Philadelphia

Philadelphia
Consolidated city-county
Skyline of Center City Independence National Historical Park Philadelphia City Hall University of Pennsylvania Elfreth's Alley Philadelphia Museum of Art
Flag Seal Logo
Etymology:Ancient Greek:φίλοςphílos(beloved, dear) andἀδελφόςadelphós(brother, brotherly) ———-———
Nickname(s): "Philly", "The City of Brotherly Love", others
Motto: "Philadelphia maneto" ("Let brotherly love endure" or "... continue") [1] [2]
Interactive map outlining Philadelphia
Philadelphia Location within the state of Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Location within the United States Show map of the United States Philadelphia Location in North America Show map of North America Philadelphia Location on Earth Show map of Earth
Coordinates:39°57′10″N75°09′49″W / 39.9528°N 75.1636°W /39.9528; -75.1636
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Philadelphia
Historic countries	Kingdom of England Kingdom of Great Britain
Historic colony	Province of Pennsylvania
Founded	1682; 342 years ago(1682)[3]
Incorporated	October 25, 1701
Founded by	William Penn
Government
• Type	Mayor–council,consolidated city-county
• Body	Philadelphia City Council
•Mayor	Cherelle Parker(D)
Area [4]
•Consolidated city-county	142.70 sq mi (369.59 km2)
• Land	134.36 sq mi (347.98 km2)
• Water	8.34 sq mi (21.61 km2)
Elevation	39 ft (12 m)
Population ( 2020) [5]
•Consolidated city-county	1,603,797
• Estimate (2022) [6]	1,567,258
• Rank	10thin North America 6thin the United States 1stin Pennsylvania
• Density	11,936.92/sq mi (4,608.86/km2)
•Urban [7]	5,696,125 (US:7th)
• Urban density	3,000.8/sq mi (1,158.6/km2)
•Metro [8]	6,245,051 (US:7th)
Demonym	Philadelphian
GDP [9]
• Philadelphia (MSA)	$518.5 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−5(EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4(EDT)
ZIP Codes	19092–19093, 19099, 191xx
Area codes	215, 267, 445
FIPS code	42-60000
GNISfeature ID	1215531[10]
Website	www.phila.gov

Philadelphia, colloquially referred to asPhilly, is themost populous cityin theU.S. stateofPennsylvania^[11]and thesixth-most populous city in the nation, with a population of 1,603,797 in the2020 census. The city is the urban core of the largerDelaware Valley, also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area, thenation's seventh-largestand one of theworld's largestmetropolitan regionswith 6.245 million residents in itsmetropolitan statistical areaand 7.366 million residents in itscombined statistical area.^[12]

Philadelphia is known forits extensive contributionstoUnited States history. The city served asthe nation's capitaluntil 1800.^[13]It maintains contemporary influence inbusiness and industry,culture,sports, andmusic.^[14][15]Philadelphia was founded in 1682 byWilliam Penn, anEnglishQuakerand advocate ofreligious freedom. The city served as the capital of thePennsylvania Colonyduring theBritish colonial era^[3][16]and went on to play a historic and vital role as the central meeting place for thenation's founding fathers. Philadelphia hosted theFirst Continental Congressin 1774, preserved theLiberty Bell, and hosted theSecond Continental Congressduring which the founders signed theDeclaration of Independence.^[17]TheU.S. Constitutionwas later ratified in Philadelphia at thePhiladelphia Conventionof 1787. Philadelphia remained the nation's largest city until 1790, served as the nation's first capital from May 10, 1775, until December 12, 1776, and on four subsequent occasions during and following theAmerican Revolutionary War, including from 1790 to 1800 during the construction of the new national capital ofWashington, D.C.

With18 four-year universities and colleges, Philadelphia is one of the nation's leading centers for higher education andacademic research.^[18][19]As of 2022^[update], the Philadelphia metropolitan area had agross metropolitan productof US$518.5 billion.^[9]The city is home to fiveFortune 500corporate headquarters as of 2022.^[20]As of 2024, metropolitan Philadelphia ranks as one of the Big Five U.S.venture capitalhubs, facilitated by its proximity to both theentrepreneurialandfinancial ecosystemsofNew York Cityand to thefederal regulatory environmentof Washington, D.C.^[21]ThePhiladelphia Stock Exchange, owned byNasdaqsince 2008, is the nation's oldest stock exchange and a global leader inoptionstrading.^[22]30th Street Station, the city's primary rail station, is thethird-busiest Amtrak hubin the nation, and the city'smultimodal transportandlogisticsinfrastructure also includesPhiladelphia International Airport, a majorTransatlanticgateway and hub,^[23]and the rapidly-growingPhilaPort seaport.^[24]

Philadelphia is a national cultural center, hosting moreoutdoor sculpturesand murals than any other city in the nation.^[25][26]Fairmount Park, when combined with adjacentWissahickon Valley Parkin the samewatershed, is 2,052 acres (830 ha), representing one of the nation's largest and theworld's 45th-largesturban park.^[27]The city is known for its arts,culture,cuisine, andcolonialandRevolution-erahistory; in 2016, it attracted 42 million domestic tourists who spent $6.8 billion, representing $11 billion in economic impact to the city and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties.^[28]Withfive professional sports teamsand one of the nation's most loyal fan bases, Philadelphia is often ranked as the nation's best city for professional sports fans.^{[29][30][31][32]}The city has a culturally andphilanthropicallyactiveLGBTQ+ community. Philadelphia also has played an immensely influential historic and ongoing role in the development and evolution of American music, especiallyR&B,soul, androck.^[33][34]

Philadelphia is a city of many firsts, including the nation's firstlibrary(1731),^[35]hospital(1751),^[35]medical school(1765),^[36]national capital(1774),^[37]university (by some accounts)(1779),^[38]central bank(1781),^[39]stock exchange(1790),^[35]zoo(1874),^[40]andbusiness school(1881).^[41]Philadelphia contains 67National Historic Landmarks, includingIndependence Hall.^[42][43][19]From the city's 17th century founding through the present, Philadelphia has been the birthplace or home to an extensive number ofprominent and influential Americans. In 2021,Timemagazine named Philadelphia one of the world's greatest 100 places.^[44]Two years later, in 2023, travel guide publisherLonely Planetranked Philadelphia the best city in the nation to visit.^[45]

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century, the Philadelphia area was home to theLenape (Delaware)Indiansin the village ofShackamaxon. They were also called the Delaware Indians,^[46]and their historical territory was along theDelaware Riverwatershed, westernLong Island, and theLower Hudson Valley.^[a]Most Lenape were pushed out of their Delaware homeland during the 18th century by expanding European colonies, exacerbated by losses from intertribal conflicts.^[46]Lenape communities were weakened by newly introduced diseases, mainlysmallpox, and conflict with Europeans. TheIroquoisoccasionally fought the Lenape. Surviving Lenape moved west into the upperOhio Riverbasin. TheAmerican Revolutionary Warand the United States' independence pushed them further west. In the 1860s, the United States government sent most Lenape remaining in theeastern United Statesto theIndian Territoryto present-dayOklahomaand surrounding territories under theIndian removalpolicy.

Europeans came to theDelaware Valleyin the early 17th century. The first settlements were founded byDutch colonists, who builtFort Nassauon theDelaware Riverin 1623 in what is nowBrooklawn, New Jersey. The Dutch considered the entire Delaware River valley to be part of theirNew Netherlandcolony. In 1638, Swedish settlers led by renegade Dutch established the colony ofNew SwedenatFort Christina, located in present-dayWilmington, Delaware, and quickly spread out in the valley. In 1644, New Sweden supported theSusquehannocksin their war againstMarylandcolonists.^[47]In 1648, the Dutch builtFort Beversreedeon the west bank of the Delaware, south of theSchuylkill Rivernear the present-dayEastwicksection of Philadelphia, to reassert their dominion over the area. TheSwedesresponded by buildingFort Nya Korsholm, or NewKorsholm, named after a town inFinlandwith a Swedish majority.

In 1655, aDutch militarycampaign led by New Netherland Director-GeneralPeter Stuyvesanttook control of the Swedish colony, ending its claim to independence. The Swedish andFinnish peoplesettlers continued to have their ownmilitia, religion, and court, and to enjoy substantial autonomy under the Dutch. An English fleet captured the New Netherland colony in 1664, though the situation did not change substantially until 1682, when the area was included inWilliam Penn's charter for Pennsylvania.^[48]

In 1681, in partial repayment of a debt,Charles II of Englandgranted Penn acharterfor what would become thePennsylvania colony. Despite the royal charter, Penn bought the land from the localLenapein an effort to establish good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for the colony.^[49]Penn made atreaty of friendshipwith Lenape chiefTammanyunder an elm tree atShackamaxon, in what is now the city'sFishtownneighborhood.^[3]Penn named the city Philadelphia, which isGreekfor "brotherly love", derived from theAncient Greektermsφίλοςphílos(beloved, dear) andἀδελφόςadelphós(brother, brotherly). There were a number of cities namedPhiladelphiain theEastern Mediterraneanduring the Greek and Roman periods, including modernAlaşehir, mentioned as the site of an early Christian congregation in theBook of Revelation. As aQuaker, Penn had experiencedreligious persecutionand wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely. This tolerance, which exceeded that of other colonies, led to better relations with the local native tribes and fostered Philadelphia's rapid growth into America's most important city.^[50]

Penn planned a city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Hoping that Philadelphia would become more like an English rural town instead of a city, Penn laid out roads on agrid planto keep houses and businesses spread far apart with areas for gardens andorchards.

The city's inhabitants did not follow Penn's plans, however, and instead crowded the present-dayPort of Philadelphiaon the Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots.^[51]Before Penn left Philadelphia for the final time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing it as a city. Though poor at first, Philadelphia became an important trading center with tolerable living conditions by the 1750s.Benjamin Franklin, a leading citizen, helped improve city services and founded new ones that were among the first in the nation, including afire company,library, andhospital.

A number ofphilosophical societieswere formed, which were centers of the city's intellectual life, including the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture (1785), the Pennsylvania Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and the Useful Arts (1787), theAcademy of Natural Sciences(1812), and theFranklin Institute(1824).^[52]These societies developed and financed new industries that attracted skilled and knowledgeable immigrants from Europe.

Philadelphia's importance and central location in the colonies made it a natural center forAmerica's revolutionaries. By the 1750s, Philadelphia surpassedBostonas the largest city and busiestportinBritish America, and the second-largest city in the entireBritish EmpireafterLondon.^[54][55]In 1774, as resentment ofBritish colonialpractices and support for independence was burgeoning in the colonies, Philadelphia hosted theFirst Continental Congress.

From 1775 to 1781, Philadelphia hosted theSecond Continental Congress,^[56]which adopted theDeclaration of Independencein what was then called thePennsylvania State Houseand was later renamed Independence Hall. HistorianJoseph Ellis, in 2007, described the Declaration of Independence, written predominantly byThomas Jefferson, as "the most potent and consequential words in American history,"^[17]and its adoption represented a declaration of war against theBritish Army, which was then the world's most powerful military force. Since the Declaration's July 4, 1776, adoption, its signing has been cited globally and repeatedly by various peoples of the world seeking independence and liberty. It also has been, since its adoption, the basis for annual celebration by Americans; in 1938, this celebration of the Declaration was formalized asIndependence Day, one of onlyten designated U.S. federal holidays.

