Delaware Valley

Not to be confused with Delaware County, Pennsylvania or Metropolis of Philadelphia.

The Delaware Valley, sometimes referred to as Greater Philadelphia or the Philadelphia metropolitan area, is a metropolitan region in the Northeast United States that centers around Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-most populous city, and spans parts of four U.S. states: southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, northern Delaware, and the northern Eastern Shore of Maryland. With a core metropolitan statistical area population of 6.288 million residents and a combined statistical area population of 7.366 million as of the 2020 census, the Delaware Valley is the eighth-largest metropolitan region in the nation and North America, and the 68th-largest metropolitan region in the world.

Delaware Valley Greater Philadelphia Philadelphia metropolitan area Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA
Combined Statistical Area
Center City Philadelphia (in background) and the Schuylkill River (on left) as seen from South Street Bridge in July 2016
Philadelphia–Reading–Camden, PA–NJ–DE–MD CSA Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA–NJ–DE–MD   Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division   Montgomery Cty–Bucks Cty–Chester Cty, PA   Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division   Wilmington, DE–MD–NJ Metropolitan Division Other Statistical Areas in the Philadelphia CSA   Reading, PA MSA   Atlantic City–Hammonton, NJ MSA   Dover, DE MSA   Vineland, NJ MSA
Country	United States
States	Pennsylvania New Jersey Delaware Maryland
Principal city	Philadelphia
Satellite cities and towns	Camden Wilmington Atlantic City Reading Trenton^[a] Vineland Conshohocken Dover Chester Upper Darby Media Middletown Township Hammonton Pennsauken Township Norristown Doylestown Cherry Hill West Chester Evesham Washington Township Millville Salem Cape May Court House Lower Township The Wildwoods Brigantine Ventnor City Margate City Ocean City Sea Isle City Haverford Bridgeton Coatesville Lower Merion Gloucester Township Downingtown Phoenixville New Castle Pottstown King of Prussia Bensalem Township Burlington City and Burlington Township Middle Township (Cape May County) Mount Holly Newark Hamilton Township (Mays Landing) Woodbury Elkton Cheltenham Township Abington Township Bristol Township Mount Laurel Northampton Township Winslow Township New Hope Falls Township Middletown Township (Bucks County) Egg Harbor Township Galloway Township Pennsville Maurice River Township
Area
• Urban	1,981.4 sq mi (5,131.7 km^2)
• Metro	5,118 sq mi (13,256 km^2)
Elevation ^[1]^[dubious ]^[2]	0 - 1,080 ft (0 - 329 m)
Population  (2021 est.)
• Urban	5,441,567 (5th)
• Metro density	1,217.00/sq mi (469.89/km^2)
• MSA	6,228,601 (7th)
• CSA	7,366,346 (9th)
	MSA/CSA = 2021, Urban = 2010
GDP ^[3]
• MSA	$518.5 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EST)
Area codes	215/267/445, 302, 410/443/667, 609/640, 610/484/835, 717/223, 856

In addition to Philadelphia, other major urban population centers in the Delaware Valley include Reading, Upper Darby Township, and Chester in Pennsylvania; Atlantic City, Camden, Vineland, and Cherry Hill in South Jersey; and Wilmington and Dover in Delaware. The Philadelphia metropolitan area's gross domestic product (GDP) exceeds $518 billion, making it the tenth-largest metropolitan economy in the nation as of 2022.

The Delaware Valley has been influential in the nation's history and economy. The area has been home to many people and sites significant to American culture, history, and politics. Philadelphia is sometimes known as "The Birthplace of America",^[4] since it served as the revolutionary capital during the colonial era, where the Second Continental Congress gathered at Independence Hall to unanimously adopt the Declaration of Independence, authorize the formation of the Continental Army, and appoint George Washington its commander to resist the British. Following the Continental Army's victory, Philadelphia served as the nation's first capital for most of the 18th century until 1800, when construction of Washington, D.C. was completed. In 1789, the U.S. Constitution, the longest-standing body of federal law, was ratified at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1789.

The Delaware Valley is one of the nation's leading regions for academia and academic research with a considerable number of globally-known and highly ranked universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, one of eight Ivy League universities in the nation. Other universities and colleges and Philadelphia include Drexel University, Thomas Jefferson University, Rowan University, Villanova University, Saint Joseph's University, Temple University, Rutgers University–Camden, La Salle University, the University of Delaware, Stockton University, and others.^[5] Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley are a biotechnology hub.^[6] As of 2023, metropolitan Philadelphia had entered the ranks of the top five U.S. venture capital centers, facilitated by its relative proximity to the New York metropolitan area and its entrepreneurial and financial ecosystems.^[7] Elsewhere in the Delaware Valley, South Jersey has emerged as an East Coast epicenter for logistics and major warehouses.^[8]

Geography

See also: Geography of Pennsylvania

 

The drainage basin of the Delaware River

 

A warehouse in South Jersey

The Delaware Valley is geographically associated and proximate to the Delaware River and its three primary tributaries, the Schuylkill River, Lehigh River, and Brandywine Creek.

U.S. government agencies have reached various definitions of the Delaware Valley and metropolitan Philadelphia. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan statistical area (MSAs), which are regions with relatively high population densities at their cores and close economic ties throughout their respective areas. MSAs are further combined into combined statistical areas (CSAs), reflecting commuting patterns. Neither is a formal administrative division.

Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	171,430		—
1830	228,203		33.1%
1840	305,278		33.8%
1850	467,053		53.0%
1860	636,029		36.2%
1870	841,230		32.3%
1880	1,062,677		26.3%
1890	1,391,157		30.9%
1900	1,892,496		36.0%
1910	2,268,209		19.9%
1920	2,714,271		19.7%
1930	3,137,040		15.6%
1940	3,299,637		5.2%
1950	3,671,048		11.3%
1960	4,757,462		29.6%
1970	5,317,407		11.8%
1980	5,240,039		−1.5%
1990	5,435,468		3.7%
2000	5,687,147		4.6%
2010	5,965,343		4.9%
2020	6,245,051		4.7%
2022 (est.)	6,241,164		−0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

Philadelphia is located in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes:

• Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division
  • Burlington County (NJ)
  • Camden County (NJ)
  • Gloucester County (NJ)
• Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division
  • Bucks County (PA)
  • Chester County (PA)
  • Delaware County (PA)
  • Montgomery County (PA)
  • Philadelphia County (PA)
• Wilmington, DE-NJ Metropolitan Division
  • New Castle County (DE)
  • Salem County (NJ)
  • Cecil County (MD)

Combined statistical area (CSA)

Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area includes:

• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA (11 counties, as defined above)
• Berks County, Pennsylvania, comprising the Reading, PA MSA
• Atlantic County, New Jersey, comprising the Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ MSA
• Cape May County, New Jersey, comprising the Ocean City, NJ MSA
• Cumberland County, New Jersey, comprising the Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ MSA
• Kent County, Delaware, comprising the Dover, DE MSA

Delaware Regional Planning Commission

Main article: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) serves all of the counties of the Delaware Valley MSA except for the counties in the Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division. However, in addition to the Delaware Valley, DVRPC's jurisdiction includes Mercer County, New Jersey, which OMB classifies as the Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA and part of the larger New York-Newark CSA.^[9]

Population

Further information: Demographics of Philadelphia and Economy of Philadelphia

 

The Delaware Valley is part of the Northeast megalopolis, the second-most highly populated megaregion of the U.S. with 52.3 million residents.

