Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century, theLenape, anIndian tribe also known as the Delaware Indians, lived in the village ofShackamaxon in present-day Philadelphia and the surrounding area.[43] The Lenape historically lived along theDelaware Riverwatershed, westernLong Island, and theLower Hudson Valley.[a] Most Lenape were pushed out of the region during the 18th century as the originalThirteen Colonies expanded, which was further exacerbated by losses from intertribal conflicts.[43] Lenape communities were also weakened by newly introduced diseases, mainlysmallpox, and conflicts with Europeans. TheIroquois occasionally fought the Lenape. Surviving Lenape moved west into the upperOhio River basin. Following theAmerican Revolutionary War and the subsequent establishment of the United States, the Lenape began moving further west. In the 1860s, theU.S. federal government sent most remaining Lenape in theeastern United States to theIndian Territory in present-dayOklahoma and surrounding territories as part of theIndian removal policy.
Europeans first entered Philadelphia and the surroundingDelaware Valley in the early 17th century. The first settlements were founded byDutch colonists, who builtFort Nassau on theDelaware River in 1623 in what is nowBrooklawn, New Jersey. The Dutch considered the entire Delaware River valley to be part of theirNew Netherland colony. In 1638, Swedish settlers led by renegade Dutch established the colony ofNew Sweden atFort Christina, located in present-dayWilmington, Delaware, and quickly spread out in the valley. In 1644, New Sweden supported theSusquehannocks in their war againstMaryland colonists.[44] In 1648, the Dutch builtFort Beversreede on the west bank of the Delaware, south of theSchuylkill River near the present-dayEastwick section of Philadelphia, to reassert their dominion over the area. TheSwedes responded by buildingFort Nya Korsholm, or NewKorsholm, named after a town in Finland with a Swedish majority.
In 1655, aDutch military campaign led by New Netherland Director-GeneralPeter Stuyvesant took control of the Swedish colony, ending its claim to independence. The Swedish andFinnish settlers 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.[45]
In 1681, in partial repayment of a debt,Charles II of England granted Penn acharter for what would become thePennsylvania colony. Despite the royal charter, Penn bought the land from the localLenape in an effort to establish good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for the colony.[46] Penn made atreaty of friendship with Lenape chiefTammany under an elm tree atShackamaxon, in what is now the city'sFishtown neighborhood.[3] Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek for 'brotherly love', derived from theAncient Greek termsφίλοςphílos ('beloved, dear') andἀδελφόςadelphós ('brother, brotherly'). There were a number of cities namedPhiladelphia (Φιλαδέλφεια) in theEastern Mediterranean during 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 persecution and 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.[47]
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 plan to 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 Philadelphia on the Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots.[48] 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 societies were 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).[49] 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 surpassedBoston as the largest city and busiest port inBritish America, and the second-largest city in the entireBritish Empire after London.[51][52] In 1774, as resentment of theBritish government's policies towards the colonies and support for independence began burgeoning in the colonies, Philadelphia hosted theFirst Continental Congress atCarpenters' Hall, and 12 of the original 13 colonies sent delegates to the Congress.
From 1775 to 1781, Philadelphia hosted theSecond Continental Congress,[53] whose 56 delegated unanimously adopted theDeclaration of Independence inside what was then called Pennsylvania State House and was later renamedIndependence Hall. Written predominantly byThomas Jefferson from his second-floor apartment onMarket Street within walking distance of Independence Hall, the Declaration has been described byPulitzer Prize-winning historianJoseph Ellis as "the most potent and consequential words in American history,"[16] and its adoption represented a declaration of war againstGreat Britain. 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 onlyeleven designated U.S. federal holidays.
AfterGeorge Washington's defeat at theBattle of Brandywine inChadds 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 Church andSt. 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 Church in Northampton Town, which is present-dayAllentown, where it was hidden under the church's floor boards for nine months from September 1777 until departure of British forces from Philadelphia in June 1778.[54] 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 Confederation on November 15, 1777. Independence Hall in Philadelphia was the meeting place for theConstitutional Convention, which ratified theConstitution on September 17, 1787, which is now the longest-standing codified national constitution.
Philadelphia served as capital of the United States for most of the colonial and early post-colonial period. including for a decade, from 1790 to 1800, while Washington, D.C., was being constructed and prepared to serve as the new national capital, andon five prior occasions between 1776 and 1790.[55] In 1793, the largestyellow fever epidemic in 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.[56][57] The capital of the United States was moved to Washington, D.C. in 1800 upon completion of theWhite House andU.S. Capitol buildings.
