Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area

The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Area consists of three counties, located entirely within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The following three counties are designated as being part of the greater Harrisburg–Carlisle area:^[4]

• Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
• Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
• Perry County, Pennsylvania

Officially, Lebanon County is not part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area, and has nt been since 2003. It is rather part of combined statistical area, but it is culturally considered to be part of Greater Harrisburg, with Harrisburg suburbs extending into the county.

Combined statistical area

Additionally, three more counties are included as part of the Harrisburg–York–Lebanon, PA combined statistical area.^[4] Collectively, they have a population of 1,271,801 people, making it the 46th-most-populous combined statistical area (CSA) in the United States, and the 3rd-most-populous CSA in the state of Pennsylvania.^[2]

• Adams County, Pennsylvania
• Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
• York County, Pennsylvania

Statistical history

• 1950: The Harrisburg standard metropolitan area (SMA), consisting of Cumberland and Dauphin counties, was first defined.^[5]
• 1959: Following a term change by the Bureau of the Budget (present-day Office of Management and Budget), the Harrisburg SMA became the Harrisburg standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA).^[6]
• 1963: Perry County added to the Harrisburg SMSA.^[7]
• 1983: Harrisburg SMSA renamed the Harrisburg–Lebanon–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area (MSA);^[6] Lebanon County added to the MSA.^[8]
• 2003: MSA split into two separate metropolitan areas – Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area (Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties) and the Lebanon metropolitan statistical area (Lebanon County);^[9] Both MSAs together form the Harrisburg–Carlisle–Lebanon combined statistical area.
• 2010: The Harrisburg–York–Lebanon urban agglomeration area is defined for the first time, linking York County to the CSA.^[10]
• 2012: The Harrisburg–York–Lebanon combined statistical area was formally defined and includes the counties of York and Adams.^[11]

Geography

Harrisburg–Carlisle is located in the Susquehanna River's valley, which makes the terrain rolling, with occasional flat land and tall hills. The metropolitan area is underlain with limestone, which makes the land ideal for farming. Much of the region is within the piedmont region of the United States.

Climate

The Harrisburg metropolitan area has a humid continental climate, experiencing four mild seasons: summer, autumn, winter, and spring. The average high temperature is 62 °F, while the average low is 44 °F. Harrisburg receives about 41 inches of rainfall annually.^[12]

As of the 2000 census,^[13] there were 509,074 people, 202,380 households, and 134,557 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 86.20% White, 9.39% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.68% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.67% of the population.

The median income for a household in the MSA was $43,374, and the median income for a family was $51,792. Males had a median income of $36,368 versus $26,793 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $21,432.

In 2009, the urban population of the MSA increased to 383,008 from 362,782 in 2000, a change of 20,226 people.^[14]

Roads and highways

The Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area is served by a number of interstates, US routes, and state highways that help facilitate the movement of people and goods throughout the region. Major routes in the region include:^[15]

Air

Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) is the primary airport for the Harrisburg–Carlisle area. Located in Middletown, the airport serviced 1.137 million passengers in 2017. It is Pennsylvania's 3rd-busiest airport.^[16][17] It is owned and operated by the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, which also operates several other airports throughout South Central Pennsylvania.^[18]

Some residents use Baltimore/Washington, Ronald Reagan Washington, and Philadelphia airports for a wider selection of destinations and airlines.

Rail

Harrisburg–Carlisle is served by Amtrak's Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian. Amtrak's Keystone Service, which terminates at Harrisburg Transportation Center, allows for rail trips to points east, including Philadelphia and New York City. The Pennsylvanian connects Harrisburg–Carlisle with Pittsburgh and New York City (by way of Philadelphia).^[19][20]

Currently, the Harrisburg–Carlisle region is not served by any commuter rail; however, there were plans to bring it to the metropolitan and combined statistical areas. Plans included a commuter rail line, called the Capital Red Rose Corridor, running from Lancaster to Harrisburg, with a possible extension to Carlisle.^[21]

Bus

The region is interconnected by bus services, which offer service for local and regional trips, as well as for intercity trips. The primary bus service provider for the region is Capital Area Transit (CAT). CAT provides local and commuter bus service in eastern Cumberland and southern Dauphin counties. Its services are used by about 8,000 daily riders.^[22] Intercity bus service is primarily provided by Greyhound Lines and Fullington Trailways.^[23][24]

The Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area is home to several universities. The following is a list of non-profit colleges and universities within Harrisburg–Carlisle:

Cumberland County

• Central Penn College
• Dickinson College
• Messiah University
• Penn State Dickinson School of Law
• Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
• United States Army War College

Dauphin County

• HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College (Harrisburg Campus)
• Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
• Penn State College of Medicine
• Penn State Harrisburg
• Widener University Commonwealth Law School

The Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area is located entirely within the Harrisburg–York–Lebanon media market. It is the 42nd largest in the United States, with 772,810 households as of 2021^[update].^[25][26]

Newspapers

• The Patriot-News
• Central Penn Business Journal
• Press and Journal
• Carlisle Sentinel

Television

The Harrisburg TV market is served by:

• WGAL – (NBC)
• WXBU – (Comet)
• WHBG-TV – cable-only, public access
• WHP-TV – (CBS)
• WHTM-TV – (ABC)
• WCZS-LD – (CTVN)
• WITF-TV – (PBS)
• WPMT – (Fox)
• WLYH – independent, religious
• PCN-TV, is a cable television network dedicated to 24-hour coverage of government and public affairs in the commonwealth.
• Roxbury News –independent news

Radio

The Harrisburg area's radio market is ranked 78th in the nation.^[27]

This is a list of FM stations in the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area:

This is a list of AM stations in the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area:

The entire Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area is served by two area codes:^[28]

• 717: area code used in South Central Pennsylvania
• 223: overlay plan with 717 area code

• Pennsylvania statistical areas
• List of Pennsylvania metropolitan areas
• List of United States metropolitan areas
• List of United States combined statistical areas

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Harrisburg.

• PA MSA 1990 Census and 1994 Population Estimates
• Quickfacts from U.S. Census Bureau
• census.gov Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990