AfterGeorge Washington's defeat at theBattle of BrandywineinChadds Ford Township, on September 11, 1777, during thePhiladelphia campaign, the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was defenseless and the city prepared for what was perceived to be an inevitable British attack. Because bells could easily be recast into munitions, theLiberty Bell, then known as the Pennsylvania State Bell, and bells from two Philadelphia churches,Christ ChurchandSt. Peter's Church, were hastily taken down and transported by heavily guarded wagon train out of the city. The Liberty Bell was taken toZion German Reformed Churchin Northampton Town, which is present-dayAllentown, where it was hidden under the church's floor boards for nine months from September 1777 until the British Army's departure from Philadelphia in June 1778.^[57]Two Revolutionary War battles, theSiege of Fort Mifflin, fought between September 26 and November 16, 1777, and theBattle of Germantown, fought on October 4, 1777, took place within Philadelphia's city limits.

In Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress adopted theArticles of Confederationon November 15, 1777, and the city later served as the meeting place for theConstitutional Convention, which ratified theConstitutionin Independence Hall in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787.

Philadelphia served as capital of the United States for much of the colonial and early post-colonial periods, including for a decade, from 1790 to 1800, whileWashington, D.C., was being constructed and prepared to serve as the new national capital.^[58]In 1793, the largestyellow fever epidemicin U.S. history killed approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people in Philadelphia, or about ten percent of the city's population at the time.^[59][60]The capital of the United States was moved to Washington, D.C. in 1800 upon completion of theWhite HouseandU.S. Capitolbuildings.

The state capital was moved from Philadelphia toLancasterin 1799, then ultimately toHarrisburgin 1812. Philadelphia remained the nation's largest city until the late 18th century. It also was the nation's financial and cultural center until ultimately being eclipsed in total population byNew York Cityin 1790. In 1816, the city's free Black community founded theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church, the first independent Black denomination in the country, and the first BlackEpiscopal Church. The free Black community also established many schools for its children with the help ofQuakers. Large-scale construction projects for new roads,canals, and railroads made Philadelphia the first majorindustrialcity in the United States.

Throughout the 19th century, Philadelphia hosted a variety of industries and businesses; the largest was thetextile industry. Major corporations in the 19th and early 20th centuries included theBaldwin Locomotive Works,William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company, and thePennsylvania Railroad.^[61]Established in 1870, the Philadelphia Conveyancers' Association was chartered by the state in 1871. Along with the U.S. Centennial in 1876, the city's industry was celebrated in theCentennial Exposition, the first officialWorld's fairin the U.S.

Immigrants, mostly from Ireland and Germany, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. These immigrants were largely responsible for thefirst general strike in North Americain 1835, in which workers in the city won the ten-hour workday. The city was a destination for thousands of Irish immigrants fleeing theGreat Faminein the 1840s; housing for them was developed south ofSouth Streetand later occupied by succeeding immigrants. They established a network ofCatholicchurches and schools and dominated the Catholic clergy for decades. Anti-Irish, anti-Catholicnativistriotserupted in Philadelphia in 1844. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to theAct of Consolidation of 1854, which extended the city limits from the 2 square miles (5.2 km²) ofCenter Cityto the roughly 134 square miles (350 km²) ofPhiladelphia County.^[62][63]In the latter half of the 19th century and leading into the 20th century, immigrants from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Italy, and African Americans from thesouthern U.S.settled in the city.^[64]

Philadelphia was represented by theWashington Graysin theAmerican Civil War. The African-American population of Philadelphia increased from 31,699 to 219,559 between 1880 and 1930, largely stemming from theGreat Migrationfrom theSouth.^[65][66]

By the 20th century, Philadelphia had an entrenchedRepublicanpolitical machineand a complacent population.^[67]In 1910,a general strikeshut down the entire city.^[68]

In 1917, following outrage over the election-year murder of a Philadelphia police officer, led to the shrinking of theCity Councilfrom two houses to just one.^[69]In July 1919, Philadelphia was one of more than 36 industrial cities nationally to suffer arace riotduringRed Summerin post-World War Iunrest as recent immigrants competed with Blacks for jobs. In the 1920s, the public flouting ofProhibitionlaws,organized crime, mob violence, and corrupt police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment ofBrig. Gen.Smedley Butlerof theU.S. Marine Corpsas the city's director of public safety, but political pressure still prevented long-term success in fighting crime and corruption.^[70]

In 1940,non-Hispanic whitesconstituted 86.8% of the city's population.^[71]In 1950, the population peaked at more than two million residents, then began to decline with the restructuring of industry that led to the loss of many middle-class union jobs. In addition, suburbanization enticed many affluent residents to depart the city for its outlying railroad commuting towns and newer housing. The resulting reduction in Philadelphia's tax base and the resources of local government caused the city to struggle through a long period of adjustment, and it approached bankruptcy by the late 1980s.^[72][73]

In 1985, theMOVE Bombingof theCobbs Creekneighborhood by city helicopters occurred, killing 11 and destroying 61 homes.^[74]

Revitalization andgentrificationof neighborhoods began in the late 1970s and continues into the 21st century with much of the development occurring in theCenter CityandUniversity Cityneighborhoods. But this expanded a shortage ofaffordable housingin the city. After many manufacturers and businesses left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and began to market itself more aggressively as a tourist destination. Contemporary glass-and-graniteskyscraperswere built in Center City beginning in the 1980s. Historic areas such asOld CityandSociety Hillwere renovated during the reformist mayoral era of the 1950s through the 1980s, making both areas among the most desirable Center City neighborhoods. Immigrants from around the world began to enter the U.S. through Philadelphia as their gateway, leading to a reversal of the city's population decline between 1950 and 2000, during which it lost about 25 percent of its residents.^[75][76]

Philadelphia eventually began experiencing a growth in its population in 2007, which continued with incremental annual increases through the present.^[77][78]A migration pattern has been established from New York City to Philadelphia by residents opting for a large city with relative proximity and a lowercost of living.^[79][80]

Philadelphia's geographic center is about 40° 0′ 34″ north latitude and 75° 8′ 0″ west longitude. The40th parallel northpasses through neighborhoods inNortheast Philadelphia,North Philadelphia, andWest PhiladelphiaincludingFairmount Park. The city encompasses 142.71 square miles (369.62 km²), of which 134.18 square miles (347.52 km²) is land and 8.53 square miles (22.09 km²), or 6%, is water.^[81]Natural bodies of water include theDelawareandSchuylkillrivers, lakes inFranklin Delano Roosevelt Park, andCobbs,Wissahickon, andPennypackcreeks. The largest artificial body of water is East Park Reservoir inFairmount Park.

The lowest point is sea level and the highest point is inChestnut Hill, about 446 feet (136 m) above sea level on Summit Street near the intersection of Germantown Avenue andBethlehem Pikeat: 40.07815 N, 75.20747 W.^[82][83]Philadelphia is located on theAtlantic Seaboard Fall Linethat separates theAtlantic Plainfrom thePiedmont.^[84]The Schuylkill River's rapids atEast Fallswere inundated by completion of the dam atFairmount Water Works.^[85]

The city is the seat ofits own county. The city is bordered by six adjacent counties:Montgomeryto the northwest;Bucksto the north and northeast;Burlington County, New Jerseyto the east;Camden County, New Jerseyto the southeast;Gloucester County, New Jerseyto the south; andDelaware Countyto the southwest.

Philadelphia was created in the 17th century, following the plan byWilliam Penn's surveyorThomas Holme.Center Cityis structured with long, straight streets running nearly due east–west and north–south, forming a grid pattern between theDelawareandSchuylkillrivers that is aligned with their courses. The original city plan was designed to allow for easy travel and to keep residences separated by open space that would help prevent the spread of fire.^[86]In keeping with the idea of a "Greene Countrie Towne", and inspired by the many types of trees that grew in the region, Penn named many of the east–west streets for local trees.^[87]Penn planned the creation of five public parks in the city which were renamed in 1824.^[86]Centre Square was renamedPenn Square;^[88]Northeast Square was renamedFranklin Square; Southeast Square was renamedWashington Square; Southwest Square was renamedRittenhouse Square; and Northwest Square was renamedLogan Circle/Square.^[89]Center Cityhad an estimated 183,240 residents as of 2015^[update], making it the second-most populated downtown area in the United States afterMidtown Manhattanin New York City.^[90]

Philadelphia's neighborhoods are divided into six large sections that surround Center City:North Philadelphia,Northeast Philadelphia,South Philadelphia,Southwest Philadelphia,West Philadelphia, andNorthwest Philadelphia. The city's geographic boundaries have been largely unchanged since these neighborhoods were consolidated in 1854. However, each of these large areas contains numerous neighborhoods, some of whose boundaries derive from the boroughs, townships, and other communities that constitutedPennsylvania Countybefore their inclusion within the city.^[91]

TheCity Planning Commission, tasked with guiding growth and development of the city, has divided the city into 18 planning districts as part of the Philadelphia2035 physical development plan.^[92][93]Much of the city's 1980 zoning code was overhauled from 2007 to 2012 as part of a joint effort between former mayorsJohn F. StreetandMichael Nutter. The zoning changes were intended to rectify incorrect zoning maps to facilitate future community development, as the city forecasts an additional 100,000 residents and 40,000 jobs will be added by 2035.

ThePhiladelphia Housing Authority(PHA) is the largest landlord in Pennsylvania. Established in 1937, the PHA is the nation's fourth-largest housing authority, serving about 81,000 people with affordable housing, while employing 1,400 on a budget of $371 million.^[94]ThePhiladelphia Parking Authorityis responsible for ensuring adequate parking for city residents, businesses, and visitors.^[95]

Philadelphia's architectural history dates back tocolonialtimes and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed withlogs, but brick structures were common by 1700. During the 18th century, thecityscapewas dominated byGeorgian architecture, includingIndependence HallandChrist Church.

