The county was named after the flagship of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the USS Lawrence, which was disabled in the September 10, 1813 Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

That niagara-class brig (more correctly: snow) was itself a namesake, of Perry's friend and naval officer James Lawrence, who died during the War of 1812.

Over the next few months, flags for Perry Township, New Beaver Borough, and Wampum Borough were presented to the commissioners[4] On January 12, 1982, commissioner chairman, Frank A. Vitril, announced a county flag design contest and asked residents of Lawrence County to submit entries on an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of paper with their name, address, and telephone number on an attached sheet of paper.

They also announced the formation of a committee, coordinated by the Lawrence County Planning Commission, to select the winner.

The center logo features a shaft of wheat, symbolizing prosperity, against a background of rolling farmlands on the left and waves of water on the right.

Marino received a check for $100 at a ceremony at the courthouse as well as a telegraph from Governor Dick Thornburgh who congratulated Lawrence County on its new flag.

He and other committee members, Dominic Caminite and former director of arts and crafts at West Side Community Center, Virginia Rankin, gave the award presentations.

[6] Honorable mentions included a covered bridge design by Grayce D. Sharek, a blue and gold circular design stating "Lawrence County, Government for the People, founded 1849" by Betty Stone, an outline of the courthouse against a red keystone on a blue background by Steve T. Grala, and a two-tone green flag with an outline of the county by James E.

[5] President Judge Glenn McCracken offered remarks urging those present to take pride in their home, Lawrence County, and the flag which symbolizes it, and saying Lawrence County needs the kind of American pride in their heredity that was reawakened by the television show Roots.

[9] Lawrence County has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and average monthly temperatures in New Castle range from 27.7 °F in January to 72.2 °F in July.

34.2% English or Welsh, 14.6% were of Italian, 12.4% American, 9.0% German, 8.1% Irish, and 6.8% Scotch-Irish, 2.5% Polish, and 1.9% African ancestry.

The United States Office of Management and Budget[14] has designated Lawrence County as the New Castle, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

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