Wilkes-Barre

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Wilkes-Barre
Nickname : The Diamond City, Flood City
View of Wilkes-Barre
View of Wilkes-Barre
Location in Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre
Basic data
Foundation : 1769 (town elevation 1871)
State : United States
State : Pennsylvania
County : Lucerne County
Coordinates : 41 ° 15 ′  N , 75 ° 53 ′  W Coordinates: 41 ° 15 ′  N , 75 ° 53 ′  W
Time zone : Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 )
Inhabitants :
-  Metropolitan Area :		 41,498 (as of 2010)
624,776 (as of 2000)
Population density : 2,344.5 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 18.6 km 2  (approx. 7 mi 2 ) of
which 17.7 km 2  (approx. 7 mi 2 ) is land
Postal code : 18711
Area code : +1 570
FIPS : 42-85152
GNIS ID : 1213654
Website : www.wilkes-barre.pa.us
Mayor : Thomas M. Leighton ( D )
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.
 
 
53
 
0
-8th
 
 
55
 
1
-7
 
 
65
 
8th
-2
 
 
75
 
14th
3
 
 
93
 
21st
9
 
 
101
 
25th
14th
 
 
96
 
28
16
 
 
84
 
27
16
 
 
84
 
22nd
12
 
 
71
 
16
6th
 
 
78
 
9
1
 
 
64
 
3
-5
Temperature in ° C ,  precipitation in mm
Source: National Weather Service, US Dept of Commerce
Monthly average temperatures and rainfall for Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C ) −0.1 1.4 7.5 14.3 20.7 25.3 27.7 26.5 22.4 16.1 9.3 2.6 O 14.5
Min. Temperature (° C) −8.1 −7.2 −2.1 3.4 9.1 13.8 16.4 15.6 11.6 5.6 1.1 −4.8 O 4.6
Precipitation ( mm ) 53.3 54.6 64.8 75.4 92.7 101.1 96.3 84.3 84.1 70.9 77.7 63.8 Σ 919
Rainy days ( d ) 7.6 7.2 8.5 9.3 10.3 10.1 8.8 8.2 7.8 7.0 9.3 8.7 Σ 102.8
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
−0.1
−8.1
1.4
−7.2
7.5
−2.1
14.3
3.4
20.7
9.1
25.3
13.8
27.7
16.4
26.5
15.6
22.4
11.6
16.1
5.6
9.3
1.1
2.6
−4.8
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
N
i
e
d
e
r
s
c
h
l
a
g 		53.3
54.6
64.8
75.4
92.7
101.1
96.3
84.3
84.1
70.9
77.7
63.8
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Wilkes-Barre ( ˈwɪlksbɛrə , / -bɛri / or / -bɛr / ) is a city of about 41,500 people in the US state of Pennsylvania . It is the county seat of Lucerne County .

The city flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries when coal mining was still making a lot of money. It was named "Diamond City" because of the coal and the diamond shape of the central Public Square at the intersection of River Street and Main Street. The city has been doing worse and worse since the 1960s.

The Wyoming Valley settlement was founded in 1769 by John Durkee and a group of Connecticut settlers and named after John Wilkes and Isaac Barré , two members of the London House of Commons who were considered freedom fighters and were close to the Sons of Liberty . In 1806 it was incorporated as a city.

The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins ice hockey team plays in the highest minor league in North America, the AHL .

geography

According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of ​​18.6 km 2 . Of this, 17.7 km 2 are land and 0.9 km 2 (= 4.6%) are water. The geographic coordinates of Wilkes-Barre are 41 ° 15 '  N , 75 ° 53'  W .

The city is located in the Wyoming Valley , a valley bordered by the Pocono Mountains to the east, the Endless Mountains to the west and the Lehigh Valley to the south. The Susquehanna River flows through the valley and also forms the northeastern city boundary.

Economy and Infrastructure

traffic

Interstate 81 passes Wilkes-Barre in a north-south direction, and the city is also at the northeast end of the Pennsylvania Turnpike , north of Interstate 80 .

Local public transportation (PT) is provided by the Luzerne County Transportation Authority. This not only serves the main traffic arteries within the city, but also in the northern half of the county and maintains a bus connection through the connection to the public transport system of the Lackawanna Counties to Scranton with a change in Pittston .

Several international airlines fly to Wilkes-Barre / Scranton International Airport , which is located in nearby Avoca . Smaller private planes can also fly to Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort .

The city was part of the railway network of various railway companies: Lehigh Valley Railroad , Central Railroad of New Jersey , Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (later part of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad ), Delaware and Hudson Railway , Pennsylvania Railroad (as well as their joint subsidiary Wilkes-Barre Connecting Railroad ), Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad, and Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad (the Laurel Line ). The Wilkes-Barre Traction Company operated a tram line from Georgetown to Nanticoke, which was closed in the 1940s , where it crossed the river and continued to Plymouth. At present, the Norfolk Southern Railway (as an indirect successor to the Delaware and Hudson Railway) and the Luzerne & Susquehanna Railway (on the county's infrastructure) operate freight.

media

Two competing daily newspapers appear in Wilkes-Barre, The Times Leader and The Citizens' Voice .

Demographics

Downtown with Market Street Bridge and Susquehanna River.

At the time of the United States Census 2000, 43,123 people lived in the city. The population density was 2430.6 people per km 2 . There were 20,294 housing units at an average of 1143.9 per km 2 . The Wilkes-Barre population was 92.3% White , 5.09% Black or African American , 0.11% Native American , 0.79% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.53% reported of belonging to other races and 1.15% named two or more races. 1.58% of the population declared to be Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The residents of Wilkes-Barre were distributed among 17,961 households. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.96 people.

The urban population was divided into 19.9% ​​minors, 12.6% 18–24 year olds, 26.1% 25–44 year olds, 20.8% 45–64 year olds and 20.6% aged 65 years or more. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 women there were 93.2 men. For every 100 women over the age of 18, there were 90.7 men.

The median household income was 26,711 US dollars and the median family income reached the amount of 36,630 US dollars. The median income for men was $ 28,737 compared to $ 22,471 for women. The per capita income for Wilkes-Barre was $ 15,050. 17.8% of the population and 12.1% of families had an income below the poverty line , including 24.1% of minors and 13.5% of those aged 65 and over.

Population development

1850 1900 1910 1920 1940 1970 1990 2000 2006
2,723 51,721 67.105 73,833 86,236 58,856 47,523 43.123 41,288

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Commons : Wilkes-Barre  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary . Third edition, 2001. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster.
  2. ↑ http://durkeesmenofwyoming.tripod.com/id18.htm
  3. ↑ Naming Wilkes-Barre , wilkes.edu