Welcome to Hershey ...
Hershey is located in Dauphin County<1>.
Hershey was established in 1903.
Hershey is 420 feet [128 m] above sea level.<2>.
Time Zone: Hershey lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT) and observes daylight saving time
Area Codes for Hershey: 717 & 223<3>
The ZIP code for Hershey: 17033<4>
Communities Also Named Hershey ...
Using our Gazetteer, we found that there are 2 communities that are also named Hershey - they are located in California and Nebraska.
For more information, see our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Hershey.
Communities near Hershey ...
We have created a list of 10 communities that are near Hershey.
- Harrisburg
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Lebanon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Elizabethtown
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elizabethtown have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elizabethtown
- Elizabethtown is located in Lancaster County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 11,494 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elizabethtown <5>
- Columbia
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Columbia have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbia
- Columbia is located in Lancaster County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 10,295 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Columbia <5>
- Middletown
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Mechanicsburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Mount Joy
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Camp Hill
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Palmyra
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palmyra have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmyra
- Palmyra is located in Lebanon County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 7,528 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Palmyra <5>
- New Cumberland
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
To Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
We have a couple of sections for those tracing their genealogy.
We created a list of cemeteries that are in the area around Hershey. Our list includes the location of those cemeteries and we provide an overhead view. See our Cemetery List for Hershey.
Using the information from an 1895 Atlas, we've created a list of communities that were in the area of Hershey. Our list includes information such as whether the 1895 community had a post office or railroad service. See our List of 1890's Communities around Hershey.
We also have a detailed list of newspapers that have been published in the area around Hershey. Our list includes 5 papers. See our Newspapers Page for Hershey.
TripAdvisor Tourism Pages for Hershey ...
Looking for more information about Hershey? A wonderful source is the TripAdvisor website. We always start with the TripAdvisor Tourism page, where you can read an overview with links that will help you find lodging, restaurants and attractions.
In addition to the Tourism page for Hershey, there are neighboring communities that also have Tourism pages. More information about those communities can be found on our TripAdvisor Page for Hershey.
Adding Hershey to Our Gazetteer ...
We originally found mention of Hershey in both the FIPS-55 and the GNIS. For more information, see the FIPS and GNIS Codes sections on our Miscellaneous Page.
From our notes, the earliest published mention we've found for Hershey was in the document titled List of Post Offices from Cameron Blevins and Richard Helbock.<7>
From that list, the Hershey post office opened in 1905.
We also found Hershey mentioned on a train schedule titled Greyhound Bus Time Table (November 1931).
For more details, see References and Mentions for Hershey.
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If you're interested in how the shape of Pennsylvania's counties, including Dauphin, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <2> | The elevation is an estimate for the area around Hershey - it will be higher in some places and lower in others. |
| <3> | When there's a risk of an area code running out of phone numbers, an 'Overlay Area Code' is created that has the same geographic boundaries as the existing area code. In this case, the 717 code has been Overlayed with the 223 area code. New phone numbers in the Hershey area will be assigned with one of these codes: 717 or 223. As a result, placing a call in the Hershey area will require 10-digit dialing (where you enter both the area code and then the phone number). |
| <4> | ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a community (such as Hershey). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Hershey or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS). |
| <5> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <6> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <7> | A copy of their list with background information can be found at:
https://cblevins.github.io/us-post-offices/data-biography/ |