Location and Orientation of Philadelphia is important to indicate the exact position of the city, with respect to the major geographical features. Location and Orientation of Philadelphia also helps in understanding the basic layout of the city, in terms of understanding the positions of main centers of activity found therein.
Philadelphia Location
As a major commercial center in United States of America and the capital city of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is located on 75° 09' west longitude and 40° 00' north latitude. As per the information available from the United States Census Bureau, the total area covered by the city is 142.6 square miles or 369.4 kmē. Out of the total area covered, about 5.29% (19.6 kmē) is water, while 349.9 kmē is the land area.
The location of Philadelphia on the Fall Line separates Piedmont from the Atlantic Coastal Plain. In Philadelphia, the Chestnut Hill forms the highest point, having an elevation of 136 meters (445 feet) above sea level, and it is the meeting point of Bethlehem Pike and Germantown Avenue.
Rivers Schuylkill and Delaware drain Philadelphia. The Pennypack, Cobbs and Wissahickon rivulets comprise the remaining water bodies of the city. The construction of the Fairmount Dam has made the East Falls rapids to disappear.
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According to the estimations of 2004 Census, Philadelphia population density is 1,463,281 per square kilometer, with 658,799 houses found on every square kilometer.
Philadelphia city general layout
The orientation of Philadelphia allows easy navigation, to locate important streets and places. All the roads towards the north-south direction are numbered while the east-west roads are recognized through names. The only exception in this case is the Front and Broad Streets, which do not come under either of the categories.
Most of the tourist attractions and hotels are close to each other and can be accessed easily by bus or by walking. The Old City and the Independence National Historic Park both have waterfront locations in the eastern part. City Hall, City Center and the Penn Square make up the western region of this historic American capital city. The southern portion of the city is bordered by Rivers Schuylkill and Delaware, dotted with bars, restaurants and Italian shops. Towards the west of Philadelphia, there is a museum and twin campuses of the University City. The elegant Germantown and Chestnut Hill suburbs border the city from the northwestern side. However, music clubs and boutiques from Bohemia are specially found in the southern parts, between Fitzwater, S2nd, Pine and10th streets.
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