PENNSYLVANIA . Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Flag Seal Nickname(s): Keystone State; Quaker State; Coal State; Oil State; State of Independence Motto(s): Virtue, Liberty and Independence Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Spoken language(s) English 91.6% Spanish 3.1% Pennsylvania Dutch Demonym Pennsylvanian Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Largest metro area Delaware Valley Area  Ranked 33rd in the U.S.  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km2)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2.7  - Latitude 39°43? N to 42°16? N  - Longitude 74°41? W to 80°31? W Population  Ranked 6th in the U.S.  - Total 12,702,379(2010.) - Density 283.9/sq mi  (109.6/km2) Ranked 11th in the U.S.  - Median income  US$48,562 (26th) Elevation    - Highest point Mount Davis 3,213 ft  (979 m)  - Mean 1,099 ft  (335 m)  - Lowest point Delaware River 0 ft  (0 m) Before statehood Province of Pennsylvania Admission to Union  December 12, 1787 (2nd) Governor Tom Corbett (R) Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley (R) Legislature General Assembly  - Upper house State Senate  - Lower house House of Representatives U.S. Senators Bob Casey, Jr. (D) Pat Toomey (R) U.S. House delegation 12 Republicans, 7 Democrats (list) Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4 Abbreviations PA Penn. or Penna. US-PA Website pa.gov The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (i /?p?ns?l?ve?nj?/) is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to the east. The state's four most populous cities are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Erie. The state capital is Harrisburg.