Lehighton, PA: Transportation

A borough in Carbon County, Lehighton is situated near the city of Allentown and Jim Thorpe, inside the Lehigh Valley region. It is part of the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S.

How to Get In

If you’re planning to visit Lehighton in Carbon County, the closest airport based on proximity is the Lehigh Valley International Airport. It is near the city of Allentown. The Lehigh Valley International Airport is just about forty minutes away from Lehighton if you’re taking on the road. So when you arrive from the airport, you simply have to take the Airport Road north, going to SR 248 north. This road ends at U.S. 209, which by the way is just outside the borough of Lehighton, PA.

Another option is the Philadelphia International Airport located in the city of Philadelphia. Its advantage over Lehigh Valley International Airport is that it provides more destination options. It is about 1.5 hours south of Lehighton. You’ll be going through the I-476.

Now if you are traveling by car, it is good to know that it’s pretty easy to get to Lehighton using various major highways surrounding it. For instance, it is exactly 3 miles from Exit 74 of the PA Turnpike Northeast Extension, or through I-476. If you are traveling from New York or New Jersey (north), the route that makes the most sense is the I-80 west to exit 304 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. You then will have to take 209 south leading you to Lehighton for about 30 miles.

Getting Around the Borough

Unfortunately, Lehighton, PA and the surrounding areas don’t really have a significant mode of public transportation. There is however a taxi service, but then again, you will have to arrange a pickup by phone in advance. There’s also a car rental service in downtown, particularly on the North First Street. There’s also another car rental service at the Lehigh Valley International Airport. Because of the lack of a full public transportation, traffic is literally light, or at least on the residential streets around town as well as the rural roads located outside the borough. There’s a rush hour on weekdays while weekend traffic can be heavy on SR 443 between the eastern part at US 209 and the Carbon Plaza Mall which is a couple of miles on the west. Traffic can also be heavy on US 209 on the Thomas McCall Bridge on Fridays and Saturdays. The best alternative to avoid this potential heavy traffic is to use Bridge Street going through Weissport.