York

History

York was also known as Yorktown in the mid-18th to early 19th centuries. It was founded in 1741 by settlers from the Philadelphia region and named for the English city of the same name. By 1777, most of the area residents were of German or Scots-Irish descent. It was incorporated as a borough on September 24, 1787, and as a city on January 11, 1887. York served as the temporary base for the Continental Congress from September 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Congress drafted and adopted the Articles of Confederation in York, though they were not ratified until March 1781. Congress met at the Court House that was built in 1754. It was demolished in 1841 and rebuilt in 1976 as Colonial Court House. York styles itself the first Capital of the United States, although historians generally consider it to be the fourth capital, after Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Lancaster (for one day). The claim arises from the assertion that the Articles of Confederation was the first legal document to refer to the colonies as "the United States of America". The argument depends on whether the Declaration of Independence would be considered a true legal document of the United States, being drafted under and in opposition to British rule. This does not, however, prevent local businesses and organizations in the York area from using the name, such as First Capital Engineering, First Capital EMS, and First Capital Federal Credit Union. The Conway Cabal was a political intrigue against General George Washington that originated in the Golden Plough Tavern in York. According to U.S. census reports from 1800 through 1840, York ranked within the nation's top one hundred most populous urban areas. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), York…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.14%) is water. York has a humid continental climate (Dfa) with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. The mean annual precipitation total of is fairly evenly spread throughout the year, and falls on an average of 126.6 days per annum. Record temperatures from the York COOP range from , set on July 2, 1901, down to , recorded on January 28, 1925, and January 21, 1994; at York Airport, with a considerably shorter period of record, the range is , set on July 22, 2011, down to as recently as March 6–7, 2015. The York COOP also holds the official statewide 24-hour precipitation record of set on June 22, 1972, due to the impact of Hurricane Agnes.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,527
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  12,009
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,566
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  11,456
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  10,217
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,152
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,112
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  9,493

Largest nearby schools

• Dallastown Area SHS
  High · Dallastown · 2,014 students · 17.7:1 ratio
• Central York HS
  High · York · 1,807 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• York Co School of Technology
  High · York · 1,620 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• William Penn SHS
  High · York · 1,534 students · 16:1 ratio
• Dallastown Area Intermediate Sch
  Middle · York · 1,484 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Red Lion Area SHS
  High · Red Lion · 1,432 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Northeastern SHS
  High · Manchester · 1,175 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Spring Grove Area HS
  High · Spring Grove · 1,166 students · 14.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-10-27
  4 km E of Riverside, Maryland
• M 2.6 — 2021-06-25
  2 km SE of Woodlawn, Maryland
• M 2.81 — 2019-09-15
  5 km ESE of East Berlin, Pennsylvania
• M 3.44 — 2019-06-13
  9 km N of Blain, Pennsylvania
• M 2.64 — 2015-01-25
  4 km ESE of Downingtown, Pennsylvania
• M 3.6 — 2010-07-16
  5 km NNW of Barnesville, Maryland