The state capital was moved from Philadelphia toLancaster in 1799, then ultimately toHarrisburg in 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 by New York City in 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 majorindustrial city in the United States.
Immigrants, mostly from Ireland and Germany, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. These immigrants were largely responsible for thefirst general strike in North America in 1835, in which workers in the city won the ten-hour workday. The city was a destination for thousands of Irish immigrants fleeing theGreat Famine in the 1840s; housing for them was developed south ofSouth Street and later occupied by succeeding immigrants. They established a network ofCatholic churches and schools and dominated the Catholic clergy for decades. Anti-Irish, anti-Catholicnativistriots erupted 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 City to the roughly 134 square miles (350 km2) ofPhiladelphia County.[59][60]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.[61]
In 1917, following outrage over the election-year murder of a Philadelphia police officer, theCity Council shrank from two houses to just one.[66] In July 1919, Philadelphia was one of more than 36 industrial cities nationally to suffer arace riot duringRed Summer in post-World War I unrest as recent immigrants competed with Blacks for jobs. In the 1920s, the public flouting ofProhibition laws,organized crime, mob violence, and corrupt police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment ofBrig. Gen.Smedley Butler of theU.S. Marine Corps as the city's director of public safety, but political pressure still prevented long-term success in fighting crime and corruption.[67]
In 1940,non-Hispanic whites constituted 86.8% of the city's population.[68] 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.[69][70]
Revitalization andgentrification of neighborhoods began in the late 1970s and continues into the 21st century with much of the development occurring in theCenter City andUniversity City neighborhoods. But this expanded a shortage ofaffordable housing in 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-graniteskyscrapers were built in Center City beginning in the 1980s. Historic areas such asOld City andSociety Hill were 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.[72][73]
21st century
Philadelphia eventually began experiencing a growth in its population in 2007, which continued with incremental annual increases through the present.[74][75] 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.[76][77]
Philadelphia's skyline at twilight from the southwest onSouth Street Bridge with theSchuylkill River on the left in July 2016 (annotated version)
Philadelphia was created in the 17th century, following the plan byWilliam Penn's surveyorThomas Holme.Center City is structured with long, straight streets running nearly due east–west and north–south, forming a grid pattern between theDelaware andSchuylkill rivers 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.[83] 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.[84] Penn planned the creation of five public parks in the city which were renamed in 1824.[83] Centre Square was renamedPenn Square;[85] Northeast Square was renamedFranklin Square; Southeast Square was renamedWashington Square; Southwest Square was renamedRittenhouse Square; and Northwest Square was renamedLogan Circle/Square.[86]Center City had an estimated 183,240 residents as of 2015[update], making it the second-most populated downtown area in the United States afterMidtown Manhattan in New York City.[87]
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.[89][90] Much of the city's 1980 zoning code was overhauled from 2007 to 2012 as part of a joint effort between former mayorsJohn F. Street andMichael 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.[91] ThePhiladelphia Parking Authority is responsible for ensuring adequate parking for city residents, businesses, and visitors.[92]
Philadelphia's architectural history dates back tocolonial times and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed withlogs, but brick structures were common by 1700. During the 18th century, thecityscape was dominated byGeorgian architecture, includingIndependence Hall andChrist Church.
