Overview

Introduction to Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton is located in Lackawanna County in the northeastern portion of Pennsylvania. It's the biggest city in a group of neighboring municipalities that were formerly coal mining communities. In 1866 Scranton was incorporated as a city. The Green Ridge and the Hill Section of Scranton feature the mansions constructed by former coal entrepreneurs.

History

The area of Scranton was settled by pioneers from New England during the late 1700's. In the middle of the 1800's the iron and steel industries caused significant growth in the Scranton area. In 1851 the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad was established to move iron products as well as coal out of the Lackawanna Valley. The borough of Scranton was incorporated in 1856 and took its name in recognition of the brothers Seldon and George Scranton who began their industrial careers by producing T-rails for the railroads and helped to transform Scranton into a significant industrial area. In 1886 Scranton became home to the country's first successful continuously working electric streetcar system.

The city became known as "the Electric City." In 1890 an additional three other railroads had built systems to transport the vast quantity of coal located in the area. Due to the decreased supply of the region's iron ore the Lackawanna Steel Company moved out of Scranton and the city no longer had the industry that established the city. Scranton then became the center of the coal industry in the state of Pennsylvania. The production of coal and railroad traffic decreased significantly during the 1950's.

Transportation

The County of Lackawanna Transit System offers bus services for the city. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is situated in neighboring Avoca. Martz Trailways and Greyhound Lines offer bus transportation to cities located in the Northeast.

Attractions

There are numerous attractions in the Scranton area including:

  • The Steamtown National Historic Site
  • The Everhart Museum
  • The Scranton Iron Furnaces
  • The Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Ann
  • The Houdini Museum
  • The Electric City Trolley Museum
  • Nay Aug Park
  • Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple

Higher Education

The University of Scranton is a Jesuit University. The university is comprised of four colleges; The Panuska College of Professional Studies, The College of Arts and Sciences, The Kania School of Management and The College of Graduate and Continuing Education. Other colleges in the area include:

  • Lackawanna College
  • Keystone College
  • Penn State Worthington Scranton Campus
  • Marywood University
  • Johnson College

Demographics

People

Total Population76,869
Male Share of the Population49.2%
Female Share of the Population50.8%
Senior Citizens16.7%
Employed Population 16+32,929
Age of the Population37

Families

% of people married36.9%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher25.4%
Median Earnings25+$31,619
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$20,870
Median Earnings With High School Degree$26,873

Wealth

Median Family Income$53,942
% Above Poverty Level76.3%
% Below Poverty Level23.7%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time20 minutes
% Working from Home3.3%
% Walking and Biking to Work6.5%
% Using Public Transportation1.6%

Housing

People Living Alone36.5%
Median Gross Rent$765
Median House Value$102,300

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)25.9%
Irish25.7%
Italian18.9%
Polish11.5%
English5%
Welsh4.5%
Russian2.2%
Lithuanian1.5%
French Except Basque1.1%
Slovak1.1%
Scottish1%
Dutch0.9%
Ukrainian0.9%
Arab0.8%
West Indian0.6%
Hungarian0.5%
German0.4%
African0.4%
Lebanese0.3%
Greek0.3%
Haitian0.3%
Albanian0.2%
Trinidad Tobago0.2%
Afghan)0.2%
Czech0.2%
Swedish0.2%
Swiss0.2%
Austrian0.2%
Ethiopian0.1%
Bermudan0.1%
Jamaican0.1%
Icelander0.1%
Brazilian0.1%
Bulgarian0.1%
Syrian0.1%
Egyptian0.1%
US/American0.1%
Croatian0.1%
Danishn0.1%
Norwegian0.1%
Portuguese0.1%
Israeli0.1%
Iranian0.1%
Canadian0.1%
Romanian0.1%
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Scranton Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyLackawanna County
Standard Zip Codes18508, 18503, 18504, 18515, 18505, 18540, 18510, 18512, 18509, 18519, 18517, 18507, 18518
P.O. Box Zip Codes18501, 18502
Company Zip Codes18577
Phone Area Codes570
Time ZoneAmerica/New_York
Approximate Latitude41.45
Approximate Longitude-75.66

Scranton Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationWILKES BRE SCTN AP AVOCA
Distance6.4 miles
Jan Temp19 to 34 F
Apr Temp38 to 59 F
Jul Temp62 to 83 F
Oct Temp42 to 61 F
Annual Precip37.5 inches
StationPLEASANT MOUNT 1 W
Distance25 miles
Jan Temp10 to 28 F
Apr Temp31 to 52 F
Jul Temp54 to 76 F
Oct Temp34 to 56 F
Annual Precip48.8 inches
StationHAWLEY 1 E
Distance26.2 miles
Jan Temp13 to 34 F
Apr Temp33 to 57 F
Jul Temp57 to 80 F
Oct Temp36 to 61 F
Annual Precip41.6 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Dunmore13,282$82,577
Old Forge8,038$61,871
Olyphant5,090$65,701
Taylor6,007$50,363
Throop3,967$57,743

