Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lackawanna County
U.S. county
Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton in August 2009
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	August 13, 1878
Named for	Lackawanna River
Seat	Scranton
Largest city	Scranton
Area
• Total	465 sq mi (1,200 km2)
• Land	459 sq mi (1,190 km2)
• Water	5.8 sq mi (15 km2)  1.3%
Population
• Estimate  (2020)	215,896
• Density	459/sq mi (177/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	8th

Lackawanna County is a county in the state of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2022, about 215,615 people lived there. The main city and county seat (where the county government is) is Scranton.

This county was created on August 13, 1878. It was the last county made in Pennsylvania. It is named after the Lackawanna River.

Lackawanna County is the second largest county in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton area. It is about 40 miles (64 km) from the New Jersey border. It is also about 25 miles (40 km) from New York state. The Lehigh River flows through Lackawanna County.

History of Lackawanna County

A 1836 map of Pennsylvania counties. Lackawanna was still part of Luzerne County then.

Statue of George Washington at Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton. It was put there on July 4, 1893.

Lackawanna County was once a big center for making iron and mining coal. Coal mining was very important here, especially in the mid-1900s.

The city of Scranton, which was part of Luzerne County back then, became a hub for mining and factories. The Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company was located there. This company later started making steel.

Lackawanna County was officially created on August 13, 1878. It took many years for it to become its own county, separate from Luzerne County. It was the only county in Pennsylvania created after the American Civil War. The county gets its name from the Lackawanna River.

Geography and Nature

Lackawanna County covers about 465 square miles (1,204 sq km). Most of this area, about 459 square miles (1,189 sq km), is land. The rest, about 5.8 square miles (15 sq km), is water.

The county has a climate with warm summers. Average temperatures in Scranton range from 26°F (-3°C) in January to 71.9°F (22.2°C) in July.

Neighboring Counties

Lackawanna County shares borders with these counties:

• Susquehanna County (north)
• Wayne County (east)
• Monroe County (southeast)
• Luzerne County (southwest)
• Wyoming County (west)

Main Roads

Many important highways run through Lackawanna County, connecting it to other parts of Pennsylvania and nearby states. These include:

• I-81
• I-84
• I-380
• I-476 / Penna Turnpike NE Extension
• US 6
• US 11

People of Lackawanna County

Population in 2020

In 2020, Lackawanna County had 215,896 people.

• About 81% were White (not Hispanic or Latino).
• About 3.4% were Black or African American.
• About 3.1% were Asian.
• About 8.5% of the county's population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many people in Lackawanna County have family roots from different countries. In 2010, many residents identified as having Italian, Irish, Polish, and German backgrounds.

Education in Lackawanna County

A map showing the public school districts in Lackawanna County.

Lackawanna County has many schools and colleges.

Colleges and Universities

Here are some of the colleges and universities in the county:

• Johnson College
• Keystone College
• Lackawanna College
• Marywood University
• Penn State Scranton
• Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
• University of Scranton

Public Schools (K-12)

There are several public school districts in Lackawanna County:

• Abington Heights School District
• Carbondale Area School District
• Dunmore School District
• Forest City Regional School District
• Lackawanna Trail School District
• Lakeland School District
• Mid Valley School District
• North Pocono School District
• Old Forge School District
• Riverside School District
• Scranton School District
• Valley View School District

There are also some special schools called charter schools. These include:

• Fell Charter Elementary School in Simpson (grades K-8)
• Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School in Scranton (grades PreK-8)
• Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children in South Abington Township (PreK-12)

The Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County offers vocational training.

Catholic Schools

The Diocese of Scranton runs several Catholic schools in Lackawanna County. These schools are part of the Holy Cross School System. They include:

• Holy Cross High School in Dunmore
• Our Lady of Peace Elementary in Clarks Green
• St. Mary of Mount Carmel Elementary in Dunmore
• LaSalle Academy in Dickson City and Jessup
• All Saints Academy in Scranton
• St. Clare/St. Paul Elementary in Scranton

Private Schools

Lackawanna County also has many private schools:

• Abington Christian School in Clarks Green
• Bais Yaakov of Scranton (all girls Jewish school)
• DePaul School for Dyslexia in Scranton
• Geneva Christian School in Olyphant
• Milton Eisner Yeshiva High School in Scranton (all boys Jewish school)
• Revival Baptist Christian School in Scranton
• Scranton Hebrew Day School in Scranton
• Scranton Preparatory School in Scranton
• St. Stanislaus Elementary School in Scranton
• Summit Christian Academy in South Abington Township
• Triboro Christian Academy in Old Forge

Libraries

The Abington Community Library in Clarks Summit.

Libraries are important places for learning and reading. Here are some libraries in Lackawanna County:

• Abington Community Library – Clarks Summit
• Carbondale Public Library – Carbondale
• Children's Library – Scranton
• Dalton Community Library – Dalton
• Nancy Kay Holmes Branch – Scranton
• North Pocono Public Library – Moscow
• Scranton Public Library – Scranton
• Taylor Community Library – Taylor
• Valley Community Library – Peckville
• Waverly Memorial Library – Waverly

Fun Things to Do

Lackawanna County offers many places for recreation and fun activities:

• Montage Mountain Ski Area: A great place for skiing and snowboarding.
• Lackawanna State Park: Enjoy nature, hiking, and outdoor activities.
• Archbald Pothole State Park: See a huge, ancient pothole formed by glaciers.
• Steamtown National Historic Site: Learn about the history of steam trains.
• Electric City Trolley Museum: Explore old trolley cars.
• Viewmont Mall and The Marketplace at Steamtown: Places for shopping.
• Lake Scranton: A beautiful lake with a walking trail.
• Electric City Aquarium and Reptile Den: See amazing aquatic animals and reptiles.
• Everhart Museum: Discover art, science, and natural history.
• Scranton Iron Furnaces: See historic iron-making structures.
• Houdini Museum: Learn about the famous escape artist, Harry Houdini.
• Scranton Cultural Center: A place for performances and events.
• PNC Field: Home to a minor league baseball team.
• Nay Aug Park and McDade Park: Large parks with playgrounds, trails, and more.

Communities in Lackawanna County

A map showing the cities, boroughs, and townships in Lackawanna County.

Beautiful scenery in Lackawanna County.

Lackawanna County has different types of communities: cities, boroughs, and townships.

Cities

• Carbondale
• Scranton (This is the county seat)

Boroughs

Townships

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or boroughs.

• Big Bass Lake (partially in Wayne County)
• Chinchilla
• Eagle Lake
• Glenburn
• Mount Cobb
• Simpson
• Waverly

Other Small Communities

• Daleville
• Milwaukee
• Winton

Largest Communities by Population

Here are the largest communities in Lackawanna County, based on the 2010 Census:

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Lackawanna para niños