As of the 2020 U.S. census, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area is the seventh-largest MSA in the nation with 6,245,051 people.^[10] As of 2020, the Philadelphia–Reading–Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA is the nation's ninth-largest combined statistical area with a population of 7,379,700,

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area's population of slightly over six million people exceeds the populations of whole nations, including those of Lebanon, Denmark, and Nicaragua.

Economy

As of 2021, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area has a gross domestic product of $477.58 billion, the tenth-largest among the nation's MSAs. The MSA's nominal gross domestic product of $431 billion is comparable to countries, such as Belgium, Iran, and Thailand.^[11] Metropolitan Philadelphia is one of the top five American venture capital hubs, credited to its proximity to the New York metropolitan area and its financial and tech and biotechnology ecosystems.

At least two educational institutions, Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township, New Jersey, and Delaware Valley College in Doylestown Township, Pennsylvania, and a now defunct local newspaper, The Delaware Valley News in Frenchtown, New Jersey, are named for the region.

Subregions

See also: Eastern Shore of Maryland and South Jersey

The Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area includes sixteen counties in four states. The five Pennsylvania counties in the metropolitan statistical area are collectively known as Southeastern Pennsylvania.^[12] In addition to Philadelphia, major municipalities in Southeastern Pennsylvania include the inner suburbs of Upper Darby Township and Bensalem Township. Berks County, which forms its own MSA and contains the CSA's second largest city, Reading, is occasionally not considered to be part of Southeastern Pennsylvania and is sometimes assigned to South Central Pennsylvania.

The seven New Jersey counties in the CSA are each located in South Jersey,^[13] and include: Atlantic County, Cape May County, and Cumberland County each form their own respective metropolitan statistical areas. Atlantic City, Cape May County, New Jersey, and the southern Jersey Shore, including Margate City, Ventnor City, the Wildwoods, and Sea Isle City, are major tourist destinations for people from inside and outside of the Delaware Valley. Other major municipalities in South Jersey include Cherry Hill and Camden, which is across the Delaware River, east of Philadelphia.

The two counties of Delaware in the CSA constitute a majority of Delaware's land mass and population. Wilmington is the most populous city in Delaware and the fifth-most populous municipality in the Delaware Valley. The lone Maryland county in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area is part of the region known as the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Media market

The Delaware Valley and several areas bordering up on it, including the Lehigh Valley, are part of the Philadelphia media market, the fourth-largest media market in the nation as of 2023.^[14]

Components of Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area

County	2021 Estimate	2020 Census	Change	Area	Density
Philadelphia County	1,576,251	1,603,797	−1.72%	134.28 sq mi (347.8 km^2)	11,739/sq mi (4,532/km^2)
Montgomery County	860,578	856,553	+0.47%	483 sq mi (1,250 km^2)	1,782/sq mi (688/km^2)
Bucks County	646,098	646,538	−0.07%	604 sq mi (1,560 km^2)	1,070/sq mi (413/km^2)
Delaware County	573,849	576,830	−0.52%	184 sq mi (480 km^2)	3,119/sq mi (1,204/km^2)
New Castle County	571,708	570,719	+0.17%	426 sq mi (1,100 km^2)	1,342/sq mi (518/km^2)
Chester County	538,649	534,413	+0.79%	751 sq mi (1,950 km^2)	717/sq mi (277/km^2)
Camden County	523,771	523,485	+0.05%	221.26 sq mi (573.1 km^2)	2,367/sq mi (914/km^2)
Burlington County	464,269	461,860	+0.52%	798.58 sq mi (2,068.3 km^2)	581/sq mi (224/km^2)
Gloucester County	304,477	302,294	+0.72%	322 sq mi (830 km^2)	946/sq mi (365/km^2)
Salem County	65,046	64,837	+0.32%	331.9 sq mi (860 km^2)	196/sq mi (76/km^2)
Cecil County	103,725	104,870	−1.09%	418 sq mi (1,080 km^2)	251/sq mi (97/km^2)
Total MSA Population	6,228,601	6,245,051	−0.26%	4,602.02 sq mi (11,919.2 km^2)	1,353/sq mi (523/km^2)

Additional Components of Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area

County	2021 Estimate	2020 Census	Change	Area	Density
Berks County	429,342	428,849	+0.11%	857 sq mi (2,220 km^2)	501/sq mi (193/km^2)
Atlantic County	274,966	274,534	+0.16%	555.7 sq mi (1,439 km^2)	495/sq mi (191/km^2)
Kent County	184,149	181,851	+1.26%	586 sq mi (1,520 km^2)	314/sq mi (121/km^2)
Cumberland County	153,627	154,152	−0.34%	483.7 sq mi (1,253 km^2)	318/sq mi (123/km^2)
Cape May County	95,661	95,263	+0.42%	251.42 sq mi (651.2 km^2)	380/sq mi (147/km^2)
Total CSA Population	7,366,346	7,379,700	−0.18%	7,335.84 sq mi (18,999.7 km^2)	1,004/sq mi (388/km^2)

Largest municipalities

 

Philadelphia, the most populous city in the Delaware Valley and sixth-most populous city in the nation with over 1.6 million residents

 

Reading, Pennsylvania

 

Ocean City, New Jersey

 

Wilmington, Delaware

See also: List of municipalities in Delaware, List of municipalities in Maryland, List of municipalities in New Jersey, and List of municipalities in Pennsylvania

The following municipalities are all within the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and part of the Delaware Valley:

City	Pop.^[15]	County	State
Philadelphia	1,567,872	Philadelphia	PA
Reading	87,575	Berks	PA
Upper Darby Township	82,765	Delaware	PA
Camden	74,420	Camden	NJ
Wilmington	71,502	New Castle	DE
Cherry Hill	70,976	Camden	NJ
Gloucester Township	64,049	Camden	NJ
Vineland	60,876	Cumberland	NJ
Bensalem Township	60,354	Bucks	PA
Lower Merion Township	58,220	Montgomery	PA
Abington Township	55,640	Montgomery	PA
Bristol Township	54,170	Bucks	PA
Haverford Township	48,893	Delaware	PA
Washington Township	48,301	Gloucester	NJ
Evesham Township	45,578	Burlington	NJ
Middletown Township	45,318	Bucks	PA
Egg Harbor Township	43,747	Atlantic	NJ
Mount Laurel	41,849	Burlington	NJ
Northampton Township	39,562	Bucks	PA
Winslow Township	39,417	Camden	NJ

Statistical history

When metropolitan areas were originally defined in 1950, most of the area now in the Delaware Valley was split between four metropolitan areas, or standard metropolitan areas, as they were then called. The Philadelphia SMA included Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties in South Jersey. The Wilmington SMA included New Castle County in Delaware and Salem County in South Jersey. Berks County was designated as the Reading SMA and Atlantic County, New Jersey was the Atlantic City SMA.

