Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is the valley through which the Delaware River flows. By extension, this toponym is commonly used to refer to Greater Philadelphia or the Philadelphia metropolitan area ("the [Lower] Delaware Valley Metropolitan Area"). The Delaware Valley is coterminous with a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and broader combined statistical area (CSA), and is composed of counties located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. As of the 2010 Census, the MSA has a population of over 6 million, while the CSA has a population of over 7.1 million.
Delaware Valley Greater Philadelphia Southeastern Pennsylvania Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA | |
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![]() | |
![]() Map of the Lower Delaware Valley Metropolitan Area. In addition to the shaded area, other parts of South Jersey are often considered to be part of the Delaware Valley. | |
Country | ![]() |
State | - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() |
Principal cities | Philadelphia Camden Wilmington Reading Trenton[lower-alpha 1] Atlantic City Vineland Conshohocken Dover Chester Upper Darby Media Hammonton Norristown Doylestown Cherry Hill West Chester Evesham Washington Township Salem Cape May Court House Lower Township The Wildwoods Brigantine Ventnor City Margate City Sea Isle City Haverford Coatesville Lower Merion Gloucester Township Downingtown Phoenixville Pottstown King of Prussia Bensalem Township Newark, DE Elkton |
Area | |
• Urban | 1,981.4 sq mi (5,131.7 km2) |
• Metro | 5,118 sq mi (13,256 km2) |
Elevation | 0 - 1,080 ft (0 - 329 m) |
Population (2013 est.) | |
• Density | 2,746.32/sq mi (1,060.36/km2) |
• Urban | 5,441,567 (5th) |
• MSA | 6,096,372 (8th) |
• CSA | 7,146,706 (8th) |
MSA/CSA = 2013, Urban = 2010 | |
Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EST) |
Philadelphia is by far the largest municipality in the Delaware Valley, and serves as the region's major commercial, cultural, and industrial center. Other municipalities in the MSA include Camden, New Jersey and Wilmington, Delaware, while the larger CSA also includes municipalities such as Reading, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Delaware Valley Metropolitan Area is located in the Northeastern United States and forms part of a larger urbanized area known as the Northeast megalopolis. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Philadelphia metropolitan area has a gross domestic product of $431 billion, the ninth-largest among U.S. metropolitan areas. 2016 Census Bureau estimates rank the Delaware Valley CSA as the ninth-largest CSA in the United States.
The Delaware Valley has been influential in American history and industry; its citizens have become leaders in higher education, biotechnology, medicine, tourism, and other fields. The area has hosted many people and sites significant to American culture, history, and politics. Philadelphia is sometimes known as "The Birthplace of America",[3] as both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were drafted and signed in Philadelphia. The Delaware Valley was home to many other instrumental moments in the American Revolution, and Philadelphia served as the capital of the United States for much of the 18th century. Today, the area is home to a number of nationally known universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Villanova University, Saint Joseph's University, Temple University, and University of Delaware.[4]
Geography
![](../I/m/Delaware_river_basin_map.png)
In geology and geography, a strict sense of the term would incorporate the Delaware River's main drainage basin, and so encompass major tributaries such as the Schuylkill River and Lehigh River and their valleys or sub-basins. These extensions also apply culturally with decreasing degree gradually decreased by proximal distance because the ease of land travel enables a great deal of daily interaction; for example, the large number of commuters who travel daily 45–90 minutes creates cultural blends and parallel values.
Definitions of the metropolitan area
In the course of their work, U.S. government agencies have reached various definitions of the Delaware Valley and the Greater Philadelphia Area.
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 CSAs (combined statistical areas), reflecting commuting patterns. Neither is a formal administrative division.
Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
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% | |
Est. 2019 | 6,102,434 | 2.3% | |
U.S. Decennial Census |
Philadelphia is located in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes:[5]
- Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division
- Montgomery County-Bucks County-Chester County, PA Metropolitan Division
- Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division
- Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division
Combined statistical area (CSA)
The Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area includes [5]
- The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA (eleven counties, as defined above)
- Berks County, Pennsylvania, comprising the Reading, PA MSA
- Kent County, Delaware, comprising the Dover, DE 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
Counties not in the Philadelphia metropolitan area
Some counties to the north of the Philadelphia MSA and CSA, such as Hunterdon County, New Jersey, lie partly in the Delaware Valley as a geographic concept, that is, the drainage basin of the Delaware River. Local businesses and the Delaware Valley Regional High School carry the name. However, Hunterdon County does not belong to the Philadelphia CSA, but rather to the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), part of the larger New York-Newark Combined Statistical Area (CSA).[5]
Regional Planning Commission
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) serves all the counties of the MSA above, except for the counties in the Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metropolitan Division. However the DVRPC does include, additionally, Mercer County, New Jersey, which the OMB classifies as the Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA, part of the larger New York-Newark CSA.[6]
Population and economy
![](../I/m/Boswash.png)
According to 2016 estimates from the United States Census Bureau, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area ranks as the seventh-largest MSA in the United States with 6,070,500 people.[7] According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA had a gross domestic product of $431 billion, the ninth-largest among U.S. metropolitan areas.[8] 2016 Census Bureau estimates rank the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area as the ninth-largest CSA in the United States, with 7,179,357 people.[9]
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area's population of roughly 6 million people is comparable to that of countries such as Lebanon, Denmark, and Nicaragua. The MSA's nominal gross domestic product of $431 billion is comparable to countries such as Belgium, Iran, and Thailand. The MSA also ranks as the second most populous in the Northeastern United States after the New York metropolitan area, while the CSA is third-largest in the Northeast after the New York and Boston metropolitan areas. The Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area, which is part of Northeast Megalopolis but is considered part of the Southeastern United States under Census Bureau definitions, is also larger than the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Philadelphia itself is the sixth-most populous city in the United States and the third-most populous U.S. city east of the Mississippi River, after New York City and Chicago. Philadelphia's media market ranks fourth, behind New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, in Nielsen Media Market size rankings.[10]
Such educational institutions as Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township and Delaware Valley College in Doylestown Township are named after the region. Likewise, Frenchtown's now defunct newspaper The Delaware Valley News was another example of the usage.
Subregions
Sixteen counties in four states constitute the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area. The five Pennsylvania counties in the MSA are collectively known as Southeastern Pennsylvania, and the four suburban counties from this region are sometimes called the "collar counties."[11] Aside from 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 generally not considered to be part of Southeastern Pennsylvania and is sometimes assigned to South Central Pennsylvania.
The seven New Jersey counties in the CSA form South Jersey, although Ocean County, which is part of the New York CSA, is also sometimes considered to be part of South Jersey.[12] Atlantic County, Cape May County, and Cumberland County each form their own respective metropolitan statistical areas. Atlantic City, Cape May County, 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 from 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.
