Lancaster (, ; Pennsylvania Dutch: Lengeschder) is a city located in South Central Pennsylvania which serves as the seat of Pennsylvania's Lancaster County and one of the oldest inland towns in the United States, (along with Springfield, Massachusetts; Petersburg, Virginia; Schenectady, New York, and several other early settlements). With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities. The Lancaster metropolitan area population is 507,766, making it the 101st largest metropolitan area in the US and 2nd largest in the South Central Pennsylvania area.