In 1960, Cecil County, Maryland was added to what was now the Wilmington Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). In 1980, Cumberland County, New Jersey was defined as the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton SMSA.

In 1990, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton SMSAs were merged with the Trenton SMSA to form the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the same time, Cape May County, New Jersey was added to the Atlantic City SMSA. The "Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton" became obsolete one census later when Trenton, New Jersey was moved to the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA. The Philadelphia-Wilmington-Vineland CSA included the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden MSA and the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton MSA.^[16]

In 2000, Kent County, Delaware was designated the Dover MSA, and Kent County and Atlantic City were added to the Philadelphia CSA in 2010. As a result of new 2010 definitions, based on a threshold of 15% labor interchange between MSAs, two additional MSAs were added, Ocean City, New Jersey and Reading, Pennsylvania. The CSA to which they belong is known as Philadelphia-Reading-Camden.^[17]

Characteristics

 

Grave of some of the 57 Irish victims of Duffy's Cut in West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd; Irish Americans make up the largest ethnicity in the Delaware Valley.^[18]

 

Philadelphia's Chinatown, home to many Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants

 

Hindu Temple of Delaware in Hockessin, Delaware

 

West Chester, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia's suburbs contain a high concentration of malls, the two largest of which have at least 5,000,000 square feet (460,000 m²) of office space, and at least 600,000 square feet (56,000 m²) of retail. These are the King of Prussia mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, which is the largest in the U.S. (leasable sq. feet of retail space), and the Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, which was the first enclosed mall on the East Coast. In addition, the Christiana Mall in Newark, Delaware, is a popular destination due to its proximity to Interstate 95 and because of the availability of tax-free shopping in Delaware. Malls, office complexes, strip shopping plazas, expressways, and tract housing are common sights, and more and more continue to replace rolling countryside, farms, woods, and wetlands. However, due to strong opposition by residents and political officials, many acres of land have been preserved throughout the Delaware Valley. Older townships and large boroughs, such as Cheltenham, Norristown, Jenkintown, Upper Darby, and West Chester retain distinct community identities while engulfed in suburbia. The fastest-growing counties^{[as of?]} are Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, and Gloucester.

Mid-Atlantic American English and its subset, Philadelphia English, are two common dialects of American English in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley.

Climate

The Delaware Valley has four distinct seasons with ample precipitation and is divided by the 0 °C (32 °F) January isotherm. Philadelphia and the New Jersey portion of the area, almost all of the Delaware and Maryland portions, most of Delaware County and lower Bucks County, lowland southern Chester County, and some southern and lowland areas of Montgomery County have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa according to the Köppen climate classification.) The remainder of the Delaware Valley has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa.) PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University

Snow amounts may vary widely year-to-year and normally do vary widely within the Delaware Valley. The region has two ski resorts, Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Longswamp Township, Berks County and Spring Mountain Adventures in central Montgomery County.

Using the -3 °C January isotherm as a boundary, all of the Delaware Valley is humid subtropical. The hardiness zone in the region ranges from 6b in higher areas of Berks and northern Bucks Counties to 8a in Atlantic City and Cape May. [1]

Using the Trewartha climate classification system, which requires eight months to average at least 50 °F for the climate to be considered subtropical, the region only has seven such months, so the area considered Cfa by Köppen is oceanic (Do) in the Trewartha system.

v t e Climate data for Philadelphia (Philadelphia Airport), 1991–2020 normals,^[b] extremes 1872–present^[c]
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	74 (23)	79 (26)	87 (31)	95 (35)	97 (36)	102 (39)	104 (40)	106 (41)	102 (39)	96 (36)	84 (29)	73 (23)	106 (41)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	63.3 (17.4)	63.5 (17.5)	73.8 (23.2)	84.3 (29.1)	90.2 (32.3)	94.8 (34.9)	97.1 (36.2)	94.8 (34.9)	90.6 (32.6)	82.6 (28.1)	72.4 (22.4)	64.2 (17.9)	98.1 (36.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	41.3 (5.2)	44.3 (6.8)	52.8 (11.6)	64.7 (18.2)	74.4 (23.6)	83.2 (28.4)	87.8 (31.0)	85.8 (29.9)	78.9 (26.1)	67.2 (19.6)	55.9 (13.3)	46.0 (7.8)	65.2 (18.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	33.7 (0.9)	35.9 (2.2)	43.6 (6.4)	54.5 (12.5)	64.3 (17.9)	73.5 (23.1)	78.7 (25.9)	76.8 (24.9)	69.9 (21.1)	58.2 (14.6)	47.4 (8.6)	38.6 (3.7)	56.3 (13.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	26.0 (−3.3)	27.5 (−2.5)	34.3 (1.3)	44.3 (6.8)	54.2 (12.3)	63.9 (17.7)	69.6 (20.9)	67.9 (19.9)	60.9 (16.1)	49.2 (9.6)	38.8 (3.8)	31.2 (−0.4)	47.3 (8.5)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	10.7 (−11.8)	13.7 (−10.2)	20.8 (−6.2)	33.0 (0.6)	43.1 (6.2)	53.2 (11.8)	62.2 (16.8)	60.3 (15.7)	49.5 (9.7)	37.1 (2.8)	26.4 (−3.1)	19.0 (−7.2)	8.6 (−13.0)
Record low °F (°C)	−7 (−22)	−11 (−24)	5 (−15)	14 (−10)	28 (−2)	44 (7)	51 (11)	44 (7)	35 (2)	25 (−4)	8 (−13)	−5 (−21)	−11 (−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.13 (80)	2.75 (70)	3.96 (101)	3.47 (88)	3.34 (85)	4.04 (103)	4.38 (111)	4.29 (109)	4.40 (112)	3.47 (88)	2.91 (74)	3.97 (101)	44.11 (1,120)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	7.1 (18)	8.4 (21)	3.6 (9.1)	0.3 (0.76)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	3.5 (8.9)	23.1 (59)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	11.0	9.7	10.9	10.9	11.0	10.3	10.1	8.9	9.3	9.1	8.6	11.0	120.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	4.1	3.8	2.0	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	1.8	12.0
Average relative humidity (%)	66.2	63.6	61.7	60.4	65.4	67.8	69.6	70.4	71.6	70.8	68.4	67.7	67.0
Average dew point °F (°C)	19.8 (−6.8)	21.0 (−6.1)	28.6 (−1.9)	37.0 (2.8)	49.5 (9.7)	59.2 (15.1)	64.6 (18.1)	63.7 (17.6)	57.2 (14.0)	45.7 (7.6)	35.6 (2.0)	25.5 (−3.6)	42.3 (5.7)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	155.7	154.7	202.8	217.0	245.1	271.2	275.6	260.1	219.3	204.5	154.7	137.7	2,498.4
Percent possible sunshine	52	52	55	55	55	61	61	61	59	59	52	47	56
Average ultraviolet index	2	3	4	6	8	9	9	8	6	4	2	2	5
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961–1990)^[22]^[23]^[20]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV index)^[24]