Although Mercer County in Central Jersey is often considered part of the Delaware Valley from a cultural perspective, it is classified as part of New York's CSA by the OMB. Mercer County and three counties in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, Carbon County, Lehigh County and Northampton County, are part of the Philadelphia media market. Caroline County, Maryland is also part of the Philadelphia media market, and other counties within the Philadelphia media market include Monroe County, Pennsylvania, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Ocean County, New Jersey.[13]
List of counties
County | State | Seat | 2010 Pop.[14] | 2016 Pop.[14] | Pop. Change | Area[15] | MSA[16] | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kent | DE | Dover | 162,310 | 174,827 | 7.7% | 279.4 mi2 | Dover MSA | ![]() |
New Castle | DE | Wilmington | 538,479 | 556,987 | 3.4% | 426.3 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Cecil | MD | Elkton | 101,108 | 102,603 | 1.5% | 348.2 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Atlantic | NJ | Mays Landing | 274,549 | 270,991 | -1.3% | 561.2 mi2 | Atlantic City-Hammonton MSA | ![]() |
Burlington | NJ | Mount Holly | 448,734 | 449,284 | 0.1% | 804.8 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Camden | NJ | Camden | 513,657 | 510,150 | -0.7% | 222.3 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Cape May | NJ | Cape May Court House | 97,265 | 94,430 | -2.9% | 255.2 mi2 | Ocean City MSA | ![]() |
Cumberland | NJ | Bridgeton | 156,898 | 153,797 | -2% | 489.3 mi2 | Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton MSA | ![]() |
Gloucester | NJ | Woodbury | 288,288 | 292,330 | 1.4% | 324.9 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Salem | NJ | Salem | 66,083 | 63,436 | -4% | 337.8 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Berks | PA | Reading | 411,442 | 414,812 | 0.8% | 859.2 mi2 | Reading MSA | ![]() |
Bucks | PA | Doylestown | 625,249 | 626,399 | 0.2% | 607.6 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Chester | PA | West Chester | 498,886 | 516,312 | 3.5% | 756 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Delaware | PA | Media | 558,979 | 563,402 | 0.8% | 184.2 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Montgomery | PA | Norristown | 799,874 | 821,725 | 2.7% | 487 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Philadelphia | PA | Philadelphia | 1,526,006 | 1,576,872 | 3.3% | 135.1 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | ![]() |
Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | 5,965,343 | 6,079,500 | 1.8% | 4928.2 mi2 | Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington MSA | - | ||
Philadelphia–Reading–Camden CSA | 7,067,807 | 7,179,357 | 1.6% | 7372.5 mi2 | N/A | - |
List of largest municipalities
![](../I/m/Rising_sun_Ocean_City_NJ.jpg)
![](../I/m/Wilmington_Delaware_skyline.jpg)
These municipalities are all within the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden Combined Statistical Area.
City | Pop.[17] | 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 |
Historical population (estimates) | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Pop. | ±% |
1850 | 405,000 | - |
1860 | 608,000 | 50.12% |
1870 | 747,000 | 22.86% |
1880 | 949,000 | 27.04% |
1890 | 1,180,000 | 24.34% |
1900 | 1,454,000 | 10.44% |
1910 | 1,746,000 | 8.26% |
1920 | 2,072,000 | 18.67% |
1930 | 2,264,000 | 9.27% |
1940 | 2,538,000 | 12.10% |
1950 | 3,297,000 | 29.90% |
1960 | 4,419,000 | 34.09% |
1970 | 5,323,000 | 20.46% |
1980 | 5,239,000 | -1.57% |
1990 | 5,435,000 | 3.74% |
2000 | 5,687,000 | 4.66% |
2010 | 5,965,000 | 4.89% |
2017 | 6,029,312 | 1.07% |
Populations for the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area
Source: city-data.com |
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 called. The Philadelphia SMA comprised Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties in New Jersey. The Wilmington SMA comprised New Castle County in Delaware and Salem County in New Jersey, while Berks County was the Reading SMA and Atlantic County was the Atlantic City SMA.
In 1960, Cecil County was added to what was now the Wilmington Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1980, Cumberland County was defined as the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton SMSA.
In 1990, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton SMSAs were merged with the Trenton SMSA as the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the same time, Cape May County was added to the Atlantic City SMSA. "Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton" became obsolete one census later, with Trenton moving to the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA, and the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Vineland CSA consisting only of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden MSA and the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton MSA.[18] Kent County became the Dover MSA in 2000, and it and Atlantic City were added to the Philadelphia CSA in 2010, for a total of six MSA components; as a result of new 2010 definitions based on a threshold of 15% labor interchange between MSAs, two more MSAs were added to the CSA, for a total of six. With Ocean City, NJ, and Reading, PA, the CSA is now known as Philadelphia-Reading-Camden.[19]
Characteristics
![](../I/m/Friendship_Gate_Chinatown_Philadelphia_from_east.jpg)
The Delaware Valley is home to extensive populations of Irish Americans, German Americans, English Americans, Ukrainian Americans, Italian Americans, Swedish-Americans (which have a museum located at FDR Park in South Philadelphia), Polish Americans, Scottish Americans, Ulster Scot or "Scotch-Irish" Americans, Welsh Americans, Jewish Americans, Greek Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, Indian Americans, Russian Americans, Korean Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Armenian Americans, Arab Americans, Turkish Americans, Pakistani Americans, Israeli Americans, various African immigrant groups, particularly from West African; various West Indian American groups, including Jamaican Americans; and Hispanic Americans. Within the Hispanic population, the vast majority are Puerto Ricans, though other significant groups include Dominican Americans and Mexican Americans, as well as significant populations from Central America.[21] There is even a small Native American community known as Lenapehoking for Lenni-Lenape Indians of West Philadelphia.
