Easton (Pennsylvania)

Easton a town in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States of America.

It is right on the Delaware River, across the bridge from Phillipsburg in the Skylands region of New Jersey.

Understand
Easton Peace Candle at night. The Peace Candle is erected every year around Christmas

In 1736, Thomas Penn (William Penn's son) surveyed the area and Easton was officially born in 1752. Prior to that, Easton had been known as "Lechawitauk", meaning "The Place at the Forks." On July 8, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was read in Easton's Centre Square, one of three public readings of the document. Every year, Easton celebrates this historic event with its Heritage Day celebration, held in July.

Easton became a primary commercial location during the canals and railroads era of the 1800s. The Delaware, Morris and Lehigh canals were vital for transportation of goods. The railroads replaced the canals for transportation and five railroads served Easton. The city had a strong German heritage. During Prohibition, it was known for nightlife and had plenty of liquor and a large number of brothels.

The population in Easton continues to diversify. Between the 1990 and 2000 censuses, the Hispanic and Black populations increased significantly. However, the primiary ethnicity in the city remains White/non-Hispanic.

Geography

Easton sits at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers; Native Americans originally called Easton Lechawitau, "the place at the Forks".

Climate

Easton has a highly variable four-season temperate climate.

Summertime highs average in the low 80s F, but with occasional short heat waves with temps over 95 F, with considerable humidity and occasionally intense thunderstorms.

Winters are somewhat cold with average highs in the mid to upper 30s F, but with occasional short thaws when temperatures can suddenly rise over 65 F for a few days. Severe cold snaps are common, with highs dropping into the twenties. Heavy snowfalls rarely occur more than once or twice each winter, but a wintry mix of ice, sleet, and light snow is possible from mid-November through early April. The combination of above freezing daytime temps and below freezing nights makes black ice a constant wintertime driving hazard even when there has not been precipitation recently.

Late spring and early summer (from mid-April to late June), and autumn are the most pleasant times of the year, with very mild temperatures and generally low humidity. Autumn leaf season usually arrives in the last two weeks of October.

Tourist Information
  • Lehigh Valley Visitor Center - Easton, 30 Centre Square, 484-546-0594. Hours: 9AM - 5PM Tuesday - Saturday, 9:30AM - 2:30PM Sunday, closed Monday
  • Discover Lehigh Valley (Formerly Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau),

Get in

By plane

The primary and most convenient point of airline entry to Easton and Lehigh Valley is Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE IATA), which is less than 15 minutes away from most parts of the city. Various airlines operate out of this airport. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL IATA) is a major international airport that is about 70 miles away. Since it is a hub for several national airlines, it's easy to obtain non-stop flights to Philadelphia International compared to ABE and usually cheaper.

By car
  • US Highway 22 is a main thoroughfare, being a 4-lane limited-access highway with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour through all of Lehigh Valley except in Easton.
  • Drivers coming from points east will want to note that all of the major bridges across the Delaware River (from New Jersey) are free eastbound, but require tolls westbound. Locating the free bridge in Phillipsburg is possible but not recommended to those unfamiliar with the area. It is called Northampton Street for the adventurous and adds only about half a mile to the trip (unless yu easily get lost).
  • From the southeast and northwest, PA Route 309 provides fairly quick access and is a good road to travel.
  • Interstate 78 and Interstate 476 (PA Turnpike; tolled) intersect very close to the city of Easton, going in all directions north, south, east, and west.
  • PA Route 33 is the best approach for travelers from I-80 in the Poconos and points east.

By bus

Get around

By bus

Extensive bus services are provided by Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA).

By cab

Several cab companies also operate throughout Easton and Lehigh Valley. These are:

  • Easton Taxi, +1 610-258-2888.
  • Lehigh Valley Taxi, +1 610-867-6000.
  • Quick Service Taxi, +1 610-434-8132.