Climate data for Philadelphia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average sea temperature °F (°C)	41.8 (5.5)	39.9 (4.4)	41.2 (5.1)	46.7 (8.2)	53.9 (12.2)	66.3 (19.0)	74.0 (23.3)	75.9 (24.4)	71.4 (21.9)	64.2 (17.9)	55.1 (12.8)	47.7 (8.8)	56.5 (13.6)
Mean daily daylight hours	10.0	11.0	12.0	13.0	14.0	15.0	15.0	14.0	12.0	11.0	10.0	9.0	12.2
Source: Weather Atlas ^[24]

Climate data for Atlantic City, New Jersey (downtown), 1991–2020 normals,^[d] extremes 1874–present^[e]
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	72 (22)	77 (25)	86 (30)	91 (33)	95 (35)	99 (37)	102 (39)	104 (40)	94 (34)	91 (33)	80 (27)	74 (23)	104 (40)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	63.5 (17.5)	64.8 (18.2)	73.2 (22.9)	83.2 (28.4)	89.3 (31.8)	94.5 (34.7)	96.9 (36.1)	94.6 (34.8)	90.1 (32.3)	82.8 (28.2)	72.7 (22.6)	65.3 (18.5)	98.1 (36.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	41.6 (5.3)	43.1 (6.2)	48.4 (9.1)	57.1 (13.9)	65.7 (18.7)	75.0 (23.9)	80.3 (26.8)	79.2 (26.2)	74.0 (23.3)	64.9 (18.3)	54.9 (12.7)	46.6 (8.1)	60.9 (16.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)	35.8 (2.1)	37.2 (2.9)	42.6 (5.9)	51.4 (10.8)	60.3 (15.7)	69.9 (21.1)	75.4 (24.1)	74.8 (23.8)	69.3 (20.7)	59.3 (15.2)	49.0 (9.4)	40.9 (4.9)	55.5 (13.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	29.9 (−1.2)	31.3 (−0.4)	36.9 (2.7)	45.6 (7.6)	54.9 (12.7)	64.8 (18.2)	70.5 (21.4)	70.3 (21.3)	64.6 (18.1)	53.6 (12.0)	43.1 (6.2)	35.1 (1.7)	50.1 (10.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	6.5 (−14.2)	9.7 (−12.4)	16.1 (−8.8)	26.7 (−2.9)	36.0 (2.2)	46.2 (7.9)	55.9 (13.3)	53.8 (12.1)	43.5 (6.4)	31.0 (−0.6)	20.4 (−6.4)	14.0 (−10.0)	4.4 (−15.3)
Record low °F (°C)	−4 (−20)	−9 (−23)	8 (−13)	15 (−9)	33 (1)	45 (7)	52 (11)	48 (9)	37 (3)	27 (−3)	10 (−12)	−7 (−22)	−9 (−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.09 (78)	3.27 (83)	4.27 (108)	3.36 (85)	3.10 (79)	3.23 (82)	3.75 (95)	4.13 (105)	3.56 (90)	4.25 (108)	3.44 (87)	4.17 (106)	43.62 (1,108)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	5.7 (14)	5.9 (15)	2.2 (5.6)	0.3 (0.76)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.25)	3.2 (8.1)	17.4 (43.71)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	9.9	9.5	10.9	10.6	10.6	9.3	9.0	7.9	8.1	8.6	8.8	10.9	114.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	3.0	3.2	1.2	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.4	8.9
Average ultraviolet index	1.6	2.6	4.2	6.0	7.5	8.5	8.6	7.7	6.0	3.8	2.1	1.5	5.0
Source 1: NOAA^[26]^[27](snow/snow days)^[28]
Source 2: UV Index Today (1995 to 2022)^[29]

Climate data for Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	39 (4)	43 (6)	52 (11)	63 (17)	74 (23)	82 (28)	87 (31)	85 (29)	77 (25)	66 (19)	55 (13)	44 (7)	64 (18)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	24 (−4)	25 (−4)	33 (1)	42 (6)	52 (11)	61 (16)	66 (19)	65 (18)	57 (14)	45 (7)	37 (3)	29 (−2)	45 (7)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.94 (100)	2.87 (73)	4.24 (108)	3.85 (98)	4.81 (122)	3.61 (92)	4.72 (120)	4.34 (110)	4.66 (118)	3.35 (85)	3.74 (95)	3.80 (97)	47.93 (1,217)
Source: Weather Channel ^[30]

Climate data for Reading, PA (Reading Regional Airport) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1888–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	77 (25)	82 (28)	88 (31)	97 (36)	96 (36)	102 (39)	106 (41)	105 (41)	102 (39)	94 (34)	84 (29)	77 (25)	106 (41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	38.6 (3.7)	41.9 (5.5)	51.0 (10.6)	63.4 (17.4)	73.5 (23.1)	82.0 (27.8)	86.5 (30.3)	84.4 (29.1)	77.1 (25.1)	65.4 (18.6)	53.8 (12.1)	43.4 (6.3)	63.4 (17.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	30.8 (−0.7)	33.1 (0.6)	41.5 (5.3)	52.5 (11.4)	62.5 (16.9)	71.6 (22.0)	76.1 (24.5)	74.3 (23.5)	66.9 (19.4)	55.2 (12.9)	44.6 (7.0)	35.7 (2.1)	53.7 (12.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	23.0 (−5.0)	24.4 (−4.2)	31.9 (−0.1)	41.7 (5.4)	51.5 (10.8)	61.2 (16.2)	65.8 (18.8)	64.1 (17.8)	56.6 (13.7)	45.0 (7.2)	35.4 (1.9)	28.0 (−2.2)	44.1 (6.7)
Record low °F (°C)	−20 (−29)	−13 (−25)	−2 (−19)	12 (−11)	26 (−3)	36 (2)	43 (6)	39 (4)	30 (−1)	20 (−7)	8 (−13)	−6 (−21)	−20 (−29)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.97 (75)	2.61 (66)	3.53 (90)	3.35 (85)	3.51 (89)	4.77 (121)	4.77 (121)	4.49 (114)	4.88 (124)	3.80 (97)	3.02 (77)	3.51 (89)	45.21 (1,148)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	10.3	10.2	10.7	11.6	12.5	12.4	10.7	11.2	9.1	10.1	8.9	10.8	128.5
Source: NOAA^[31]^[32]

