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Philadelphia Travel Overview

Philadelphia; the largest city in Pennsylvania and fifth largest in the country; is located in the southeast part of the state at the junction of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers. It is coextensive with Philadelphia County.

Philadelphia; the City of Brotherly Love; was settled in 1681 by Capt. William Markham; who; with a small band of colonists; had been sent out by his cousin; William Penn. Penn arrived the following year with the intention of creating a refuge for the Quakers.

In the period before the American Revolution; the city outstripped all others in the colonies in education; arts; science; industry; and commerce. In 1774–1776; the First and Second Continental Congresses met in Philadelphia; and; from 1781–1783; the city was the capital of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. In 1790; it became the nation's capital under the Constitution and remained so until the seat of the federal government moved to Washington in 1800.

Within a half-century of the founding of the nation at Independence Hall; Philadelphia had emerged as a leader in America's Industrial Revolution. Today the steam locomotives and hat factories of the 19th century have been replaced by diverse manufacturing specialties such as chemicals (including pharmaceuticals); medical devices; transportation equipment; and printing and publishing. In the services sector; Philadelphia leads in subsectors such as health services; insurance carriers; legal services; and architecture and engineering services. Philadelphia is also home to branches of the U.S. Mint; the Federal Reserve System; and the Internal Revenue Service.

The city's harbor; one of the largest freshwater ports in the world; is the centerpiece of the AmeriPort facility in south Philadelphia; a major shipping center with rail links to the Midwest and Canada.

The city abounds in landmarks of early American history; including Independence Hall; where the Declaration of Independence was signed; and the Liberty Bell. Other significant tourist attractions are the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Franklin Institute Science Museum; and the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens.