Montour County (population 18,236) was created on May 3, 1850, from part of Columbia County and named for Madame Montour, a woman of Indian and French descent, who was prominent in the Indian affairs. Danville, the county seat, was laid out in 1792 and incorporated as a borough on February 27, 1849. It was the county seat of Columbia from 1813 to 1846.

Montour County, in the heart of Pennsylvania, is home to rural farmlands, state game lands, state forests, nature preserves and the Susquehanna River and its tributaries. Ricketts Glen, one of several nearby state parks is a Registered National Natural Landmark with more than 22 waterfalls which can be seen by following a seven mile trail through the area. Almost 20,000 acres of state game land in the area are used for hunting, boating, hiking, bird watching and nature study while there are plenty of lakes and streams for bass, trout, muskie, pickerel and many other fish.