Climate data for Dover, Delaware (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	77 (25)	80 (27)	88 (31)	97 (36)	98 (37)	101 (38)	104 (40)	102 (39)	99 (37)	95 (35)	85 (29)	75 (24)	104 (40)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	66 (19)	65 (18)	73 (23)	83 (28)	88 (31)	93 (34)	95 (35)	93 (34)	89 (32)	83 (28)	74 (23)	66 (19)	96 (36)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	44.4 (6.9)	47.4 (8.6)	54.5 (12.5)	66.0 (18.9)	74.4 (23.6)	82.7 (28.2)	86.9 (30.5)	85.1 (29.5)	79.2 (26.2)	68.9 (20.5)	58.0 (14.4)	48.6 (9.2)	66.3 (19.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)	36.0 (2.2)	38.2 (3.4)	45.0 (7.2)	55.5 (13.1)	64.4 (18.0)	73.2 (22.9)	77.9 (25.5)	76.2 (24.6)	70.1 (21.2)	59.2 (15.1)	48.7 (9.3)	40.3 (4.6)	57.1 (13.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	27.6 (−2.4)	29.0 (−1.7)	35.4 (1.9)	44.9 (7.2)	54.4 (12.4)	63.8 (17.7)	69.0 (20.6)	67.3 (19.6)	61.0 (16.1)	49.5 (9.7)	39.3 (4.1)	32.1 (0.1)	47.8 (8.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	11 (−12)	13 (−11)	20 (−7)	31 (−1)	41 (5)	51 (11)	59 (15)	58 (14)	48 (9)	34 (1)	24 (−4)	18 (−8)	9 (−13)
Record low °F (°C)	−7 (−22)	−11 (−24)	7 (−14)	14 (−10)	28 (−2)	41 (5)	45 (7)	35 (2)	30 (−1)	25 (−4)	11 (−12)	−3 (−19)	−11 (−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.43 (87)	3.08 (78)	4.21 (107)	3.72 (94)	3.89 (99)	4.56 (116)	4.14 (105)	4.92 (125)	4.25 (108)	4.06 (103)	3.36 (85)	3.99 (101)	47.61 (1,209)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	4.1 (10)	5.9 (15)	0.6 (1.5)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	2.6 (6.6)	13.2 (34)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	9.7	9.2	9.8	10.3	10.5	9.2	9.0	8.2	8.2	8.0	7.4	10.2	109.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	1.8	1.9	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8	4.9
Average ultraviolet index	2	3	5	6	8	9	9	8	7	4	2	2	5
Source 1: NOAA^[31]^[32]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)^[33]

Climate data for Wilmington, Delaware (New Castle County Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	75 (24)	78 (26)	86 (30)	97 (36)	98 (37)	102 (39)	103 (39)	107 (42)	100 (38)	98 (37)	85 (29)	75 (24)	107 (42)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	63 (17)	64 (18)	74 (23)	83 (28)	89 (32)	93 (34)	96 (36)	94 (34)	90 (32)	83 (28)	72 (22)	64 (18)	97 (36)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	41.4 (5.2)	44.1 (6.7)	52.5 (11.4)	64.2 (17.9)	73.5 (23.1)	82.2 (27.9)	86.8 (30.4)	84.9 (29.4)	78.5 (25.8)	67.0 (19.4)	55.9 (13.3)	46.0 (7.8)	64.8 (18.2)
Daily mean °F (°C)	33.5 (0.8)	35.5 (1.9)	43.2 (6.2)	53.9 (12.2)	63.5 (17.5)	72.6 (22.6)	77.6 (25.3)	75.8 (24.3)	68.9 (20.5)	57.2 (14.0)	46.6 (8.1)	38.2 (3.4)	55.5 (13.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	25.6 (−3.6)	27.0 (−2.8)	33.9 (1.1)	43.5 (6.4)	53.4 (11.9)	63.0 (17.2)	68.3 (20.2)	66.6 (19.2)	59.3 (15.2)	47.3 (8.5)	37.4 (3.0)	30.3 (−0.9)	46.3 (7.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	10 (−12)	12 (−11)	19 (−7)	30 (−1)	39 (4)	50 (10)	58 (14)	56 (13)	45 (7)	33 (1)	23 (−5)	16 (−9)	7 (−14)
Record low °F (°C)	−14 (−26)	−15 (−26)	2 (−17)	11 (−12)	30 (−1)	40 (4)	48 (9)	43 (6)	32 (0)	23 (−5)	11 (−12)	−7 (−22)	−15 (−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.23 (82)	2.83 (72)	4.16 (106)	3.51 (89)	3.57 (91)	4.67 (119)	4.41 (112)	3.98 (101)	4.38 (111)	3.68 (93)	3.06 (78)	3.85 (98)	45.33 (1,151)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	6.1 (15)	7.8 (20)	3.1 (7.9)	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	2.9 (7.4)	20.2 (51)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	10.8	10.0	11.2	11.1	11.7	11.0	10.0	8.9	8.8	8.9	8.8	10.6	121.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	3.5	3.5	1.7	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	1.7	10.7
Source: NOAA^[31]^[32]

Colonial history

Further information: History of Philadelphia

See also: Thirteen Colonies

The valley was the territory of the Susquehannock and Lenape, who are recalled in place names throughout the region. The region became part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland after the exploration of Delaware Bay in 1609. The Dutch called the Delaware River the Zuyd Rivier, or South River, and considered the lands along it banks and those of its bay to be the southern flank of its province of New Netherland. In 1638, it began to be settled by Swedes, Forest Finns, Dutch, and Walloons and became the colony of New Sweden, though this was not officially recognized by the Dutch Empire which re-asserted control in 1655. The area was taken by the English in 1664.^[34] The name Delaware comes from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, who had arrived at Jamestown, Virginia in 1610, just as original settlers were about to abandon it, and thus maintaining the English foothold on the North American continent. In the early 1700s, Huguenot refugees from France by way of Germany and then England began settling in the Delaware River Valley. Specifically, they left their mark in Hunterdon County, New Jersey (Frenchtown) and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.^[35]

Transportation

See also: Transportation in Philadelphia

Many residents commute to jobs and travel in Philadelphia, Camden, Wilmington, and the surrounding suburbs with the help of expressways, trains, and buses. There are currently no transit connections to Reading, the second largest municipality in the region.

Rail

Rapid transit

 

SEPTA's Market–Frankford Line at 63rd Street Station in West Philadelphia

• SEPTA
  • Market–Frankford Line connecting 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby to Frankford Transportation Center in Near Northeast Philadelphia, passing through Center City
  • Broad Street Line connecting Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia to Center City and NRG station in South Philadelphia
  • Norristown High Speed Line connecting 69th Street Transportation Center with Norristown Transportation Center in Norristown
• PATCO
  • PATCO Speedline connecting Philadelphia to Lindenwold, NJ in Camden County with connections to NJT's Atlantic City Line.