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 United States (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. 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 are Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, and Gloucester. Upper Darby, in Delaware County is the largest township in the United States. Sometimes Reading is included in the Delaware Valley Metro Area.
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. Most of Philadelphia and the New Jersey portion of the area, almost all of the Delaware and Maryland portions, the majority of Delaware County, Bucks County SE of U.S. Route 1, a very small area of lowland southern Chester County, and some lowland areas of Montgomery County very close to Philadelphia have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa.) The remainder of the Delaware Valley has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa.) Snow amounts may vary widely year-to-year and normally do vary widely within the Delaware Valley. The region has only two ski areas: Bear Creek Ski and Recreation Area in eastern Berks County and Spring Mountain in central Montgomery County.
Using the -3 °C January isotherm as a boundary, all of the Delaware Valley is humid subtropical except for portions of Berks County and higher areas of northern Chester County. The warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) only exists in higher areas of Berks where all monthly temperatures average below 22 °C. The hardiness zone in the region ranges from 6a in higher areas of Berks to 7b.
Climate data for Philadelphia (Philadelphia Airport), 1981–2010 normals,[lower-alpha 2] extremes 1872–present[lower-alpha 3] | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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) | 62.0 (16.7) |
62.7 (17.1) |
73.6 (23.1) |
83.2 (28.4) |
89.1 (31.7) |
94.2 (34.6) |
96.4 (35.8) |
94.7 (34.8) |
89.8 (32.1) |
81.7 (27.6) |
72.3 (22.4) |
63.5 (17.5) |
97.5 (36.4) |
Average high °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) |
43.8 (6.6) |
52.7 (11.5) |
63.9 (17.7) |
73.8 (23.2) |
82.7 (28.2) |
87.1 (30.6) |
85.3 (29.6) |
78.0 (25.6) |
66.6 (19.2) |
56.0 (13.3) |
44.8 (7.1) |
64.7 (18.2) |
Average low °F (°C) | 25.6 (−3.6) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
34.4 (1.3) |
44.1 (6.7) |
54.0 (12.2) |
63.8 (17.7) |
69.2 (20.7) |
67.9 (19.9) |
60.3 (15.7) |
48.4 (9.1) |
39.2 (4.0) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
47.2 (8.4) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.7 (−12.9) |
12.7 (−10.7) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
42.0 (5.6) |
52.2 (11.2) |
59.8 (15.4) |
57.8 (14.3) |
47.2 (8.4) |
35.8 (2.1) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
15.8 (−9.0) |
6.4 (−14.2) |
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) | 3.03 (77) |
2.65 (67) |
3.79 (96) |
3.56 (90) |
3.71 (94) |
3.43 (87) |
4.35 (110) |
3.50 (89) |
3.78 (96) |
3.18 (81) |
2.99 (76) |
3.56 (90) |
41.53 (1,055) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.5 (17) |
8.8 (22) |
2.9 (7.4) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
3.4 (8.6) |
22.4 (57) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.6 | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.3 | 11.1 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 8.4 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 9.3 | 10.6 | 118.2 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.4 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 12.2 |
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)[25][26][23] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV index) [27] |
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 [27] |