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".[93] A variety of row houses are found throughout the city, from Federal-style continuous blocks inOld City andSociety Hill to Victorian-style homes inNorth Philadelphia to 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 decay and vacant lots. Some neighborhoods, includingNorthern Liberties and Society Hill, have been rehabilitated throughgentrification.[96][97]
Elfreth's Alley, first developed in 1703, is the nation's oldest residential street.[98]
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).[22] Philadelphia's largest park isFairmount Park, which includes thePhiladelphia Zoo and encompasses 2,052 acres (3.2 sq mi) of the total parkland. Fairmount Park's adjacentWissahickon Valley Park contains 2,042 acres (3.2 sq mi).[99] Fairmount Park, when combined with Wissahickon Valley Park, is one of the largest contiguousurban park areas in the U.S.[22] The two parks, along with theColonial Revival,Georgian andFederal-stylemansions in them, have been listed as one entity on theNational Register of Historic Places since 1972.[100]
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.[104] Seasonal snowfall accumulation has ranged from trace amounts in 1972–73, to 78.7 inches (200 cm) in the winter of 2009–10.[104][b] The city'sheaviest single-storm snowfall was 30.7 in (78 cm), which occurred in January 1996.[105]
Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month,[106] 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.[104] The most rain recorded in one day occurred on July 28, 2013, when 8.02 in (204 mm) fell atPhiladelphia International Airport.[104] Philadelphia has a moderately sunny climate with an average of 2,498hours of sunshine annually. The percentage of sunshine ranges from 47% in December to 61% in June, July, and August.[107]
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 indices are 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,[104] 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).[104]
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.[108] The lowest officially recorded temperature was −11 °F (−24 °C) on February 9, 1934.[108] Temperatures at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) are rare, with the last such occurrence beingJanuary 19, 1994.[104] 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.[109]
Philadelphia County received anozone grade of F and a 24-hourparticle pollution rating of D in theAmerican Lung Association's 2017 State of the Air report, which analyzed data from 2013 to 2015.[114][115] The city was ranked 22nd for ozone, 20th for short-term particle pollution, and 11th for year-round particle pollution.[116] 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.[115]
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.[116]
U.S. Decennial Census[117] 2010–2020[11] Source: U.S. Decennial Census[118]
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.[75] 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.[119]
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 population is 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.[119]
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.[120]
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-born population increased by 69% between 2000 and 2016 to constitute nearly 20% of Philadelphia's workforce,[124] 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 the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, India, and Vietnam.[125]
Top 10 countries of origin for foreign-born Philadelphians, 2017[126]
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
Korea/North Korea
4,385
Irish, Italian, German, Polish, English, Russian, Ukrainian, and French ancestries constitute the largestEuropean ethnic groups in the city.[127] Philadelphia has the second-largest Irish and Italian populations in the United States after New York City.South Philadelphia remains one of the largestItalian neighborhoods in the country and is home to theItalian Market.
ThePennsport neighborhood andGray's Ferry section of South Philadelphia, home to manyMummer clubs, are well known asIrish neighborhoods. TheKensington,Port Richmond, andFishtown neighborhoods 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 Airy inNorthwest Philadelphia also contains a Jewish community. NearbyChestnut Hill is historically known as anAnglo-Saxon Protestant community.
ThePuerto Rican population in Philadelphia is the second-largest on the U.S. mainland after New York City, and the second-fastest growing afterOrlando.[129] Eastern North Philadelphia, particularlyFairhill and surrounding areas to the north and east, has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans outside Puerto Rico, with many large swaths of blocks being close to 100% Puerto Rican.[130][131] Puerto Rican andDominican populations reside inNorth Philadelphia and the Northeast, andMexican and Central American populations exist in South Philadelphia.[132] South American migrants were being transported by bus fromTexas to Philadelphia beginning in 2022.[133]
In a 2014 study by thePew Research Center, 68% of the population of the city identified themselves asChristian.[140] Approximately 41% of Christians in the city and area professed attendance at a variety of churches that could be consideredProtestant, while 26% professedCatholic beliefs.
The Philadelphiametropolitan area'sJewish population was estimated at 206,000 in 2001, which was the sixth-largest in the U.S. at that time.[143] 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 and Poland. About the beginning of the 19th century, a number of Jews from the latter countries, finding the services of theCongregation Mickvé Israel unfamiliar to them, resolved to form a new congregation which would use the ritual to which they had been accustomed.
