What is the best town to stay in Lancaster County?

It depends on your trip. Stay in Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse, or along Route 30 for Amish Country and family attractions. Choose Lititz or Lancaster City if you want to walk to shops and restaurants. Strasburg puts you closest to the trains and Sight & Sound Theatres.

Which Lancaster County towns are in Amish Country?

Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, Paradise, Gordonville, and the villages of eastern Lancaster County sit in the heart of Amish farmland.

What are the most walkable towns in Lancaster County?

Lancaster City and Lititz are the most walkable, with shops, restaurants, and historic sites a few blocks apart. Strasburg, Ephrata, and Mount Joy also have walkable main streets.

How long does it take to drive across Lancaster County?

About an hour or less from any point to any other.

Aerial view of Lancaster County PA towns, farmland, and villages at sunset

Each town tells a unique story

Towns & Villages in Lancaster County PA

The Towns, Villages, and Communities of Lancaster County

Lancaster County’s towns and villages each have their own character. Intercourse and Bird-in-Hand sit in the heart of Amish Country, Lititz is a walkable historic town known for chocolate and pretzels, Strasburg is train country, and Lancaster City packs colonial history, galleries, and restaurants into a few walkable blocks. about 46 miles long and 43 miles wide, so you can drive throughout in about an hour or less.

Each town and section of the county has its own unique flavor and character. See our list of things to do in the small towns of Lancaster County, PA.

Start with the town that matches how you like to travel. Amish Country towns like Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, and Paradise are the place for Amish-made goods, buggy rides, farm tours, and PA Dutch cooking. Strasburg suits train fans, while Lititz and Lancaster City reward a slow walk, some shopping, and a good meal. Ephrata, Adamstown, Manheim, and Mount Joy each offer something the others don’t, from the Ephrata Cloister, founded in 1732, to “Antiques Capital USA” to a historic brewery where you can dine in the stone catacombs.

Explore the Unique Towns & Villages of Lancaster County

Intercourse

Intercourse is the heart of Lancaster County's Amish Country, sitting along Route 340 just east of Bird-in-Hand and north of Paradise. Amish families still shop and do business in this village surrounded by farmland, where you'll find handcrafted Amish goods, homemade jams and pretzels, PA Dutch cooking, and cozy places to stay.

Bird-In-Hand

Bird-in-Hand is a small Amish Country crossroads along Route 340 between Lancaster City and Intercourse, just north of Ronks and Strasburg. Surrounded by Amish farmland, it's home to buggy rides, farmland tours, a farmers market, a Broadway-style theater, and classic PA Dutch smorgasbords, plus lodging from family-friendly hotels to romantic B&Bs.

Lititz

Lititz is a walkable historic town along Route 501, just north of Lancaster City, once named "America's Coolest Small Town" for its independent shops, restaurants, and community spirit. Famous for chocolate and home to America's first commercial pretzel bakery, it also hosts one of the nation's oldest Fourth of July celebrations and the popular Lititz Fire & Ice Festival.

Strasburg

Strasburg is Lancaster County's train town, home to the Strasburg Rail Road, the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the Western Hemisphere, plus the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and toy train displays and shops. Just southeast of Lancaster, it's also the home of Sight & Sound Theatres, with 18th-century homes, scooter tours through Amish farmland, and local creameries rounding out the visit.

Lancaster City

Downtown Lancaster blends colonial history with a thriving modern scene, from Central Market, the nation's oldest continuously operating public farmers market, to the historic Fulton Theatre, live performances, art galleries, and restaurants serving cuisine from around the world. It even served as the capital of the United States for one day in 1777, and today its walkable streets are packed with local shops, cafes, museums, and monthly art walks.

Paradise

Paradise sits along Route 30 in the heart of Lancaster County's Amish Country, just east of Lancaster City and a short drive from Strasburg, Bird-in-Hand, and Intercourse. It packs in what the county is known for, with a covered bridge, an old mill, Amish farm tours, quilt and furniture shops, bakeries, PA Dutch food, and the Magic & Wonder Dinner Theater.

Ephrata

Ephrata is home to the historic Ephrata Cloister, founded in 1732 by German settlers, and is surrounded by Old Order Mennonite farmland in northern Lancaster County. Visitors come for the famous Green Dragon Farmers Market, the Ephrata Fair, a walkable Main Street of local shops and restaurants, and easy access from the PA Turnpike.

Adamstown

Known as "Antiques Capital USA," Adamstown draws collectors from across the country to its sprawling antique markets and shops along Route 272 in northern Lancaster County. Just off the PA Turnpike, it's an easy day trip, and nearby ziplines, obstacle courses, and art galleries round out a visit.

Manheim

Manheim is home to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire at Mount Hope Estate, one of the largest Renaissance festivals in the country, just northwest of Lancaster City near the PA Turnpike. Between the Faire's seasons, visitors explore farm tours, horseback riding, mini golf, and the quiet farmland of northern Lancaster County.

Mount Joy

Mount Joy is a historic small town in western Lancaster County, best known for Bube's Brewery, a preserved 19th-century brewery where you can dine in the stone catacombs beneath the street. Its walkable downtown is lined with small shops and historic homes, plus inns and bed & breakfasts that make it an easy base for exploring Lancaster and nearby Hershey.

Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown is a small college town in western Lancaster County, home to Elizabethtown College and its Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. It’s a quiet base about 20 minutes from Hershey, with a walkable downtown and easy access to Route 283.

Not sure which town to pick?

Browse by region instead. Route 30 East is the busiest corridor for family attractions, theaters, and outlet shopping. Eastern Lancaster County is quiet farmland where much of the Amish and Mennonite community lives and works. Southern Lancaster County is home to the Hans Herr House, built in 1719, and some of the best hiking trails in the county. The River Towns line the Susquehanna, and Suburban Lancaster puts hotels, restaurants, and attractions minutes from downtown.

Explore Popular Regions of Lancaster County

Route 30 East

Route 30 East follows the historic Lincoln Highway, America's first coast-to-coast road, and is Lancaster County's busiest stretch for family fun and entertainment. Along the corridor you'll find Dutch Wonderland, the American Music Theatre, Tanger Outlets, Amish farm tours, PA Dutch smorgasbords, and dozens of hotels just minutes from Amish Country.

Eastern Lancaster County

Eastern Lancaster County stretches from the Amish heartland toward the Chester County line, with quiet villages like Gap, Kinzers, Gordonville, Christiana, and New Holland tucked among some of the county's most beautiful farmland. This is where much of Lancaster's Amish and Mennonite community lives and works, making it a peaceful escape for back-road drives, farm stands, and Amish-made goods.

Southern Lancaster County

Southern Lancaster County rolls south from Lancaster City to the Maryland line, home to the 1719 Hans Herr House, the oldest surviving building in the county, and the birthplace of steamboat inventor Robert Fulton. Towns like Willow Street and Quarryville sit among Amish farms and rolling hills, with Susquehanna River overlooks and some of the best hiking trails in Lancaster County.

RiverTowns

Lancaster County's River Towns line the Susquehanna, from historic Columbia, which once came close to becoming the U.S. capital, to the charming small towns of Marietta and Maytown. Explore the Turkey Hill Experience and the National Watch & Clock Museum, then hike or bike the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail past Chickies Rock and sweeping river views.

Suburban Lancaster

Just outside Lancaster City, the suburbs pack in some of the county's most convenient stops, from Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum and James Buchanan's Wheatland to Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre and Park City Center. With hotels, restaurants, and family attractions minutes from downtown and Amish Country, it's an easy home base for any Lancaster trip.

Enjoy your visit!

Wherever you land, you’re never more than about an hour from the rest of the county. Explore things to do, restaurants, and places to stay, or check the events calendar to see what’s happening during your visit.

FAQ

: It depends on your trip. Stay in Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse, or along Route 30 for Amish Country and family attractions. Choose Lititz or Lancaster City if you want to walk to shops and restaurants. Strasburg puts you closest to the trains and Sight & Sound Theatres.
: Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, Paradise, Gordonville, and the villages of eastern Lancaster County sit in the heart of Amish farmland.
: Lancaster City and Lititz are the most walkable, with shops, restaurants, and historic sites a few blocks apart. Strasburg, Ephrata, and Mount Joy also have walkable main streets.
: About an hour or less from any point to any other.