Light rail

• SEPTA
  • Subway–surface lines: Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36, connecting West Philadelphia and Delaware County with 13th Street Station, running at street-level through Delaware County and West Philadelphia, and beneath Market Street in Center City
  • Route 15 along Girard Avenue from 63rd Street and Girard Avenue to Richmond and Westmoreland Streets
  • Routes 101 and 102 connecting Media (Route 101) and Sharon Hill (Route 102) in Delaware County with 69th Street Transportation Center
• NJ Transit
  • River Line connecting Camden, New Jersey to Trenton, New Jersey, running along the east bank of the Delaware River.

Commuter rail

 

The grand concourse at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, which serves Amtrak, SEPTA Regional Rail, and NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line

• SEPTA Regional Rail
  • Airport Line connecting Central Philadelphia with Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia and Delaware Counties.
  • Wilmington/Newark Line connecting Philadelphia to the Wilmington, Delaware area (with limited weekday service to Newark, Delaware), via Chester City and Delaware County.
  • Warminster Line connecting Philadelphia with southeastern Montgomery County and Warminster in Bucks County.
  • West Trenton Line connecting Philadelphia north to the Trenton, New Jersey area, serving Montgomery and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, between Jenkintown and Yardley, Pennsylvania, with the final stop in Ewing, New Jersey.
  • Media/Wawa Line connecting Philadelphia to central Delaware County.
  • Paoli/Thorndale Line connecting Philadelphia with the affluent Main Line area and western Chester County near Coatesville.
  • Lansdale/Doylestown Line connecting Philadelphia with Lansdale in central Montgomery County and Doylestown in Bucks County.
  • Manayunk/Norristown Line connecting Philadelphia with Conshohocken and Norristown in Montgomery County.
  • Cynwyd Line connecting Philadelphia with Bala Cynwyd on the Philadelphia/Montgomery County line (limited weekday service)
  • Trenton Line connecting Philadelphia to Trenton, New Jersey, serving Bucks County.
  • Fox Chase Line connecting Central Philadelphia with the Fox Chase area in Philadelphia.
  • Chestnut Hill East Line and Chestnut Hill West Line connecting Central Philadelphia with the Chestnut Hill area of the city.
• NJ Transit
  • Atlantic City Line connecting Philadelphia to Atlantic City, New Jersey with connections to PATCO Speedline in Lindenwold, New Jersey.
• MARC Train
  • Penn Line connecting Perryville, Maryland to Baltimore and Washington D.C., and in the future will connect to SEPTA at Newark, DE.

Intercity rail

• Amtrak
  • Acela: high-speed rail connecting Washington, D.C., with Boston
  • Cardinal connecting Chicago with New York City
  • Carolinian connecting Charlotte, NC with New York City
  • Crescent connecting New Orleans and New York City
  • Keystone Service connecting Harrisburg, PA with New York City
  • Northeast Regional: inter-city regional rail service from Virginia to Boston
  • Palmetto connecting Savannah, GA with New York City
  • Pennsylvanian connecting Pittsburgh with New York City
  • Silver Meteor connecting Miami with New York City
  • Silver Star connecting Miami with New York City
  • Vermonter connecting Washington, D.C., with St. Albans, VT

Bus service

Transit buses

• SEPTA
• NJ Transit
• South Jersey Transportation Authority
• DART First State
• Krapf Transit
• Bucks County Transport
• Transportation Management Association of Chester County
• TMA Bucks
• Pottstown Area Rapid Transit
• Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority
• Cecil Transit
• Atlantic City casino bus routes by a number of private carriers

Intercity bus

• Amtrak Thruway
• BoltBus
• Greyhound Lines
• Klein Transportation
• Martz Trailways
• Megabus
• OurBus
• Peter Pan Bus Lines
• Trans-Bridge Lines

Major highways

 

Schuylkill Expressway in Center City Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

•   I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway)
•   I-78
•   I-95 (Delaware Expressway)
•   I-295 (Delaware Expressway)
•   I-176 (Morgantown Expressway)
•  
    
    
     I-76 Toll / I-276 Toll / I-95 Toll / Penna Turnpike
•   I-476 (Blue Route/Mid-County Expressway)
•  
     I-476 Toll / Penna Turnpike NE Extension
•    I-676 / US 30 (Vine Street Expressway)
•  
     I-676 Toll / US 30 (Benjamin Franklin Bridge)
•  
    I-76 Toll (Walt Whitman Bridge)
•   US 1 (Lincoln Expressway/Roosevelt Boulevard/City Line Avenue/Kennett-Oxford Bypass)
•   US 13
•   US 22
•   US 30 (Lancaster Avenue/Lincoln Highway)
•   US 202 (Wilmington Pike/Highway/Dekalb Pike/Highway/Doylestown Pike/Lower York Road)
•   US 222 (Kutztown Bypass/Outer Bypass/Shillington Bypass)
•   US 322 (Conchester Highway/Horseshoe Pike)
•   US 422 (Pottstown Expressway/Perkiomen Avenue/West Shore Bypass)
•   PA 3 (West Chester Pike)
•   PA 10
•   PA 12 (Warren Street Bypass/Pricetown Road)
•   PA 23
•   PA 29
•   PA 32 (River Road)
•   PA 41 (Gap-Newport Pike)
•   PA 52 (Kennett Pike)
•   PA 61 (Centre Avenue/Pottsville Pike)
•   PA 63 (Woodhaven Road/Welsh Road/Sumneytown Pike)
•   PA 73
•   PA 82
•   PA 100 (Pottstown Pike)
•   PA 113
•   PA 132 (Street Road)
•   PA 152 (Limekiln Pike)
•   PA 162
•   PA 179 (Upper York Road)
•   PA 212
•   PA 213
•   PA 232 (Huntingdon Pike/Oxford Ave)
•   PA 252 (Newtown Street Road)
•   PA 261 (Foulk Road)
•   PA 263 (York Road)
•   PA 272
•   PA 282
•   PA 291 (Industrial Hwy)
•   PA 309 (Fort Washington Expressway/Bethlehem Pike/Sellersville-Souderton Bypass)
•   PA 313
•   PA 320 (Sproul Road)
•   PA 332
•   PA 340
•   PA 345
•   PA 352 (Middletown Road/Chester Road)
•   PA 363 (Valley Forge Road/Trooper Road)
•   PA 372
•   PA 401 (Conestoga Road)
•   PA 412 (Durham Road)
•   PA 413
•   PA 420 (Woodland Avenue/Kedron Avenue)
•   PA 452 (Pennell Road)
•   PA 463
•   PA 472
•   PA 491
•   PA 513
•   PA 532 (Washington Crossing Road/Buck Road)
•   PA 562
•   PA 563
•   PA 611 (Doylestown Bypass/Easton Road/Old York Road)
•   PA 663 (John Fries Hwy)
•   PA 724
•   PA 796
•   PA 841
•   PA 842
•   PA 896
•   PA 926 (Street Road)

