-story, plastered stone building, 60 feet wide and 46 feet deep, with a frame rear addition. Also on the property a ...

. It is believed to have been named either for

Richard Montgomery Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish-born American military officer who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and ...

, an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

, or for the Welsh county of

Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire ( ) was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was named after its county town, Montgomery, Powys, Montgomery, which in turn was named after ...

, which was named after one of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

's main counselors, Roger de Montgomerie, since it was part of the

Welsh Tract The Welsh Tract, also called the Welsh Barony, was a portion of the Province of Pennsylvania, a British colony in North America (today a U.S. state), settled largely by Welsh-speaking Quakers in the late 17th century. The region is located to the ...

, an area of Pennsylvania settled by

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

from

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which was land and (0.9%) of which was water.

Adjacent counties

* Lehigh County (north) *

(northeast) *

(southeast) * Delaware County (southwest) *

(west) * Berks County (northwest)

National protected area

Valley Forge National Historical Park Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site and interprets ...

(part)

County-owned parks

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county was 73.27% White (72.18% White, non-Hispanic), 9.55% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American or Alaskan Native, 7.94% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, and 2.87% some other race; 6.13% were two or more races. 6.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest townships/boroughs in Montgomery County include:

Economy

Montgomery County is a suburb of

, the nation's sixth most populous city. Many Montco residents work in the city, but the county is also a major employment center with large business parks in Blue Bell,

Lansdale Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a densely populated commuter town, with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line. In the year 1900, 2,754 p ...

, Fort Washington,

Horsham Horsham () is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

, and

King of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...

attracting thousands of workers from all over the region. The strong job base and taxes generated by those jobs have resulted in Montgomery County receiving the highest credit rating of 'AAA' from

Standard & Poor's S&P Global Ratings (previously Standard & Poor's and informally known as S&P) is an American credit rating agency (CRA) and a division of S&P Global that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks, bonds, and commodities. S&P is co ...

, one of fewer than 30 counties in the United States with such a rating. In 2012,

Moody's Moody's Ratings, previously and still legally known as Moody's Investors Service and often referred to as Moody's, is the bond credit rating business of Moody's Corporation, representing the company's traditional line of business and its histo ...

downgraded the general obligation rating to Aa1, and in 2018 the rating was revised back to Aaa. Major employers include: *

Abington School District Abington School District is a medium-sized, suburban, public school district that serves the borough of Rockledge and Abington Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The district operates one high school, one middle school, and seven e ...

ABM Industries ABM Industries Inc. is a facility management provider in the United States founded in 1909 by Morris Rosenberg in San Francisco, California. ABM provides facility services in areas such as electrical, lighting, energy, facility engineering, heat ...

* ACTS Retirement-Life Communities *

Aetna Aetna Inc. ( ) is an American managed health care company that sells traditional and consumer directed health care insurance and related services, such as medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans, ...

Arcadia University Arcadia University is a private university in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, with a Glenside mailing address. The university enrolls approximately 3,200 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. The 94-acre (380,000 m2) Glenside cam ...

Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...

GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a Mergers an ...

* Hatfield Quality Meats *

Hatboro-Horsham School District The Hatboro-Horsham School District is located in Montgomery County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is a suburban Philadelphia school district of approximately 4800 students. The district operates four elementary schools (K-5), one Middl ...

*Holy Redeemer Health System * Janssen *

Jefferson Abington Hospital Jefferson Abington Hospital is the flagship hospital of Jefferson Health–Abington (part of Jefferson Health), located in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia. The hospital was formerly kno ...

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

Lower Merion School District Lower Merion School District, or LMSD, is a public school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The school district includes residents of both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. Established in 1836, LMSD is o ...

King of Prussia mall King of Prussia, also referred to as King of Prussia Mall, and referred to by locals as KOP, is a shopping mall located in the community of King of Prussia in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It is the largest shopping mall in Pennsylvani ...

Main Line Health Main Line Health (MLH) is a not-for-profit health system serving portions of Philadelphia and its western suburbs. It includes four acute care hospitals— Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital Paoli Hospital, part of Ma ...