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 language by 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 language other than English.[146]
Poverty
Philadelphia is home to many food poverty programs, of which two of the largest arePhilabundance which claims to feed 90000 people per week.[147][148][149][150] andShare Food Program which claims to feed 1 million people per month.[151]
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.[159] 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.[160] The annualNaked Bike Ride attracts participants from around the United States and internationally to Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has morepublic art than any other American city.[178] 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.[179] In 1959, lobbying by the Artists Equity Association helped create thePercent for Artordinance, the first for a U.S. city.[180] The program, which has funded more than 200 pieces of public art, is administered by Creative Philadelphia,[f] the city's office of arts and culture.[182] 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 forgraffiti artists. The program has funded more than 2,800murals by professional, staff and volunteer artists and educated more than 20,000 youth in underserved neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.[183]
The city is home to a number of art organizations, including the regional art advocacy nonprofit Philadelphia Tri-State Artists Equity,[184] thePhiladelphia Sketch Club, one of the country's oldest artists' clubs,[185] andThe Plastic Club, started by women excluded from the Sketch Club.[186] ManyOld City art galleries stay open late on theFirst Friday event of each month.[187]
McGillin's Olde Ale House, opened in 1860 on Drury Street inCenter City, is the oldest continuously operated tavern in the city.[194] TheCity Tavern is 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.[195] The tavern offers authentic 18th-century recipes, served in seven period dining rooms, three wine cellar rooms and an outdoor garden.[196]
TheReading Terminal Market is a historicfood market founded in 1893 in theReading Terminal building, 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 Dutch specialties,artisan cheese and meat, locally grown groceries, and specialty and ethnic foods.[197]
The traditional Philadelphia accent is considered by somelinguists to be the most distinctive accent in North America.[198] The Philadelphia dialect, which is spread throughout theDelaware Valley andSouth Jersey, is part of a largerMid-Atlantic American English family, a designation that also includes theBaltimore accent. Additionally, it shares many similarities with theNew York accent. Owing to over a century of linguistic data collected by researchers at theUniversity of Pennsylvania under sociolinguistWilliam Labov, the Philadelphia dialect has been one of the best-studied forms ofAmerican English.[199][200][g] The accent is especially found within the Irish American and Italian American working-class neighborhoods.[201] Philadelphia also has its own unique collection ofneologisms and slang terms.[202]
Philadelphia has played a prominent role in themusic of the United States. The culture ofAmerican popular music has 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 calledBandstand premiered on local television, hosted byBob Horn. The show was renamedAmerican Bandstand in 1957, when it began national syndication onABC, hosted byDick Clark and produced in Philadelphia until 1964 when it moved to Los Angeles.[208] Promoters marketed youthful musical artists known asteen idols to appeal to the young audience. Philadelphia-born singers, includingFrankie Avalon,James Darren,Eddie Fisher,Fabian Forte,Bobby Rydell, andSouth Philly-raisedChubby Checker, topped the music charts, establishing a clean-cutrock and roll image.
Philadelphia has one of the nation's richest histories in professional sports, dating back to the mid-19th century. Its first professional sports team, thePhiladelphia Athletics, a professional baseball team, was founded in 1860.[212] The Athletics were initially anamateur league team thatturned professional in 1871. In 1876, the Athletics joined with seven other teams in founding theNational League, now the longest continuously operating league in world sports.[213]
Philadelphia was the second of eight U.S. cities to win titles in all four major leagues, the MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA. It won a title in soccer in the now-defunctNorth American Soccer League in 1973. Following the 76ers' victory over theLos Angeles Lakers in the1983 NBA Finals, however, the city's professional teams and their fans endured 25 years without a championship in any professional sport[220] until the Phillies won the2008 World Series, defeating theTampa Bay Rays.[221][222] This quarter century without a championship for any Philadelphia sports team is sometimes described as theCurse of Billy Penn, a reference to a 1987 decision that permittedOne Liberty Place to become the first building in city history to surpass the height ofWilliam Penn, a statue installed in 1894 atopCity Hall.[223] In 2004, during the city's championship drought,ESPN placed Philadelphia second on its list of "The Fifteen Most Tortured Sports Cities".[224][225] The city's sports fans are often both praised and sometimes derided. In 2011, for instance,GQ magazine named Eagles and Phillies fans the nation's worst professional sports fans, describing them as the "Meanest Fans in America" in summarizing repeated incidents of their drunken behavior and long history ofbooing.[226][227]
Major professional sports teams that originated in Philadelphia, which later moved to other cities, include theGolden State Warriors basketball team, which played in Philadelphia from 1946 to 1962[229] and theOakland Athletics baseball team, which was originally thePhiladelphia Athletics and played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954.[230]
The city also has a rich history inrowing, which has been popular in Philadelphia since the 18th century.[232] OnBoathouse Row, a symbol of Philadelphia's rich rowing history, eachBig Five member has its own boathouse.[233] Philadelphia hosts numerous local and collegiate rowing clubs and competitions, including the annualDad Vail Regatta, the largestintercollegiate rowing event in North America with more than 100 participating U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities;[234] the annualStotesbury Cup Regatta, which is billed as the world's oldest and largest rowing event for high school students;[235][236] and theHead of the Schuylkill Regatta.[237] The regattas are held on theSchuylkill River and organized bySchuylkill Navy, an association of area rowing clubs that has produced numerousOlympic rowers.[238]
Philadelphia County is alegal nullity. All county functions were assumed by the city in 1952.[248] The city has been coterminous with the county since 1854.[60]
Philadelphia's 1952Home RuleCharter was written by the City Charter Commission, which was created by thePennsylvania General Assembly in an act of April 1949, and a city ordinance of June 1949. The existingcity council received a proposed draft in February 1951, and the electors approved it in an election held in April 1951.[249] The first elections under the new Home Rule Charter were held in November 1951, and the newly elected officials took office in January 1952.[248]
The city uses thestrong-mayor version of the mayor–council form of government, which is led by one mayor in whomexecutive authority is 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.[249]
ThePhiladelphia Municipal Court handles 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.[255]
The current mayor isCherelle Parker who won the election in November 2023.[264] Parker's predecessor,Jim Kenney, served two terms from 2016 to January 2024.[265] Parker is a member of theDemocratic Party. For over seven decades, since 1952, everyPhiladelphia mayor has been a Democrat.
