Living in Plains Township, PA — Next Door to Everything

Plains Township is a Luzerne County township of 9,816 residents (2020 Census) wrapped around the northeastern edge of Wilkes-Barre. Its case is straightforward and quite strong: you get township taxes and township services while sitting essentially on top of the city, the Route 315 commercial corridor and the interstate network.

It also holds a genuine distinction — Plains Township is home to Mohegan Pennsylvania, the first casino in Pennsylvania, on Route 315. Whatever you think of casinos, it is a major regional employer and entertainment venue sitting inside the township line.

Things to Do

Mohegan Pennsylvania anchors the Route 315 corridor with gaming, dining and entertainment. Beyond it, Plains’ advantage is proximity: downtown Wilkes-Barre’s theaters, restaurants and riverfront are minutes away, and the region’s arena and mall district sits immediately to the south.

One boundary correction worth having, because online sources routinely get it wrong: the Wyoming Valley Mall is in Wilkes-Barre Township, not Plains Township. It is very close by — but it is not in Plains, and that matters if you are comparing tax bills or reading a listing description.

Outdoors & Parks

The Susquehanna runs along the township’s western side, and the mountains northeast of town put hiking and state game lands within a short drive. The full Back Mountain park network, including Frances Slocum State Park, is fifteen to twenty minutes west.

⭐ The one locals will tell you about first: the Seven Tubs Recreation Area is in Plains Township. It is a 537-acre DCNR site in the Pinchot State Forest district, built around a chain of seven sandstone basins that glacial meltwater carved out of the bedrock along Wheelbarrow Run more than 12,000 years ago. It reopened after a major renovation that widened the entrance off Route 115 and added parking, restrooms and a pedestrian walkway. Two things to know before you go: the spur trail is hiking only — no bikes, and diving or jumping from the rocks is prohibited. People get hurt there every year.

Schools

Plains Township is served by the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, one of the larger districts in the county with roughly 7,089 students as of 2020–21. The district covers the City of Wilkes-Barre, Wilkes-Barre Township, Plains Township, Bear Creek Township, Buck Township, and the boroughs of Bear Creek Village, Laflin and Laurel Run.

Two of the district’s buildings are in Plains Township itself: Solomon/Plains Elementary School and Solomon/Plains Junior High School on Abbott Street. Wilkes-Barre Area High School, where township students finish, is not in Plains — so younger children attend school inside the township and older ones commute out.

Wilkes University, King’s College and Luzerne County Community College are all a short drive, and Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s campus is nearby — though note that Penn State has voted to close that campus after the 2026–27 academic year, so do not factor it into a long-term plan.

School Performance

State assessment results for the high school serving Plains Township, from the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Future Ready PA Index, 2024–25 school year:

• Wilkes-Barre Area High School — Keystone Literature 49.6% proficient or advanced (statewide 49.9%) · Keystone Algebra I 21.7% (statewide 41.7%) · four-year graduation rate 77.1% (statewide 88.0%)

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Future Ready PA Index, 2024–25. We publish these same three measures, from this same source, on every community page in this guide.

Youth Sports

For a township this size the youth sports bench is deep, and these organisations have been running for decades: the Plains Yankees (youth football and cheerleading), Plains Little League (baseball) and Plains Soccer. If you are moving here with kids, these are the first three phone calls.

Everyday Essentials

The Route 315 corridor and the adjacent Wilkes-Barre Township retail district cover groceries, big-box shopping and services comprehensively — this is one of the most convenient spots in the valley for everyday errands. And here is the one most people outside the township do not realise: Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center is in Plains Township, on East Mountain Boulevard. The Wilkes-Barre mailing address hides it. It opened in 1981, it is the only Level I trauma center in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and it is currently in the middle of a roughly $900 million expansion adding a new patient tower. For a township of 9,816 people to have the region’s highest level of trauma care inside its own borders is genuinely unusual. Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, run by the nonprofit Tenor Health Foundation since February 2026, is also minutes away. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is a short drive north.

The Homes

Plains Township offers a broader mix than the tightly built boroughs across the river: older village-style housing in the traditional Plains and Hudson sections, alongside newer detached housing on larger lots in the areas away from the river. Because it is a township rather than a borough, lot sizes and setbacks tend to be more generous, and the tax structure is different from the city next door — worth comparing directly if you are choosing between Plains and Wilkes-Barre proper.

Low-lying land near the Susquehanna sits in the floodplain. Get the flood determination on any riverside parcel before you offer.