McNeil Consumer Healthcare McNeil Consumer Healthcare is an American medicals products company belonging to Kenvue consumer health group. It primarily sells fast-moving consumer goods such as over-the-counter drugs. History The company was founded on March 16, 1879, by 2 ...

* Merck *

Montgomery County Community College Montgomery County Community College (MCCC or Montco) is a public community college with campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and online. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. ' ...

Motorola Mobility Motorola Mobility LLC, marketing as Motorola, is an American consumer electronics manufacturer primarily producing smartphones and other mobile devices running Android (operating system), Android. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chinese te ...

Norristown Area School District Norristown Area School District is a school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The school district serves the borough of Norristown, East Norriton Township, and West Norriton Township municipalities in central Montgomery C ...

North Penn School District The North Penn School District (NPSD) is a suburban public school district. It is composed of thirteen elementary schools, three middle schools, one alternative school, and one high school. As of the 2021-2022 school year, it serves 12,783 stude ...

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...

* Prudential *

Quaker Chemical Corporation Quaker Chemical Corporation, doing business as Quaker Houghton, is an American chemical company that was founded in 1918. It is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. With its global presence in 21 countries and 35 locations worldwide, the ...

Quest Diagnostics Quest Diagnostics Incorporated is an American clinical laboratory. A Fortune 500, ''Fortune'' 500 company, Quest operates in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Brazil. Quest also maintains collaborative agreements with various hospitals ...

* SEI Investments Company *

Souderton Area School District Souderton Area School District is a large, suburban public school district which covers an area of almost in the Montgomery County and Bucks County suburbs of Philadelphia. The district serves the municipalities of Souderton, Telford, Francon ...

Spring-Ford Area School District The Spring-Ford Area School District is a K-12 school district based in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, which expands into Chester County. The system is made up of Limerick Township and Upper Providence Township, along with t ...

Education

Colleges and universities

Bryn Athyn College Bryn Athyn College is a private Christian college in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, United States. It is affiliated with the General Church of the New Jerusalem. History Bryn Athyn College started educating undergraduates after its incorporation ...

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh language, Welsh: ) is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as a ...

* DeVry University – Fort Washington *

Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) is a private Catholic university in Lower Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It occupies a campus in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Gwynedd Mercy University was founded in 1948, as Gwynedd-Mer ...

Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Fr ...

Manor College Manor College is a private Catholic college in Abington, Pennsylvania, United States. It has an enrollment of 599. History Manor College was founded in 1947 by the Byzantine Ukrainian Sisters of Saint Basil the Great. It is located in Jenkint ...

Pennsylvania College of Optometry Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryland to its south, West V ...

(Salus University) *

Penn State Abington Penn State Abington is a commonwealth campus of the Pennsylvania State University located in Abington, Pennsylvania. The campus is set on of wooded land. The roughly 4000 undergraduate students (full-time and part-time students combined) ar ...

– a commonwealth campus of

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
*

Rosemont College Rosemont College is a private Catholic university in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1921 as a women's college by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, the undergraduate program opened to male students beginning in fall 2009. ...

* St. Charles Borromeo Seminary *

Saint Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a Private university, private Jesuits, Jesuit university in Philadelphia, Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Jesuits, Society of J ...

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

– Ambler *

Ursinus College Ursinus College is a private liberal arts college in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869 and occupies a campus. Ursinus College's forerunner was the Freeland Seminary founded in 1848. Its $127 million endowment supports about 1, ...

Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian theology, theological seminary in the Reformed theology, Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Prince ...

Public school districts

School districts: *

Boyertown Area School District The Boyertown Area School District is a large public school district which covers portions of Berks and Montgomery Counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. When the Boyertown Area School District was formed in 1953 it was one of the largest in t ...

Cheltenham Township School District The Cheltenham Township School District is a public school district serving Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The district is one of the 500 public school districts of Pennsylvania. The District encompasses approximately ...

* Colonial School District *

Jenkintown School District The Jenkintown School District is an American public school district that is located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The school district serves the borough of Jenkintown, a suburb of roughly 4,700 people that is located three miles from ...