In the first decades of the 19th century,FederalandGreek Revival architecturewere the dominant styles produced by Philadelphia architects such asBenjamin Latrobe,William Strickland,John Haviland,John Notman,Thomas Walter, andSamuel Sloan.^[96]Frank Furnessis considered Philadelphia's greatest architect of the second half of the 19th century. His contemporaries includedJohn McArthur Jr.,Addison Hutton,Wilson Eyre, theWilson Brothers, andHorace Trumbauer. In 1871, construction began on theSecond Empire-stylePhiladelphia City Hall. ThePhiladelphia Historical Commissionwas created in 1955 to preserve the cultural and architectural history of the city. The commission maintains thePhiladelphia Register of Historic Places, adding historic buildings, structures, sites, objects and districts as it sees fit.^[97]

In 1932, Philadelphia became home to the first modernInternational Styleskyscraper in the United States, thePSFS Building, designed byGeorge HoweandWilliam Lescaze. The 548 ft (167 m) City Hall remained the tallest building in the city until 1987 whenOne Liberty Placewas completed. Numerous glass and granite skyscrapers were built in Center City beginning in the late 1980s. In 2007, theComcast Centersurpassed One Liberty Place to become the city's tallest building. TheComcast Technology Centerwas completed in 2018, reaching a height of 1,121 ft (342 m), as thetallest building in the United Statesoutside ofManhattanand Chicago.^[98]

For much of Philadelphia's history, the typical home has been therow house. The row house was introduced to the United States via Philadelphia in the early 19th century and, for a time, row houses built elsewhere in the United States were known as "Philadelphia rows".^[96]A variety of row houses are found throughout the city, from Federal-style continuous blocks inOld CityandSociety Hillto Victorian-style homes inNorth Philadelphiato twin row houses inWest Philadelphia. While newer homes have been built recently, much of the housing dates to the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, which has created problems such asurban decayand vacant lots. Some neighborhoods, includingNorthern Libertiesand Society Hill, have been rehabilitated throughgentrification.^[99][100]

• 
  Elfreth's Alley, first developed in 1703, is the nation's oldest residential street. ^[101]
• 
  Carpenters' Hall, built between 1770 and 1774 in Georgian architecturestyle
• 
  The Second Bank of the United States, built between 1818 and 1824, exhibiting Greek Revival architecture
• 
  Second Empire-style Philadelphia City Hall, built between 1871 and 1901, on South Broad Street
• 
  The Art Deco-style grand concourseat 30th Street Station, one of the nation's busiest passenger train stations, built between 1927 and 1933

As of 2014^[update], the city's total park space, including municipal, state, and federal parks in the city, amounts to 11,211 acres (17.5 sq mi).^[27]Philadelphia's largest park isFairmount Park, which includes thePhiladelphia Zooand encompasses 2,052 acres (3.2 sq mi) of the total parkland. Fairmount Park's adjacentWissahickon Valley Parkcontains 2,042 acres (3.2 sq mi).^[102]Fairmount Park, when combined with Wissahickon Valley Park, is one of the largest contiguousurban parkareas in the U.S.^[27]The two parks, along with theColonial Revival,GeorgianandFederal-stylemansionsin them, have been listed as one entity on theNational Register of Historic Placessince 1972.^[103]

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D 3.1 41 26 2.8 44 28 4 53 34 3.5 65 44 3.3 74 54 4 83 64 4.4 88 70 4.3 86 68 4.4 79 61 3.5 67 49 2.9 56 39 4 46 31 █Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █Precipitation totals in inches
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D 80 5 −3 70 7 −3 101 12 1 88 18 7 85 24 12 103 28 18 111 31 21 109 30 20 112 26 16 88 20 10 74 13 4 101 8 0 █Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █Precipitation totals in mm

Within theKöppen climate classification, Philadelphia falls under the northern periphery of thehumid subtropical climatezone (KöppenCfa).^[104]Within theTrewartha climate classification, Philadelphia has atemperatemaritime climate(Do) limited to the north by thecontinental climate(Dc).^[105]Summers are typically hot and muggy. Fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is moderately cold. The plant lifehardiness zonesare 7a and 7b, reflecting an average annual extreme minimum temperature between 0 and 10 °F (−18 and −12 °C).^[106]

Snowfall is highly variable. Some winters have only light snow while others include major snowstorms. The normal seasonal snowfall averages 22.4 in (57 cm), with rare snowfalls in November or April, and rarely any sustained snow cover.^[107]Seasonal snowfall accumulation has ranged from trace amounts in 1972–73, to 78.7 inches (200 cm) in the winter of 2009–10.^[107][b]The city'sheaviest single-storm snowfallwas 30.7 in (78 cm), which occurred in January 1996.^[108]

Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month,^[109]at an average annual rate of 44.1 inches (1,120 mm), but historically ranging from 29.31 in (744 mm) in 1922 to 64.33 in (1,634 mm) in 2011.^[107]The most rain recorded in one day occurred on July 28, 2013, when 8.02 in (204 mm) fell atPhiladelphia International Airport.^[107]Philadelphia has a moderately sunny climate with an average of 2,498hours of sunshineannually. The percentage of sunshine ranges from 47% in December to 61% in June, July, and August.^[110]

The January daily average temperature is 33.7 °F (0.9 °C). The temperature frequently rises to 50 °F (10 °C) during thaws. July averages 78.7 °F (25.9 °C). Heat waves accompanied by high humidity andheat indicesare frequent, with highs reaching or exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) on 30 days of the year. The average window for freezing temperatures is November 6 to April 2,^[107]allowing a growing season of 217 days. Early fall and late winter are generally dry, with February having the lowest average precipitation at 2.75 inches (70 mm). The dewpoint in the summer averages between 59.1 and 64.5 °F (15 and 18 °C).^[107]

The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 7, 1918. Temperatures at or above 100 °F (38 °C) are not common, with the last occurrence of such a temperature being July 21, 2019.^[111]The lowest officially recorded temperature was −11 °F (−24 °C) on February 9, 1934.^[111]Temperatures at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) are rare, with the last such occurrence beingJanuary 19, 1994.^[107]The record low maximum is 5 °F (−15 °C) on February 10, 1899, and December 30, 1880. The record high minimum is 83 °F (28 °C) on July 23, 2011, and July 24, 2010.^[112]

Climate data for Philadelphia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average sea temperature °F (°C)	41.8 (5.5)	39.9 (4.4)	41.2 (5.1)	46.7 (8.2)	53.9 (12.2)	66.3 (19.0)	74.0 (23.3)	75.9 (24.4)	71.4 (21.9)	64.2 (17.9)	55.1 (12.8)	47.7 (8.8)	56.5 (13.6)
Mean daily daylight hours	10.0	11.0	12.0	13.0	14.0	15.0	15.0	14.0	12.0	11.0	10.0	9.0	12.2
Source: Weather Atlas[116]

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricatorand on MediaWiki.org.

See or editraw graph data.

Philadelphia County received anozonegrade of F and a 24-hourparticle pollutionrating of D in theAmerican Lung Association's 2017 State of the Air report, which analyzed data from 2013 to 2015.^[117][118]The city was ranked 22nd for ozone, 20th for short-term particle pollution, and 11th for year-round particle pollution.^[119]According to the same report, the city experienced a significant reduction in high ozone days since 2001—from nearly 50 days per year to fewer than 10—along with fewer days of high particle pollution since 2000—from about 19 days per year to about 3—and an approximate 30% reduction in annual levels of particle pollution since 2000.^[118]

Five of the ten largestcombined statistical areas(CSAs) were ranked higher for ozone:Los Angeles(1st),New York City(9th),Houston(12th),Dallas(13th), andSan Jose, California(18th). Many smaller CSAs were also ranked higher for ozone, includingSacramento(8th),Las Vegas(10th),Denver(11th),El Paso(16th), andSalt Lake City(20th). Only two of those same ten CSAs, San Jose and Los Angeles, were ranked higher than Philadelphia for both year-round and short-term particle pollution.^[119]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1683	600	—
1731	12,000	+1900.0%
1790	28,522	+137.7%
1800	41,220	+44.5%
1810	53,722	+30.3%
1820	63,802	+18.8%
1830	80,462	+26.1%
1840	93,665	+16.4%
1850	121,376	+29.6%
1860	565,529	+365.9%
1870	674,022	+19.2%
1880	847,170	+25.7%
1890	1,046,964	+23.6%
1900	1,293,697	+23.6%
1910	1,549,008	+19.7%
1920	1,823,779	+17.7%
1930	1,950,961	+7.0%
1940	1,931,334	−1.0%
1950	2,071,605	+7.3%
1960	2,002,512	−3.3%
1970	1,948,609	−2.7%
1980	1,688,210	−13.4%
1990	1,585,577	−6.1%
2000	1,517,550	−4.3%
2010	1,526,006	+0.6%
2020	1,603,797	+5.1%
2023	1,550,542	−3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[120] 2010–2020[11] Source: U.S. Decennial Census[121]

As of the2020 U.S. Census, there were 1,603,797 people residing in Philadelphia, representing a 1.2% increase from the 2019 census estimate.^[78]The racial composition of the city was 39.3% Black alone (42.0% Black alone or in combination), 36.3% White alone (41.9% White alone or in combination), 8.7% Asian alone, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 8.7% some other race, and 6.9% multiracial. 14.9% of residents were Hispanic or Latino.^[122]

34.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher. 23.9% spoke a language other than English at home, the most common of which was Spanish (10.8%). 15.0% of the populations foreign born, roughly half of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens. 3.7% of the population are veterans. The median household income was $52,889 and 22.8% of the population lived in poverty. 49.5% of the population drove alone to work, while 23.2% used public transit, 8.2% carpooled, 7.9% walked, and 7.0% worked from home. The average commute is 31 minutes.^[122]

After the1950 census, when a record high of 2,071,605 was recorded, the city's population began a long decline. The population dropped to a low of 1,488,710 residents in 2006 before beginning to rise again. Between 2006 and 2017, Philadelphia added 92,153 residents. In 2017, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the racial composition of the city was 41.3% Black (non-Hispanic), 34.9% White (non-Hispanic), 14.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 2.8% multiracial.^[123]

Census racial composition	2020[122]	2010[124]	2000	1990[125]	1980[125]	1970[125]
Black or African American(non-Hispanic)	38.3%	42.2%	42.6%	39.3%	37.5%	33.3%[e]
White(non-Hispanic)	34.3%	36.9%	42.5%	52.1%	57.1%	63.8[e]
Hispanic or Latino(of any race)	14.9%	12.3%	8.5%	5.6%	3.8%	2.4%[e]
Asian	8.3%	6.3%	4.5%	2.7%	1.1%	0.3%
Pacific Islanders	0.1%	<0.1%	<0.1%	<0.1%
Native Americans	0.4%	0.5%	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%	0.1%
Two or more races	6.9%	2.8%	2.2%	n/a[126]	n/a	n/a

In addition to the city's economic growth, the city's population has been fueled by foreign immigration. According toThe Pew Charitable Trusts, the city'sforeign-bornpopulation increased by 69% between 2000 and 2016 to constitute nearly 20% of Philadelphia's workforce,^[127]and it doubled between 1990 and 2017 to constitute 13.8% of the city's total population, with the top five countries of origin being China by a significant margin followed by theDominican Republic,Jamaica,India, andVietnam.^[128]

Top 10 countries of origin for foreign-born Philadelphians, 2017 ^[129]

Country	Population
China	22,140
Dominican Republic	13,792
Jamaica	13,500
India	11,382
Vietnam	10,132
Haiti	9,186
Mexico	7,823
Ukraine	6,898
Albania	5,258
South Korea/North Korea	4,385

Irish, Italian, German, Polish, English, Russian, Ukrainian, and French ancestries constitute the largestEuropeanethnic groups in the city.^[130]Philadelphia has the second-largest Irish and Italian populations in the United States afterNew York City.South Philadelphiaremains one of the largestItalianneighborhoods in the country and is home to theItalian Market.

ThePennsportneighborhood andGray's Ferrysection of South Philadelphia, home to manyMummerclubs, are well known asIrishneighborhoods. TheKensington,Port Richmond, andFishtownneighborhoods have historically been heavily Irish and Polish. Port Richmond is a center for the Polish-American community in Philadelphia, and it remains a common destination for Polish immigrants.Northeast Philadelphia, although known for its Irish and Irish-American population, is home to a Jewish and Russian population.Mount AiryinNorthwest Philadelphiaalso contains a Jewish community. NearbyChestnut Hillis historically known as anAnglo-Saxon Protestantcommunity.

