Scranton looks different after dark. The courthouse glows, the Electric City sign lights up over downtown, and on a clear winter night the whole city reads like a map drawn in light. These are some of our favorite night flights over the Electric City, from October 2018 and January 2024.
Courthouse Square
The Lackawanna County Courthouse sits at the center of downtown, and from the air the paths, monuments and trees of the square frame it from every side. With snow on the ground and lights strung through the trees, it is one of the best night views in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Electric City sign
Scranton earned its nickname in the 1880s with one of the country’s first electric streetcar lines, and the “Scranton The Electric City” sign above downtown is still the city’s best-known landmark. From drone height at night you see detail in it that you never notice from the sidewalk.
Downtown from above
Pull back and the whole downtown comes into view: the courthouse, the sign, the streets lit up between the old office blocks, and the hills of the valley beyond.
The Times Tower and the holiday lights
Around the holidays the city adds its own lights: the Times Tower over the skyline and garlands on the old Globe Store building downtown. Heading out to see the lights? Our guide to NEPA Christmas light displays covers the biggest home displays in the region.
Flying at night
Night flights take more planning than daytime ones. Under the FAA’s Part 107 rules the pilot needs current training that covers night operations, and the drone needs anti-collision lighting visible for three statute miles. City flights also mean checking airspace and any temporary flight restrictions before takeoff.
Need night aerials of a building, a venue or an event? See our aerial photo and video work, or tell us what you have in mind.