The Pizza Capital of the World ยท Est. 1899
Source - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates ('24).
Old Forge takes its name from an iron forge built on the south bank of the Lackawanna River in 1789 by Dr. William Hooker Smith and James Sutton. It was the oldest forge in the region. The community incorporated as a borough on May 2, 1899.
Anthracite coal was the main industry through the early 20th century. Deep mining faded across the northern field after the 1959 Knox Mine Disaster. Later employers included textile mills, the Dutchess Underwear Company, and electronics maker Maxson Corporation.
Old Forge is best known as the Pizza Capital of the World. Its distinctive rectangular pizza, ordered by the tray and the cut, developed in local kitchens over the mid-20th century and still draws visitors to the borough's pizzerias. Natives include opera bass Paul Plishka, NASA flight director Glynn Lunney, and former Home Depot and Chrysler chief executive Robert Nardelli.
Old Forge sits about 5 miles southwest of Scranton along the Lackawanna River, in Lackawanna County. Its population was about 8,500 at the 2020 census. Modest coal-era homes on tight blocks make it an affordable, close-in option south of the city.
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