Erie is a city located in northwesternPennsylvania, United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city (after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown), with a population of 102,000. It was the third-largest city in the state until 1999. It is the 2nd largest city in Western Pennsylvania (after Pittsburgh). Erie's Metropolitan Area consists of approximately 280,000 residents and an Urbanized Area population of approximately 195,000. The city is the seat of government for Erie County and the principal city of the Erie, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.