Welcome to historic Bucks County

 

Founded in 1682 by William Penn, Bucks County has had a long and distinguished history. Penn named the county after Buckinghamshire, the Penn family home in England.

In March, 1683, William Penn's Council ordered "That the seal of the County of Bucks be a tree and a vine." Penn had written that in Bucks County "the woods yield us plums, grapes, peaches, strawberries and chestnuts in abundance." The shield came from the Penn family crest. Used to certify official documents until the American Revolution, the seal was eventually supplanted by one with the official device of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The old insignia is still used on County stationery and vehicles to denote Bucks County's rich heritage. Large replicas of it in tile, made by Dr. Henry Chapman Mercer, may be seen at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown and the State Capitol in Harrisburg.

Currently, Bucks County is comprised of roughly 608 square miles of land and 15.8 square miles of water. There are approximately 610,000 people within 23 boroughs and 31 townships. It is famous nationwide for its historic sites, including the Mercer Museum, Washington Crossing Historic Park, Pennsbury Manor, and Pearl S. Buck House.