[8] Manufacturing continues to play a large part in Erie's economy, with rising contributions from insurance, healthcare, higher education, technology, service industries, and tourism.

The local climate is humid, four-seasonal, and snowy, with warm summers and harsh winters, owing to its southern lakeshore location.

[9] Europeans first arrived as settlers in the region when the French constructed Fort Presque Isle near present-day Erie in 1753, as part of their effort to defend New France against the encroaching British colonists.

The name of the fort refers to the peninsula that juts into Lake Erie, now protected as Presque Isle State Park.

On January 9, 1789, a conference was arranged during which representatives from the Iroquois signed a deed relinquishing their ownership of the land[11] in exchange for $2,000 from Pennsylvania and $1,200 from the federal government.

President James Madison began the construction of a naval fleet during the War of 1812 to gain control of the Great Lakes from the British.

Daniel Dobbins of Erie and Noah Brown of Boston were notable shipbuilders who led the construction of four schooner−rigged gunboats and two brigs.

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry arrived from Rhode Island and led the squadron to success in the historic Battle of Lake Erie.

The city's economy began to suffer in the latter part of the 20th century as industrial restructuring took place and jobs moved out of the area.

The importance of American manufacturing, US steel and coal production, and commercial fishing began to gradually decline,[17] resulting in a major population downturn in the 1970s.

[26] Presque Isle State Park (referred to by locals as "the Peninsula" or simply "the beach"), is a recurving sandspit peninsula that stretches north into Lake Erie, providing a fine, natural harbor for Erie and offers 7 miles (11 km) of public beaches, wetlands, and fishing sites.

Erie fronts Presque Isle Bay and is laid out in a grid surrounding Perry Square in the downtown area.

The city's lakeside location helps to temper summer heat, with an average of 4 days with highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C) annually, and the highest temperature ever recorded was 100 °F (38 °C) on June 25, 1988.

[46] Since the 1980s, the International Institute of Erie (IIE), founded in 1919, has helped with the resettlement of refugees from Bosnia, Eritrea, Ghana, Iraq, Kosovo, Liberia, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Romania, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.

As of 2021, Temple Anshe Hesed, a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, was served by its spiritual leader, Rabbi Robert Morais.

[51] Congregation Brith Sholom (Jewish Center) is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and Rabbi Leonard Lifshen has been its spiritual leader since 1989.

This broader economic base includes smaller and more agile steel and plastic plants (with about 10% of tooling and molding located in the tri-state area) and vigorous service sectors: health, insurance, and tourism.

[58] Tourism plays an increasingly important role in the local economy with over 4 million people visiting Presque Isle State Park and other attractions.

Shoppers from Ohio, New York, and the Canadian province of Ontario are drawn to the Millcreek Mall and Peach Street stores and attractions by Pennsylvania's tax exemption on clothing.

In 2000, it created a project entitled GoFish, similar to CowParade; 95 fiberglass fish were decorated by Erie artists and placed throughout the city.

[65] The museum intends to add color and interest to downtown Erie and to promote bicycling, encourage healthy lifestyles, and provide environmental awareness.

[68] The Erie Civic Music Association attracts, sponsors, and books performances by professional musicians, singers, entertainers, and ensembles from around the world.

Erie is the hometown of Train lead singer Patrick Monahan and of Marc Brown, the author and illustrator of Arthur books and TV series.

Additionally, Cathedral Preparatory School hosts the annual high-school basketball tournament featuring top national teams, called the Burger King Classic since 2010.

Erie is also home to the Barber National Institute and its Elizabeth Lee Black School, which provides services and education for children and adults with mental disabilities.

[92] The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks, including WICU-TV 12 (NBC), WJET-TV 24 (ABC), WFXP 66 (FOX), WSEE-TV 35 (CBS), and WSEE-DT2 35.2 (CW).

[93] Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited out of Union Station at 14th and State streets.

On December 16, 2010, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) voted to split the area code, which was to take effect February 1, 2012.

The PUC immediately voted to review their decision and ordered additional public-input hearings and technical conferences as a response to the strong public outcry.

[99] In January 2011, the PUC announced that it was placing the entire area code split plan on hold as NEUSTAR pushed the projected exhaustion date back two years to 2015.