Northampton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was formed in 1752 from parts of Bedford, Berks and Bucks Counties, Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 267,066, (2008 estimate 294,787). Its county seat is Easton. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 377 square miles, of which, 374 square miles of it is land and 4 square miles of it (0.94%) is water.
Northampton County is located in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, while the northern edge borders on the Poconos. The eastern section of the county borders the Delaware River, which divides Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It is bordered on the west by Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
The county is one of the most industrially-oriented regions in the nation, producing anthracite coal, cement, and other industrial products. Bethlehem Steel, once one of the world's largest manufacturers of steel, was located there prior to its closing in 2003.