Philadelphia skyline at night
Photo by B. Krist for GPTMC
In this section, you will find Fact Sheets and Backgrounders concerning Philadelphia and Its Countryside in addition to a general profile of the region (below).
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Fact Sheets
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Backgrounders
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Philadelphia Profile
Population: There are 3.9 million people residing in the five-county region (7.75 million in the Philadelphia Designated Market Area), making Philadelphia the second largest city on the East Coast and the sixth largest in the U.S.
Location: Philadelphia is a two-hour drive from New York City, two-and-a-half hours from Washington, DC and 45 minutes from Atlantic City, with convenient access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76, I-95 and the New Jersey Turnpike. The city is a 90-minute flight or a one-day drive from Toronto (880 kilometers), Ottawa (772 kilometers) and Montreal (745 kilometers). There are more than 35 flights per week from these cities and convenient connections from all other major Canadian cities.
Air Transportation: Philadelphia International Airport, located about seven miles from Center City, is a base for around 30 carriers (including several discount carriers such as Southwest Airlines and Frontier) that offer 700 daily nonstop flights to more than 120 domestic and international cities.
Rail Transportation: Amtrak’s 30th Street Station is a major East Coast hub, with trains that run along the northeast corridor serving Boston (six-hour commute), New York (under 90 minutes), Baltimore (90 minutes) and Washington, DC (two hours).
City Transportation: Thanks to founder William Penn, Center City has an easy-to-follow grid street design, making it a walkable city. Visitors can flag down taxis at the airport, train stations, hotels, the Independence Visitor Center and throughout Center City. Methods of public transportation:
- Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), a vast network of bus, subway and trolley commuter services in the city and the suburbs. The SEPTA Airport Rail Line connects the airport with Center City.
- The Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO Hi-Speedline) is an easy way to travel from southern New Jersey to Center City Philadelphia.
Narrated Touring Transportation: Philadelphia Trolley Works, Ride the Ducks and the Big Bus Company are among the city’s narrated touring options. In the summer months, Phlash trolleys take visitors to the city’s most popular tourist attractions/areas for $1 per ride.
Climate: Philadelphia experiences four distinct seasons with a moderately cold winter and hot, humid summer. January average temperature, 32 degrees Fahrenheit; July average temperature, 78 degrees; average yearly rainfall, 41 inches; normal seasonal snowfall, 21 inches.
Visitor Facts: There were 26.39 million visitors to Philadelphia and The Countryside® in 2006. Of these visitors, 19.6 million were leisure travelers and 6.8 million were business travelers. Overnight leisure tourism grew for the sixth consecutive year in 2006 to 9.32 million. In 2005, 1.44 million Canadians visited Pennsylvania, including 645,600 overnight visitors, an increase of 22% from 2003.
The majority of overnight leisure visitors come from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Median age is 38 years old; median income is $72,700.
Visitor Web Site: www.gophila.com, Philadelphia’s official tourism site
History: William Penn founded Philadelphia in 1682 and applied his Quaker ideals of racial harmony and religious tolerance to the colony. Nearly 100 years later, during the American Revolution, the fight for freedom took hold in Philadelphia. In July 1776, the rewards were great as independence rang out with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The 19th century proved to be prosperous for the city, still very much the nation’s center of culture and industry. Today, Philadelphia is a thriving destination, popular for its history, cultural attractions and fine dining experiences.
Attractions:
A sampling of city attractions: The Academy of Natural Sciences, Betsy Ross House, City Hall, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, The Franklin Institute Science Museum, Independence National Historical Park (including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center), Independence Seaport Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Masonic Temple, Morris Arboretum, Mutter Museum, National Constitution Center, National Liberty Museum, Penn’s Landing, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Zoo, Please Touch Museum, Rosenbach Museum & Library, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Walnut Street Theatre, Wilma Theater
A sampling of regional attractions: American Helicopter Museum and Education Center, The Barnes Foundation, Brandywine River Museum, Elmwood Park Zoo, Fonthill Museum, Longwood Gardens, Mercer Museum, James A. Michener Art Museum, Tyler Arboretum and Valley Forge National Historical Park
Annual Events:
- January: Mummers Parade
- March: Philadelphia Flower Show
- April: Equality Forum, Penn Relays, Philadelphia Film Festival
- May: Brandywine River Museum Antiques Show, Dad Vail Regatta, International Children’s Festival, Jam on the River, Devon Horse Show and Country Fair
- June: Odunde Afrikan-American Street Festival, Philadelphia International Championship
- July: Sunoco Welcome America!
