Lackawanna County
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.
Coordinates: 41°26′N 75°37′W / 41.44°N 75.61°W / 41.44; -75.61
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	August 13, 1878
Named for	Lackawanna River[1]
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
Website	www.lackawannacounty.org

Lackawanna County (/lækəˈwɑːnə/; Unami: Lèkaohane) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania and had a population of 215,615 (2022).^[2] Its county seat and most populous city is Scranton.^[3]

The county was created on August 13, 1878, following decades of trying to gain its independence from Luzerne County.^[4] Lackawanna was Pennsylvania's last county to be created, and the only county to be created after the American Civil War. It is named for the Lackawanna River.^[1]

Lackawanna County is the second largest county in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA Metropolitan statistical area. It lies northwest of the Pocono Mountains approximately 40 miles (64 km) from the New Jersey border in Montague Township, and approximately 25 miles (40 km) from New York state in Kirkwood. The Lehigh River, a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River, flows through Lackawanna County.

History

Lackawanna County is a region that was developed for iron production and anthracite coal mining in the nineteenth century, with its peak of coal production reached in the mid-20th century. Scranton, then still part of Luzerne County, became a center of mining and industry. It was the site of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, which later began to produce steel using the Bessemer process. In 1877 at the time of the Scranton General Strike, the company was managed by William Walker Scranton, whose father had been president until his death in 1872. Two of his cousins had been founders of the company and the city.

The county was created on August 13, 1878, following decades of trying to gain its independence from Luzerne County. (The courts were organized in October 1878.)^[4] It is Pennsylvania's last county to be created, and the only one created after the American Civil War. It is named for the Lackawanna River.^[1]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 465 square miles (1,200 km²), of which 459 square miles (1,190 km²) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km²) (1.3%) is water.^[5] It has a humid continental climate which is warm-summer (Dfb) except along the Lackawanna River from Olyphant and Blakely below Peckville on down and along the Susquehanna where it is hot-summer (Dfa). Average monthly temperatures in downtown Scranton range from 26.0 °F in January to 71.9 °F in July, in Carbondale they range from 23.8 °F in January to 69.7 °F in July, and in Moscow they range from 22.6 °F in January to 68.4 °F in July.^[6]

The hardiness zone is 6a in higher northern, eastern, and southern areas and 6b in most other areas except in Old Forge, lower areas of Moosic, and Scranton along the Lackawanna River to downtown where it is 7a.

Adjacent counties

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

Major highways

• I-81
• I-84
• I-380
• I-476 / Penna Turnpike NE Extension
• US 6
• 
  US 6 Bus.
• US 11
• PA 106
• PA 107
• PA 307
• PA 348
• PA 407
• PA 435
• PA 438
• PA 502
• PA 524

Demographics

2020 Statistics

As of the 2020 census there were 215,896 people living in Lackawanna County. 83% were Non-Hispanic White, 4% Black or African American, 3.2% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 4% some other race and 6% were multiracial. In 2020 8.5% of the county was Hispanic or Latino.^[12]

2010 Statistics

As of the 2010 census, there were 214,437 people living in the county. 92.0% were White, 2.5% Black or African American, 1.7% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% of some other race and 1.5% of two or more races. 5.0% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 20.1% identified as of Italian, 19.9% Irish, 13.0% Polish and 11.4% German ancestry.^[14]

As of the census^[15] of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families living in the county. The population density was 465 inhabitants per square mile (180/km²). There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 units per square mile (80/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.65% White, 1.31% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.5% were of Italian, 21.2% Irish, 15.4% Polish and 10.2% German ancestry.

There were 86,218 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families; 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, 21.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

Politics and government