Facts

Erie Times-News | GoFish Erie | Visit Erie PA | Additional Info

You will find some interesting information on this page.

Founded in 1795 after purchase of the Erie Triangle
Flagship city- used to be called Gem City, some say for the sparkling bay
Home port of the Brig Niagara (reconstructed flagship of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry)
- Helped win the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812
- Reconstructed Niagara launched in 1989, floating museum and ambassador of Pennsylvania

4th largest city in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's only lake port city
More than 25% of jobs are in manufacturing
Over 10% of the nation's plastic injection molding is done in Erie
4 of the nation's Top 50 plastic companies are located in Erie
Erie's largest employer is General Electric Transportation Systems, manufacturer of locomotives
Presque Isle Bay is surrounded by a 7-mile peninsula
An average of 1.5 million fish are caught each year in Lake Erie, its bays and tributaries
Top 20 family fishing spots in the nation, by Field & Stream magazine
Home to the oldest land lighthouse on the Great Lakes
- Land Lighthouse at the foot of Lighthouse Street in the City of Erie, built in 1818, replace in 1867

Presque Isle Lighthouse, built in 1872, is also a park employee residence
Name derived from Eriez Indians that spoke the Iroquois language
Erie County is home to Pat Monahan- lead singer of the Grammy winning band, Train.
'Alice' from the Brady Bunch, Ann B. Davis, is a native of Erie
Erie means "raccoon", the Erie tribe is sometimes referred to as the Cat nation, the raccoon being a wild cat that appears as the main figure on the Erie totem pole.

Land area: City - 19.3 square miles
- County - 812.6 square miles
- Farmland - 167,634 acres

Population: (2000 census)
- City - 103,717
- County - 280,843

Climate: Average - 51.9 F
- Average summer high - 76.4 F
- Average winter low - 20.0 F high – 35.0 F

Major Employers:
- Blair Corp.
- Bliley Electric Co.
- Erie Homes for Children & Adults
- Erie Insurance Group
- Gannon University
- GE Transportation Systems
- Gertrude A. Barber Center
- Hamot Medical Center
- Lord Corp.
- Mercyhurst College
- Modern Industries Inc.
- National Fuel
- Port Erie Plastics
- St. Vincent Health Center
- Smith Meter Inc.
- Snap-Tite Inc.
- Telatron Marketing Group Inc.
- Times Publishing Co. Inc.
- Verizon
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Three major highways are located in Erie
- Interstates 79, 90, and 86

The Erie International Airport, Tom Ridge Field - serves 170,000 passengers annually

Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, EMTA:
- Runs 7 days/week within city limits

Erie City Water Authority:
- Provides water to the City of Erie, Wesleyville, Lawrence Park, Harborcreek, Fairview, Summit and Millcreek
- Draws about 35,000 gallons of water per day
- Estimated 250,000 people consume water ECWA on a regular basis

GPU, a FirstEnergy company, and Northwester Rural Electric Co-operative Assoc. Inc., supply electricity

National Fuel Gas Distribution Co. is the natural gas provider

Adelphia Business Solutions and Verizon provide phone services including local, long distance, high-speed data and Internet services, and wireless services (Verizon only)

Developments:
- Current Projects:
  - Lovell Place - affordable apartments, numerous offices, home to Matthew's Trattoria Restaurant
  - Boston Store - affordable apartments, numerous offices and locally owned radio stations (disc jockeys can be seen in the windows)
  - Erie Insurance long-range expansion - already has 23 branch offices and operates in 11 states
  - New Federal Courthouse building - $30.7 million project
  - A new Hamot Heart Institute (78,000 sq. ft.), an expanded emergency department and minimal invasive surgical suites that will be 26,000 sq. ft., and a few other units
  - Warner Theatre - $15 million renovation
  - Erie County Convention Center - expected to open in 2007, to help tourism industry
  - Erie International Airport expansion still in planning stages

Recently completed:
- Bicentennial Tower at Dobbins Landing (187 foot-high), to commemorate Erie's 200th birthday
- Industrial area along bayfront, designated a Foreign Trade Zone was also designated a Keystone Opportunity Zone in 2001, which provides virtual -tax-free zones, and helps compete in global marketplace
- Maritime Museum and Blasco Library Complex
- The Tom Ridge Environmental Center - $25 million state money to build a regional learning, research and visitor information facility

Attractions:
- Waldameer & Waterworld: Over 75 rides, slides, and water attractions
- Warner Theatre: Major cultural arts center in the region, Commissioned by the Warner Brothers in 1929, Seats more than 2,500 people, Currently under renovation to upgrade and preserve historical character
- The Erie Playhouse and The Roadhouse Theatre for Contemporary Art: Features a range of performing shows from musicals to dramas
- The Erie Philharmonic: 3rd oldest symphony orchestra in the U.S., Performs throughout the whole year
- The Erie Junior Philharmonic: In its 47th year
- Lake Erie Ballet: Does 10 performances each year, 5 professional dance members and a number of apprentice dancers perform
- Erie Art Museum: Located in Old Custom House, many changing art exhibits
- The Erie Children's Museum : For ages 2 to 12, and has interactive displays in the worlds of science and humanities
- Erie History Center- comprehensive library and archives on Erie County's history
- The Raymond M. Blasco M.D. Memorial Library: 3rd Largest in Pennsylvania, Erie Maritime Museum is located inside, 95,000 sq. ft., 19 miles of telecommunications cable, seats over 300 patrons, more than 250,000 books and 50,000 audio/video tapes
- Victorian Princess: Wheel paddleboat, offers dinner cruises and catered meals
- Millcreek Mall: No sales tax on apparel, 1.5 million sq. ft., more than 150 stores, employs some 2,700 people, during holiday rush- 4,000
- Asbury Woods and Greenway- no admission charge: Cottage nature center, 4.5 miles of trails, boardwalks, and gardens
- Annual Community-Wide Events
  - Erie Summer Festival of the Arts- at Liberty Park & Pepsi Amphitheater- free performances and art exhibits
  - Discover Presque Isle- week-long celebration
  - Cherry Festival- in North East
  - HarborFest- in Harborcreek
  - Wine Country Harvest Festival - in North East, sample local grapes. For more information on wineries and tours, check out the Lake Erie Quality Wine Alliance Website.
  - Dan Rice Days- in Girard
  - Celebrate Erie

Sports:
- Erie SeaWolves at Jerry Uht Park
  - AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers plays from Apr. to Sept.
  - Jerry Uht Park- seats 6,000

Erie Otters at the Louis J. Tullio Arena
- Established in 1996, part of the Ontario Hockey League
- 2002 won Robertson Cup and became OHL Champions

Tullio Arena
- Ice shows, concerts, circuses, and basketball matches
- 5,500 permanent seats, but can be expanded to 7,000

Presque Isle State Park
- French for "almost an island"
- 3,200 acre peninsula
- 7-miles of beaches, 11-miles of hiking trails, 13-mile (expanded from 10-miles) paved Multi-purpose National Recreation Trail
- Winter- popular for cross-country skiers, ice fisherman, ice skaters
- 4 million visitors each year
- Field & Stream magazine- named park as Top 20 destination
- Birder's World magazine- one of the country's top birding spots
- 423 species of birds have been spotted in the park
- Conde Nast's Traveler magazine- Top 100 Swimming Holes
- National Natural Landmark due to its unique ecological composition
  - Plant life develops on bare sand, progresses through distinct stages until becoming a forest

Erie Zoological Park and Botanical Garden of Northwestern Pennsylvania
- 15-acres, attracts about 400,000 visitors per yr., more than 500 animals

Education:

Travel Distance to Nearby Cities
- Buffalo, NY – 96 miles
- Cleveland, OH – 99 miles
- Pittsburgh, PA – 127 miles
- Toronto, Ont., Canada – 210 miles