Lackawanna County

Lackawanna County is a home rule county in northeastern Pennsylvania, covering forested hills and wide river valleys. The Lackawanna River winds through the landscape, linking several towns that grew along its banks.

The county formed in 1878 from part of Luzerne County, when the coal industry drew workers and families to the region. Within a few decades, mines, ironworks, and rail lines transformed the valley completely.

Throughout the area, church steeples and neighborhood halls still reflect the immigrant communities that settled here during the mining boom. Many residents maintain family recipes and traditions passed down from Polish, Italian, and Irish ancestors who arrived generations ago.

Most attractions and services sit near the main roads that follow the valleys. Rural areas in the north and west offer quiet countryside but fewer facilities.

In some places along the river, old stone bridges and rail embankments remain, reminders of the days when steam trains hauled coal to market. In a few valleys, forests have returned where smoking chimneys once filled the view.

Location: Pennsylvania

Inception: August 13, 1878

Capital city: Scranton

Shares border with: Susquehanna County, Wayne County, Monroe County, Luzerne County, Wyoming County

Website: http://lackawannacounty.org

GPS coordinates: 41.44000,-75.61000

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:24