By limo

See
An old-style stone house in Easton
  • 🌍 The Crayola Factory, 18 Centre Square, ☎ +1 610-515-8000. Mon.-Fri., 9:30 AM - 4PM; Sat & Sun., 10AM - 6PM. Fun, indoor theme park type place, where kids can enjoy lots of activities and learn how real crayola crayons are made. It's NOT the actual Crayola factory, but you can see how they make Crayola crayons. Very kid friendly. Has its dedicated store. There is a municipal parking garage, behind the facility between Pine St. and Ferry St. for a fee of around $2 per hour. There is also on street meter parking for $1 per hour, with a 2 hour limit. Adults & Children $16.99, seniors, military and infants charges less. 
  • 🌍 Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, 2750 Hugh Moore Park Rd, ☎ +1 610-923-3548. Outdoor activities, hiking areas, arts events, historical sites all along the Delaware and Lehigh rivers. 
  • Home to one of the oldest rivalries in American high school football history, the border war--the Easton vs. Phillipsburg high school football game--is held each Thanksgiving Day and routinely draws in excess of 15,000 spectators. Easton High School is also known for their often nationally-ranked wrestling team.
  • 🌍 Moyer Aviation, Braden Airpark, 3800 Sullivan Trail, ☎ +1 610-258-0473. Private plane tours. 
  • 🌍 National Canal Museum, 30 Centre Square, ☎ +1 610-559-6613. The only museum in the country dedicated to telling the story of America’s historic towpath canals. Features four galleries filled with hands-on exhibits that educate and entertain parents and children alike. Mule-drawn canal boat rides available.  
  • Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society, 101-107 S 4th St., ☎ +1 610-253-1222. 
  • 🌍 The State Theatre Center for the Arts, 453 Northampton St., ☎ +1 610-252-3132. Located in the downtown Easton, it is home to many traveling artists, ballet groups, broadway shows, national music and comedy acts, and more. Most famous for the Freddy Awards, an Emmy award-winning awards show put on by local high schools for drama productions during the school year; named for the famous ghost who resides in the State Theater, Freddy, the first owner of the theater. 
  • 🌍 Sigal Museum, 342 Northampton Street, ☎ +1 610-253-1222. Wed -Sat 10am - 4pm. Sun 12pm – 4pm. Museum of local history, including pre-colonial artifacts and colonial furniture. (updated Apr 2017)

For more things to do in the area, check out the Allentown or Bethlehem (Pennsylvania) pages.

Do
A classic brick house in Easton

Learn

Easton is home to Lafayette College, which was founded in 1826.

Buy
  • 🌍 Easton Farmers' Market, Centre Square, ☎ +1 610-330-9942. Saturday 9AM-1PM May–November. The oldest continuous open-air farmers' market in the country occupies all of Easton's Centre Square, and has over 30 vendors, offering fresh produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, wine, crafts, sweets, and even pet food. 
  • 🌍 Palmer Park Mall, 123 Palmer Park Mall, ☎ +1 610-258-6017. It is the premier shopping site for the Easton, Glendon, Palmer, Forks Township and Wilson communities. It features 50+ unique stores and weekly events dedicated to arts and crafts, collectibles, and different artists.  
  • Partyology, 230 Northampton St, ☎ +1 610-330-9535. Cool, eclectic gifts and party supplies. 

Eat
A pretty building on an Easton street corner

There are also many chain restaurants around the area.

Drink
A good example of a traditional American church building in Easton
  • Black and Blue, 683 Walnut St., ☎ +1 610 438-3604, e-mail: . Black and Blue offers a dimly-lit, eccentric atmosphere with a fantastic craft beer selection and a unique menu with vegan and vegetarian choices. (updated Feb 2018)
  • College Hill Tavern, 420 Cattell St., ☎ +1 610 252-9456. Mon-Sun 4PM-2AM. The preferred hangout of Lafayette students, it can change dramatically depending on the night. When college is not in session, this becomes a chilled out spot, but when it is, it can be loud music and a noisy college atmosphere. Non-smoking. 
  • Eddie G's, 1 Lehns Ct (Centre Square), ☎ +1 610 252-3200. Definitely a dive bar, and can attract an interesting crowd. Friendly service, smoking permitted indoors. 
  • Fat Jacks', 2722 Freemansburg Ave., ☎ +1 610 250-7849. 
  • Lafayette Bar, 15 N 4th St/, ☎ +1 610 252-0711. Original home of Jazz in Easton. 
  • Leaf Cigar Bar and Restaurant, 90 Mort Drive, ☎ +1 610 559-1336, e-mail: . 5-star cuisine, prepared from scratch. The finest spirits, wine, and craft beers. Over 2,000 square feet of cigars. Smoke-friendly indoor and outdoor seating. State-of-the-art ventilation. 
  • Milo's Place, 217 Cattell St., ☎ +1 610 258-4390. Average bar, smoking permitted inside. 
  • Mothers Bar & Grill, 3 Lehns Ct (Centre Square), ☎ +1 610 559-1700. Typical bar scene, with quoits in the back. 
  • Pearly Baker's Alehouse, 11 Centre Square, ☎ +1 610 253-9499. Mon-Sun 10:30AM-2AM. Good selection of beers on tap, with a more sophisticated atmosphere. Excellent food. 
  • Porters Pub, 700 Northampton Street, ☎ +1 610 250-6561. Mon-Sun 11AM-2AM. Friendly pub atmosphere, with a great beer selection and frequent live music. 

Sleep


Go next

Other regions
Routes through Easton

Allentown ← Bethlehem ←  W  E  β†’ Phillipsburg β†’ New York City
Stroudsburg ← Delaware Water Gap ←  N  S  β†’ Doylestown β†’ Philadelphia


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