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Erie Fast Facts
  • Founded in 1795
  • Nicknamed the Flagship City and Gem City
  • Home port of the U.S. Brig Niagara (reconstructed flagship that helped win the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812)
  • Fourth largest city in Pennsylvania and the state's only lake port city
  • Largest employer is GE Transportation, manufacturer of locomotives
  • An average of 1.5 million fish are caught each year in Lake Erie, its bays and tributaries
  • Named in Top 20 family fishing spots in the nation, by Field & Stream magazine
  • Home to the oldest land lighthouse on the Great Lakes
  • Population: City-103,717; County-280,843 (2000 Census)
  • Climate: Average temperature: 51.9 F; average summer high: 76.4 F; Average winter high: 35 F
 

About Erie, Pa.

Presque Isle Bay

Penn State Behrend is located in Erie, Pa., a mid-sized city that offers the culture and entertainment options of a large metropolitan area with an abundance of natural resources and the friendly ease of a small town.

Pennsylvania’s fourth largest city, Erie is located on Lake Erie's beautiful Presque Isle Bay, which boasts a 3,200-acre state park offering more than a dozen miles of sandy beaches, boating, and a thirteen-mile trail for walking, jogging, in-line-skating, and cross-country skiing.

The downtown area offers a variety of cultural and historical attractions, including the Erie Art Museum, the Erie Playhouse, and the U.S. Brig Niagara, a victor in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Erie is also home to the Seawolves, a Class AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, the Otters of the Ontario Hockey League, and the Bayhawks, an NBA Development League for the Cleveland Cavaliers. And seemingly endless shopping and dining options are offered along the Peach Street corridor, just a 10-minute drive from the Penn State Behrend campus.

This very drivable city is conveniently located within two hours of Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, and is a comfortable four-hour drive from both Toronto and Penn State's University Park campus.