Philadelphia'sBlack Americanpopulation is the fourth-largest in the country after New York City,Chicago, andHouston.West PhiladelphiaandNorth Philadelphiaare largely African-American neighborhoods, but many are leaving those areas in favor of the Northeast and Southwest sections of Philadelphia. A higher proportion ofAfrican-American Muslimsreside in Philadelphia than most other major U.S. cities. West Philadelphia andSouthwest Philadelphiaare home to variousAfro-CaribbeanandAfrican immigrantcommunities.^[131]

ThePuerto Ricanpopulation in Philadelphia is the second-largest on the U.S. mainland after New York City, and the second-fastest growing afterOrlando.^[132]Eastern North Philadelphia, particularlyFairhilland surrounding areas to the north and east, has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans outsidePuerto Rico, with many large swaths of blocks being close to 100% Puerto Rican.^[133][134]Puerto Rican andDominicanpopulations reside inNorth Philadelphiaand the Northeast, andMexicanand Central American populations exist in South Philadelphia.^[135]South Americanmigrants were being transported by bus fromTexasto Philadelphia beginning in 2022.^[136]

Philadelphia'sAsian Americanpopulation includes those of Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, South Koreans, Filipinos, Cambodians, and Indonesians. Over 35,000 Chinese Americans lived in the city in 2015,^[137]including aFuzhounesepopulation. Center City hosts aChinatownthat is served byChinatown bus lineswith service to/fromChinatown, Manhattan.^[138]A Korean community initially settled in the North Philadelphia neighborhood ofOlney; however, the primaryKoreatownhas subsequently shifted further north, straddling the city's border with adjacentCheltenhaminMontgomery CountyandCherry HillinSouth Jersey. South Philadelphia is home toVietnamese-AmericansinLittle SaigonandCambodian-AmericansinCambodia Town, as well asThai-American,Indonesian-American, andChinese-Americancommunities.

Philadelphia'sGay villagenearWashington Squareis home to a concentration of gay and lesbian-friendly businesses, restaurants, and bars.^[139][140]

In a 2014 study by thePew Research Center, 68% of the population of the city identified themselves asChristian.^[141]Approximately 41% of Christians in the city and area professed attendance at a variety of churches that could be consideredProtestant, while 26% professedCatholicbeliefs.

TheProtestantChristian community in Philadelphia is dominated bymainline Protestant denominationsincluding theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America,United Church of Christ, theEpiscopal Church in the United States,Presbyterian Church (USA)andAmerican Baptist Churches USA. One of the most prominent mainline Protestant jurisdictions is theEpiscopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. TheAfrican Methodist Episcopal Churchwas established in Philadelphia. Historically, the city has strong connections to theQuakers,Unitarian Universalism, and theEthical Culture movement, all of which continue to be represented in the city. The QuakerFriends General Conferenceis based in Philadelphia. Evangelical Protestants making up less than 15% of the population were also prevalent.

Evangelical Protestant bodies included theAnglican Church in North America,Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod,Presbyterian Church in America, andNational Baptist Convention of America. The Catholic community is primarily served by theLatinCatholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, theUkrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, and theSyro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of the United States of America and Canada, though someindependent Catholic churchesexist throughout Philadelphia and its suburbs. The Latin Church-based jurisdiction is headquartered in the city, and its see is theCathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The Ukrainian Catholic jurisdiction is headquartered in Philadelphia, and is seated at theCathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Less than 1% of Philadelphia's Christians wereMormons. The remainder of the Christian demographic is spread among smaller Protestant denominations and theEasternandOriental Orthodoxamong others. TheDiocese of Eastern Pennsylvania(Orthodox Church in America) andGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of America(Ecumenical Patriarchate) divide the Eastern Orthodox in Philadelphia. TheRussian OrthodoxSt. Andrew's Cathedralis in the city. The same study says that other religions collectively compose about 8% of the population, includingJudaism,Hinduism,Islam,Buddhism, andSikhism.^[142]Philadelphia has the fifth-largestMuslimpopulation among U.S. cities.^[143]The remaining 24% claimedno religious affiliation.

The Philadelphiametropolitan area'sJewishpopulation was estimated at 206,000 in 2001, which was the sixth-largest in the U.S. at that time.^[144]Jewish traders were operating in southeastern Pennsylvania long beforeWilliam Penn. Jews in Philadelphia took a prominent part in theWar of Independence. Although the majority of the early Jewish residents were of Portuguese or Spanish descent, some among them had emigrated from Germany andPoland. About the beginning of the 19th century, a number of Jews from the latter countries, finding the services of theCongregation Mickvé Israelunfamiliar to them, resolved to form a new congregation which would use the ritual to which they had been accustomed.

African diasporic religionsare practiced in some Latino and Hispanic and Caribbean communities in North and West Philadelphia.^[145][146]

As of 2010^[update], 79.12% (1,112,441) of Philadelphia residents age 5 and older spoke English at home as aprimary language, while 9.72% (136,688) spoke Spanish, 1.64% (23,075) Chinese, 0.89% (12,499)Vietnamese, 0.77% (10,885) Russian, 0.66% (9,240) French, 0.61% (8,639)other Asian languages, 0.58% (8,217)African languages, 0.56% (7,933)Cambodian(Mon-Khmer), and Italian was spoken as amain languageby 0.55% (7,773) of the population over the age of five. In total, 20.88% (293,544) of Philadelphia's population age 5 and older spoke amother languageother than English.^[147]

Philadelphia is home to many food poverty programs, of which two of the largest arePhilabundancewhich claims to feed 90000 people per week.^{[148][149][150][151]}andShare Food Programwhich claims to feed 1 million people per month.^[152]

Top publicly traded companies headquartered in Philadelphia
Corporation	2019 rank	Revenue (billions)
Comcast	32	94.5
Aramark	198	15.8
FMC	556	4.7
Urban Outfitters	634	4.0
Carpenter Technology	940	2.2
Source:Fortune[153]

Philadelphia's close geographical and transportation connections to other large metropolitan economies along theEastern Seaboardof the United States have been cited as offering a significant competitive advantage for business creation andentrepreneurship.^[154]The city is the center of economic activity in bothPennsylvaniaand the four-stateDelaware Valleymetropolitan region. FiveFortune 500companies are headquartered in the city. As of 2021^[update], the Philadelphia metropolitan area is estimated to produce agross metropolitan product(GMP) of US$479 billion,^[155]an increase from the $445 billion calculated by theBureau of Economic Analysisfor 2017,^[156]representing theninth-largest U.S. metropolitan economy.

Philadelphia's economic sectors includefinancial services, health care,biotechnology, information technology, trade and transportation, manufacturing,oil refining,food processing, and tourism. Metropolitan Philadelphia is one of the top five Americanventure capitalhubs, credited to its proximity to New York City'sfinancialandtech and biotechnology ecosystems.^[21]Financial activities account for the largest economic sector of the metropolitan area, which is one of the largesthealth educationand research centers in the United States. The city's two largest employers are the federal and city governments. Philadelphia's largest private employer is theUniversity of Pennsylvania, followed by theChildren's Hospital of Philadelphia.^[157]A study commissioned by the city's government in 2011 projected 40,000 jobs would be added to the city within 25 years, raising the number of jobs from 675,000 in 2010 to an estimated 715,000 by 2035.^[158]

ThePhiladelphia Stock Exchange, acquired byNasdaqin 2007, is a global leader inoptionstrading.^[22]The city is home to the headquarters of cable television andinternet service providerComcast, insurance companiesCigna,Colonial Penn, andIndependence Blue Cross, food services companyAramark, chemical makersFMC CorporationandRohm and Haas, pharmaceutical companiesGlaxoSmithKline,Amicus Therapeutics,Spark Therapeutics,apparelretailersFive BelowandUrban Outfittersand its subsidiaryAnthropologie, automotive parts retailerPep Boys, and stainless steel producerCarpenter Technology Corporation.

Other corporation headquarters in the city includeRiteAid,Crown Holdings, andBrandywine Realty Trust. The headquarters ofBoeing Rotorcraft Systemsand its mainrotorcraftfactory are in the Philadelphia suburb ofRidley Park;The Vanguard Group, and the U.S. headquarters ofSiemens Healthineersare headquartered inMalvern, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb.HealthcareconglomerateAmerisourceBergenis located in suburbanConshohocken, Pennsylvania. Across theDelaware Riverin adjacentCamden County, New Jersey,Campbell Soup CompanyandSubaru USAare both headquartered in the city ofCamden, andTD Bank (USA)is headquartered innearbysuburbanCherry Hill, New Jersey.

Philadelphia is a hub forinformation technologyandbiotechnology.^[160]Philadelphia and Pennsylvania are attracting newlife sciencesventures.^[161]The Philadelphia metropolitan area, comprising the Delaware Valley, has become a growing hub forventure capitalfunding.^[161]

Philadelphia's history attracts many tourists, with theIndependence National Historical Park, which includes theLiberty Bell,Independence Hall, and other historic sites, received over 5 million visitors in 2016.^[162]The city welcomed 42 million domestic tourists in 2016 who spent $6.8 billion, generating an estimated $11 billion in total economic impact in the city and surrounding four counties of Pennsylvania.^[28]The annualNaked Bike Rideattracts participants from around the United States and internationally to Philadelphia.

