Wilkes-Barre is named for John Wilkes and Isaac Barre who were members of the British Parliament, who were Colonial sympathizers. There is a monument to them in the town square.

Wilkes-Barre is located in Luzerne County, just southwest of Scranton along Interstate 81. It is situated on the banks of the Susquehanna River near the Tobyhanna military reservation.

Connecticut colonists created the first settlement on the Wilkes-Barre site in 1769. The community was destroyed by fire twice and rebuilt. It became a city in 1871.

Attractions include the Wilkes-Barre Public Museum, F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Art, and the Wilkes University. A manufacturing and trading center, Wilkes-Barre is part of the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton metro area.