Scranton lies in northeastern Pennsylvania, 134 miles from New York City. The community is situated just northeast of
Wilkes-Barre along Interstate 81, on the banks of the Lackawanna River. Scranton is in
Lackawanna County and is the county seat.
The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 74,683, a decrease of 7,122 since 1990.
The first settlers came in the 1780s. The first railroad entered Scranton in 1851. At one time, the economy of the Scranton region depended solely on coal, but mining declined and Scranton has become a manufacturing center. Scranton is part of the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton metro area.