Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is within 40 miles (64 km) of Erie and within 90 miles (140 km) of Pittsburgh. It was the first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The population was 13,388 at the 2010 census. The city of Meadville is the principal city of the Meadville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. As well as one of two cities, the other being Erie, that make up the larger Erie-Meadville, PA Combined Statistical Area.

Meadville, city, seat of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, U.S., on the French Creek, 87 miles (140 km) north of Pittsburgh. The oldest settlement in the northwestern part of the state, it was founded by David Mead and other settlers from Northumberland county in 1788. Meadville developed as the commercial centre of a fertile dairy region; natural-gas deposits are nearby. From 1923 to the mid-1980s (the plant closed in 1990) the manufacture of slide fasteners (zippers) was a major industry. Meadville now has a diversified industrial base with more than 100 manufacturers of tool-and-die products. The city is the seat of Allegheny College (1815). Conneaut Lake, the state’s largest natural lake, is 10 miles (16 km) west, and the Erie National Wildlife Refuge is 10 miles east. Inc. borough, 1823; city, 1866. Pop. (2000) 13,685; (2010) 13,388.

Meadville, the county seat for Crawford County, was settled on May 12, 1788 by a party of ten settlers led by David Mead. Its location, situated at the confluence of Cussewago and French Creeks, was chosen for its proximity to strategic transportation routes.

Around 1800, many of the new settlers were arriving to claim their land bounty as payment for their service during the Revolutionary War. The community was incorporated as a borough in 1823 and continued to grow with the construction of the French Creek Feeder Canal in 1837 as well as the Beaver and Erie Canal which connected at Conneaut Lake. Early canal development, though quickly obsolete, positioned Meadville to play an important role in future rail transportation. Meadville was incorporated as a City in 1866 and designated the Crawford County seat in 1880. By the late 1800s, Meadville’s economy included logging, agriculture and iron production.

The Talon Corporation, headquartered in Meadville, played a major role in the market development and manufacture of the zipper. During World War II, the nearby Keystone Ordnance Works brought additional jobs to the area. Talon remained a major employer, along with the railroad industry, American Viscose (later known as Avtex Fibers), Channellock Tools and Dad’s Pet Food. In the 1980’s, the Great Lakes region saw a major decline in heavy industry. This blow to the local economy was softened by a subsequent surge in light industry, mainly tool and die machine shops, earning Meadville the nickname Tool City, USA. Today, the Meadville area remains a leader in tooling, machining and advance manufacturing and the city serves as the region’s center for banking, education and social services.