Philadelphia City Council is 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.[266] 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-based Tenth District. TheWorking Families Party holds two at-large seats making them the council's minority party. The current council president isKenyatta Johnson.[267]
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.[268] 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.[269] Most wards are closed which means the ward leader makes sole endorsement decisions; open wards allow committee people to weigh in on these decisions.[270] There are groups such asOpen Wards PhiladelphiaArchived April 2, 2024, at theWayback Machine and individuals who are working to elect ward leaders who promote an open ward system.[271]
Democratic registrations increased after theGreat Depression; however, the city was not carried by DemocratFranklin D. Roosevelt in 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 in1936 and Roosevelt carried Philadelphia with over 60% of the vote. Philadelphia has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1936. In2008, DemocratBarack Obama drew 83% of the city's vote. Obama's win was even larger in2012, capturing 85% of the vote. In2016, DemocratHillary Clinton won 82% of the vote.[citation needed]
Pennsylvania's longest-servingSenator,Arlen Specter,[282] was analumnus of theUniversity of Pennsylvania who opened his first law practice in Philadelphia.[283] Specter served as a Republican from 1981 and as a Democrat from 2009, losing that party's primary in2010 and leaving office in January 2011.[284] He was assistant counsel on theWarren Commission in 1964 and the city's district attorney from 1966 to 1974.[283]
"Green Cities, Clean Water" is an environmental policy initiative based in Philadelphia that has shown promising results in mitigating the effects of climate change.[289] The researchers on the policy have stated that despite such promising plans ofgreen infrastructure building, "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".[289] 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 adaptation when planning new projects" in limiting the scope of city-wide temperature increase.[289]
In a 2015 report by Pew Charitable Trusts, thepolice districts with 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, andRoxborough districts, the latter of which includesManayunk.[156]
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.[290][291] 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.[292]
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.[293] Homicides increased dramatically in the late 2010s/early 2020s, reaching 499 homicides in 2020[290] and surpassing the 1990 "record" in 2021, with 501st murder on November 27 and 510 by the end of the month.[294] 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.[295]In 2006, Philadelphia's homicide rate of 27.7 per 100,000 people was the highest of the country's 10 most populous cities.[296] 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.[156]
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.[156] 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.[156]
In 2014, Philadelphia enacted an ordinance decriminalizing the possession of less than 30 grams ofmarijuana or 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.[297][298] At the time, Philadelphia was at the largest city in the nation to decriminalize the possession of marijuana.[298] From 2013 to 2018, marijuana arrests in the city dropped by more than 85%.[297] The purchase or sale of marijuana remains a criminal offense in Philadelphia.[298]
The Philadelphia Fire Department providesfire protection andemergency 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 traditionalfirefighting functions, including fire suppression, with 60 engine companies and 30 ladder companies[299] as well as specialty and support units deployed throughout the city; specialized firefighting units forPhiladelphia International Airport and thePort of Philadelphia; investigations conducted by thefire marshal's office to determine the origins of fires and develop preventive strategies;prevention programs to educate the public; and support services including research and planning, management of the fire communications center within the city's911 system, and operation of the Philadelphia Fire Academy.