Climate data for Atlantic City, New Jersey (downtown), 1981–2010 normals,[lower-alpha 4] extremes 1874–present[lower-alpha 5] | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) |
77 (25) |
84 (29) |
91 (33) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
104 (40) |
94 (34) |
91 (33) |
80 (27) |
74 (23) |
104 (40) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 59.3 (15.2) |
59.9 (15.5) |
68.4 (20.2) |
77.3 (25.2) |
83.7 (28.7) |
89.7 (32.1) |
93.5 (34.2) |
91.8 (33.2) |
86.3 (30.2) |
78.9 (26.1) |
70.1 (21.2) |
62.4 (16.9) |
95.3 (35.2) |
Average high °F (°C) | 41.8 (5.4) |
43.5 (6.4) |
49.6 (9.8) |
57.6 (14.2) |
66.6 (19.2) |
75.7 (24.3) |
81.3 (27.4) |
80.2 (26.8) |
74.8 (23.8) |
65.0 (18.3) |
55.8 (13.2) |
46.3 (7.9) |
61.6 (16.4) |
Average low °F (°C) | 29.2 (−1.6) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
36.9 (2.7) |
45.5 (7.5) |
54.5 (12.5) |
64.3 (17.9) |
70.0 (21.1) |
69.7 (20.9) |
63.5 (17.5) |
52.5 (11.4) |
42.9 (6.1) |
33.5 (0.8) |
49.5 (9.7) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 11.3 (−11.5) |
16.3 (−8.7) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
33.8 (1.0) |
44.3 (6.8) |
53.7 (12.1) |
61.4 (16.3) |
60.1 (15.6) |
50.5 (10.3) |
39.2 (4.0) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
19.0 (−7.2) |
10.1 (−12.2) |
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) | 3.08 (78) |
2.87 (73) |
4.02 (102) |
3.39 (86) |
3.22 (82) |
2.68 (68) |
3.31 (84) |
3.92 (100) |
3.08 (78) |
3.47 (88) |
3.35 (85) |
3.62 (92) |
40.01 (1,016) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.5 (11) |
6.7 (17) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
3.7 (9.4) |
16.5 (42) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.3 | 9.0 | 10.5 | 10.9 | 10.4 | 8.7 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 8.9 | 10.4 | 109.8 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 8.7 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 69.5 | 69.0 | 66.9 | 66.4 | 70.7 | 72.9 | 73.9 | 75.7 | 76.4 | 74.8 | 72.8 | 70.6 | 71.6 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 150.8 | 157.9 | 204.5 | 218.9 | 243.9 | 266.2 | 276.3 | 271.3 | 227.6 | 200.5 | 147.4 | 133.8 | 2,499.1 |
Percent possible sunshine | 50 | 53 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 60 | 61 | 64 | 61 | 58 | 49 | 46 | 56 |
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990 and snow at Atlantic City Int'l)[29][30][31][32] |
Climate data for Doylestown, Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °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) |
Average low °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 [33] |
Climate data for Reading, Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) |
77 (25) |
88 (31) |
97 (36) |
96 (36) |
97 (36) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
100 (38) |
92 (33) |
82 (28) |
77 (25) |
102 (39) |
Average high °F (°C) | 38 (3) |
42 (6) |
51 (11) |
63 (17) |
73 (23) |
82 (28) |
86 (30) |
84 (29) |
77 (25) |
66 (19) |
54 (12) |
43 (6) |
63 (17) |
Average low °F (°C) | 22 (−6) |
24 (−4) |
32 (0) |
41 (5) |
51 (11) |
61 (16) |
65 (18) |
64 (18) |
56 (13) |
44 (7) |
36 (2) |
27 (−3) |
44 (6) |
Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−8 (−22) |
−2 (−19) |
16 (−9) |
26 (−3) |
39 (4) |
46 (8) |
42 (6) |
30 (−1) |
20 (−7) |
8 (−13) |
−4 (−20) |
−20 (−29) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.92 (74) |
2.93 (74) |
3.56 (90) |
3.69 (94) |
4.03 (102) |
4.50 (114) |
4.67 (119) |
3.80 (97) |
4.42 (112) |
3.78 (96) |
3.44 (87) |
3.58 (91) |
45.32 (1,151) |
Source: The Weather Channel[34] |
Climate data for Dover, Delaware (1981−2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °F (°C) | 43.4 (6.3) |