* Lower Moreland Township School District *

Methacton School District The Methacton School District (MSD) is a public school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is headquartered in the Farina Education Center in Worcester Township. History and demograph ...

Perkiomen Valley School District The Perkiomen Valley School District (PVSD) is a school district based in central Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It serves the boroughs of Collegeville, Trappe, and Schwenksville, and the townships of Lower Frederick, Perk ...

Pottsgrove School District Pottsgrove School District is a school district headquartered in Lower Pottsgrove Township, Pennsylvania Lower Pottsgrove Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 30 miles (51 kilometers) nort ...

* Pottstown School District *

Springfield Township School District Springfield Township School District is a public school district in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The district serves all of Springfield Township, including Wyndmoor census-designated place, the portions of Oreland and ...

Upper Dublin School District Upper Dublin School District is located in Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Overview The school district operates four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, and serves stude ...

Upper Merion Area School District The Upper Merion Area School District provides education to Upper Merion Township, Bridgeport, and West Conshohocken in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It consists of seven schools. Schools *Upper Merion Area High School (grades 9-12) *Uppe ...

* Upper Moreland School District *

Upper Perkiomen School District Upper Perkiomen School District is located in the northern corner of Montgomery County and the eastern corner of Berks County in the US state of Pennsylvania. The district comprises the townships of Upper Hanover and Marlborough and the boro ...

Wissahickon School District The Wissahickon School District is a public school district in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The school district serves the borough of Ambler and the townships of Lower Gwynedd and Whitpain, all Philadelphia suburbs. The district current ...

* Bryn Athyn School District – exists as an entity, but does not operate any schools. Public school students attend class in neighboring districts.

Private secondary schools

Academy Of The New Church Boys SchoolAcademy Of The New Church Girls School
*

Abington Friends School Abington Friends School is an independent Quaker school in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a Jenkintown postal address. Serving students from age 3 to grade 12, Abington Friends School has stood on its or ...

The Baldwin School The Baldwin School (simply referred to as Baldwin School or Baldwin) is a private school for girls in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1888 by Florence Baldwin. The school occupies a former nineteenth-century resort hote ...

AIM Academy AIM Academy is an independent co-educational college prep school serving students with language-based learning differences in grades 1-12. AIM was founded in 2006 and moved to its current location in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania in 2012. The AIM I ...

* Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, formerly known as the Akiba Hebrew Academy * Bishop McDevitt High School (closed) *Calvary Baptist School *

Coventry Christian Schools Coventry Christian Schools (CCS) is a pre-K-12 classical Christian school located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by superintendent Mark E. Niehls. CCS first opened its doors in 1984 with only seven students in a two- ...

Dock Mennonite Academy Dock Mennonite Academy, formerly known as Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and Penn View Christian School is a private school in Montgomery County. The school was named after schoolmaster Christopher Dock of Skippack, Pennsylvania. Studen ...

Friends' Central School Friends' Central School (FCS) is a Quaker, independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school for students in Nursery though grade 12. It is located on 41 acres across two campuses in Wynnewood, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pe ...

Germantown Academy Germantown Academy, informally known as GA and originally known as the Union School, is the oldest nonsectarian day school in the United States. The school was founded on December 6, 1759, by a group of prominent Germantown citizens in the ...

Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. It is located on the campus of Gwynedd Mercy University and is operated within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Background Gw ...

Haverford School The Haverford School is a private, non-sectarian, all-boys college preparatory day school, junior kindergarten through grade twelve. Founded in 1884 as The Haverford College Grammar School, it is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. History ...

The Hill School The Hill School is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admission Organization. The school is accredited by the Mi ...

*Huntingdon Valley Christian Academy *Indian Creek Mennonite School *Lakeside School *

Lansdale Catholic High School Lansdale Catholic High School is a secondary school that is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, United States. History The School opened in September 1949 under the name of Little Flowe ...

La Salle College High School La Salle College High School is a Catholic, all-male college preparatory school located in Wyndmoor, a community in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. La Salle is within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and i ...