Philadelphia International Airportis undergoing a $900 millioninfrastructuralexpansion to increase passenger capacity and augment passenger experience;^[163][164]while thePort of Philadelphia, having experienced the highest percentage growth bytonnageloaded in 2017 among major U.S. seaports, was in the process of doubling its shippingcapacityto accommodate super-sizedpost-Panamaxshipping vessels in 2018.^[165]Philadelphia's30th Street Stationis the third-busiestAmtrakrail hub, followingPenn StationinManhattanandUnion Stationin Washington, D.C., transporting over 4 millioninter-city railpassengers annually.^[166]

Education in Philadelphia is provided by many private and public institutions. TheSchool District of Philadelphiais the local school district, operatingpublic schools, in all of the city.^[167]The Philadelphia School District is the eighth-largestschool districtin the nation^[168]with 142,266 students in 218 traditional public schools and 86charter schoolsas of 2014^[update].^[169]

The city's K-12 enrollment in district–run schools dropped from 156,211 students in 2010 to 130,104 students in 2015. During the same time period, the enrollment in charter schools increased from 33,995 students in 2010 to 62,358 students in 2015.^[157]This consistent drop in enrollment led the city to close 24 of its public schools in 2013.^[170]During the 2014 school year, the city spent an average of $12,570 per pupil, below the average among comparable urban school districts.^[157]

Graduation rates among district-run schools, meanwhile, steadily increased in the ten years from 2005. In 2005, Philadelphia had a district graduation rate of 52%. This number increased to 65% in 2014, still below the national and state averages. Scores on the state's standardized test, thePennsylvania System of School Assessment(PSSA) trended upward from 2005 to 2011 but subsequently decreased. In 2005, the district-run schools scored an average of 37.4% on math and 35.5% on reading. The city's schools reached their peak scores in 2011 with 59.0% on math and 52.3% on reading. In 2014, the scores dropped significantly to 45.2% on math and 42.0% on reading.^[157]

Of the city's public high schools, including charter schools, only four performed above the national average on theSAT(1497 out of 2400^[171]) in 2014:Masterman,Central,Girard Academic Music Program, andMaST Community Charter School. All other district-run schools were below average.^[157]

Medical and research facilities of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and theChildren's Hospital of Philadelphia. Philadelphia has the third-largest student concentration on theEast Coast, with more than 120,000 college and university students enrolled within the city and nearly 300,000 in the metropolitan area.^[172]More than 80 colleges, universities, trade, and specialty schools are in the Philadelphia region. One of the founding members of theAssociation of American Universitiesis in the city, theUniversity of Pennsylvania, anIvy Leagueinstitution with claims to be theFirst university in the United States.^[173][38]

The city's largest university by student enrollment isTemple University, followed byDrexel University.^[174]The city's nationally ranked research universities comprise the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Drexel University, andThomas Jefferson University. Philadelphia is also home to five schools of medicine:Drexel University College of Medicine,Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine,Temple University School of Medicine, and Thomas Jefferson University'sSidney Kimmel Medical College. Hospitals, universities, and higher education research institutions in Philadelphia's four congressional districts received more than $252 million inNational Institutes of Healthgrants in 2015.^[175]

Other institutions of higher learning within the city's borders include:

Philadelphia is home to manynational historical sitesthat relate to the founding of the United States.Independence National Historical Parkis the center of these historical landmarks and one of the country's 22UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.Independence Hall, where theDeclaration of Independencewas signed, and theLiberty Bellis housed, are among the city's most popular attractions. Other national historic sites include the homes ofEdgar Allan PoeandThaddeus Kosciuszko, and early government buildings, including theFirstand theSecond Bank of the United States,Fort Mifflin, and theGloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church.^[176]Philadelphia alone has 67National Historic Landmarks, the third most of any city in the country.^[176]

Philadelphia's major science museums include theFranklin Institute, which contains theBenjamin Franklin National Memorial, theAcademy of Natural Sciences, theMütter Museum, and theUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. History museums include theNational Constitution Center, theMuseum of the American Revolution, thePhiladelphia History Museum, theNational Museum of American Jewish History, theAfrican American Museum in Philadelphia, theHistorical Society of Pennsylvania, the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania in theMasonic Temple, and theEastern State Penitentiary. Philadelphia is home to the United States's firstzoo^[177]andhospital,^[178]as well asFairmount Park, one of America's oldest and largest urban parks,^[27]founded in 1855.^[179]

The city is home to important archival repositories, including theLibrary Company of Philadelphia, established in 1731 byBenjamin Franklinat 1314Locust Street,^[180]and theAthenaeum of Philadelphia, founded in 1814.^[181]ThePresbyterian Historical Societyis the country's oldest denominational historical society, organized in 1852.^[182]

The city is home to multiple art museums, including thePennsylvania Academy of the Fine Artsand theRodin Museum, which holds the largest collection of work byAuguste Rodinoutside France. The city's largest art museum, thePhiladelphia Museum of Art, is one of thelargest art museums in the world. The long flight ofstepsto the Art Museum's main entrance became famous after the filmRocky(1976).^[183]

Annual events include thePhiladelphia Film Festival, held annually each October, the6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade, the nation's longest-running continuously heldThanksgiving Dayparade, and theMummers Parade, the nation's longest continuously held folk parade, which is held everyNew Year's Daypredominantly onBroad Street.

Areas such asSouth Streetand theOld Citysection of the city have a vibrant night life. TheAvenue of the ArtsinCenter Citycontains many restaurants and theaters, such as theKimmel Center for the Performing Arts, home of thePhiladelphia Orchestra, and theAcademy of Music, home ofOpera Philadelphiaand thePennsylvania Ballet.^[183]TheWilma Theatreand thePhiladelphia Theatre Companyat theSuzanne Roberts Theatreproduce a variety of new plays.^[184][185]Several blocks to the east are theLantern Theater CompanyatSt. Stephens Episcopal Church;^[186]and theWalnut Street Theatre, aNational Historic Landmarkstated to be the oldest and most subscribed-totheatrein theEnglish-speaking world, founded in 1809.^[187]In May 2019, the Walnut Street Theatre announced a major expansion to begin in 2020.^[188]New Freedom Theatre, Pennsylvania's oldest African-American theatre, is located on North Broad Street.

Philadelphia has morepublic artthan any other American city.^[189]In 1872, theAssociation for Public Art, formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association, was created as the first private association in the United States dedicated to integrating public art andurban planning.^[190]In 1959, lobbying by the Artists Equity Association helped create thePercent for Artordinance, the first for a U.S. city.^[191]The program, which has funded more than 200 pieces of public art, is administered by the Philadelphia Office of Arts and Culture, the city's art agency.^[192]The city has more murals than any other American city, due to the 1984 creation of the Department of Recreation'sMural Arts Program, which seeks to beautify neighborhoods and provide an outlet forgraffitiartists. The program has funded more than 2,800muralsby professional, staff and volunteer artists and educated more than 20,000 youth in underserved neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.^[193]

The city is home to a number of art organizations, including the regional art advocacy nonprofit Philadelphia Tri-State Artists Equity,^[194]thePhiladelphia Sketch Club, one of the country's oldest artists' clubs,^[195]andThe Plastic Club, started by women excluded from the Sketch Club.^[196]ManyOld Cityart galleries stay open late on theFirst Fridayevent of each month.^[197]

ThePhiladelphia Orchestrais generally considered one of thetop five orchestrasin the United States. The orchestra performs at theKimmel Center^[198]and has asummer concert seriesat theMann Center for the Performing Arts.^[199]Opera Philadelphiaperforms at the nation's oldest continually operating opera house—theAcademy of Music.^[183]ThePhiladelphia Boys Choir & Choralehas performed its music all over the world.^[200]ThePhilly Popsplays orchestral versions of popularjazz,swing,Broadway, andbluessongs at the Kimmel Center and other venues within themid-Atlanticregion.^[201]TheCurtis Institute of Musicis one of the world's premierconservatoriesand among the most selective institutes of higher education in the nation.^[202]

Philadelphia has played a prominent role in themusic of the United States. The culture ofAmerican popular musichas been influenced by significant contributions of Philadelphia area musicians and producers, in both the recording and broadcasting industries. In 1952, the teen dance party program calledBandstandpremiered on local television, hosted byBob Horn. The show was renamedAmerican Bandstandin 1957, when it began national syndication onABC, hosted byDick Clarkand produced in Philadelphia until 1964 when it moved to Los Angeles.^[203]Promoters marketed youthful musical artists known asteen idolsto appeal to the young audience. Philadelphia-born singers such asFrankie Avalon,James Darren,Eddie Fisher,Fabian Forte, andBobby Rydell, along withSouth Philly-raisedChubby Checker, topped the music charts, establishing a clean-cutrock and rollimage.

Philly soulmusic of the late 1960s–1970s is a highly produced version ofsoul musicwhich led to later forms of popular music such asdiscoandurban contemporaryrhythm and blues.^[204]On July 13, 1985,John F. Kennedy Stadiumwas the American venue for theLive Aidconcert.^[205]The city also hosted theLive 8concert, which attracted about 700,000 people to theBenjamin Franklin Parkwayon July 2, 2005.^[206]

Notable rock and pop musicians from Philadelphia and its suburbs includeBill Haley & His Comets,Nazz,Todd Rundgren,Hall & Oates,the Hooters,Cinderella,DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince,Ween,Schoolly D,Pink,the Roots,Beanie Sigel,State Property,Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes,Meek Mill,Lil Uzi Vert, and others.

The city is known for itshoagies,stromboli,roast pork sandwich,scrapple,soft pretzels,water ice,Irish potato candy,tastykakes, and thecheesesteaksandwich which was developed by Italian immigrants.^[207]The Philadelphia area has many establishments that serve cheesesteaks, including restaurants,taverns,delicatessensand pizza parlors.^{[208][209][210]}The originator of the thinly-sliced steak sandwich in the 1930s, initially without cheese, isPat's King of Steaks, which faces its rivalGeno's Steaks, founded in 1966,^[211]across the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue in theItalian MarketofSouth Philadelphia.^[212]

McGillin's Olde Ale House, opened in 1860 on Drury Street inCenter City, is the oldest continuously operated tavern in the city.^[213]TheCity Tavernis a replica of a historic 18th-century building first opened in 1773, demolished in 1854 after a fire, and rebuilt in 1975 on the same site as part ofIndependence National Historical Park.^[214]The tavern offers authentic 18th-century recipes, served in seven period dining rooms, three wine cellar rooms and an outdoor garden.^[215]

TheReading Terminal Marketis a historicfood marketfounded in 1893 in theReading Terminalbuilding, a designated National Historic Landmark. The enclosed market is one of the oldest and largest markets in the country, hosting over a hundred merchants offeringPennsylvania Dutchspecialties,artisan cheeseand meat, locally grown groceries, and specialty and ethnic foods.^[216]

The traditional Philadelphia accent is considered by somelinguiststo be the most distinctive accent in North America.^[217]The Philadelphia dialect, which is spread throughout theDelaware ValleyandSouth Jersey, is part of a largerMid-Atlantic American Englishfamily, a designation that also includes theBaltimore dialect. Additionally, it shares many similarities with theNew York accent. Owing to over a century of linguistic data collected by researchers at theUniversity of Pennsylvaniaunder sociolinguistWilliam Labov, the Philadelphia dialect has been one of the best-studied forms ofAmerican English.^{[218][219][f]}The accent is especially found within the Irish American and Italian American working-class neighborhoods.^[220]Philadelphia also has its own unique collection ofneologismsand slang terms.^[221]

Philadelphia's first professional sports team was baseball'sAthletics, organized in 1860.^[222]The Athletics were initially anamateur leagueteam thatturned professionalin 1871, and then became a founding team of the currentNational Leaguein 1876.^[223]The city is one of 13 U.S. cities to have teams inall four major league sports: thePhiladelphia PhilliesofMajor League Baseball(MLB), thePhiladelphia Eaglesof theNational Football League(NFL), thePhiladelphia Flyersof theNational Hockey League(NHL), and thePhiladelphia 76ersof theNational Basketball Association(NBA).^[224]The Phillies, formed in 1883 as the Quakers and renamed in 1884,^[225]are the oldest team continuously playing under the same name in the same city in the history of American professional sports.^[226]

The Philadelphia metro area is also home to thePhiladelphia UnionofMajor League Soccer(MLS). The Union began playing their home games in 2010 atPPLPark, asoccer-specific stadiuminChester, Pennsylvania.^[227]The stadium's name was changed toTalen EnergyStadium in 2016^[228]and toSubaru Parkin 2020.^[229]

