Szczucin

Szczucin
Town
Szczucin railway station
Coat of arms
Szczucin
Coordinates: 50°18′N 21°4′E / 50.300°N 21.067°E / 50.300; 21.067
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Lesser Poland
County	Dąbrowa
Gmina	Szczucin
Population	4,069
Website	http://www.szczucin.pl

Szczucin [ˈʂt͡ʂut͡ɕin] is a town in Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Szczucin. It lies approximately 16 kilometres (10 mi) north-east of Dąbrowa Tarnowska, 30 km (19 mi) north of Tarnów and 85 km (53 mi) east of the regional capital Kraków. The town has a population of 4,069.

Before Polish administrative reorganization (1999) Szczucin was part of Tarnów Voivodeship (1975–1998). Located on the Vistula river, Szczucin is the ending station of a secondary-importance, one track rail line Tarnów - Dąbrowa Tarnowska - Szczucin, built by the Austrian government in 1906. There were several plans to extend the line northwards, to Busko Zdroj and Kielce, but so far, they have not been carried out. Current shape of the line is the result of Szczucin’s having been located until 1918 on northern border of Austria-Hungary. The Vistula marked the border, beyond which stretched the Russian Empire, and the governments of both countries were not interested in completion of the line, which would otherwise have connected Austrian-controlled Tarnów with Russian-controlled Kielce.

The town is placed along National Road nr. 73 (Warszawa - Kielce - Tarnów - Jasło), and here regional road nr. 982 stems eastwards, to Mielec, making Szczucin a local transportation hub. The name of the town probably comes from a 14-th century owner of the location, a man named Szczuka.