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Major city · United States

Scranton

Give Scranton one full day for Steamtown and the coal mine tour, two if you add Nay Aug Park and the Everhart; base downtown and drive.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Scranton is a former anthracite and railroad city in northeastern Pennsylvania, about 2 h 15 min by car from New York and 2 h from Philadelphia. Its draw is industrial history — Steamtown National Historic Site, the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour and the Iron Furnaces — plus a compact, walkable downtown of early-1900s buildings. It is a one- or two-night stop on a Coal Region or Poconos drive, not a standalone destination.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jan–Feb (cold, ice), peak summer humidity in Jul–Aug
Airports
AVP · EWR · PHL
Nights
1–2
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Scranton911 ▾
  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Scranton, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–5
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner, before tax and tip$18–35
  • Street or quick mealDiner breakfast$10–16
  • BeerDraught beer in a bar$6–9
  • Metro or bus rideCOLTS bus rideNo Sunday or holiday service.$1.25
  • Budget bedFamily room or suite (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$150
  • Mid-range bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$150
  • High-end bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$240

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$140 · High US$260

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Steamtown National Historic SiteLackawanna Coal Mine TourAnthracite and railroad historyThe Office (TV setting)Joe Biden's birthplace
Airports
AVP Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International (About 20 min south in Avoca; daily flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago O'Hare, Detroit, Newark and Philadelphia; rental cars at the terminal.) · EWR Newark Liberty International (About 2 h by car; the usual long-haul gateway for this region.) · PHL Philadelphia International (About 2 h by car.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    1°C (34°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    3°C (37°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    8°C (46°F)

  4. Apr

    not flagged

    15°C (59°F)

  5. May

    Best

    21°C (70°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    26°C (79°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    28°C (82°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    27°C (81°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    23°C (73°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    16°C (61°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    10°C (50°F)

  12. Dec

    not flagged

    3°C (37°F)

Best: May–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Jan–Feb, Jul–Aug. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (28°C (82°F)), coolest Jan (−8°C (18°F) low), wettest May (12 rain days), driest Sep (9). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Scranton: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

1°C (34°F)

−8°C (18°F)

11 rd

Feb

3°C (37°F)

−7°C (19°F)

10 rd

Mar

8°C (46°F)

−3°C (27°F)

11 rd

Apr

15°C (59°F)

3°C (37°F)

11 rd

May

21°C (70°F)

8°C (46°F)

12 rd

Jun

26°C (79°F)

13°C (55°F)

11 rd

Jul

28°C (82°F)

16°C (61°F)

11 rd

Aug

27°C (81°F)

15°C (59°F)

10 rd

Sep

23°C (73°F)

11°C (52°F)

9 rd

Oct

16°C (61°F)

5°C (41°F)

9 rd

Nov

10°C (50°F)

1°C (34°F)

10 rd

Dec

3°C (37°F)

−5°C (23°F)

11 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical default: sights spread from downtown to McDade Park and Montage Mountain. Downtown itself is walkable — park in a garage and cover Courthouse Square, Steamtown and the Iron Furnaces on foot. COLTS buses run city routes roughly 7:00–19:00 and do not run Sundays or holidays; taxis are phone-dispatch only and cannot be hailed.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Wilkes-Barre

go

Door to door: About 40 min

I-81 south, about 30 min by car

Pair with Scranton on a two-city Coal Region day.

Jim Thorpe

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

I-81 south to I-476, then PA-903, about 1 h 15 min by car

Victorian river town with rail and outdoor trips; a full day.

Dunmore

go

Door to door: About 20 min

I-81 north or Drinker Street, about 10 min by car

Adjacent borough; easy add-on, not a day on its own.

Clarks Summit

go

Door to door: About 30 min

I-81 north to PA-407, about 20 min by car

Small town at the edge of the Abingtons; combine with a country drive.

Hazleton

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

I-81 south, about 50 min by car

Mostly a highway stop; go only if you are heading south anyway.

Pottsville

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

I-81 south to PA-61, about 1 h 15 min by car

Yuengling brewery tours and more coal history; a half-day plus drive.

Lehighton

caution

Door to door: About 1.25 h

I-476 south to US-209, about 1 h by car

Gateway to the Poconos and Lehigh Gorge; better as an overnight base.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown / Central City

Two dozen walkable blocks around Courthouse Square; the Radisson Lackawanna Station hotel occupies the old train station. Best for a car-free day.

Montage Mountain / Moosic

Highway-side hotels near PNC Field and the ski area; cheaper, but you drive everywhere.

Dickson City / Viewmont

Big-box strip on Business Rt. 6 north of the city; practical for drivers with a car.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$60–100 excl. bed
Mid
$110–180 excl. bed
High
$200+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double room1 × 2 nights × US$150US$300
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$140US$560
Rental car, one day1 × US$70 · checkUS$70
Fuel, about 100 km of local driving1 × US$12 · checkUS$12
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$97
Trip total≈ US$267 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,069

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax added at checkout. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–5
Diner breakfast$10–16
Casual lunch or a slice$10–18
Sit-down dinner, before tax and tip$18–35
Draught beer in a bar$6–9
Downtown parking garageGarages open daily 07:00–23:00.$1.75 first hour, about $0.75 each hour after
COLTS bus rideNo Sunday or holiday service.$1.25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Downtown is fine on foot in daylight and early evening; use normal city sense after dark and drive between outlying sights. The real hazards are winter ice, deer on rural roads and long, unlit stretches between towns.
  • COLTS buses do not run on Sundays or holidays — check the schedule before relying on them.
  • Steamtown's GPS pin (150 S Washington Ave) has no public access; enter from Cliff Street.
  • Winter ice on pavements and steps downtown; summer can be humid.
  • The Dunder-Mifflin building at 1725 Slough Avenue does not exist — the exterior shots were filmed in California.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

ScrantonScranton

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Scranton; consulates-general are in New York and Philadelphia, embassies in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi, downtown to Montage Mountain: about $25–35 (check)
  • Bus, New York to Scranton: about $35–60 one way, 2.5–3 h (check)
  • Downtown parking garage, full day: about $8–12 (check)

Say or show

  • Where is the entrance? — Where is the entrance?
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is there parking here? — Is there parking here?

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Scranton. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jan–Feb (cold, ice), peak summer humidity in Jul–Aug · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for AVP: last flight banks, rental-desk hours, taxi fallback.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: Courthouse Square, Steamtown and the Iron Furnaces, the University of Scranton hill, Nay Aug Park.
  3. Place pages with verified hours for Steamtown, the coal mine tour, the Everhart and the Trolley Museum.
  4. Winter and event fixtures (ski season, Toyota Pavilion shows) so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources