Elk County consists of low rolling hills, carved by frequent drainages and heavily wooded.

[4] Elk has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in Ridgway range from 23.2 °F in January to 67.4 °F in July, while in Saint Marys they range from 22.6 °F in January to 66.8 °F in July.

Elk County has one of the highest concentrations of Roman Catholics in the United States.

The Community Education Center of Elk and Cameron Counties (or CEC) provides credit, non-credit, and enrichment programs.

School districts include:[13] Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns.

The following cities, boroughs, and townships are located in Elk County: Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data.

Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Elk County.