*Lincoln Academy *Main Line Academy * Martin Luther School *Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Catholic School *Meadowbrook School * Merion Mercy Academy * Mount Saint Joseph Academy *New Life Youth and Family Services *The Pathway School *

The Perkiomen School Perkiomen School is an independent school, independent, mixed-sex education, co-educational, college-preparatory school, college preparatory, boarding school, boarding and day school located in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania. Perkiomen admits students ...

Phil-Mont Christian Academy
* Pope John Paul II Catholic High School, replaced Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School and Saint Pius X High School in 2010. * Reformation Christian School * Saint Aloysius School * Saint Basil Academy (closed) * Saint Katherine Day School * Stowe Lighthouse Christ Academy *

The Shipley School The Shipley School is an independent pre-K12 college preparatory school in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 10 miles west-northwest of Philadelphia. History Hannah Shipley, Elizabeth Shipley, and Katharine Shipley, all siste ...

* Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia * Trinity Christian Academy * Valley Christian School at Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church * Valley Forge Baptist Academy * Wordsworth Academy * Wyncote Academy

Night schools/adult education

*Abington Township Adult School *Cheltenham Township Adult School

Communities

Map of Montgomery County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels

Under Pennsylvania law, five types of incorporated municipalities are listed:

cities A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

townships A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

, home rule municipalities (which can include communities that bear the name "Borough" or "Township") and, in at most two cases,

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

. These boroughs, townships, and home rule municipalities are located in Montgomery County:

Home rule municipalities

Bryn Athyn Bryn Athyn is a home-rule borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was formerly a borough, and its official name remains "Borough of Bryn Athyn". The population was 1,375 at the 2010 census. It was formed for religious rea ...

Cheltenham Township Cheltenham Township is a home-rule township located in the southeast corner of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders Philadelphia to the south and east, Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Abington Township ...

Horsham Township Horsham Township is a Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania), home-rule Township (Pennsylvania), township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is located ten miles north of Center City, Philadelphia, Center City Philadelphia. The township, incorp ...

* Norristown (county seat) * Plymouth Township * Whitemarsh Township

Boroughs

* Ambler *

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...

* Collegeville *

Conshohocken Conshohocken ( ; ) is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohock ...

* East Greenville * Green Lane *

Hatboro Hatboro (known locally as the Boro) is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,238 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History The town of Hatboro is located on land ...

* Hatfield *

Jenkintown Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is approximately north of Center City Philadelphia. History The community was named for William Jenkins, a Welsh pioneer settler. The borough was settled in about ...

* Narberth * Norristown *

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

* Pennsburg * Pottstown * Red Hill * Rockledge *

Royersford Royersford is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. History The town drew its name from the location of a ford across the Schuylkill River, which happened to be adjace ...

* Schwenksville * Souderton *

Telford Telford () is a town in the Telford and Wrekin borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Shropshire, England. The wider borough covers the town, its suburbs and surrounding towns and villages. The town is close to the county's eastern b ...

(lies partly in

) * Trappe *

West Conshohocken West Conshohocken is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,320 at the 2010 census. Its sister community is Conshohocken, located across the Schuylkill River. Montgomery County's seat, Norristown, is ...

Townships

* Abington *

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

* Douglass * East Norriton *

Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...

* Hatfield *

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

* Lower Frederick * Lower Gwynedd *

Lower Merion Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county of Merioneth in north Wales. Merioneth is an English-language trans ...

* Lower Moreland * Lower Pottsgrove * Lower Providence * Lower Salford *

Marlborough Marlborough or the Marlborough may refer to: Places Australia * Marlborough, Queensland * Principality of Marlborough, a short-lived micronation in 1993 * Marlborough Highway, Tasmania; Malborough was an historic name for the place at the sou ...

* Montgomery * New Hanover * Perkiomen *

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

* Skippack * Springfield *

Towamencin Towamencin Township is a Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania), home-rule Township (Pennsylvania), township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 17,578 at the 2010 census. It is ...

