White Haven
Gateway to the Lehigh Gorge · Est. 1842
White Haven is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The ZIP code is 18661.
Based on information from the Luzerne County Association of REALTORS® MLS as of October 29, 2026.
White Haven at a Glance
Source - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024.
About White Haven
John Lines built the first cabin here in 1824. The town carries the name of Josiah White, whose bear-trap locks made the Lehigh navigable above this point, and the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company began its canal, basin and dam here in 1835. It incorporated as a borough in 1842. The 2020 population was 1,166.
The borough sits on the Lehigh River in southern Luzerne County, about 14 miles south-southeast of Wilkes-Barre. It grew as a shipping point on the Lehigh Coal and Navigation system, and the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad was chartered in 1837 to connect it to Wilkes-Barre.
Read more ↓
In 1901 Dr. Lawrence F. Flick, a pioneer of the American campaign against tuberculosis, founded the White Haven Sanatorium here to treat patients with the disease. It closed as a sanatorium in 1956 and reopened as a state facility for people with intellectual disabilities, later the White Haven Center, which closed in 2023.
White Haven now sits at the doorstep of Lehigh Gorge State Park and near the Interstate 476 and Interstate 80 interchange, making it a gateway to the Poconos. Housing is a small stock of older borough homes, valued for river recreation and quick highway access. It draws both year-round residents and second-home buyers.
Current Listings in White Haven
Showing 24 of 28 active listings. See all available homes on our MLS search.
Buying or Selling in White Haven?
We work White Haven and the surrounding Luzerne County market every day. Whether you’re buying your first home, selling, or investing, our team is here to help.
Talk to a Local Broker