Carbondale, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
City | |
 | |
| Nickname: The Pioneer City | |
 Location of Carbondale in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania | |
  Carbondale Location of Carbondale in Pennsylvania  Carbondale Carbondale (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 41°34′N 75°30′W / 41.567°N 75.500°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Lackawanna |
| Established | 1824 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Michele Bannon[1] (D) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.24 sq mi (8.40 km2) |
| • Land | 3.24 sq mi (8.40 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,043 ft (318 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 8,828 |
| • Density | 2,722.17/sq mi (1,051.04/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 18407 |
| Area code | 570 |
| FIPS code | 42-11232 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1215315[3] |
Carbondale is a city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States.[5] Carbondale is located approximately 15 miles due northeast of the city of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 8,828 at the 2020 census.[6]
The land area that became Carbondale was developed by William and Maurice Wurts, the founders of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, during the rise of the anthracite coal mining industry[5] in the early 19th century. It was also a major terminal of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad. Carbondale was the site of the first deep vein anthracite coal mine[7] in the United States, and was the site of the Carbondale mine fire which burned from 1946 to the early 1970s.
Carbondale has struggled with the demise of the once-prominent coal mining industry that had once made the region a haven for immigrants seeking work. Immigrants from Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and from continental Europe came to Carbondale in the 19th and early 20th centuries to work in the anthracite and railroading industries.
Carbondale is 92.2 miles (148.4 km) north of Allentown and 130.8 miles (210.5 km) northwest of New York City.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Carbondale has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2), all land.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 2,398 | — | |
| 1850 | 4,945 | 106.2% | |
| 1860 | 5,090 | 2.9% | |
| 1870 | 6,393 | 25.6% | |
| 1880 | 7,714 | 20.7% | |
| 1890 | 10,833 | 40.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,536 | 25.0% | |
| 1910 | 17,040 | 25.9% | |
| 1920 | 18,640 | 9.4% | |
| 1930 | 20,061 | 7.6% | |
| 1940 | 19,371 | −3.4% | |
| 1950 | 16,296 | −15.9% | |
| 1960 | 13,595 | −16.6% | |
| 1970 | 12,478 | −8.2% | |
| 1980 | 11,255 | −9.8% | |
| 1990 | 10,664 | −5.3% | |
| 2000 | 9,804 | −8.1% | |
| 2010 | 8,891 | −9.3% | |
| 2020 | 8,828 | −0.7% | |
| [8][9][10][4] | |||
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,828 people and 3,905 households residing in the city. The population density was 2,758.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,065.2/km2). There were 4,214 housing units at an average density of 1,317 per square mile (508/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.8% White, 2.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 3.0% from other races, and 6.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2% of the population.
There were 3,905 households, out of which 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 19.2% had a male householder with no spouse present, 38.4% had a female householder with no spouse present. The average family size was 2.65.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 57% from 18 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.2 years.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,618, and the median income for a family was $55,043. About 24.8% of the population were below the poverty threshold, including 46.7% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.[6]
The Carbondale Historical Society and Museum records and maintains the city's history. The Carbondale City Hall and Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[11] The Delaware and Hudson Canal Gravity Railroad Shops have been demolished, but were once listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[11]
The Carbondale mine fire began in Carbondale in 1946.[12] Every census since 1940 has seen a steady decline in the population of Carbondale, mostly attributed to the end of the coal industry in the area.
U.S. Business Route 6 runs down Main Street, Carbondale, as the main highway through the city. Recently completed after years of highly visible construction, the four-lane Robert P. Casey Memorial Highway U.S. Route 6 runs from Interstate 81 near Scranton north past Carbondale with interchanges outside, but close to, the city limits.
As the city responsible for the importation of America's first steam locomotive, the Stourbridge Lion in 1829, Carbondale was once a main terminus of the Delaware and Hudson Railway. It was also served by the Erie Railroad and the New York, Ontario and Western Railway.
Today Carbondale is served by the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority and its designated-operator Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad on a single remaining D&H mainline track running to Scranton, now called the Carbondale Mainline.
Steamtown National Historic Site on occasion provides excursion trains originating from the Scranton Yard to the Carbondale Station for special events.[15]
Carbondale is served by the County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS).
Carbondale is served by the #52 and #82 lines, run by COLTS bus.
WCDL-AM 1440 has served the area since 1950. Co-owned WTRW broadcasts on 94.3 FM.