- August: Philadelphia Folk Festival
- September: Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe
- October: Terror Behind the Walls
- November: Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, Thanksgiving Day Parade
- December: A Longwood Gardens Christmas, New Year’s Eve fireworks
Hotels: There are more than 10,000 hotel rooms in Center City, and about 7,600 within a 15-minute walk of the Pennsylvania Convention Center and City Hall. Some 4,500 rooms surround the Philadelphia International Airport.
Acclaimed Restaurants: Philadelphia is a true diner’s destination, one that Saveur magazine recognized as “the most underrated American food town” in “Saveur 100: Our Favorite Foods, Restaurants, Recipes, People, Places & Things.” (January/February 2004)
Dining trends throughout the region that make Philadelphia such a well-recognized foodie town include: the bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) craze; outdoor cafes; kitchens using locally grown, farm-fresh ingredients; couples in the kitchen; and the dining empire of prolific restaurateur Stephen Starr.
Shops: Philadelphia neighborhoods and malls offer a wealth of diverse shopping experiences, from independent boutiques and upscale shops on big and little streets in Center City and in the vast King of Prussia Mall, to outlet stores and discount malls such as Franklin Mills. There is no sales tax on clothing in Pennsylvania and no GST or Federal tax for Canadian visitors.
Nightlife: From luxe lounges to dive bars with character to jazz clubs, Philadelphia has a booming nightlife scene. Neighborhoods like Old City and Rittenhouse Square offer an array of cultural and nightlife options.
Sports: Nine teams, including the Phillies (baseball), Eagles (football), Flyers (hockey), Sixers (basketball), Kixx (indoor soccer), Wings (indoor lacrosse), Phantoms (minor league hockey), the Soul (arena football) and the Barrage (outdoor lacrosse). Sports complexes include Citizens Bank Park, home to the Phillies; and Lincoln Financial Field, home to the Eagles. The Wachovia Center and Spectrum are also part of Philadelphia’s stadium complex.
Convention Facilities: The Pennsylvania Convention Center, one of the largest convention centers in the Northeast, currently features 1.3 million square feet of floor space. A large-scale expansion is expected to be complete in 2010.
Colleges and Universities: Nearly 300,000 students attend some 50 colleges in the Philadelphia five-county region. More than 50,000 degrees are conferred annually.
Famous Philadelphians: Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, W.C. Fields, Edgar Allan Poe, James A. Michener, Walter Annenberg, Reverend Leon Sullivan, W.E.B. DuBois, Marian Anderson, John Coltrane, Grace Kelly, Bill Cosby, “Dr. J.” Julius Irving, Wilt Chamberlain, Will Smith, Patti LaBelle, Kevin Bacon, M. Night Shyamalan, Jill Scott, Pink and Donovan McNabb.
Filmed in the Area: In Her Shoes, National Treasure, The Village, Jersey Girl, Signs, The Sixth Sense, Rocky I-V, Beloved, Fallen, 12 Monkeys, Up Close & Personal, Philadelphia, The Age of Innocence, Trading Places, Mannequin I-II, Witness, The Real World Philadelphia and Unbreakable
Distinctions: In addition to being the birthplace of the nation, Philadelphia can claim many of America’s “firsts”: first hospital (Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751), first reading of the Declaration of Independence (1776), first Fourth of July celebration (1777), first stock exchange (Philadelphia Stock Exchange, 1790), first capital of the United States (1790-1800), first art museum and school (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1805), first natural history institution (The Academy of Natural Sciences, 1812), first department store (Wanamaker’s), first Mother’s Day (1908), first Thanksgiving Day Parade (1920), first professional football game (Philadelphia Eagles beat Cincinnati Reds, 64-0, 1934), first zoo (Philadelphia Zoo, 1874), first computer (ENIAC), first ice cream sundae, among others.
More Superlatives that Philadelphia Boasts: America’s oldest street in continuous use (Elfreth’s Alley), the largest mall on the East Coast (The King of Prussia Mall), the most murals in the country (more than 2,700), the oldest theater in continuous use in the English-speaking world (Walnut Street Theatre, 1809), the oldest and largest outdoor market (the Italian Market), the largest landscaped city park (Fairmount Park, 8,700 acres), the oldest African American newspaper (The Philadelphia Tribune), the largest masonry building in the world (City Hall), one of the few cities with a professional franchise in all four major league sports, the longest-running folk parade (the Mummers New Year’s Day Parade, 1901) and more Rodin sculptures than any place outside of Paris (Rodin Museum).
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.
Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery.
CONTACT:
Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com