47.0 (8.3) |
54.9 (12.7) |
65.7 (18.7) |
74.7 (23.7) |
83.2 (28.4) |
87.0 (30.6) |
85.2 (29.6) |
79.3 (26.3) |
68.8 (20.4) |
58.5 (14.7) |
47.4 (8.6) |
66.3 (19.1) |
Average low °F (°C) | 27.1 (−2.7) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
35.6 (2.0) |
44.3 (6.8) |
53.8 (12.1) |
63.4 (17.4) |
68.4 (20.2) |
67.0 (19.4) |
60.1 (15.6) |
48.7 (9.3) |
39.8 (4.3) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
47.4 (8.6) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.41 (87) |
3.07 (78) |
4.31 (109) |
3.88 (99) |
4.25 (108) |
4.00 (102) |
4.09 (104) |
4.36 (111) |
4.13 (105) |
3.42 (87) |
3.48 (88) |
3.65 (93) |
46.05 (1,171) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.6 (12) |
7.7 (20) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
2.9 (7.4) |
15.7 (40.67) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.1 | 9.6 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 10.9 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 10.3 | 113.4 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 | 5.3 |
Source: NOAA[35] |
Climate data for Wilmington, Delaware (New Castle Airport), 1981–2010 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) |
94 (34) |
85 (29) |
75 (24) |
107 (42) |
Average high °F (°C) | 40.2 (4.6) |
43.5 (6.4) |
52.4 (11.3) |
63.5 (17.5) |
73.0 (22.8) |
81.8 (27.7) |
86.1 (30.1) |
84.2 (29.0) |
77.4 (25.2) |
66.2 (19.0) |
55.7 (13.2) |
44.6 (7.0) |
64.1 (17.8) |
Average low °F (°C) | 24.6 (−4.1) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
33.6 (0.9) |
43.0 (6.1) |
52.6 (11.4) |
62.6 (17.0) |
67.6 (19.8) |
66.1 (18.9) |
58.2 (14.6) |
46.1 (7.8) |
37.4 (3.0) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
45.6 (7.6) |
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) | 3.01 (76) |
2.68 (68) |
3.92 (100) |
3.50 (89) |
3.95 (100) |
3.88 (99) |
4.57 (116) |
3.25 (83) |
4.32 (110) |
3.42 (87) |
3.10 (79) |
3.48 (88) |
43.08 (1,094) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.9 (15) |
8.3 (21) |
1.9 (4.8) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
3.4 (8.6) |
20.2 (51) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.5 | 9.4 | 10.7 | 11.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.9 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 9.2 | 10.3 | 117.7 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.3 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 11.8 |
Source: NOAA[31][36] |
Colonial history
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.[37] 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.[38]
Transportation
Many residents commute to jobs in Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington with the help of expressways and trains. Commutes from one suburb to another are also common, as office parks have sprung up in new commercial centers such as King of Prussia, Fort Washington, Cherry Hill, and Plymouth Meeting.
Rail
Commuter rail
Formerly, the region was served by the Delaware Valley Railway.
![](../I/m/Thirty_St_Station.jpg)
- 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/Elwyn 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.
- New Jersey Transit
- Atlantic City Line connecting Philadelphia to Atlantic City, New Jersey with connections to PATCO Speedline in Lindenwold, New Jersey.
- River Line connecting Camden, New Jersey to Trenton, New Jersey, running along the east bank of the Delaware River.
- MARC
- Penn Line connecting Perryville, Maryland to Baltimore and Washington D.C., and in the future will connect to SEPTA at Newark, DE.
- PATCO Speedline connecting Philadelphia to Lindenwold, NJ in Camden County with connections to NJT's Atlantic City Line.
