Dickson City, PA Area Guide

Originally established as Priceville in 1863, the borough took its current name from Thomas Dickson, founder of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, when it was incorporated in June 1875. Coal mining drove rapid growth after 1880, when John Jermyn sank the Johnson shaft and the population climbed from 329 to 841 before ultimately peaking at 12,395 in 1930. The area originally included all of what is now the neighboring borough of Throop.

Traces of that industrial past blend into an everyday suburban landscape today, but reminders of the region's heritage are close at hand. Steamtown National Historic Site, a railroad history museum, is about a 13-minute drive away. The Everhart Museum is similarly nearby, and Scranton's Harry Houdini Museum adds a note of pop culture history to the area's cultural offerings.

The dining scene spans two main corridors. Along the Scranton/Carbondale Highway, sit-down chains like Olive Garden and Red Lobster share the road with the Viewmont Diner and a range of quick options near Viewmont Mall. The Main Street corridor offers a more local flavor, with bars and grills serving burgers, Old Forge-style pizza, and Central European specialties like halupki, halushki, pierogies, and kielbasa.

For something sweet or a quick grab-and-go meal, Dickson City Crossings adds more choices, and the surrounding streets hold a handful of neighborhood spots for casual meals and drinks throughout the week.

Getting around Dickson City means relying primarily on a car. US Route 6 -- recognized by National Geographic as one of the country's most scenic drives -- serves as the main commercial artery and connects to Interstate 81 at the borough's southern boundary, as well as to Interstate 476. Route 11 is the principal connecting road to downtown Scranton.

For riders without a vehicle, the County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS) operates bus routes with stops in Dickson City, linking riders to downtown Scranton, Viewmont Mall, Marywood University, and Mohegan Sun Casino. The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail also offers more than 70 miles of car-free walking and biking along the river. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is about 16.5 miles away, roughly a 26-minute drive.

Bernard Seminski Memorial Park on Elm and Dewey anchors the borough's park system with a lit walking path, lit tennis and basketball courts, a baseball field, a softball field, a volleyball court, and a pavilion. Crystal Park on Doloff and Shady Lane Drives and VFW Park on Jermyn Street both offer baseball diamonds, basketball courts, and playgrounds, while City Line Park on Johnson Avenue serves the borough's western edge.

Beyond the borough's own green spaces, the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail runs more than 70 miles through dozens of communities, offering walking and biking along tree-lined riverbanks. A short 12-minute drive leads to Archbald Pothole State Park, a 150-acre preserve featuring a 38-foot-deep glacial pothole formed roughly 15,000 years ago, along with hiking trails and pet-friendly areas. Montage Mountain, less than 15 miles away, draws visitors for skiing, snowboarding, and a water park, and hosts the Peach Music Festival each mid-August.

Rental rates in Dickson City run above the Pennsylvania statewide average. One-bedroom apartments average $1,939 per month, two-bedroom units average $2,192 per month, and three-bedroom rentals average $2,819 per month. The statewide average for a one-bedroom is $1,574, placing Dickson City noticeably higher than most of the state. The median household income in the borough is $68,536.

Retail is one of Dickson City's defining traits, and the Commerce Boulevard and Route 6 corridor packs in an impressive range of options for a borough its size. Dickson City Crossings includes Home Depot, PetSmart, and T.J. Maxx, while Viewmont Mall houses Books-A-Million, Dick's Sporting Goods, Macy's, and JCPenney. Target and Walmart anchor the upper stretch of the highway, and grocery shoppers can choose between GIANT on Main Street, Wegmans, and Aldi along the Route 6 corridor.

Smaller shopping centers -- including Hobby Lobby Center, Dickson City Commons, and Commerce Plaza -- fill in the gaps near the borough's center. On Sundays, the Circle Drive-In on Business Route 6 transforms into a sprawling outdoor flea fair that draws visitors from across the region.

From the West Mountain backdrop and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail to the long-running Circle Drive-In Theater and one of northeastern Pennsylvania's densest retail corridors, Dickson City delivers small-town residential calm with easy reach to Scranton, Archbald Pothole State Park, and Montage Mountain's year-round outdoor attractions.