Pennsylvania
Buying Land in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Seat Lewistown, home to the Kishacoquillas Valley -- locally known as Big Valley or Kish Valley -- one of the oldest continuously settled Amish and Old Order Mennonite regions in North America, dating to 1791. Zoning here runs entirely at the municipal level, with only a specific subset of Mifflin County's townships and boroughs having adopted an ordinance at all.
Zoning: a specific, named list of municipalities -- not a countywide rule
Mifflin County does not have a county-wide zoning ordinance; land-use control here is a strictly municipal decision under the MPC, and this research pass identified ten specific municipalities with their own adopted zoning ordinance: Armagh, Brown, Decatur, Derry, Granville, and Union Townships, plus Menno and Oliver Townships, and Burnham and Lewistown Boroughs. This pass was not able to independently confirm Mifflin County's complete municipal roster (its full list of townships and boroughs), so it cannot say with confidence what share of the county's total municipalities this ten-name list represents -- treat it as a confirmed list of municipalities known to have zoning, not as a comprehensive county-wide zoning map.
For a buyer, the practical step is unchanged regardless of that uncertainty: confirm directly with the specific township or borough where a parcel sits whether it has adopted zoning and, if so, what district applies. Given the county's substantial agricultural character -- including the Big Valley communities discussed below -- pay particular attention to how any applicable agricultural zoning district treats farm structures, non-mechanized building practices, and minimum-acreage thresholds.
Big Valley: one of the oldest Amish and Mennonite settlements in North America
The Kishacoquillas Valley -- known locally as "Big Valley" or "Kish Valley," a roughly 30-mile-long, 4-mile-wide enclosed valley spanning Mifflin and neighboring Huntingdon Counties -- has been home to an Amish and Mennonite settlement since 1791-93, when several families from Lancaster County purchased land there; by 1800 the community already numbered around 50 Amish households. Peer-reviewed settlement research places Big Valley among the oldest Amish settlements in North America, and today the valley is genuinely unusual for its internal diversity: no fewer than a dozen distinct Amish and Mennonite groups, all descended from that original settlement, coexist within the same roughly 30-by-4-mile area, ranging from some of the most liberal, integrated Mennonite congregations to among the most conservative Old Order Amish sects anywhere in North America. Current estimates put the Amish population alone at more than 3,900 residents, with continued growth projected in settlement research.
For a land buyer considering a parcel in or near Big Valley, this concentration and diversity of Plain-community groups means local townships and building officials have genuine, long-accumulated experience with religious accommodation questions around farm building practices, road use (horse-drawn transportation is common here), and utility connections. As with every county in this project, this page does not assert any specific statewide or countywide septic, well, or building-code exemption for Amish or Mennonite property owners without a direct source confirming one -- ask the specific township and a local Sewage Enforcement Officer how comparable properties nearby have been handled rather than assuming a blanket rule.
Septic, records, and other departments to know
Mifflin County does not operate its own county health department, so septic permitting for a new onlot sewage disposal system runs through the standard statewide Act 537 process via a DEP-certified Sewage Enforcement Officer retained by the specific municipality -- a genuinely relevant point in Big Valley specifically, since a mechanized percolation-test process still applies regardless of a farm's own use of horse-drawn or non-electric equipment. The Mifflin County Recorder of Deeds (20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown; 717-242-1449) holds deeds, easements, and plats, and the county Assessment office (same building; 717-248-5783) handles property records.
The Mifflin County Planning and Development Department, also at the courthouse in Lewistown, administers the county's subdivision and land development ordinance and is the right first call for general land-use questions, including a referral to the correct municipal zoning office for a specific parcel.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Mifflin County
Direct WebFetch to mifflincountypa.gov was not attempted in this research pass, so current staff, fees, and office hours should be confirmed directly before relying on this page for a specific parcel.
Planning & Zoning
Mifflin County Planning and Development Department
General land-use and subdivision questions, and referral to the correct municipal zoning office for a specific parcel.
Septic / Onsite Wastewater
Local Municipality Sewage Enforcement Officer
Percolation testing and onlot sewage disposal system permits for a specific parcel.
Assessor / Property Tax
Mifflin County Assessment
Property assessment and tax records.
Recorder / Clerk / Land Records
Mifflin County Recorder of Deeds
Recorded deeds, easements, plats, and title history for a specific parcel.
Want to know if this specific parcel actually works?
Tell us what you're looking at and we'll connect you with a local land specialist who can help you sanity-check it before you go further.
Get local guidanceSources
- Mifflin County - Zoning — Mifflin County, Pennsylvania (accessed 2026-09)
- Mifflin County - Subdivision and Land Development — Mifflin County, Pennsylvania (accessed 2026-09)
- Kishacoquillas Valley — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Profiles of Major Amish Settlements in North America: A Guide for Researchers and Service Providers — PMC (National Institutes of Health) (accessed 2026-09)
- Amish and Mennonite Groups in the Big Valley — Pennsylvania Center for the Book (accessed 2026-09)
- Mifflin County - Kish History — Mifflin County, Pennsylvania (accessed 2026-09)
- Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Codes Current by County — PA Open Data Portal (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09