Philadelphia was the second of eight American cities to have won titles in all four major leagues (MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA), and also has a title in soccer from the now-defunctNorth American Soccer Leaguein the 1970s. The city's professional teams and their fans endured 25 years without a championship, from the 76ers1983 NBA Finalswin^[230]until the Phillies2008 World Serieswin.^[231][232]The lack of championships was sometimes attributed in jest to theCurse of Billy PennafterOne Liberty Placebecame the first building to surpass the height of theWilliam Pennstatue on top ofCity Hall'stower in 1987.^[233]After nine years passed without another championship, the Eagles won their firstSuper Bowlfollowing the2017 season.^[234]In 2004,ESPNplaced Philadelphia second on its list of The Fifteen Most Tortured Sports Cities.^[235][236]Fans of the Eagles and Phillies were singled out as the worst fans in the country byGQmagazine in 2011, which used the subtitle of "Meanest Fans in America" to summarize incidents of drunken behavior and a history ofbooing.^[237][238]

Major professional sports teams that originated in Philadelphia but later moved to other cities include theGolden State Warriorsbasketball team, which played in Philadelphia from 1946 to 1962^[239]and theOakland Athleticsbaseball team, which was originally thePhiladelphia Athleticsand played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954.^[240]

Philadelphia is home to professional, semi-professional, and elite amateur teams incricket,rugby league(Philadelphia Fight), andrugby union. Major running events in the city include thePenn Relays(track and field), thePhiladelphia Marathon, and theBroad Street Run. TheCollegiate Rugby Championshipis played every June atTalen Energy StadiuminChester.^[241]

Rowing has been popular in Philadelphia since the 18th century.^[242]Boathouse Rowis a symbol of Philadelphia's rich rowing history, and eachBig Fivemember has its own boathouse.^[243]Philadelphia hosts numerous local and collegiate rowing clubs and competitions, including the annualDad Vail Regatta, which is the largestintercollegiate rowingevent inNorth Americawith more than 100 U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities participating;^[244]the annualStotesbury Cup Regatta, which is billed as the world's oldest and largest rowing event for high school students;^[245][246]and theHead of the Schuylkill Regatta.^[247]The regattas are held on theSchuylkill Riverand organized by theSchuylkill Navy, an association of area rowing clubs that has produced numerousOlympic rowers.^[248]

ThePhiladelphia Spinnerswere a professionalultimateteam inMajor League Ultimate(MLU) until 2016. The Spinners were one of the original eight teams of theAmerican Ultimate Disc League(AUDL) that began in 2012. They played atFranklin Fieldand won the inaugural AUDL championship and the final MLU championship in 2016.^[249]The MLU was suspended indefinitely by its investors in December 2016.^[250]As of 2018^[update], thePhiladelphia Phoenixcontinue to play in the AUDL.^[251]

Philadelphia is home to thePhiladelphia Big 5, a group of fiveNCAA Division Icollege basketballprograms. The Big 5 includeLa Salle,Penn,Saint Joseph's,Temple, andVillanovauniversities.^[252]The sixth NCAA Division I school in Philadelphia isDrexel University. Villanova won the1985,^[253]2016,^[254]and2018^[255]championship of theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Philadelphia will be one of the eleven US host cities for the2026 FIFA World Cup.^[256]

Team	League	Sport	Venue	Capacity	Founded	Championships
Philadelphia Phillies	MLB	Baseball	Citizens Bank Park	46,528	1883	1980, 2008
Philadelphia Eagles	NFL	American football	Lincoln Financial Field	69,176	1933	1948, 1949, 1960, 2017
Philadelphia 76ers	NBA	Basketball	Wells Fargo Center	21,600	1963	1966–67,1982–83
Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	Ice hockey	Wells Fargo Center	19,786	1967	1973–74,1974–75
Philadelphia Union	MLS	Soccer	Subaru Park	18,500	2010	none
Philadelphia Wings	NLL	Lacrosse	Wells Fargo Center	19,786	2018	none

Philadelphia County is alegal nullity. All county functions were assumed by the city in 1952.^[257]The city has been coterminous with the county since 1854.^[63]

Philadelphia's 1952Home RuleCharterwas written by the City Charter Commission, which was created by thePennsylvania General Assemblyin an act of April 1949, and a city ordinance of June 1949. The existingcity councilreceived a proposed draft in February 1951, and the electors approved it in an election held in April 1951.^[258]The first elections under the new Home Rule Charter were held in November 1951, and the newly elected officials took office in January 1952.^[257]

The city uses thestrong-mayorversion of the mayor–council form of government, which is led by one mayor in whomexecutive authorityis vested. The mayor has the authority to appoint and dismiss members of all boards and commissions without the approval of the city council. Electedat-large, the mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms, but can run for the position again after an intervening term.^[258]

Philadelphia Countyis coterminous with theFirst Judicial District of Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia CountyCourt of Common Pleasis thetrial courtofgeneral jurisdictionfor the city, hearingfelony-level criminal cases and civil suits above the minimum jurisdictional limit of $10,000. The court hasappellate jurisdictionover rulings from theMunicipaland Traffic Courts, and some administrative agencies and boards. The trial division has 70 commissioned judges elected by the voters, along with about one thousand other employees.^[259]The court has a family division with 25 judges^[260]and an orphans' court with three judges.^[261]

As of 2018^[update], the city'sDistrict AttorneyisLarry Krasner, a Democrat.^[262]The last Republican to hold the office isRonald D. Castille, who left in 1991 and later served as the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from 2008 to 2014.^[263]

ThePhiladelphia Municipal Courthandles traffic cases, misdemeanor and felony criminal cases with maximum incarceration of five years, and civil cases involving $12,000 or less ($15,000 in real estate and school tax cases), and all landlord-tenant disputes. The municipal court has 27 judges elected by the voters.^[264]

Pennsylvania's threeappellate courtsalso have sittings in Philadelphia. TheSupreme Court of Pennsylvania, the court of last resort in the state, regularly hears arguments inPhiladelphia City Hall.^[265]TheSuperior Court of Pennsylvaniaand theCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvaniaalso sit in Philadelphia several times a year.^[266][267]Judges for these courts are elected at large.^[268]The state Supreme Court and Superior Court have deputyprothonotaryoffices in Philadelphia.^[269][270]

Philadelphia is home to the federalUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvaniaand theCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit, both of which are housed in theJames A. Byrne United States Courthouse.^[271][272]

The current mayor isCherelle Parkerwho won the election in November 2023.^[273]Parker's predecessor,Jim Kenney, served two terms from 2016 to January 2024.^[274]Parker is a member of theDemocratic Party. For over seven decades, since 1952, everyPhiladelphia mayorhas been a Democrat.

Philadelphia City Councilis the legislative branch which consists of ten council members representing individual districts and seven members electedat-large, all of whom are elected to four-year terms.^[275]Democrats are currently the majority and hold 14 seats including nine of the ten districts and five at-large seats. Republicans hold one seat: theNortheast-basedTenth District. TheWorking Families Partyholds two at-large seats making them the Council's minority party. The current council president isKenyatta Johnson.^[276]

Philadelphia's political structure consists of a system of wards and divisions. There are 66 wards with 11 to 51 divisions each for a total of 1703 divisions. Each division elects two committee people who are supposed to live within the division boundaries, and committee people select a leader for their ward.^[277]Democrats and Republicans elect their own committee people every four years. The committee person's role is to serve as a point of contact between voters and party officials and help get out the vote.^[278]Most wards are closed which means the ward leader makes sole endorsement decisions; open wards allow committee people to weigh in on these decisions.^[279]There are groups such asOpen Wards Philadelphiaand individuals who are working to elect ward leaders who promote an open ward system.^[280]

Philadelphia County voter registration statistics as of March 4, 2024[281]
Political Party		Total Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	775,851	75.00%
	Republican	117,639	11.37%
	No Party Affiliation	114,990	11.11%
	Minor parties	25,924	2.50%
Total		1,034,404	100.00%

United States presidential election results for Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania ^[282]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	132,870	17.86%	604,175	81.21%	6,921	0.93%
2016	108,748	15.32%	584,025	82.30%	16,845	2.37%
2012	96,467	13.97%	588,806	85.24%	5,503	0.80%
2008	117,221	16.33%	595,980	83.00%	4,824	0.67%
2004	130,099	19.30%	542,205	80.44%	1,765	0.26%
2000	100,959	17.99%	449,182	80.04%	11,039	1.97%
1996	85,345	16.00%	412,988	77.44%	34,944	6.55%
1992	133,328	20.90%	434,904	68.16%	69,826	10.94%
1988	219,053	32.45%	449,566	66.60%	6,358	0.94%
1984	267,178	34.60%	501,369	64.94%	3,555	0.46%
1980	244,108	33.99%	421,253	58.66%	52,739	7.34%
1976	239,000	32.03%	494,579	66.28%	12,618	1.69%
1972	344,096	43.89%	431,736	55.07%	8,138	1.04%
1968	254,153	29.90%	525,768	61.85%	70,196	8.26%
1964	239,733	26.24%	670,645	73.42%	3,094	0.34%
1960	291,000	31.79%	622,544	68.02%	1,733	0.19%
1956	383,414	42.97%	507,289	56.85%	1,618	0.18%
1952	396,874	41.40%	557,352	58.15%	4,321	0.45%
1948	425,962	48.12%	432,699	48.88%	26,636	3.01%
1944	346,380	40.96%	496,367	58.70%	2,883	0.34%
1940	354,878	39.81%	532,149	59.69%	4,459	0.50%
1936	329,881	36.94%	539,757	60.45%	23,310	2.61%
1932	331,092	54.54%	260,276	42.88%	15,651	2.58%
1928	420,320	59.99%	276,573	39.48%	3,703	0.53%
1924	347,457	77.73%	54,213	12.13%	45,352	10.15%
1920	307,826	73.43%	90,151	21.50%	21,235	5.07%
1916	194,163	66.81%	90,800	31.25%	5,638	1.94%
1912	91,944	36.53%	66,308	26.35%	93,438	37.12%
1908	185,263	69.09%	75,310	28.09%	7,568	2.82%
1904	227,709	80.85%	48,784	17.32%	5,161	1.83%
1900	173,657	73.93%	58,179	24.77%	3,053	1.30%
1896	176,462	72.06%	63,323	25.86%	5,102	2.08%
1892	116,685	57.45%	84,470	41.59%	1,947	0.96%
1888	111,358	54.20%	92,786	45.16%	1,300	0.63%
1884	101,288	58.00%	71,288	40.82%	2,057	1.18%
1880	97,220	55.92%	76,330	43.91%	294	0.17%

Philadelphia had historically been a bastion of theRepublican Partyfrom theAmerican Civil Waruntil the mid-1930s.^[283][284]In1856, the firstRepublican National Conventionwas held atMusical Fund Hallat 808Locust Streetin Philadelphia.^[285]

Democratic registrations increased after theGreat Depression; however, the city was not carried by DemocratFranklin D. Rooseveltin hislandslide victory of 1932, as Pennsylvania was one of only six states won by RepublicanHerbert Hoover. Voter turnout surged from 600,000 in 1932 to nearly 900,000 in1936and Roosevelt carried Philadelphia with over 60% of the vote. Philadelphia has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1936. In2008, DemocratBarack Obamadrew 83% of the city's vote. Obama's win was even greater in2012, capturing 85% of the vote. In2016, DemocratHillary Clintonwon 82% of the vote.^[282]

