Philadelphia

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This article is about the Pennsylvania city. For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation).
"Philly" redirects here. For other uses, see Philly (disambiguation).

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Consolidated city-county

City of Philadelphia
 Clockwise from top: Philadelphia skyline (2015), Philadelphia City Hall, the paifang in Chinatown, Elfreth's Alley, the Philadelphia
Museum of Art, the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the Liberty Bell

Flag
Seal

Etymology: Greek: philos (love) and adelphos(brother)

Nickname(s): "Philly", "City of Brotherly Love", "The Athens of America"[1] more...

Motto: "Philadelphia maneto" ("Let brotherly love endure")

Location of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia

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Location in the United States

Coordinates: 400034N 750800WCoordinates: 400034N 750800W

Country United States

Commonwealth Pennsylvania
County
Philadelphia

Historic countries Kingdom of England

Kingdom of Great Britain
Historic colony Province of Pennsylvania

Founded October 27, 1682

Incorporated October 25, 1701

Founded by William Penn

Government

Type MayorCouncil

Body Philadelphia City Council

Mayor Jim Kenney (D)

Area[2]

Consolidated city-county 142.71 sq mi(369.62 km2)

Land 134.18 sq mi (347.52 km2)

Water 8.53 sq mi (22.09 km2)

Elevation 39 ft (12 m)

Population (2016)[5]

Consolidated city-county 1,567,872

Estimate (2016)[6] 1,567,872

Rank US: 6th

Density 11,685.02/sq mi (4,511.61/km2)

Metro 6,069,875 (US: 7th)[3]

CSA 7,183,479 (US: 8th)[4]

Demonym Philadelphian

Time zone EST (UTC-5)

Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)

ZIP code 19092-19093, 19099, 191xx

Area code(s) 215, 267

FIPS code 42-60000

GNIS feature ID 1215531[7]

 Website www.phila.gov

Philadelphia (/fldlfi./) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and

the sixth-most populous city in the United States, with an estimated population of
1,567,872[5] and more than 6 million in the seventh-largest metropolitan statistical area, as of
2016.[3] Philadelphia is the economic and cultural anchor of the Delaware Valley region, located
along the lower Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. The region's population of 7.2 million ranks it
as the eighth-largest combined statistical area in the United States.[4]
William Penn, an English Quaker, founded the city in 1682 to serve as capital of
the Pennsylvania Colony.[8] Philadelphia played an instrumental role in the American
Revolution as a meeting place for the Founding Fathers of the United States, who signed
the Declaration of Independence in 1776 at the Second Continental Congress, and
the Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. Several other key events occurred in
Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War including the First Continental Congress, the
preservation of the Liberty Bell, the Battle of Germantown, and the Siege of Fort Mifflin.
Philadelphia was one of the nation's capitalsduring the revolution, and served as temporary
U.S. capital while Washington, D.C., was under construction. In the 19th century, Philadelphia
became a major industrial center and a railroad hub. The city grew from an influx of
European immigrants, most of whom came from Ireland, Italy and Germanythe three largest
reported ancestry groups in the city as of 2015.[9] In the early 20th century, Philadelphia
became a prime destination for African Americans during the Great Migration after the Civil
War,[10] as well as Puerto Ricans.[11] The city's population doubled from one million to two million
people between 1890 and 1950.
The Philadelphia area's many universities and colleges make it a top study destination, as the
city has evolved into an educational and economic hub.[12][13] According to the Bureau of
Economic Analysis, the Philadelphia area had a gross domestic product of $431 billion in 2016,
the eighth-largest metropolitan economy in the United States.[14] Philadelphia is the center of
economic activity in Pennsylvania and is home to five Fortune 1000 companies.
The Philadelphia skyline is expanding, with a market of almost 81,900 commercial properties in
2016[15] including several nationally prominent skyscrapers.[16] Philadelphia has more
outdoor sculpturesand murals than any other American city.[17] Fairmount Park, when combined
with the adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the same watershed, is one of the largest
contiguous urban park areas in the United States.[18] The city is known for its arts, culture,
and colonial history which attracted 42 million domestic tourists in 2016 who spent $6.8
billionmostly on lodging and foodgenerating an estimated $11 billion in total economic
impact in the city and surrounding four counties of Pennsylvania.[19]
Philadelphia is the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps,[20][21] and is also the home of
many U.S. firsts, including the first library (1731),[22] hospital (1751),[22