* Upper Dublin * Upper Frederick * Upper Gwynedd * Upper Hanover * Upper Merion * Upper Moreland * Upper Pottsgrove * Upper Providence * Upper Salford *

West Norriton West Norriton Township is a township that is located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Norristown Area School District. The population of the township was 15,663 at the time of the 2010 census. History On ...

* West Pottsgrove * Whitemarsh * Whitpain *

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated places

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

s are geographical areas designated by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here, as well. *

* Ardmore *

Audubon The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such org ...

Bala Cynwyd Bala Cynwyd ( ) is a community and census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania and borders the western edge of Philadelphia at U.S. Rou ...

* Blue Bell * Bryn Mawr * Cheltenham (Cheltenham Village) *

Eagleville Eagleville may refer to the following places in the United States: * Eagleville, California * Eagleville, Missouri * Eagleville, Churchill County, Nevada * Eagleville, Mineral County, Nevada * Eagleville, Ashtabula County, Ohio * Eagleville, Wood C ...

Elkins Park Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the northern suburbs outside of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue rough ...

* Evansburg * Flourtown * Fort Washington * Gilbertsville * Glenside *

Halfway House A halfway house is a type of prison or institute intended to teach (or reteach) the necessary skills for people to re-integrate into society and better support and care for themselves. Halfway houses are typically either state sponsored for those ...

* Harleysville *

* Kulpsville *

McKinley McKinley may refer to: People *McKinley (name), a page for people with the surname and given name "McKinley" **William McKinley, 25th president of the United States. Places Philippines * Fort William McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio) in Metro Ma ...

* Maple Glen * Merion Station * Mont Clare * Montgomeryville * Oreland * Penn Wynne * Plymouth Meeting * Pottsgrove *

Rosemont Rosemont may refer to: People Rosemont is a surname. Notable people with this surname include: * David A. Rosemont, American television producer * Franklin Rosemont (1943–2009), American poet, artist, historian * Norman Rosemont (1924–2018), ...

* Roslyn * Sanatoga * Skippack *

Spring House A spring house, or springhouse, is a small building, usually of a single room, constructed over a spring. While the original purpose of a springhouse was to keep the spring water clean by excluding fallen leaves, animals, etc., the enclosing str ...

* Spring Mount * Stowe * Swedeland * Trooper * Villanova (partly in Delaware County) * Willow Grove * Woxall * Wyncote * Wyndmoor Even though the historic village of Valley Forge, as well as the park, are partially located within Montgomery County, the modern village is in Chester County, PA

Other communities

* Ardsley * Bethayres * Dresher *

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...

, a village in New Hanover Township. * Graterford * Gladwyne *

Gwynedd Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...

* Gwynedd Valley * Huntingdon Valley (small sections in Bucks County) *

Lafayette Hill Lafayette Hill is an unincorporated community, which is situated primarily within Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A small part of this community is also located in Springfield Township. Located just west of Philadelphia' ...

* Lederach * Linfield * Meadowbrook * Melrose Park * Oaks * Port Providence * Wynnewood (partly in Delaware County)

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Montgomery County. † ''county seat''

Transportation

Major roads and highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Public transportation

The county is served by the

SEPTA SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...

, which include bus, commuter rail, and interurban rail services.

Pottstown Area Rapid Transit Pottstown Area Rapid Transit (PART) is a public transit agency providing bus service in the Pottstown, Pennsylvania, area. It is owned by the borough of Pottstown and runs Monday through Saturday, excluding major holidays. PART provides a connecti ...

(PART) also provides bus services around the Pottstown area in the western portion of the county. * SEPTA ** City Division and Suburban Division bus routes ** Regional Rail's Cynwyd, Lansdale/Doylestown, Manayunk/Norristown, Paoli/Thorndale,

Warminster Warminster () is a historic market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in south-west Wiltshire, England, on the western edge of Salisbury Plain. The parish had a population of 18,173 in 2021. The name ''Warminster'' occurs first i ...

, and West Trenton lines **

Norristown High Speed Line The M, formerly known as the Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), is a interurban light rapid transit line in the SEPTA Metro network, running between the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and the Norristown Transportation Center ...

