Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States.
The city was named for the Native American Erie people who lived in the area until the mid-17th century. Erie is the fifth-largest city in Pennsylvania, and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania, with a population of 94,831 at the 2020 census. The estimated population in 2021 had decreased to 93,928. The Erie metropolitan area, equivalent to all of Erie County, consists of 266,096 residents. The Erie-Meadville combined statistical area had a population of 369,331 at the 2010 census.
Erie is halfway between the cities of Buffalo, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio, and due north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Erie's manufacturing sector remains prominent in the local economy, though healthcare, higher education, technology, service industries, and tourism are emerging as significant economic drivers. Over four million people visit Erie each summer for recreation at Presque Isle State Park and attractions such as Waldameer Park.
Erie is known as the "Flagship City" because of its status as the home port of Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship Niagara.