New Jersey

•   N.J. Turnpike
•   G.S. Parkway
•   A.C. Expressway
•  
    I-76 Toll (Walt Whitman Bridge)
•   I-295
•  
     I-676 Toll / US 30 (Benjamin Franklin Bridge)
•     I-76 / I-676 / Route 42 (North-South Freeway)
•   US 9
•   US 30
•   US 40
•   US 130
•   US 206
•   US 322
•   Route 27
•   Route 29
•   Route 31
•   Route 33
•   Route 38
•   Route 44
•   Route 45
•   Route 47
•   Route 48
•   Route 49
•   Route 50
•   Route 52
•   Route 54
•   Route 55
•   Route 56
•   Route 68
•   Route 70
•   Route 72
•   Route 73
•   Route 83
•   Route 87
•   Route 90 (Betsy Ross Bridge)
•   Route 109
•   Route 129
•   Route 133
•   Route 143
•   Route 147
•   Route 152
•   Route 156
•   Route 157
•   Route 168
•   Route 179
•   Route 413

Delaware

•    I-95 / Delaware Turnpike
•   I-295
•   I-495
•   US 13
•   US 40
•   US 113
•   US 202
•  
    US 301 Toll
•   DE 1
•   DE 2
•   DE 3
•   DE 4
•   DE 7
•   DE 9
•   DE 37
•   DE 41
•   DE 48
•   DE 52
•   DE 58
•   DE 62
•   DE 71
•   DE 72
•   DE 82
•   DE 92
•   DE 100
•   DE 141
•   DE 202
•   DE 261
•   DE 273
•   DE 279
•   DE 299
•   DE 491
•   DE 896

Maryland

•   I-95
•   US 1
•   US 40
•   US 222

Delaware River Bridges

 

Benjamin Franklin Bridge

 

Philadelphia International Airport

• New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge^[36]
• Scudder Falls Bridge
• Delaware River – Turnpike Toll Bridge
• Burlington–Bristol Bridge
• Tacony–Palmyra Bridge
• Betsy Ross Bridge
• Benjamin Franklin Bridge
• Walt Whitman Bridge
• Commodore Barry Bridge
• Delaware Memorial Bridge

Airports

Main article: List of airports in the Delaware Valley

Major:

• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), located 15 miles southwest of Center City Philadelphia, is the main international airport serving the Delaware Valley
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), while not in the Delaware Valley, is a major airport serving certain regions of the Delaware Valley, including Bucks and Montgomery Counties in Southeast Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey.

Secondary:

• Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)
• Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) (not in CSA)
• New Castle Airport (ILG)
• Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE)
• Reading Regional Airport (RDG)
• Trenton–Mercer Airport (TTN) (not in CSA)

Ferry

The Cape May–Lewes Ferry crosses the mouth of the Delaware Bay between Cape May County, New Jersey and Sussex County, Delaware; U.S. Route 9 uses this ferry.

The Riverlink Ferry operates hourly ferry service over the Delaware River between the Camden Waterfront and Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia.^[37] They also operate a special event service for concerts at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden.^[38]

Colleges and universities

 

 

Parrish Hall at Swarthmore College and Cohen Hall, previously named Logan Hall, former home of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The Wharton School is consistently ranked as the best business school in the world.^[39]

Delaware

• Delaware College of Art and Design
• Delaware State University
• Goldey-Beacom College
• University of Delaware
• Wesley College
• Widener University School of Law
• Wilmington University

Maryland

• Cecil College

New Jersey

• Rider University
• Rowan University
• Rutgers School of Law–Camden
• Rutgers University (Camden)
• Stockton University
• The College of New Jersey

Pennsylvania

• Albright College
• Alvernia University
• Arcadia University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Cabrini College
• Cairn University
• Chestnut Hill College
• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
• Curtis Institute of Music
• Delaware Valley University
• DeVry University
• Drexel University
• Eastern University
• Gwynedd-Mercy College
• Harcum College
• Haverford College
• Holy Family University
• Immaculata University
• Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
• La Salle University
• Lincoln University
• Manor College
• Moore College of Art and Design
• Neumann University
• Peirce College
• Penn State Abington
• Penn State Berks
• Penn State Brandywine
• Penn State Great Valley
• Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Point Park University
• Rosemont College
• Saint Joseph's University
• Swarthmore College
• Temple University
• Thomas Jefferson University
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of the Arts (Philadelphia)
• University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
• University of Valley Forge
• Ursinus College
• Valley Forge Military Academy and College
• Villanova University
• West Chester University
• Westminster Theological Seminary
• Widener University

Culture

Further information: Culture of Philadelphia, Cuisine of Philadelphia, and Philadelphia English

 

Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia, home of the Philadelphia Phillies

Sports teams

Further information: Sports in Philadelphia

Listing of the professional sports teams in the Delaware Valley

• National Basketball Association (NBA)
  • Philadelphia 76ers
• Major League Baseball (MLB)
  • Philadelphia Phillies
• Minor League Baseball (MiLB)
  • Jersey Shore BlueClaws
  • Reading Fightin Phils
  • Wilmington Blue Rocks
• National Football League (NFL)
  • Philadelphia Eagles
• National Hockey League (NHL)
  • Philadelphia Flyers
• Major League Soccer (MLS)
  • Philadelphia Union
• NBA G League
  • Delaware Blue Coats
• National Lacrosse League (NLL)
  • Philadelphia Wings

Media

Main article: Media in Philadelphia

The two main newspapers are The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, owned by the Philadelphia Media Network. Local television channels include KYW-TV 3 (CBS), WPVI 6 (ABC), WCAU 10 (NBC), WHYY-TV 12 (PBS), WPHL-TV 17 (MyNetworkTV), WTXF 29 (FOX), WPSG 57 (CW), and WPPX 61 (Ion). Radio stations serving the area include: WRTI, WIOQ, WDAS (AM), and WTEL.

Area codes

• 215/267/445: The City of Philadelphia and some of its northern suburbs
• 610/484/835: Southeastern Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia, including the western suburbs, the Lehigh Valley, and most of Berks County
• 856: Southwestern New Jersey, including Camden, Cherry Hill, and Vineland
• 609/640: Central and Southeastern New Jersey, including Trenton, Atlantic City and the southern Jersey Shore
• 302: Delaware
• 410/443/667: Eastern half of Maryland, including Cecil County
• 717/223: South Central Pennsylvania, including Western Berks County

Politics

See also: Politics of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is heavily Democratic, having voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1936. The surrounding suburban counties are key political areas in Pennsylvania, which itself is an important swing state in federal politics.^[40] South Jersey has consistently voted Democratic at the presidential level in recent years, although the region is slightly more Republican-leaning than North Jersey and has voted for Republicans at the state and local level.^[41] New Castle County's Democratic lean and large share of Delaware's population has tended to make Delaware as a whole vote for Democrats, while the less populous Kent County is more competitive.^[42] Recent well-known political figures from the Greater Philadelphia area include current U.S. President Joe Biden, former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and late former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter.