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.[156] This consistent drop in enrollment led the city to close 24 of its public schools in 2013.[303] During the 2014 school year, the city spent an average of $12,570 per pupil, below the average among comparable urban school districts.[156]
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.[156]
Philadelphia's two majordaily newspapers areThe Philadelphia Inquirer, first published in 1829—the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the country—and thePhiladelphia Daily News, first published in 1925.[309] TheDaily News has been published as an edition of theInquirer since 2009.[310] Recent owners of theInquirer andDaily News have includedKnight Ridder,The McClatchy Company, andPhiladelphia Media Holdings, with the latter organization declaring bankruptcy in 2010.[311] After two years of financial struggle, the newspapers were sold toInterstate General Media in 2012.[311] 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,[312] was ranked 13th in popularity among online U.S. newspapers byAlexa Internet the same year.[313]
The first experimental radio license was issued in Philadelphia in August 1912 toSt. Joseph's College. The firstcommercialAM radio stations began broadcasting in 1922: firstWIP, then owned byGimbels department store, followed byWFIL, then owned byStrawbridge & Clothier department store, andWOO, a defunct station owned byWanamaker's department store, as well asWCAU andWDAS.[324]
In the 1930s, W3XE, an experimental station owned byPhilco, was the Delaware Valley's first television station. In 1939, the station became the nation's first NBC affiliate, and later became KYW-TV. In 1952, WFIL, later renamed WPVI, premiered the television showBandstand, which later became the nationally broadcastAmerican Bandstand hosted byDick Clark.[332] In the 1960s, WCAU, WFIL-TV, and WHYY-TV were founded.[324]
Beginning in the 1980s, large sections of theSEPTA Regional Rail service to the far suburbs of Philadelphia were discontinued due to a lack of funding for equipment and infrastructure maintenance.[338][339][340]
Philadelphia is served by two airports.Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), the larger of the two, is 7 mi (11 km) south-southwest ofCenter City on the boundary withDelaware County, and provides scheduled domestic and international air service.[346] As of 2023, Philadelphia International Airport is the21st-busiest airport in the nation with over 13.6 million passengers. It is also among the world's busiest airportsmeasured by traffic movements, including takeoffs and landings.[347] Over 30 million passengers pass through the airport annually on 25 airlines, including all major domestic carriers. The airport has nearly 500 daily departures to over 120 destinations worldwide.[346]SEPTA'sAirport Line provides direct service between Center City railroad stations and Philadelphia International Airport.[348]
William Penn planned Philadelphia withnumbered streets traversing north and south, and streets named for trees, includingChestnut,Walnut, and Mulberry (since renamedArch) Streets, traversing east and west. The two main streets were namedBroad Street, the north–southartery, later designatedPennsylvania Route 611, and High Street, the east–west artery, which was later renamedMarket Street, converging at Centre Square which later became the site ofCity Hall.[350]
Interstate 95, also known as the Delaware Expressway, traverses the southern and eastern edges of the city along theDelaware River as the main north–southcontrolled-access highway, and connects Philadelphia withNewark, New Jersey and New York City to the north andBaltimore and Washington, D.C. to the south. The city is served byInterstate 76, also known as the Schuylkill Expressway, which runs along theSchuylkill River, intersecting thePennsylvania Turnpike atKing of Prussia and providing access toHarrisburg and points west.Interstate 676, also known as Vine Street Expressway, links I-95 and I-76 through Center City, running below street level between the eastbound and westbound lanes ofVine Street. Entrance and exit ramps for theBenjamin Franklin Bridge are near the eastern end of the expressway just west of the I-95 interchange.[351]
In 1911, Philadelphia had nearly 4,000 electrictrolleys running on 86 lines.[363] In 2005, SEPTA reintroduced trolley service to theGirard Avenue Line, Route 15.[364] SEPTA operates six subway-surface trolleys that run on street-level tracks inWest Philadelphia and subway tunnels inCenter City, along with two surface trolleys in adjacent suburbs.[365]
Philadelphia is a regional hub of thefederally-ownedAmtrak system, with 30th Street Station being a primary stop on the Washington-BostonNortheast Corridor and theKeystone Corridor toHarrisburg andPittsburgh. 30th Street also serves as a major station for services via the Pennsylvania Railroad's formerPennsylvania Main Line to Chicago. As of 2018[update], 30th Street is Amtrak's third-busiest station in the country, after New York City and Washington.[164]
In 1815, Philadelphia began sourcing its water via theFairmount Water Works on theSchuylkill River, the nation's first major urban water supply system. In 1909, the Water Works was decommissioned as the city transitioned to modernsand filtration methods.[366]Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) providesdrinking water,wastewater collection, andstormwater services for Philadelphia, as well as surrounding counties. PWD draws about 57 percent of its drinking water from theDelaware River and the balance from the Schuylkill River.[367] 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.[367]
