| With one and a half million people, Philadelphia is the state of Pennsylvania's largest city and ranks 55th nationally in the largest cities of the United States. Settled in the 1600s the city was established in 1682. The city has a rich and colorful history with a major role in the formation of the United States. The average winter low temperatures are about 32 while summer highs average about 78 degrees. Favorite Philadelphia shopping areas include The Gallery at Market East, Franklin Mills, and the Reading Terminal Market. Philadelphia festivals and events include the New Year's Day Mummers Parade, the Philadelphia Marathon, and the Philadelphia International Championship bicycle race. Philadelphia things to do include Rodin Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Avenue of the Arts, Gallery at Market East, Rittenhouse Row, the Reading Terminal Market, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Area sports teams include NFL football's Philadelphia Eagles, baseball's Philadelphia Phillies, NBA basketball's Philadelphia 76ers, and NHL hockey's Philadelphia Flyers. Many large companies and corporations have a presence in the Philadelphia area including Lincoln Financial Group, Sunoco, Merck, Johnson and Johnson, Colonial Penn, GlaxoSmithKline, CIGNA, FMC Corporation, and Crown Holdings Inc. Philadelphia is home to the United States Mint and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. The area's newspapers include the Philadelphia Daily News and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Median family income is $37,000. Higher education institutions in the Philadelphia area include Drexel University, Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, the Art Institute of Philadelphia, La Salle University, Thomas Jefferson University, Chestnut Hill College, Villanova University and Swarthmore College. The Philadelphia International Airport serves the area. Local main highways include Interstate I-95 and I-76. |