(NHSL), an interurban light rapid transit line connecting the

Norristown Transportation Center Norristown Transit Center is a two-level multimodal public transportation regional hub located in Norristown, Pennsylvania and operated by SEPTA. It opened in 1989, replacing the older M terminus one block away at Main and Swede Streets, and ...

69th Street Transportation Center 69th Street Transit Center is a SEPTA terminal in the Terminal Square area of Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania. It serves the SEPTA Metro L, M, D, and multiple SEPTA bus routes. It is located at the end of 69th Street, a major retail corr ...

in Upper Darby, Delaware County

Airports

Commercial airline service is provided primarily by

Philadelphia International Airport Philadelphia International Airport is the primary international airport serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It served 30.8 million passengers annually in 2024, making it the busiest airport in Pennsylvania and the 21st-busies ...

, one of the nation's largest commercial airports, located in

and

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

counties. Other public use airports include Heritage Field in Limerick Township,

Wings Field Wings Field is a general aviation airport in the Blue Bell section of Whitpain Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, serving the western and northern Philadelphia suburbs. The airport was founded in 1928. It is located about three mil ...

in Blue Bell, and Pottstown Municipal Airport in Pottstown.

Culture

The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential The Institutes for The Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP), founded in 1955 by Glenn Doman and Carl Delacato, provide literature on and teaches a controversial patterning therapy, known as motor learning, which the Institutes promote as improvi ...

(IAHP), a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

organization founded by Glenn Doman, was established in Wyndmoor in 1955. The IAHP is an educational organization that teaches parents about child brain development, and is a treatment center for brain-injured children. *The Old York Road Symphony, based in Abington, is one of the oldest all-volunteer orchestras in the country, founded in 1932.

Climate

The majority of the county has a hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfa''). In most southern areas of the county and along the Schuylkill River including Pottstown a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'') exists. The

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

is 7a for the majority of the county and 7b in most areas south of Interstate 276. 6b only continues to exist in some very small higher areas in the north

Politics

As of May 19, 2025, there are 614,908 registered voters in Montgomery County. * Democratic Party (United States), Democratic: 301,143 (48.97%) * Republican: 209,053 (34.00%) *

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

: 77,115 (12.54%) *

Minor parties A minor party is a political party that plays a smaller (in some cases much smaller, even insignificant in comparison) role than a major party in a country's politics and elections. The difference between minor and major parties can be so great ...

: 27,597 (4.49%) Montgomery County historically was a stronghold for the Republican Party. The county was the only one carried by

Barbara Hafer Barbara Hafer (born August 1, 1943) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She served as a member of the Allegheny County Board of Commissioners from 1984 to 1989, as the Auditor General of Pennsylvania from 1989 to 1997 ...

in the 1990 gubernatorial election over the incumbent governor,

Bob Casey Robert or Bob Casey may refer to: American politicians * Robert E. Casey (1909–1982), Pennsylvania Treasurer, 1977–1981 * Robert R. Casey (1915–1986), House of Representatives member from Texas *Robert F. Casey (1921–2006), Illinois House o ...

. However, the Democratic Party has made substantial gains in the county over the last quarter-century and gained the registration edge early in 2008. Like neighboring

, the county voted Democratic during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

era, voting Democratic between 1856 and 1876, except in 1860 and 1872. Like most of Philadelphia's suburbs, the brand of Republicanism practiced in Montgomery County for much of the 20th century was moderate. As the national parties have polarized, the county's voters have increasingly supported Democrats at the national level. The county voted for the Republican presidential nominee in all but two elections from 1880 to 1988, that being in 1892 and 1964. However, Montgomery County residents have voted for the Democratic presidential nominee since 1992, with the margins progressively increasing between every election, except in 2012. In the 2020 election,

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

became the first Democrat to obtain over 60% of the county's vote. Despite

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

's victory in the state of Pennsylvania in the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kiri ...

