Berks County was given its name by Thomas and Richard Penn, sons of William Penn, after their ancestral County of Berks, or Berkshire, England. In the 1700s, the area was settled by Quakers, French Huguenots, Palatinates, German Amish, Mennonites, and Dunkards.

Around the time of the French and Indian War in 1752, Berks County was created from parts of Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Chester counties and reduced to its present size in 1811. The county was confronted with Indian boundary warfare troubles until after the Revolution. The early part of the 19th century saw the building of turnpikes, canals, and the Reading Railroad, which played a leading role in Berks County’s development.

Agriculture was the principal reason behind the county’s settlement by the colonists. Today, Berks ranks among the top 100 counties nationwide for the number of farms and the market value of agricultural products produced. Over 40 percent of Berks County’s 864 square miles is devoted to agriculture. Statewide, Berks is second in production of alfalfa, mushrooms, and corn/grain; third in hay, wheat, barley, and swine; fourth in silage, oats, cattle, and milk production; fifth in soybean, and sixth in peaches and apples.

Berks County’s industries are broad based. Products include pretzels, candy, dairy products, bricks, batteries, optical lenses, specialty metals, electronic components, and communication systems.

Settlements along the Schuylkill River, which flows through the heart of the county, made it necessary to build bridges to link them. Thirty-eight covered bridges were constructed of wood. Five still remain in use today.

The Schuylkill River’s many streams and tributaries are used for boating and fishing. Parks, recreation areas, and open spaces account for approximately 9.5% of the county land. Ninety-seven sites are included in Pennsylvania’s Register of Historic Places. Many of these relate to early industries such as iron making, canals, and railroads.

Berks County is situated in the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania. There are 44 townships and 30 boroughs including Reading, the county seat.

The TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce serves the municipalities of Amity, Bally, Bechtelsville, Birdsboro, Boyertown, Colebrookdale, Douglass, Earl, Hereford, Union, and Washington in Berks County.