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Old Tioga Turnpike in New Columbus, PennsylvaniaPhoto: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0
The New Columbus handbook

Living in New Columbus, PA: what to set up and who to call

New Columbus spans 2 ZIP codes; 17878 holds the most residents (96%). For emergencies, New Columbus is closest to Geisinger-Bloomsburg Hospital, 14.3 miles away.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes

I’m new in town

What to set up in New Columbus, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerUGI Utilitiesinvestor-owned utility · 19.8¢/kWhMore →Internet2 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have New Columbus’ trash rules yetMore →SchoolNorthwest Area School DistrictWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP codes17878, 18655Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in New Columbus.

Electricity

Power comes from UGI Utilities

UGI Utilities (UGI Utilities, Inc), an investor-owned utility, serves all of New Columbus. Its homes paid an average of 19.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $169 a month (its average across Pennsylvania, for customers on its standard service). Pennsylvania lets you buy power from another supplier; 1% of UGI Utilities’ home customers do, and UGI Utilities still delivers it.

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

2 home internet providers serve New Columbus

94% of 102 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 86% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
FrontierFiber, DSL90%7,000/7,000
Blue Ridge Cable TechnologiesCable55%2,000/40

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have New Columbus’ trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in New Columbus.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in New Columbus or within 5 miles (as of Oct 9, 2026); map coverage varies by town.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

New Columbus kids go to
PK–2Northwest Area Primary Schin Shickshinny
3–6Northwest Area Intermediate Schin Shickshinny
7–12Northwest Area HSin Shickshinny

New Columbus is in Northwest Area School District.

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Town HallBudget, officials, electionsNew Columbus’ government in one page
Who runs elections hereLuzerne County Board of ElectionsElections here are run by Luzerne County (county election office). Its listing was last updated in 2015, so we don’t show its contacts: check pavoterservices.pa.gov.FVAP, Aug 2015
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placepavoterservices.pa.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

New Columbus spans 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes where New Columbus residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of New ColumbusZIP’s residents in New Columbus
17878Stillwater, PA96%14%
18655Shickshinny, PA4%0%
Area code570Wikidata

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomGeisinger-Bloomsburg Hospital14.3 miles awayGet a library cardMcbride Memorial Library500 Market Street · (570) 752-2241

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in New Columbus

Who provides electricity in New Columbus?

UGI Utilities (UGI Utilities, Inc), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 19.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve New Columbus?

Frontier, Blue Ridge Cable Technologies (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in New Columbus?

17878 (96%), 18655 (4%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is New Columbus in?

Northwest Area School District.

How do I register to vote in New Columbus?

In Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Luzerne County Board of Elections. Check your registration at pavoterservices.pa.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.