Discover Philadelphia Stats and Facts

From the central East Coast location to the one-of-a-kind U.S. history to its status as the sixth-largest city in the nation, Philadelphia delivers so much more than most people expect. Take a look at these Philadelphia facts and figures to learn more.

Destination Highlights | Stats & Figures | Fun Facts | Historical Facts | Hotel Stats & Figures | Pennsylvania Convention Center and Meeting Venues | Outdoors, Activities, & Sports | Art, Movies and Music | Food & Drink | Innovation & Education | Accessible + Friendly

 

Destination Highlights

• Philadelphia was the only U.S. city to be included in National Geographic’s Top 25 Destinations for 2020 list. Learn More

• Conde Nast Traveler lists Philadelphia as one of only eight destinations around the globe in its 2021 Gold List.

• Philadelphia is well-known for its rich LGBT history, and the Gayborhood. LGBT events such as Equality Forum, Pride Day and Out Fest happen annually.

• Frommer’s listed Independence Hall as one of the Best Places to Go in 2021.

• Consistently cited as one of the most walkable cities in the U.S. – Redfin now has us as 4th most walkable city

• Travel + Leisure Magazine ranked Philadelphia’s as one of the best U.S. cities for a romantic urban honeymoon.

• U.S. News ranked Philadelphia in the top 15 Best Affordable U.S. Destinations.

• 1st World Heritage City in the United States.

• Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia is one of the most-visited national parks in America.

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Stats & Figures

• 2nd largest city on the East Coast

• 3rd most populous downtown in the country

• 4th largest media market in the nation

• 6th largest city in the country (city population: 1.6 million and regional population: 6.1 million)

• 45 million people live within 200 miles — putting Philadelphia at the core of the country’s wealthiest and most-densely populated area.

Location

• Strategically located between New York (1 hour 20 minutes) and Washington DC. (1 hour 45 minutes) on Amtrak’s Acela Express

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Hotel Stats & Figures – There is Plenty of Room in Philadelphia

• More than 14,400 hotel rooms within walking distance to PCC

• More than 42,400 hotel rooms in the region

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Pennsylvania Convention Center and Meeting Venues

• The Pennsylvania Convention Center offers more than 1 million-square feet of sellable space and 528,000-square feet of contiguous exhibit hall space along with cozy lounges and nooks to make you feel at home.

• The Pennsylvania Convention Center features a 55,408 square foot ballroom — one of the largest on the East Coast

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Innovation & Education

• As one of the nation’s hubs for higher education, Philadelphia has over 100 degree-granting institutions

• Extensive life sciences community including seven medical schools, 22 nursing schools, two dental schools, three colleges of pharmacy, a veterinary school, a school of optometry, a podiatry school, 100 hospitals and numerous biomedical and pharmaceutical companies.

• A city of medical firsts including:
  • the first hospital in the United States and is the first medical library (Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751);
  • first medical school in the United States (University of Pennsylvania Medical School, 1765);
  • first college of pharmacy in the United States (Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, now The University of the Sciences, 1821);
  • first hospital in the Western hemisphere devoted to the eye (Wills Eye Hospital, 1832); first women’s medical school in the world (The Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1850);
  • and the first children’s hospital in the United States (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)

• Philadelphia’s startup ecosystem ranks #13 in North America and made the top 30 globally at #28 in Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report for 2021.

• 80% of all pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the U.S. have offices in Greater Philadelphia.

• The Philadelphia region is home to more than 2,000 medical technology companies. For context: According to the U.S. Medical Technology Association AdvaMed, the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware corridor accounts for one of the largest concentrations of medical technology companies in the country, right behind California.

• Philadelphia is the original home of cell and gene therapy with more than 30 cell and gene therapy development companies

• The region is home to 4 schools of pharmacy and 7 schools of medicine, in which one in every six doctors in the country has trained. (Select Greater Philadelphia)

Learn more about our PHL Life Sciences division.

Outdoors, Activities, & Sports

• Philadelphia is America’s garden capital, with 36 public gardens, arboreta, and historic landscapes all located within 30 miles of Philadelphia.

• 1,000 + bikes for rent

• Philadelphia’s urban park system, including Fairmount Park, is 10,200 acres with 63 individual parks, over 270 hiking trails and 200 historic buildings.

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Art, Movies and Music in Philadelphia

• 181 Renoir paintings at the Barnes Foundation, the world’s largest collection

• 4,000 + murals and public art pieces

• Since 1982, 248 major TV shows & films have shot in Philadelphia.

• Philadelphia has more public art than any other U.S. city. More than 4,000 massive murals and public art grace the walls and communicate the essence of neighborhoods in Philadelphia. “Mural Capital of the World.”

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Food & Drink

• Food & Wine considers the Philadelphia cheesesteak as one of the best meals they ate in 2020.

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Fun Facts

• The Italian Market is the nation’s oldest outdoor market.

2nd largest Chinatown on the East Coast.

• 53,348 pounds – the William Penn statue atop City Hall, the world’s largest statue on a public building

• 72 steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, made famous by Rocky

• Philadelphia, a Greek word, literally means City of Brotherly Love.

Historical Facts

• 56 delegates at the First Continental Congress at Carpenters’ Hall in 1774

• The African American Museum in Philadelphia is the first institution funded and built by a major municipality to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans.

Discover More:

How To Celebrate Black History Month in Philadelphia

What Black History Month Means to Me

• Philadelphia was founded on religious freedom and continues to welcome people of all faiths.

• Philadelphia was an early capital of the United States (where the Declaration of Independence was written and the Constitution was signed all in Independence National Historical Park)

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Accessible + Friendly

• U.S. News ranked Philadelphia in the top 15 Best Affordable U.S. Destinations.

• Millennials are growing at a faster rate than in any of the nation’s 30 largest cities, according to JLL.

• Travel + Leisure Magazine ranked Philadelphia’s as one of the best U.S. cities for a romantic urban honeymoon.

• Philadelphia, a Greek word, literally means City of Brotherly Love.

• Philadelphia is well-known for its rich LGBT history, and the Gayborhood. LGBT events such as Equality Forum, Pride Day and Out Fest happen annually.

Plan Your Trip