Exelon subsidiaryPECO 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.[368] 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 and 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of natural gas transmission, distribution, and service lines.[369]
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.[370] 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 Council refused 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.[371][372]
Southeastern Pennsylvania was assigned the215area code in 1947 when theNorth American Numbering Plan of theBell System went into effect. The geographic area covered by the code was split nearly in half in 1994 whenarea code 610 was created, with the city and its northern suburbs retaining 215.Overlay area code 267 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 445 to 215 andarea code 835 to 610, was delayed and later rescinded.[373] Area code 445 was implemented as an overlay for area codes 215 and 267 starting on February 3, 2018.[374]
Philadelphia has eight officialsister cities as designated by the Citizen Diplomacy International (CDI) of Philadelphia:[383] Philadelphia has dedicated landmarks to its sister cities. The Sister Cities Park, a site of 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) at 18th andBenjamin Franklin Parkway inLogan Square, was dedicated in June 1976. The park was built to commemorate Philadelphia's first two sister city relationships, withTel Aviv andFlorence. Toruń Triangle, honoring the sister city relationship withToruń, Poland, was constructed in 1976, west of theUnited Way building at 18th Street andBenjamin 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 center, children's play area, outdoor garden, boat pond, and a pavilion built toenvironmentally friendly standards.[387][388]
^Description of the Lenape peoples (Delaware nations) historic territories inside thedivides of the frequently mountainouslandforms flanking theDelaware River'sdrainage basin. These terrains encompass from South to North and then counter-clockwise:
the shores from the east-shore mouth of the river and the sea coast to Western Long Island (all of both colonialNew Amsterdam andNew Sweden), and
portions of Western Connecticut up to the latitude of the Massachusetts corner of today's boundaries—making the eastern bounds of their influence, thence their region extended:
southerly through the easternPoconos outside the rivalSusquehannock lands pastEastern Pennsylvania then southerly past the site ofColonial Philadelphia past the west bank mouth of the Delaware and extending south from that point along a stretch of sea coast in northern colonialDelaware.
TheSusquehanna-Delaware River system'swatershed divided the frequently contested hunting grounds between the rivalSusquehannock people and Lenape peoples, and the Catskills and Berkshires played a similar boundary role in the northern regions of their original colonial era range.
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official temperature and precipitation measurements for Philadelphia were taken at the Weather Bureau Office in downtown from January 1872 to 19 June 1940, and at Philadelphia Int'l from 20 June 1940 to the present.[110] Snowfall and snow depth records date to 1 January 1884 and 1 October 1948, respectively.[104] In 2006, snowfall measurements were moved toNational Park, New Jersey directly across the Delaware River from the airport.[111]
^Formerly known as the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy[181]
^E.g., in the opening chapter ofThe Handbook of Language Variation and Change (ed. Chambers et al., Blackwell, 2002), J. K. Chambers writes that "variationist sociolinguistics had its effective beginnings only in 1963, the year in which William Labov presented the first sociolinguistic research report"; the dedication page of theHandbook says that Labov's "ideas imbue every page".
^Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (February 22, 2006)."The Sounds of Philadelphia".Press Kit. Archived fromthe original on February 22, 2006. RetrievedMarch 29, 2006.
^Tucker, Laura (November 25, 2014)."Philadelphia". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited.Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. RetrievedOctober 11, 2015.
^"Mural Arts Philadelphia – Press kit"(PDF).muralarts.org.Mural Arts Philadelphia.Archived(PDF) from the original on December 7, 2017. RetrievedDecember 6, 2017.Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation's largest public art program...creating nearly 4,000 artworks that have transformed public spaces.
^abcd"2014 City Park Facts"(PDF).tpl.org. The Trust for Public Land. pp. 9, 25, 28.Archived(PDF) from the original on September 20, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2017.
^abcMaloney, Savanna (July 11, 2024)."Q2 2024".National Venture Capital Association - NVCA -. PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor.Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. RetrievedJuly 11, 2024.
^"American Airlines and PHL Airport Celebrate Further Transatlantic Growth with New Service to Copenhagen". Philadelphia International Airport.Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. RetrievedJune 15, 2024."American Airlines is proud to offer unparalleled access to some of the most popular European vacation destinations from Philadelphia, which serves as the airline's transatlantic gateway," said Lakshman Amaranayaka, American Airlines Vice President of PHL Hub Operations.
^Jennings, Francis (1984).The Ambiguous Iroquois Empire: The Covenant Chain Confederation of Indian Tribes with English Colonies from Its Beginnings to the Lancaster Treaty of 1744. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.ISBN0-393-01719-2.OCLC9066383.
