Biohazard Cleanup Near Engleton Harrisburg, PA

Harrisburg has been the capital of Pennsylvania since 1812, when the seat of government moved here from Lancaster.

Harrisburg is the county seat of Dauphin County and sits on the east bank of the Susquehanna River in south-central Pennsylvania.

The city traces its roots to English trader John Harris, Sr., who settled at this river crossing around 1719 and ran a trading post and ferry here.

In 1785, John Harris, Jr. laid out the town on his father's land and named it Harrisburg in his father's honor; it was incorporated as a borough in 1791 and received its city charter on March 19, 1860.

Harrisburg had a population of 50,099 at the 2020 census, making it only the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania despite being the state capital.

Harrisburg has about 22,137 households according to Census QuickFacts, and renters dominate the city - only about 36.6% of its homes are owner-occupied.

The Harrisburg-Carlisle metropolitan area has roughly 615,000 residents, making it the fourth-most populous metro area in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania State Capitol was dedicated on October 4, 1906, with President Theodore Roosevelt in attendance, and Roosevelt famously called it "the handsomest building I ever saw."

The Capitol's green-tiled dome rises 272 feet and was modeled on Michelangelo's dome for St. Peter's Basilica in Rome; the building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.

City Island, a recreational island in the middle of the Susquehanna River, is reached from downtown by the Walnut Street Bridge, an 1890 wrought-iron span nicknamed the "People's Bridge" that has been pedestrian-only since flood damage in 1972.