Village (Pennsylvania)
A village in Pennsylvania is a geographic area within a larger political subdivision, usually a township, although some villages are located within a borough. Often, a village is also a census-designated place or the site of a post office, but this is not always the case.
The use of the term "village" in such a manner is unusual among U.S. states; the term is used in other states to describe the type of municipalities Pennsylvania calls "boroughs."
Geographic area
Villages in Pennsylvania are very often loosely defined by local residents with no definitive borders, other than possibly a speed zone along the highways serving them. They often represent the area of original settlement in an area.
Government
As villages in Pennsylvania are not political subdivision in and of themselves, they have no local governmental authority. Instead, they are part of, and under the authority of, their respective municipality. In townships, a village typically serves as the seat of the township government (for example, the town offices for Foster Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania are located in the village of Foster Brook).