Pittston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Pittston Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township is located within the Greater Pittston metro area. The population was 3,450 at the 2000 census. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is located in Pittston Township.

History
Pittston Township was established in 1790 by European immigrants. Years later, coal mining became the prominent industry in the area.

It remained an active mining region for many decades, until the Knox Mine Disaster (1959) in nearby Port Griffith ended the industry completely.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37.2 km²), of which, 14.4 square miles (37.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.14%) is water. It is the largest community in all of Greater Pittston. The township is served by the Pittston Area School District. The eastern part of the township is made up of mountains and thick forests. Most of the township's residents and businesses are located in the western half of the town. The elevation drops from east to west.

Its villages include Browntown, Glendale, and Suscon. Its numbered routes are U.S. Route 11, Interstate 81, Interstate 476, Route 315, and Route 502. The interstates connect via 315 at the Wyoming Valley Interchange just east of Browntown. Suscon Road connects Dupont with Thornhurst on the Lehigh River. Oak Street and William Street (Route 11) connect the township with the city of Pittston.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,450 people, 1,340 households, and 975 families residing in the township. The population density was 240.2 people per square mile (92.8/km²). There were 1,437 housing units at an average density of 100.1/sq mi (38.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 99.16% White, 0.29% African American, 0.09% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.

There were 1,340 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the township the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $41,339, and the median income for a family was $47,933. Males had a median income of $32,013 versus $22,077 for females. The per capita income for the township was $18,660. About 7.1% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government
A second class township government consists of 3 supervisors, each with equal voting power. The three current supervisors are:
 * Joseph Adams
 * Stephen Rinaldi
 * Ron Marcellini

Highways
Interstate 81 passes through Pittston Township. Combined with all of Interstate 59 and a portion of Interstate 75, Interstate 81 follows U.S. 11 for its entire journey from New Orleans, Louisiana to northern New York State. I-81 does not enter major metropolitan areas; it instead serves smaller cities such as Roanoke and Winchester, Virginia; Hagerstown, Maryland; Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Pennsylvania; and Binghamton and Syracuse, New York. After passing through Watertown, NY, Interstate 81 crosses the St. Lawrence Seaway to meet Highway 401 in Canada. The city is also located near the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 476 providing service from Clarks Summit to Philadelphia.

Air
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is actually in Pittston Township. The airport is serviced by eight international airlines and hosted Air Force One on regional presidential visits several times in the past. In the spring of 2002, the airport began offering an increased number of non-stop flights across the nation. Service is provided by Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways.

Public transportation
Pittston is served by the Luzerne County Transportation Authority and COLTS, which provides bus services to the city and other communities within Luzerne County and Lackawanna County. Martz Trailways also provides commuter, tour, and trip service from Pittston, nearby Wilkes-Barre and Scranton to points east and south, such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Atlantic City.

Rail
At present, the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad, Canadian Pacific Railway (successor to the Delaware and Hudson) and the Luzerne & Susquehanna Railroad (designated-operator of the county-owned shortline) provide freight service within Pittston City and Pittston Township. A proposed nearby commuter train from Scranton to New York City has received government funding.