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Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
City and County seat
Wilkes Barre Downtown.jpg
Wilkes-Barre.jpg LuzerneCountyCourthouseRiverCommons.jpg
Wilkes Barre Panorama.jpg
Wilkes-Barre with Susquehanna River.jpg
From top to bottom, left to right: Downtown Wilkes-Barre, looking west from Giants Despair, Wilkes-Barre Public Square, Luzerne County Courthouse, Panorama of Wilkes Barre, and the Susquehanna River
Official seal of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Seal
Nickname(s): The Diamond City, Coal City, Dub City, The W-B
Motto: Pattern After Us
Wilkes-Barre is located in Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre
Location in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 41°14′40″N 75°52′41″W / 41.24444°N 75.87806°W / 41.24444; -75.87806Coordinates: 41°14′40″N 75°52′41″W / 41.24444°N 75.87806°W / 41.24444; -75.87806
Country  United States
State  Pennsylvania
County Luzerne
Founded 1769
Incorporated 1806: Borough
  1871: City
Named for John Wilkes, Isaac Barré
Government
 • Type Mayor-council
 • Body Wilkes-Barre City Council
 • Mayor Anthony George (D)
 • City Council
Area
 • City and County seat 7.2 sq mi (18.6 km2)
 • Land 6.9 sq mi (17.7 km2)
 • Water 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
Elevation 525 ft (160 m)
Population (2013)
 • City and County seat 40,780 (US:920)
 • Metro 562,037 (US: 95th)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP Codes 18701–18703, 18705, 18706, 18710, 18711, 18762, 18764–18767, 18769, 18773
Area code 570 and 272
FIPS codes 42-85152 (city)
42-079 (county)
Website www.wilkes-barre.pa.us

Wilkes-Barre (/ˈwɪlksˌbɛər/ or /-bɛəri/) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. It is one of the principal cities in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley, it is second in size to the nearby city of Scranton. The Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census, making it the fourth-largest metro/statistical area in the state of Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding Wyoming Valley are framed 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 center of the valley and defines the northwestern border of the city.

Wilkes-Barre was founded in 1769 and formally incorporated in 1806. The city grew rapidly in the 19th century after the discovery of nearby coal reserves and the arrival of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who provided a labor force for the local mines. The coal mining fueled industrialization in the city, which reached the height of its prosperity in the first half of the 20th century. Its population peaked at more than 86,000. Following World War II, the city's economy declined due to the collapse of industry. The Knox Mine disaster accelerated this trend after large portions of the area's coal mines were flooded and could not be reopened. Today the city has a population of 41,498, making it the the largest city in Luzerne County and the 13th-largest city in Pennsylvania.


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