As a result of the previously declining population in the city and state,^[286]Philadelphia has only threecongressional districtsof the 18 districts in Pennsylvania, based on the2010 censusapportionment:^[287]the 2nd district, represented byBrendan Boyle;the 3rd, represented byDwight Evans; andthe 5th, represented byMary Gay Scanlon.^[288]All three representatives are Democrats, though Republicans still have some support in the city, primarily in theNortheast.^[289]Sam Katzran competitive mayoral races as the Republican nominee in1999and2003, losing to DemocratJohn Streetboth times.^[290][291]

Pennsylvania's longest-servingSenator,Arlen Specter,^[292]was analumnusof theUniversity of Pennsylvaniawho opened his first law practice in Philadelphia.^[293]Specter served as a Republican from 1981 and as a Democrat from 2009, losing that party's primary in2010and leaving office in January 2011.^[294]He was assistant counsel on theWarren Commissionin 1964 and the city's district attorney from 1966 to 1974.^[293]

Philadelphia has hosted variousnational conventions, including in1848 (Whig),1856 (Republican),1872 (Republican),1900 (Republican),1936 (Democratic),1940 (Republican),1948 (Republican),1948 (Progressive),2000 (Republican), and2016 (Democratic).^[295]Philadelphia has been home to one vice president,George M. Dallas,^[296]and one general of the American Civil War,George B. McClellan, who won his party's nomination for president but lost in the general election toAbraham Lincolnin 1864.^[297]In May 2019, former U.S. Vice PresidentJoe Bidenchose Philadelphia to be his2020 U.S. presidential campaignheadquarters.^[298]

"Green Cities, Clean Water" is an environmental policy initiative based in Philadelphia that has shown promising results in mitigating the effects of climate change.^[299]The researchers on the policy have stated that despite such promising plans ofgreen infrastructurebuilding, "the city is forecasted to grow warmer, wetter, and more urbanized over the century, runoff and local temperatures will increase on average throughout the city".^[299]Even though landcover predictive models on the effects of the policy initiative have indicated that green infrastructure could be useful at decreasing the amount of runoff in the city over time, the city government would have to expand its current plans and "consider the cobenefit ofclimate change adaptationwhen planning new projects'' in limiting the scope of city-wide temperature increase.^[299]

In a 2015 report by Pew Charitable Trusts, thepolice districtswith the highest rates of violent crime wereFrankford(15th district) andKensington(24th district) in theNear Northeast, and districts to theNorth(22nd, 25th, and 35th districts),West(19th district) andSouthwest(12th district) ofCenter City. Each of those seven districts recorded more than a thousand violent crimes in 2014. The lowest rates of violent crime occurred in Center City,South Philadelphia, theFar Northeast, andRoxboroughdistricts, the latter of which includesManayunk.^[157]

Philadelphia had 500, 503 according to some sources, murders in 1990, a rate of 31.5 per 100,000. An average of about 400 murders occurred each year for most of the 1990s. The murder count dropped in 2002 to 288, then rose to 406 by 2006, before dropping slightly to 392 in 2007.^[300][301]A few years later, Philadelphia began to see a rapid decline in homicides and violent crime. In 2013, the city had 246 murders, which is a decrease of nearly 40% since 2006.^[302]

In 2014, 248 homicides were committed. The homicide rate rose to 280 in 2015, then fell slightly to 277 in 2016, before rising again to 317 in 2017.^[303]Homicides increased dramatically in the late 2010s/early 2020s, reaching 499 homicides in 2020^[300]and surpassing the 1990 "record" in 2021, with 501st murder on November 27 and 510 by the end of the month.^[304]Phillie ended the year with 562 murders, an all-time record. It dropped in 2022 to 514, and significantly further again in 2023, to 410.^[305]In 2006, Philadelphia's homicide rate of 27.7 per 100,000 people was the highest of the country's 10 most populous cities.^[306]In 2012, Philadelphia had the fourth-highest homicide rate among the country's most populous cities. The rate dropped to 16 homicides per 100,000 residents by 2014 placing Philadelphia as the sixth-highest city in the country.^[157]

The number of shootings in the city has declined significantly since the early years of the 21st century. Shooting incidents peaked at 1,857 in 2006 before declining nearly 44 percent to 1,047 shootings in 2014.^[157]Major crimes have decreased gradually since a peak in 2006 when 85,498 major crimes were reported. The number of reported major crimes fell 11 percent in three years to 68,815 occurrences in 2014.Violent crimes, which include homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery, decreased 14 percent in three years to 15,771 occurrences in 2014.^[157]

In 2014, Philadelphia enacted an ordinance decriminalizing the possession of less than 30 grams ofmarijuanaor eight grams ofhashish; the ordinance gave police officers the discretion to treat possession of these amounts as a civil infraction punishable by a $25 ticket, rather than a crime.^[307][308]At the time, Philadelphia was at the largest city in the nation to decriminalize the possession of marijuana.^[308]From 2013 to 2018, marijuana arrests in the city dropped by more than 85%.^[307]The purchase or sale of marijuana remains a criminal offense in Philadelphia.^[308]

The Philadelphia Fire Department providesfire protectionandemergency medical services(EMS). The department's official mission is to protect public safety by quick and professional response to emergencies and the promotion of sound emergency prevention measures. This mandate encompasses all traditionalfirefightingfunctions, including fire suppression, with 60 engine companies and 30 ladder companies^[309]as well as specialty and support units deployed throughout the city; specialized firefighting units forPhiladelphia International Airportand thePort of Philadelphia; investigations conducted by thefire marshal's office to determine the origins of fires and develop preventive strategies;preventionprograms to educate the public; and support services including research and planning, management of the fire communications center within the city's911system, and operation of the Philadelphia Fire Academy.

Philadelphia's two majordaily newspapersareThe Philadelphia Inquirer, first published in 1829—the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the country—and thePhiladelphia Daily News, first published in 1925.^[310]TheDaily Newshas been published as an edition of theInquirersince 2009.^[311]Recent owners of theInquirerandDaily Newshave includedKnight Ridder,The McClatchy Company, andPhiladelphia Media Holdings, with the latter organization declaring bankruptcy in 2010.^[312]After two years of financial struggle, the newspapers were sold toInterstate General Mediain 2012.^[312]The two newspapers had a combined daily circulation of 306,831 and a Sunday circulation of 477,313 in 2013^[update], the 18th-largest circulation in the country, and their collective website, Philly.com,^[313]was ranked 13th in popularity among online U.S. newspapers byAlexa Internetthe same year.^[314]

Smaller publications include thePhiladelphia Tribunepublished five days each week for theAfrican-Americancommunity;^[315]Philadelphiamagazine, a monthly regional magazine;^[316]Philadelphia Weekly, a weekly alternative newspaper;^[317]Philadelphia Gay News, a weekly newspaper for theLGBTcommunity;^[318]The Jewish Exponent, a weekly newspaper for the Jewish community;^[319]Al Día, a weekly newspaper for theLatinocommunity;^[320]andPhiladelphia Metro, a free daily newspaper.^[321]

Student-run newspapers include theUniversity of Pennsylvania'sThe Daily Pennsylvanian,^[322]Temple University'sThe Temple News,^[323]andDrexel University'sThe Triangle.^[324]

The first experimental radio license was issued in Philadelphia in August 1912 toSt. Joseph's College. The firstcommercialAMradio stations began broadcasting in 1922: firstWIP, then owned byGimbelsdepartment store, followed byWFIL, then owned byStrawbridge & Clothierdepartment store, andWOO, a defunct station owned byWanamaker'sdepartment store, as well asWCAUandWDAS.^[325]

As of 2018^[update], theFCClists 28FMand 11AMstations for Philadelphia.^[326][327]As of December 2017, the ten highest-rated stations in Philadelphia wereadult contemporaryWBEB-FM(101.1),sports talkWIP-FM(94.1),classic rockWMGK-FM(102.9),urban adult contemporaryWDAS-FM(105.3),classic hitsWOGL-FM(98.1),album-oriented rockWMMR-FM(93.3),country musicWXTU-FM(92.5),all-newsKYW-AM(1060),talk radioWHYY-FM(90.9), and urban adult contemporaryWRNB-FM(100.3).^[328][329]Philadelphia is served by three non-commercialpublic radiostations: WHYY-FM (NPR),^[330]WRTI-FM(classical and jazz),^[331]andWXPN-FM(adult alternative music).^[332]

In the 1930s, the experimental stationW3XE, owned byPhilco, became the first television station in Philadelphia. The station becameNBC's first affiliate in 1939, and later becameKYW-TV(currently aCBSaffiliate).WCAU-TV, WFIL-TV, andWHYY-TVwere all founded by the 1960s.^[325]In 1952, WFIL (renamedWPVI) premiered the television showBandstand, which later became the nationally broadcastAmerican Bandstandhosted byDick Clark.^[333]

Each commercial network has an affiliate in Philadelphia:KYW-TV3 (CBS),WPVI-TV6 (ABC),WCAU10 (NBC),WPHL-TV17 (The CW with MyNetworkTV on DT2),WFPA-CD28 (UniMás),WTXF-TV29 (Fox),WPSG57 (Independent),WWSI62 (Telemundo), andWUVP-DT65 (Univision). The region is served also bypublic broadcastingstationsWPPT-TV(Philadelphia),WHYY-TV(Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia),WLVT-TV(Lehigh Valley), andNJTV(New Jersey).^[334]

Philadelphia hasowned-and-operated stationsfor five major English-language broadcast networks:NBC–WCAU-TV,CBS–KYW-TV,ABC–WPVI-TV,Fox–WTXF-TVandThe CW–WPHL-TV. The major Spanish-language networks areUnivision–WUVP-DT,UniMás–WFPA-CD, andTelemundo–WWSI-TV.^[334]

As of 2018^[update], the city is the nation's fourth-largest consumer inmedia market, as ranked by theNielsen Media Researchfirm, with nearly 2.9 million TV households.^[335]

Philadelphia is served bySEPTA, which operates buses, trains,rapid transit(as both subways andelevated trains),trolleys, andtrackless trolleys(electric buses) throughout Philadelphia, the four Pennsylvania suburban counties ofBucks,Chester,Delaware, andMontgomery, in addition to service toMercer County, New Jersey(Trenton) andNew Castle County, Delaware(WilmingtonandNewark, Delaware).^[336]The city's subway system consists of two routes: the subway section of theMarket–Frankford Linerunning east–west underMarket Streetwhich opened in 1905 to the west and 1908 to the east of City Hall,^[337]and theBroad Street Linerunning north–south beneathBroad Streetwhich opened in stages from 1928 to 1938.^[338]

Beginning in the 1980s, large sections of theSEPTA Regional Railservice to the far suburbs of Philadelphia were discontinued due to a lack of funding for equipment and infrastructure maintenance.^{[339][340][341]}

Philadelphia's30th Street Stationis a major railroad station on Amtrak'sNortheast Corridorwith 4.4 million passengers in 2017 making it thethird-busieststation in the country afterNew York City's Pennsylvania StationandWashington's Union Station.^[342]30th Street Station offers access to Amtrak,^[343]SEPTA,^[344]andNJ Transitlines.^[345]Over 12 million SEPTA and NJ Transit rail commuters use the station each year, and more than 100,000 people on an average weekday.^[342]