Scranton Public Libraries

Scranton Public Library
500 VINE STREET
Scranton, Pennsylvania
(570) 348-3000

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More Information for Librarians

Scranton Hospitals

Allied Services Rehabilitation Hospital
(Non-profit)
475 Morgan Highway Po Box 1103
(717) 348-1300
Community Medical Center
(Non-profit)
1800 Mulberry Street
(717) 969-8240
Regional Hospital Of Scranton
(Proprietary)
746 Jefferson Avenue
(570) 348-7100
Moses Taylor Hospital
(Proprietary)
700 Quincy Avenue
(717) 963-2100

Scranton Public Schools

Charles Sumner #18
North Sumner Ave & Swetland St
ZIP: 18504
(570) 348-3688
Primary
Total Enrollment 325
Frances Willard #32
1100 Eynon St
ZIP: 18504
(570) 348-3692
Primary
Total Enrollment 544
Isaac Tripp El Sch
1000 North Everett Avenue
ZIP: 18504
(570) 348-3677
Primary
Total Enrollment 836
West Scranton Hs
1201 Luzerne St
ZIP: 18504
(570) 348-3616
High
Total Enrollment 915
West Scranton Intrmd Sch
1401 Fellows St
ZIP: 18504
(570) 348-3475
Middle
Total Enrollment 715
Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Cs
1615 East Elm Street
ZIP: 18505
(570) 941-4100
Primary
Total Enrollment 244
John F. Kennedy #7
Prospect Ave & Saginaw St
ZIP: 18505
(570) 348-3673
Primary
Total Enrollment 440
John G Whittier #2
700 Orchard St
ZIP: 18505
(570) 348-3690
Primary
Total Enrollment 652
Mcnichols Plaza
1111 S Irving Ave
ZIP: 18505
(570) 348-3685
Primary
Total Enrollment 475
South Scranton Intrmd Sch
355 Maple St
ZIP: 18505
(570) 348-3631
Middle
Total Enrollment 541
Ctc Of Lackawanna County
3201 Rockwell Avenue
ZIP: 18508
(570) 346-8471
High
George Bancroft #34
1002 Albright Ave
ZIP: 18508
(570) 348-3667
Primary
Total Enrollment 265
Neil Armstrong #40
N Lincoln Ave & Clearview St
ZIP: 18508
(570) 348-3661
Primary
Total Enrollment 604
John Adams #4
927 Capouse Ave
ZIP: 18509
(570) 348-3655
Primary
Total Enrollment 289
Robert Morris #27
1824 Boulevard Ave
ZIP: 18509
(570) 348-3681
Primary
Total Enrollment 348
Northeast Intrmd Sch
721 Adams Ave
ZIP: 18510
(570) 348-3651
Middle
Total Enrollment 776
Scranton Hs
63 Munchak Way
ZIP: 18510
(570) 348-3481
High
Total Enrollment 1784
William Prescott #38
Prescott Avenue & Myrtle St
ZIP: 18510
(570) 348-3683
Primary
Total Enrollment 343

Scranton Private Schools

Depaul School
475 Morgan Hwy
ZIP: 18501
Elementary
Total Enrollment 52
All Saints Academy
1425 Jackson St
ZIP: 18504
Elementary
Total Enrollment 326
Friendship House
1615 E Elm St
ZIP: 18505
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 48
Milton Eisner Yeshiva High School
930 Hickory St
ZIP: 18505
Secondary
Total Enrollment 72
St Stanislaus Elementary School
530 E Elm St
ZIP: 18505
Elementary
Total Enrollment 37
Howard Gardner School Of Discovery
134 School St
ZIP: 18508
Elementary
Total Enrollment 106
Little People Daycare School
910 Oak St
ZIP: 18508
Elementary
Total Enrollment 19
Lutheran Academy - Scranton
238 Reese St
ZIP: 18508
Elementary
Total Enrollment 12
Revival Baptist Christian School
2020 N Main Ave
ZIP: 18508
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 28
Scranton Preparatory School
1000 Wyoming Ave
ZIP: 18509
Secondary
Total Enrollment 838
St Clare/st Paul School
1527 Penn Ave
ZIP: 18509
Elementary
Total Enrollment 360
The Children's Cornerstone
1759 Sanderson Ave
ZIP: 18509
Elementary
Total Enrollment 6
Tony Domiano Early Childhood Ctr At Marywood Univ
2300 Adams Ave Marywood University
ZIP: 18509
Elementary
Total Enrollment 17
Bais Yaakov Of Scranton
1025 Vine St
ZIP: 18510
Secondary
Total Enrollment 10
Montessori Kindergarten
712 Linden St
ZIP: 18510
Elementary
Total Enrollment 25
Scranton Hebrew Day School
540 Monroe Ave
ZIP: 18510
Elementary
Total Enrollment 109
Sources :
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Historic Scranton

photo

Municipal building) between 1890 and 1901

Select a photo to view (Source):

Municipal building) between 1890 and 1901

Presbyterian Church i.e. (Methodist Episcopal) between 1890 and 1901

Moses Taylor Hospital between 1900 and 1906

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