Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton, Pennsylvania
City
Downtown Scranton
Scranton Iron Furnaces
Lackawanna Coal Mine
Everhart Museum
Lackawanna County Children's Library
Courthouse Square
Nicknames: 
The Electric City, The All America City, Steamtown, The Anthracite Capital of the World
Motto(s): 
Embracing Our People, Our Traditions and Our Future
Anthem: "Hail, Pennsylvania!"
Interactive map of Scranton
Scranton
Scranton
Coordinates: 41°24′38″N 75°40′03″W / 41.41056°N 75.66750°W / 41.41056; -75.66750
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyLackawanna
RegionGreater Scranton
Incorporated (borough)February 14, 1856
Incorporated (city)April 23, 1866
Named afterGeorge W. Scranton
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • BodyScranton City Council
 • MayorPaige Cognetti (D)
Area
 • City
25.54 sq mi (66.14 km2)
 • Land25.31 sq mi (65.55 km2)
 • Water0.23 sq mi (0.60 km2)
 • Metro
1,777 sq mi (4,602 km2)
Elevation
745 ft (227 m)
Population
 • City
76,328
 • Rank1st in Northeastern Pennsylvania
6th in Pennsylvania
 • Density3,015.96/sq mi (1,164.49/km2)
 • Urban
366,713 (US: 113th)
 • Urban density2,261.4/sq mi (873.1/km2)
 • Metro
567,559 (US: 100th)
DemonymScrantonian/Scrantonite
Time zoneUTC– 05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC– 04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
18447, 18501–18505, 18507–18510, 18512, 18514–18515, 18517–18519, 18522, 18540, 18577
Area codes570 and 272
FIPS code42-69000
GNIS feature ID634293[3]
Websitewww.scrantonpa.gov

Scranton is a second A class city in and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 76,328 at the 2020 census, Scranton is the sixth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous city in Northeastern Pennsylvania.[4] It is part of the Wyoming Valley metropolitan area, which includes five cities and more than 40 boroughs forming a contiguous urban corridor with an estimated 574,000 residents.[5] It is located 56 miles (90 km) north of Allentown, 104 miles (167 km) north-northwest of Philadelphia, and 99 miles (159 km) west-northwest of New York City.

Scranton is located in the Lackawanna River valley and was historically the largest of several anthracite coal mining communities in the area, including Wilkes-Barre and Nanticoke. It was incorporated as a borough in 1856 and as a city in 1866, later becoming the seat of the newly formed Lackawanna County in 1878. The city contains a federal courthouse for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is conventionally divided into nine districts, namely North Scranton, Southside, Westside, Eastside/Hill Section, Central City, Minooka, West Mountain, East Mountain, and Green Ridge.

Scranton was a major center for industry, mining, and rail transport in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was one of the first cities in the United States to implement electric streetcars, earning the nickname "Electric City".[6][7][8] It was the site of the Scranton general strike in 1877. The city's industrial output peaked during the 1930s and 1940s, particularly during World War II, but declined in the postwar period due to reduced demand for coal and changes in the energy sector. The 1959 Knox Mine disaster effectively ended coal mining in the region. Scranton's population fell from a peak of 143,433 in 1930 to 76,089 in 2010, with a slight increase recorded by 2020.

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Scranton, Pennsylvania
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference QF2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 13, 2025. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  6. ^ "First Electric Cars Historical Marker". explorepahistory.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  7. ^ "Pennsylvania Historical Marker Search". www.phmc.state.pa.us. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  8. ^ Kashuba, Cheryl A (August 22, 2010). "Scranton gained fame as the Electric City, thanks to the region's innovative spirit". Scranton Times-Tribune. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.