Get to know NEPA! From its quiet, rural villages to its bustling small cities to its historic towns, our little corner of Pennsylvania offers something for everyone — whether it’s all about work, play or just having that place to call home. Follow along as we take a closer look at all of NEPA’s convenient, safe, affordable and family-friendly places to live.
NEPA’s Original “Queen City”
The Borough of Olyphant is a largely residential area just over five miles north of Scranton. It was originally founded as Queen City in the late 19th century. Eventually the borough changed its name to honor George Talbot Olyphant, President of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company. The Lackawanna County borough, like many of its neighbors, made a name for itself during the iron, steel and anthracite boom of the 20th century. Today, Olyphant remains one of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s unique industrial hubs. The quiet borough is also one of the Greater Scranton Area’s popular outlying suburban communities.
The charming borough boasts a walkable downtown with plenty of shops, restaurants, businesses and churches. Safe, quiet neighborhoods spread out into the surrounding hills. Olyphant enjoys a healthy mix of town and nature. The roaring Lackawanna River snakes along the borough’s northern border, while it’s southeastern edge rolls right up onto scenic Moosic Mountain.
The Borough of Olyphant offers the best of both worlds when it comes to convenience and cost of living. It checks all those safe, quiet suburban town boxes – all while being only a 5–10-minute drive from bustling Scranton. Olyphant also offers immediate proximity to some of the region’s top manufacturing and distribution employers alongside a healthy dose of natural spaces, mountains and parks.
Population: 5,395
Square Miles: 5.5
School District: Mid Valley School District
Living in Olyphant
Quiet, convenient living with easy access to nature and the Electric City.
Olyphant is situated just five miles north of Scranton and on the western edge of the Pocono Mountains’ Lake Region. The borough offers easy access to four major highways, making light work of daily commuter and leisure travel. Safe, quiet residential streets radiate from Olyphant’s charming downtown and into rolling, hilly neighborhoods. Housing in the borough ranges from affordable single-family homes to duplexes to trendy downtown apartments. A healthy mixture of local restaurants, shops, parks and nearby recreational amenities keeps The Queen City’s residents busy. The County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS) provides safe, reliable public transit access throughout the valley and into the Greater Scranton Area.
The borough’s safe and secure neighborhoods are served by a full-time police force and a nearby PA State Police barracks. Five volunteer fire companies and the Olyphant Ambulance & Rescue Squad work together to keep nearly 6,000 residents and 1,500 households safe. Lehigh Valley Health Network, Commonwealth Health and Geisinger Health Systems operate hospitals, outpatient offices and clinics within the surrounding Greater Scranton Area.
Out & About in Olyphant
Sure, Olyphant’s quiet streets and uncrowded sidewalks make for easy living, but that’s not all this little borough has to offer. There are plenty of things to do for the whole family. And if you’re looking for a little more, you’re only five miles from Scranton, one of NEPA’s largest cities.
Nature Around Every Corner
You don’t have to travel far to be immersed in Olyphant’s great outdoors.
Enjoying the great outdoors in Olyphant is easier than you think. The borough’s northwestern border follows the course of the crystal-clear Lackawanna River. Condella Park serves as an access point on the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. The spacious park also offers several sports fields, basketball and tennis courts and a playground. You can even rent a picnic pavilion.
The Dick and Nancy Eales Nature Preserve, located on Olyphant’s southeastern border provides stunning, year-round mountain views. The preserve, managed by The Nature Conservancy, features 2,250 acres of pristine mountain top nature. Hikers, mountain bikers, bird watchers and hunters frequent the preserve in all four seasons. Adjacent PA State Game Lands offer an additional 15,000 acres and access to even more trails and wildlife.