, Montgomery County was one of the few counties in Pennsylvania that swung in the Democratic presidential candidates' direction with

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

winning Montgomery County with 58.87% of the vote, an improvement from

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's 56.6% vote share in 2012. In the 2016 U.S. Senate and Pennsylvania Attorney General elections, Montgomery County voted for

Katie McGinty Kathleen Alana McGinty (born May 11, 1963) is a retired American politician and former state and federal environmental policy official. She served as an environmental advisor to Vice President Al Gore and President Bill Clinton. Later, she served ...

and

Josh Shapiro Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was the attorney general of Pen ...

, both Democrats. Most county-level offices were held by Republicans until after the 2007 election, when Democrats picked up control of five row offices. Democrats have also won several elections in the

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvani ...

in recent years, including two GOP-leaning

State House State House or statehouse may refer to: Buildings *Aso Villa or State House, the official residence of the President of Nigeria *Government House, Dominica or The State House, the official residence of the President of Dominica * State House, Bar ...

districts in 2004, the 148th with Mike Gerber and the 153rd with current

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

. Today, although the county is very Democratic at the national level, at the state and local level, it is not specifically partisan. In the 2004 United States Senate election, Republican

Arlen Specter Arlen Specter (February 12, 1930 – October 14, 2012) was an American lawyer, author and politician who served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2011. Specter was a Democrat from 1951 to 1965, then a Republican fr ...

won the county over Montco resident

Joe Hoeffel Joseph Merrill Hoeffel III ( ; born September 3, 1950) is an American author and politician. A Democrat, Hoeffel was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005, representing Pennsylvania's 13th congressional distr ...

, but Democrat Bob Casey, Jr. out-polled

Rick Santorum Richard John Santorum Sr. ( ; born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, author, and political commentator who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1995 to 2007. He was the Senate's Chairman of the United Sta ...

in the 2006 Senate election. In 2006, Democrat Rick Taylor unseated incumbent Republican Eugene McGill in the 151st, although Taylor lost in 2010 to Republican Todd Stephens and, in 2008, Democrat Matthew Bradford unseated incumbent Republican Jay Moyer in the 70th. Six of the county's 12 state house seats and four of the county's eight senate seats are now held by Democrats. All four statewide Democratic candidates carried Montgomery in 2008, with Barack Obama receiving 60% of the county's vote. Barack Obama won Montgomery County in 2008 and 2012.

Government

Montgomery County is governed by a three-person

county commission A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States. A county usually has three to fiv ...

. The current composition is two Democrats and one Republican. By law, the county commission must have one member of a minority party represented.

County commissioners

County row offices

''As of the November 2019 election:''

Same-sex marriage

On July 24, 2013, Montgomery County Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, announced he would begin issuing

marriage license A marriage license (or marriage licence in Commonwealth spelling) is a document issued, either by a religious organization or state authority, authorizing a couple to marry. The procedure for obtaining a license varies between jurisdictions ...

s to

same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

, flouting Pennsylvania law banning such unions. Hanes called the commonwealth's ban "arbitrary and suspect", saying he believes it violates the

Pennsylvania Constitution The Constitution of Pennsylvania is the supreme law within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All acts of the General Assembly, the governor, and each governmental agency are subordinate to it. Since 1776, Pennsylvania's Constitution has undergone ...

and the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

. The Republican administration of Governor

Tom Corbett Thomas Wingett Corbett Jr. (born June 17, 1949) is an American politician, lobbyist, and former prosecutor who served as the 46th governor of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he was also attorney general of Pen ...

filed suit in the

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is one of Pennsylvania's two intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court's headquarters is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with jurisdiction over administrative and civil public law. The Superior ...

in an attempt to block Hanes from licensing same-sex marriage. Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini ordered Hanes in September 2013 to stop issuing same-sex marriage licenses. After Federal Judge John Jones threw out Pennsylvania's ban on same-sex marriage in May 2014, calling it unconstitutional, offices in other counties were able to issue these licenses, while Hanes had to wait for the ruling against him to be removed.

United States Senate

United States House of Representatives

State senate

State House of Representatives

References

External links

*
Valley Forge & Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau
{{Coord, 40.21, -75.37, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-PA_source:UScensus1990 1784 establishments in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1784