Congressional districts

The following congressional districts of the United States House of Representatives are located partly or entirely in the Delaware Valley CSA. Italicized counties are not part of the CSA.

District		Incumbent
District	PVI	Incumbent	Party	Counties
DE-AL	D+6	Lisa Blunt Rochester	D	Kent, New Castle, and Sussex
MD-1	R+14	Andy Harris	R	Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester
NJ-1	D+13	Donald Norcross	D	Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester
NJ-2	R+1	Jeff Van Drew	R	Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem
NJ-3	R+2	Andy Kim	D	Burlington and Ocean
PA-1	R+1	Brian Fitzpatrick	R	Bucks and Montgomery
PA-2	D+25	Brendan Boyle	D	Philadelphia
PA-3	D+41	Dwight Evans	D	Philadelphia
PA-4	D+7	Madeleine Dean	D	Berks and Montgomery
PA-5	D+13	Mary Gay Scanlon	D	Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia
PA-6	D+2	Chrissy Houlahan	D	Berks and Chester
PA-9	R+14	Dan Meuser	R	Berks, Carbon, Columbia, Lebanon, Luzerne, Montour, Northumberland, and Schuylkill

Additionally, the Delaware Valley is represented in the United States Senate by the eight Senators from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

See also

•  Delaware portal

• Central Delaware Valley AVA
• Delaware Valley Railway
• Northeast megalopolis
• Mid-Atlantic states

Notes

1. The OMB classifies Trenton and Mercer County as part of the NYC Metropolitan Area
2. Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
3. Official temperature and precipitation measurements for Philadelphia were taken at the Weather Bureau Office in downtown from January 1872 to 19 June 1940, and at Philadelphia Int'l from 20 June 1940 to the present.^[19] Snowfall and snow depth records date to 1 January 1884 and 1 October 1948, respectively.^[20] In 2006, snowfall measurements were moved to National Park, New Jersey directly across the Delaware River from the airport.^[21]
4. Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
5. The official climatology station for Atlantic City was at the Weather Bureau Office downtown from January 1874 to 15 June 1958 and Atlantic City Int'l (ACY) in Egg Harbor Township since 16 June 1958.^[25] ACY's location in the Pine Barrens and distance away from the coast and urban heat island of downtown Atlantic City largely account for its markedly colder temperatures at night as compared to downtown; for example, from 1959 to 2013, there were 50 days with a low of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower, while in the same period, the corresponding number of days at downtown was 2. The National Weather Service ceased regular snowfall observations at downtown after the winter of 1958–59.

References

1. "Welsh Mountain". Retrieved May 5, 2016.
2. "MyTopo – Welsh Mountain area". Retrieved May 5, 2016.
3. "Total Gross Domestic Product for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (MSA)". fred.stlouisfed.org.
4. "Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Philadelphia and Boston". Voice of America. April 3, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
5. Tucker, Laura (November 25, 2014). "Philadelphia". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
6. Eramian, Daniel (November 2, 2020). "Is Philadelphia's biotech cluster faltering? Experts say no". STAT. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
7. "Q1 2023". PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor. April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
8. Jon Hurdle (May 13, 2021). . NJ Spotlight News. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023. In South Jersey, the area has become the "epicenter" of warehouse construction in the greater Philadelphia region..'Activity in the Southern New Jersey industrial market continues to amaze,' the report said.
9. "Greater Philadelphia Economic Development Framework" (PDF). September 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
10. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
11. "Local Television Market Universe Estimates" (PDF). Nielsen. The Nielsen Company. September 24, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
12. Bond, Michaelle (November 7, 2017). "In historic win, Delco Dems take council seats". Philly.com. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
13. Stirling, Steven (April 24, 2015). "Here are the North, Central, and South Jersey borders as determined by you (INTERACTIVE)". NJ.com. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
14. "PHILADELPHIA DESIGNATED MARKET DATA". TruckAds. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
15. "Community Facts". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
16. "Census 2000 PHC-T-29. Ranking Tables for Population of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, Combined Statistical Areas, New England City and Town Areas, and Combined New England City and Town Areas: 1990 and 2000" Table 7, released December 30, 2003. Accessed April 22, 2019.
17. Office of Management and Budget Bulletin 13-01, February 28, 2013, accessed on April 22, 2019, at URL https://www.bls.gov/bls/omb-bulletin-13-01-revised-delineations-of-metropolitan-statistical-areas.pdf
18. "Global Philadelphia". Global Philadelphia Association. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
19. ThreadEx; search for location= "PA - Philadelphia", variable= "Station thread"
20. "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
21. Wood, Anthony R. . Philly.com. The Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
22. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
23. "WMO Climate Normals for PHILADELPHIA/INT'L ARPT PA 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
24. "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
25. Threadex
26. "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
27. "Station: Atlantic City, NJ". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
28. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Atlantic City INTL AP, NJ". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
29. "Historical UV Index Data - Atlantic City, NJ". UV Index Today. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
30. Average weather for Doylestown Weather Channel Retrieved May 12, 2008
31. "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
32. "Station: Dover, DE". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
33. "Dover, Delaware, USA – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
34. *Family Search.com: Map of Delaware Valley in 17th century showing forts & settlements with date of founding
35. Calvin, Claude (1945). The Calvin Families. University of Wisconsin. pp. 47–53, 57–71.
36. . Delaware River Joint Toll Brice Commission. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015.
37. "General Service – Riverlink Ferry". Retrieved November 21, 2023.
38. "Concert Service – Riverlink Ferry". Retrieved November 21, 2023.
39. "The 50 best business schools in the world". Business Insider.
40. Cohen, Micah (October 29, 2012). "In Pennsylvania, the Democratic Lean Is Slight, but Durable". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
41. Cohen, Micah (July 14, 2012). "In Blue New Jersey, Red Spots May Be Sign of the Past". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
42. Cohen, Micah (August 31, 2012). "Delaware: A Small Example of a Larger Trend". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved January 5, 2018.

Further reading

• Jean R. Soderlund, Lenape Country: Delaware Valley Society before William Penn. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014.
• Mark L. Thompson, The Contest for the Delaware Valley: Allegiance, Identity, and Empire in the Seventeenth Century. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 2013.

External links

 

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Delaware Valley.

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Delaware Valley.

• Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
• Delaware River Basin Commission

39°52′37″N 75°19′23″W / 39.877°N 75.323°W / 39.877; -75.323