Lancaster ( local \ / ˈlæŋkɨstər \ / ; 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 older inland towns in the United States , ( along with Springfield , Massachusetts ; Petersburg , Virginia ; Schenectady , New York , and several other early settlements ) .
It is one of the older inland cities in the United States .