Elk County
Rountable Leaders
- Honorable Richard Masson
- (814) 776-6144
- Pamela J. Cousins, Director
- (814) 776-1553
Elk County is 814 square miles of mountainous terrain with elevations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level. The topography has been contoured by hundreds of miles of streams. The Clarion River runs diagonally across the county from the northeast to southwest, and the Sinnemahoning Creek and Bennett Branch are in the east. Ninety percent of the county is covered by forests and woodlands; the Allegheny National Forests, state game lands and state forest areas make up 53% of the total land area.
The powdered metal industry is one of the county's largest producers, along with lumber and lumber-related manufacturing, human services and tourism.
The county takes its name from the noble animal which once made its home in the mountains and valleys of the county. In the early 1900s, elk were reintroduced in the county by the game commission. Today the herd is flourishing and has become a major tourist attraction.
