[2] In 1753, the Susquehanna Company was formed in Connecticut for settling the Wyoming Valley in present-day Pennsylvania.

In 1762, roughly two hundred Connecticut settlers (Yankees) established a settlement near Mill Creek.

A party of Iroquois also visited the area with the dual purpose of inciting the Lenape and killing Teedyuscung, a local Delaware chief.

[5] In 1806, a large portion of the territory broke away from the township to form the borough of Wilkes-Barre.

Coal mining was a prominent industry in and around Wilkes-Barre Township in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The fire under Georgetown was controlled by blocking off the tunnels in the vicinity, robbing it of the necessary oxygen to continue burning.

Most of these shopping areas were developed in the early 2000s, although the Wyoming Valley Mall was constructed in the 1970s following the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes.

On Wednesday, June 13, 2018 (at about 10 pm), an EF2 tornado struck the business district of Wilkes-Barre Township.

[8] The National Weather Service stated "the tornado touched down near the La-Z-Boy furniture store at Mundy Street and Highland Park Boulevard and continued for three-quarters of a mile ending near I-81 behind Dick's Sporting Goods in the Arena Hub Plaza.

[10] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.4 km2), all land.

It is crossed from northeast to southwest by I-81/PA 309 and PA 309 Business (Wilkes-Barre Township Boulevard).

I-81 has two interchanges in the township: one at the southwest end with PA 309 and one in the central portion near the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

Average monthly temperatures in the vicinity of exit 168 of I-81 (connecting with Highland Park Boulevard) range from 25.6 °F (−3.6 °C) in January to 71.5 °F (21.9 °C) in July.