Philadelphia: Transportation

Approaching the City

Northeast Philadelphia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport operate within Philadelphia's city limits; the latter, located about seven miles from Philadelphia, offers service to more than 100 foreign and domestic cities and is connected with the city by the high-speed SEPTA Airport Rail Line. Fourteen other airports are located within commuting distance of Philadelphia.

The city is served by the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes and by Interstate-95 and I-76. These highways and their connections allow easy access to the city from many parts of the country.

Amtrak provides rail service to and from Philadelphia on a variety of daily routes. An ambitious rail network links 13 area rail lines into a 272-mile system by which passengers can reach any commuter station from any other within a 50-mile radius. Luxury overnight trains operate between Philadelphia and a number of major cities in the Northeast, South, and Midwest.

Traveling in the City

Philadelphia is laid out in a basic grid pattern. The commercial, historic, and cultural center is 24 blocks long—stretching from the Delaware River on the east to the Schuylkill on the west and 12 blocks wide from Vine Street on the north to South Street.

The Southeastern Philadelphia Transportation Authority (SEPTA) operates a large fleet of buses throughout the city and suburbs. The Authority's DayPass allows travelers unlimited rides on the public transportation system for $5.50. The city is served by two subway lines: The Market Frankford (east-west) and Broad Street (north-south). Because the streets are narrow in the Center City, traffic is often congested, and travel on foot or by taxi is recommended. The PHLASH-Downtown Loop purple buses provide a safe and convenient way for visitors to travel day and night to the city's most popular tourist destinations.