Time a visit for St. Patrick's Day, when the parade in Scranton is one of the biggest in the country. Scranton is the Electric City, an old anthracite coal and rail town in northeastern Pennsylvania that many people know from the TV show The Office. About 75,000 people live in the city, with Italian, Polish and Irish roots visible in its neighborhoods, church spires and food. It is hilly, working class and proud.
Visitors can ride at Steamtown National Historic Site, go down the Lackawanna Coal Mine, walk Nay Aug Gorge or ski at Montage Mountain. Office fans can hunt down the Scranton Business Park sign. New York and Philadelphia are each about two hours away. Housing is cheap for the Northeast, which is a large part of the appeal. The tradeoffs are cold snowy winters, icy hills, flash floods after heavy rain, and property crime in some blocks away from downtown.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
Late spring to fall (events, foliage, Pocono race weekends) and ski weekends in winter at nearby resorts
Quieter season
Midweek and winter
Nearest airport
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International (AVP), 12 miles southwest in Avoca
Highlights
Steamtown National Historic Site
Electric City Trolley Museum
Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour
Everhart Museum
Nay Aug Park and Gorge
Montage Mountain (skiing and Mountain Sports Park)
Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple
Scranton Iron Furnaces
Houdini Museum
The Office fan sites such as the Scranton Business Park sign and Dunder Mifflin-themed tours
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
6.1/10Good
Connector Score7.8
15 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity bus, and air; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety5.0
About 600 violent crimes per 100,000 people a year; the US average is about 370. Data-based
Affordability7.2
Cost of living index about 93, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation6.5
Reachable by: road, intercity bus, and air. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness3.5
Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability4.0
Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do6.4
Known for 7 kinds of attraction, with 10 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining5.7
A known food scene, weighted by city size. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay5.5
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors6.5
Known for mountains & hiking, lakes & rivers, skiing & winter sports. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value6.8
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness4.5
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness4.8
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife4.3
Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate
Remote-work friendliness5.8
City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate
Road-trip convenience6.5
15 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience1.0
No intercity train service noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience6.5
Intercity buses, with 11 nearby cities reachable by bus. Hey! En Route estimate
The Electric City; Home of The Office (TV series setting); Anthracite coal and Steamtown heritage city; Birthplace of the Lackawanna Valley industrial era
Founded
1840 Slocum Hollow ironworks (Scranton brothers); 1866 incorporated as a city
Languages
English; Spanish; Italian and Polish (heritage); Arabic; Vietnamese; Nepali
Airports
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International (AVP), about 12 miles southwest in Avoca; Lehigh Valley International (ABE), about 60 miles south; Newark Liberty (EWR), about 120 miles east; Philadelphia International (PHL), about 125 miles south
Tipping
Restaurants 18-20%; bars $1-2 per drink; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2-5 per bag; tour guides 15-20%; counter service optional
About this data
Population and land area (25.31 sq mi), median value and rent are from Census QuickFacts (Vintage 2025 and ACS 2020-2024). Price is from Houzeo (2026); Redfin's city page could not be retrieved. Metro figure (Scranton-Wilkes-Barre MSA) is an approximate recent estimate, not taken from a Census table in this pass. Elevation, coordinates, founding, event names and months (some not verified as current), hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living index, airport distances, 1BR rent and crime context are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified. Confidence is medium. URLs were seen in search results but not load-tested
Last updated September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$105/day
Lodging about $90 a night
Mid-range
$158/day
Lodging about $145 a night
Luxury
$266/day
Lodging about $245 a night
Budget calculator
Vehicle
mpg
These are estimates from typical prices, not quotes. Real costs vary with season, events, booking time and your own habits; taxes and fees are approximate.
Cost of living
For longer stays and relocation.
Cost of living index
93 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
$1,150a month
Research notes
About 90-95 versus US=100 (approximate, common indices; not verified in this pass); typical 1BR rent about $1,000-1,300 per month (Census median gross rent for all units $1,048)
Research notes on prices and seasons
Hotels per night: budget $70-110; mid-range $110-180; luxury $190-300. Peak season is late spring to fall (events, foliage, Pocono race weekends) and ski weekends in winter at nearby resorts; midweek and winter are cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $60-110
Top sights
Steamtown National Historic Site
Electric City Trolley Museum
Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour
Everhart Museum
Nay Aug Park and Gorge
Montage Mountain (skiing and Mountain Sports Park)
Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple
Scranton Iron Furnaces
Houdini Museum
The Office fan sites such as the Scranton Business Park sign and Dunder Mifflin-themed tours
Safety information is a guide from public data and our research, not a guarantee. Conditions change; check local news and official advice before you go.
5.0
Fair · Data-based
About 600 violent crimes per 100,000 people a year; the US average is about 370.
Safety overview
Crime is around or somewhat above the national average for a small city; property crime and vehicle break-ins are the main visitor risk, so lock cars and do not leave valuables visible. Hospitals: Geisinger Community Medical Center, Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton, Moses Taylor Hospital. Environmental: cold snowy winters, ice on hilly roads, flash flooding along the Lackawanna River and creeks after heavy rain, summer thunderstorms, and occasional ticks and Lyme disease risk in wooded areas
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
Some blocks in parts of the South Side, West Side and central city away from downtown and the university have higher property crime; use ordinary caution at night there. Downtown, the Hill Section, Green Ridge and Nay Aug Park during the day are generally comfortable for visitors
Times marked “est.” are estimates: drives use typical road distances at highway speeds, and train or bus times assume both cities have service. Always check a route planner and timetables before you travel.
Route ideas
Suggested by Hey! En Route from the best-connected next stops. Save one to your routes and make it your own.
2-day trip
Scranton (1 night)
3-day trip
Scranton (1 night) → New York City (1 night)
About 121 mi, 2 h 38 min of travel
5-day trip
Scranton (2 nights) → New York City (1 night) → Philadelphia (1 night)
About 215 mi, 4 h 44 min of travel
7-day trip
Scranton (2 nights) → New York City (1 night) → Philadelphia (1 night) → Baltimore (1 night)
About 313 mi, 6 h 54 min of travel
10-day trip
Scranton (2 nights) → New York City (2 nights) → Philadelphia (1 night) → Baltimore (1 night) → Virginia Beach (1 night)