ThePATCO Speedlineprovides rapid transit service toCamden,Collingswood,Westmont,Haddonfield,Woodcrest (Cherry Hill),Ashland (Voorhees), andLindenwold, New Jersey, from stations onLocust Streetbetween 16th and 15th, 13th and 12th, and 10th and 9th streets, and on Market Street at 8th Street.^[346]

Two airports serve Philadelphia: thePhiladelphia International Airport(PHL) is 7 mi (11 km) south-southwest ofCenter Cityon the boundary withDelaware County, providing scheduled domestic and international air service,^[347]whileNortheast Philadelphia Airport(PNE) is ageneral aviationrelief airportinNortheast Philadelphiaserving general and corporate aviation.^[348]Philadelphia International Airport is among the busiest airports in the worldmeasured by traffic movements(i.e., takeoffs and landings).^[349]More than 30 million passengers pass through the airport annually on 25 airlines, including all major domestic carriers. The airport has nearly 500 daily departures to more than 120 destinations worldwide.^[347]SEPTA'sAirport Regional Rail Lineprovides direct service between Center City railroad stations and Philadelphia International Airport.^[350]

William Pennplanned Philadelphia withnumbered streetstraversing north and south, and streets named for trees, such asChestnut,Walnut, and Mulberry (since renamedArch Street), traversing east and west. The two main streets were namedBroad Street(the north–southartery, since designatedPennsylvania Route 611) and High Street (the east–west artery, since renamedMarket Street) converging at Centre Square which later became the site ofCity Hall.^[351]

Interstate 95(the Delaware Expressway) traverses the southern and eastern edges of the city along theDelaware Riveras the main north–southcontrolled-access highway, connecting Philadelphia withNewark, New Jerseyand New York City to the north and withBaltimoreand Washington, D.C. southward. The city is also served byInterstate 76(theSchuylkill Expressway), which runs along theSchuylkill River, intersecting thePennsylvania TurnpikeatKing of Prussiaand providing access toHarrisburgand points west.Interstate 676(the Vine Street Expressway) links I-95 and I-76 through Center City by running below street level between the eastbound and westbound lanes ofVine Street. Entrance and exit ramps for theBenjamin Franklin Bridgeare near the eastern end of the expressway, just west of the I-95 interchange.^[352]

TheRoosevelt Boulevardand Expressway (U.S. 1) connectNortheast Philadelphiawith Center City via I-76 throughFairmount Park. Woodhaven Road (Route 63) and Cottman Avenue (Route 73) serve the neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia, running between I-95 and the Roosevelt Boulevard. The Fort Washington Expressway (Route 309) extends north from the city's northern border, servingMontgomery CountyandBucks County.U.S. Route 30(Lancaster Avenue) extends westward fromWest PhiladelphiatoLancaster.^[352]

Interstate 476(locally referred to as the Blue Route^[353]) traversesDelaware County, bypassing the city to the west and serving the city's western suburbs, and provides a direct route toAllentownand points north, including thePoconos.Interstate 276, thePennsylvania Turnpike'sDelaware River extension, is a bypass and commuter route to the north of the city and a link to theNew Jersey Turnpikeand New York City.^[352]

TheDelaware River Port Authorityoperates four bridges in the Philadelphia area across the Delaware River toNew Jersey: theWalt Whitman Bridge(I-76), theBenjamin Franklin Bridge(I-676 and U.S. 30), theBetsy Ross Bridge(New Jersey Route 90), and theCommodore Barry Bridge(U.S. 322in Delaware County, south of the city).^[354]TheBurlington County Bridge Commissionmaintains two bridges across the Delaware River: theTacony–Palmyra Bridgewhich connectsPA Route 73in theTaconysection of Northeast Philadelphia withNew Jersey Route 73inPalmyra,Burlington County, and theBurlington–Bristol Bridgewhich connectsNJ Route 413/U.S. Route 130inBurlington, New JerseywithPA Route 413/U.S. 13inBristol Township, north of Philadelphia.^[355]

TheGreyhound terminalis at 1001 Filbert Street (at 10th Street) in Center City, southeast of thePennsylvania Convention Centerand south ofChinatown.^[356]Several other bus operators provide service at the Greyhound terminal includingFullington Trailways,^[357]Martz Trailways,^[358]Peter Pan Bus Lines,^[359]andNJ Transit buses.^[360]

Other intercity bus services includeMegabuswith stops at30th Street Stationand the visitor center forIndependence Hall,^[361]BoltBus(operated by Greyhound) at 30th Street Station,^[362]OurBusat various stops in the city.

Since the early days ofrail transportation in the United States, Philadelphia has served as a hub for several major rail companies, particularly thePennsylvania Railroadand theReading Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad first operatedBroad Street Station, then30th Street StationandSuburban Station, and the Reading Railroad operatedReading Terminal, now part of thePennsylvania Convention Center. The two companies also operated competing commuter rail systems in the area. The two systems now operate as a single system under the control ofSEPTA, the regional transit authority. Additionally, thePATCO Speedlinesubway system andNJ Transit'sAtlantic City Lineoperate successor services to southernNew Jersey.^[363]

In 1911, Philadelphia had nearly 4,000 electrictrolleysrunning on 86 lines.^[364]In 2005, SEPTA reintroduced trolley service to theGirard Avenue Line, Route 15.^[365]SEPTA operates six subway-surface trolleys that run on street-level tracks inWest Philadelphiaand subway tunnels inCenter City, along with two surface trolleys in adjacent suburbs.^[366]

Philadelphia is a regional hub of thefederally-ownedAmtraksystem, with 30th Street Station being a primary stop on the Washington-BostonNortheast Corridorand theKeystone CorridortoHarrisburgandPittsburgh. 30th Street also serves as a major station for services via the Pennsylvania Railroad's formerPennsylvania Main Lineto Chicago. As of 2018^[update], 30th Street is Amtrak's third-busiest station in the country, after New York City and Washington.^[166]

In 1815, Philadelphia began sourcing its water via theFairmount Water Workson theSchuylkill River, the nation's first major urban water supply system. In 1909, the Water Works was decommissioned as the city transitioned to modernsand filtrationmethods.^[367]Philadelphia Water Department(PWD) providesdrinking water,wastewatercollection, andstormwaterservices for Philadelphia, as well as surrounding counties. PWD draws about 57 percent of its drinking water from theDelaware Riverand the balance from the Schuylkill River.^[368]The city has two filtration plants on the Schuylkill River and one on the Delaware River. The three plants can treat up to 546 million gallons of water per day, while the total storage capacity of the combined plant and distribution system exceeds one billion gallons. The wastewater system consists of three water pollution control plants, 21 pumping stations, and about 3,657 miles (5,885 km) of sewers.^[368]

ExelonsubsidiaryPECO Energy Company, founded as the Brush Electric Light Company of Philadelphia in 1881 and renamed Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) in 1902, provides electricity to about 1.6 million customers and more than 500,000 natural gas customers in the southeastern Pennsylvania area including the city of Philadelphia and most of its suburbs.^[369]PECO is the largest electric and natural gas utility in the state with 472 power substations and nearly 23,000 miles (37,000 km) of electric transmission and distribution lines, along with 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of natural gas transmission, distribution & service lines.^[370]

Philadelphia Gas Works(PGW), overseen by thePennsylvania Public Utility Commission, is the nation's largest municipally-owned natural gas utility. PGW serves over 500,000 homes and businesses in the Philadelphia area.^[371]Founded in 1836, the company came under city ownership in 1987 and has been providing the majority of gas distributed within city limits. In 2014, theCity Councilrefused to conduct hearings on a $1.86 billion sale of PGW, part of a two-year effort that was proposed by the mayor. The refusal led to the prospective buyer terminating its offer.^[372][373]

Southeastern Pennsylvania was assigned the215area codein 1947 when theNorth American Numbering Planof theBell Systemwent into effect. The geographic area covered by the code was split nearly in half in 1994 whenarea code 610was created, with the city and its northern suburbs retaining 215.Overlay area code267 was added to the 215 service area in 1997, and 484 was added to the 610 area in 1999. A plan in 2001 to introduce a third overlay code to both service areas,area code 445to 215 andarea code 835to 610, was delayed and later rescinded.^[374]Area code 445 was implemented as an overlay for area codes 215 and 267 starting on February 3, 2018.^[375]

City	Country	Date
Florence[376]	Italy	1964
Tel Aviv[377]	Israel	1966
Toruń[378]	Poland	1976
Tianjin[379]	China	1979
Incheon[380]	South Korea	1984
Douala[381]	Cameroon	1986
Nizhny Novgorod[382]	Russia	1992
Frankfurt[383]	Germany	2015

Philadelphia also has three partnership cities or regions:^[384]

City	Country	Date
Kobe[385]	Japan	1986
Abruzzo[386]	Italy	1997
Aix-en-Provence[387]	France	1999

Philadelphia has eight officialsister citiesas designated by the Citizen Diplomacy International of Philadelphia:^[384]Philadelphia has dedicated landmarks to its sister cities. The Sister Cities Park, a site of 0.5 acres (2,400 sq yd) at 18th andBenjamin Franklin ParkwaywithinLogan Square, was dedicated in June 1976. The park was built to commemorate Philadelphia's first two sister city relationships, withTel AvivandFlorence. The Toruń Triangle, honoring the sister city relationship withToruń, Poland, was constructed in 1976, west of theUnited Waybuilding at 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Sister Cities Park was redesigned and reopened in 2012, featuring an interactive fountain honoring Philadelphia's sister and partnership cities, a café and visitor's center, children's play area, outdoor garden, and boat pond, as well as a pavilion built toenvironmentally friendlystandards.^[388][389]

The Chinatown Gate, erected in 1984 and crafted by artisans ofTianjin, stands astride 10th Street, on the north side of its intersection withArch Street, as a symbol of the sister city relationship. The CDI of Philadelphia has participated in theU.S. Department of State's "Partners for Peace" project withMosul, Iraq,^[390]as well as accepting visiting delegations from dozens of other countries.^[391]

• List of Pennsylvania state historical markers in Philadelphia County
• Metropolitan areas in the Americas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Philadelphia
• USSPhiladelphia

• Holli, Melvin G., and Jones, Peter d'A., eds.Biographical Dictionary of American Mayors, 1820-1980(Greenwood Press, 1981) short scholarly biographies each of the city's mayors 1820 to 1980.online; see index at p. 410 for list.

• Official websiteof the City of Philadelphia government
• Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia– historical encyclopedia
• Historic Philadelphia, over 2 million photographs dating back to the late 1800s
• Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network, historical maps and atlases
• Daly, John; Weinberg, Allen (October 1966).Genealogy of Philadelphia County Subdivisions, 1687–1960(Second ed.). Philadelphia Dept. of Records.
• philly.com,The Philadelphia InquirerandDaily News
• Official websiteof Discover Philadelphia
• Official websiteof Pennsylvania Convention Center
• "10 Towns that Changed America", aWTTWsegment on Philadelphia (at 7:23–12:00 in 56-minute video)