About the town » Freeland, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States

Freeland, originally called Birbeckville after founder Joseph Birkbeck, then South Heberton, is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located 18 miles south of Wilkes-Barre and 10 miles northeast of Hazleton in an agricultural region. Freeland was officially incorporated as a borough on September 11, 1876. Coal-mining was a chief industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Around the start of the 20th century, the population numbered 5,254. By 1910 it had increased to 6,197, and in 1940 it peaked at 6,593 residents. At the 2010 census, the population was 3,531. As of September 2012, the current Mayor of Freeland is Mrs. Tami Martin, the widow of the former Mayor of Freeland, Tim Martin. Freeland is located at 1,942 feet above sea level.