  monroe county is a county in the u.s. state of pennsylvania. it is located in the northeastern section of pennsylvania. as of the 2010 census, the population was 169,842. its county seat is stroudsburg. named in honor of james monroe, the fifth president of the united states, the county is located in the east of the state, along its border with new jersey. monroe county comprises the east stroudsburg, pennsylvania, metropolitan statistical area. the county is home to east stroudsburg university. monroe county is one of the fastest growing counties in the state of pennsylvania. not only has the population increased by over 70% since 1990, but the commercial and retail sectors have grown significantly, as well. there are many new shopping centers and even more are being constructed and are currently being planned at this time. ==geography== according to the u.s. census bureau, the county has a total area of 617&nbsp;square miles (1,599&nbsp;kmÂ²), of which 608&nbsp;square miles (1,576&nbsp;kmÂ²) is land and 9&nbsp;square miles (23&nbsp;kmÂ²) (1.44%) is water. monroe county was formed from the northern section of northampton county. ==metropolitan and combined statistical areas== the united states office of management and budget has designated monroe county of pennsylvania as the east stroudsburg, pa metropolitan statistical area.http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb as of the 2010 united states census the metro area had a population of 169,842. the area ranks 12th most populous in the state of pennsylvania and ranks [[list of metropolitan statistical areas|244th m
1836_establishments_in_the_United_States Counties_of_Appalachia Monroe_County,_Pennsylvania Pennsylvania_counties Populated_places_established_in_1836 The_Poconos