Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Philadelphia
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Liberty Bell 1844 Philadelphia riot University of Pennsylvania Drexel University Statue of Liberty torch at the 1876 Philadelphia International Exhibition Rodin Museum
Watch a short discussion on Charles Willson Peale, founder of the Philadelphia Museum
At a Glance
Liberty Bell
Philadelphia summary
Quizzes
Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.
Guess the City by Its River Quiz
Related Questions
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia Philadelphia, with the Schuylkill River in the foreground.

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania, United States
Written by
Sylvester K. Stevens
Executive Director, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, 1956–72. Author of Pennsylvania: Birthplace of a Nation.
Sylvester K. StevensAll
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Philadelphia, city and port, coextensive with Philadelphia county, southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. It is situated at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. Area 135 square miles (350 square km). Pop. (2010) 1,526,006; Philadelphia Metro Division, 4,008,994; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metro Area, 5,965,343; (2020) 1,603,797; Philadelphia Metro Division, 2,180,627; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metro Area, 6,245,051. Philadelphia has been described both as the elegant but rather jaded great lady and as the overage and sickly spinster of American cities. A...

Discover the world with Britannica

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Free Trial | No Ads | Exclusive Content
Explore Subscriptions
DNA
Right
Mobile