^"The City of Philadelphia, Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan"(PDF).dcnr.state.pa.us. The City of Philadelphia. 2012. p. 2. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on December 19, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2017.The City contains approximately 6,781 acres of watershed parks including East/West Fairmount Parks (2052 ac.), Wissahickon Valley Park (2042 ac.)
^"National Register of Historic Places – Fairmount Park – #72001151".focus.nps.gov. National Park Service. February 7, 1972.Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2017.Locations: Philadelphia; Both banks of Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Creek, from Spring Garden St. to Northwestern Ave.
^"Threaded Station Extremes".Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. RetrievedMay 10, 2020.Station=PA – Philadelphia (Center City records are 12 °F (−11 °C) on January 8, 2014, and January 19, 1997, for the record low maximum; and 87 °F (31 °C) on July 6, 1999, for the record high minimum)
^ThreadEx; search for location= "PA - Philadelphia", variable= "Station thread"
^Jeff Gammage (May 10, 2019)."Welcome to Philly: Percentage of foreign-born city residents has doubled since 1990".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. RetrievedMay 10, 2019.China is, far and away, the primary sending country, with 22,140 city residents who make up about 11 percent of the foreign-born population, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts analysis of Census data. Next is the Dominican Republic with 13,792, followed by Jamaica, 13,500; India, 11,382; and Vietnam, 10,132...About 230,000 Philadelphians are foreign-born. More than a quarter of residents are immigrants or have a foreign-born parent, Pew reported, and 23 percent speak a foreign language at home.
^John Timpane (May 4, 2019)."Walnut Street Theatre announces a major expansion, set to start in 2020".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. RetrievedMay 4, 2019.The Walnut Street Theatre announced Saturday evening that fund-raising is now underway for a substantial new wing of the building. Plans would expand the 210-year-old theater's footprint partway into the parking lot next door and add a 400-seat theater in the round. The three-story, 35,000-square-foot addition would break ground in May 2020 and be completed in 2022.
^"Public Art". Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation.Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. RetrievedMay 31, 2010.
^Aitken, Joanne (September 2, 2004)."Forget Paris".City Paper. Archived fromthe original on December 3, 2007.
^Jordan, David M (1999).The Athletics of Philadelphia: Connie Mack's White Elephants, 1901–1954. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co.ISBN0-7864-0620-8
^ab"City Charter Commission".Agency History. City of Philadelphia, Department of Records. November 8, 2000.Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. RetrievedApril 18, 2009.
^"MunicipalCourt".The Philadelphia Courts, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. February 11, 2010.Archived from the original on April 27, 2010. RetrievedFebruary 11, 2010.
^Florida, Richard (August 27, 2012)."America's Leading College Towns".Bloomberg.com. The Atlantic: City Lab.Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. RetrievedApril 27, 2015.
^Brownlee, David B.; Thomas, George E. (2000).Building America's First University: An Historical and Architectural Guide to the University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.ISBN0812235150.
^Venta, Lance (October 6, 2016)."WRNB Drops Old School 100.3 Branding ".radioinsight.com. RadioBB Networks. Retrieved January 15, 2018. "...the station's playlist had shifted back towards Urban AC."
^Cox, Harold E. (1967). May, Jack (ed.).The Road from Upper Darby. The Story of the Market Street Subway-Elevated. New York, NY: Electric Railroaders' Association. p. 16.OCLC54770701.
^"History of the Blue Route".I-476 Improvement Project. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Archived fromthe original on February 19, 2007. RetrievedJanuary 30, 2018.
^"Florence, Italy". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Tel Aviv, Israel". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Torun, Poland". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Tianjin, China". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Incheon, Korea". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Douala, Cameroon". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Nizhny Novgorod, Russia". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Frankfurt am Main, Germany". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2015.
^"Kobe, Japan". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Abruzzo, Italy". International Visitors Council of Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Aix-en-Provence, France". Citizen Diplomacy International Philadelphia. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2015.
^"Sister Cities Park".ivc.org. International Visitors Council of Philadelphia. Archived fromthe original on January 16, 2013. RetrievedJune 3, 2012.
^"Sister Cities Park History".centercityphila.org. Center City District|Central Philadelphia Development Corporation|Center City District Foundation. RetrievedDecember 16, 2017.
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.
Core cities are metropolitan core cities of at least a million people. The other areas are urban areas of cities that have an urban area of 150,000+ or of a metropolitan area of at least 250,000+. Satellite cities are in italics.
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