Intercity rail
- Amtrak---direct service as far as Boston, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Florida from 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and suburban stops en route
Bus service
- SEPTA
- NJ Transit
- South Jersey Transportation Authority
- DART First State
- Krapf Transit
- Transportation Management Association of Chester County
- TMA Bucks
- Pottstown Area Rapid Transit
- Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority
- Cecil Transit
- A number of private carriers provide intercity service
- Atlantic City casino bus routes by a number of private carriers
Major highways
Pennsylvania
I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) I-78 I-95 (Delaware Expressway) I-295 (Delaware Expressway) I-176 (Morgantown Expressway) I-76 / I-276 / I-95 / Penna Turnpike I-476 (Blue Route/Mid-County Expressway) I-476 / Penna Turnpike NE Extension I-676 / US 30 (Vine Street Expressway) I-676 / US 30 (Benjamin Franklin Bridge) I-76 (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 563 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 (Walt Whitman Bridge) I-295 I-676 / 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 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
Delaware River Bridges
![](../I/m/2012_Ben_Franklin_Bridge_and_Race_Street_Pier.jpg)
![](../I/m/Philadelphia_International_Airport.jpg)
- New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge[39]
- Scudder Falls Bridge
- Delaware River – Turnpike Toll Bridge
- Burlington–Bristol Bridge
- Tacony–Palmyra Bridge
- Betsy Ross Bridge
- Ben Franklin Bridge
- Walt Whitman Bridge
- Commodore Barry Bridge
- Delaware Memorial Bridge
Airports
Major:
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), located 15 miles southwest of Center City Philadelphia, is the main international airport serving the immediate Delaware Valley Area
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), while not in the Delaware Valley, is a major airport serving certain regions of the Delaware Valley, including Bucks, Montgomery County, the city of Philadelphia as well as 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, NJ and Sussex County, DE. U.S. Route 9 uses this ferry.
Colleges and universities
![](../I/m/Parrish_Hall.jpg)
![](../I/m/Entrance_to_Logan_Hall.jpg)
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
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
- 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
- Ursinus College
- Valley Forge Christian College
- Valley Forge Military Academy and College
- Villanova University
- West Chester University
- Westminster Theological Seminary
- Widener University
Culture
Sports teams
![](../I/m/Fieldatthepark.jpg)
Listing of the professional sports teams in the Delaware Valley
- National Basketball Association (NBA)
- Major League Baseball (MLB)
- Minor League Baseball (MiLB)
- National Football League (NFL)
- National Hockey League (NHL)
- Major League Soccer (MLS)
- Arena Football (AFL)
- NBA G League
- National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Media
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: 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: Central and Southeastern New Jersey, including Trenton, Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore
- 302: Delaware
- 410/443/667: Eastern half of Maryland, including Cecil County
- 717: South Central Pennsylvania, including Western Berks County
Politics
Philadelphia itself 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.[41] 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.[42] 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.[43] Recent well-known political figures from the Greater Philadelphia area include former Vice President Joe Biden and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.
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.
Lexicon note
Some believe that the term "Delaware Valley" is not entirely a synonym for "Greater Philadelphia". "Greater Philadelphia" implies that the region is centered on the city in an economic and cultural context, while "Delaware Valley" is a more generic geographic term that does not imply that any part is of more consequence than any other. Several organizations, such as KYW Radio and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, consciously use the term "Greater Philadelphia" to assert that Philadelphia is the center of the region, referring to the less urbanized areas as "Philadelphia's countryside".[44] Others note that the customary media usage of the term omits the majority of the length of the Delaware River's valley that is not in metropolitan Philadelphia.
WPVI-TV uses the slogan, "Delaware Valley's leading news program" for their Action News broadcast, since that program has led the ratings for news programs in the Philadelphia market for over 30 years.
Notes
- May also be defined as part of the NYC Metropolitan Area
- 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 1981 to 2010.
- 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.[22] Snowfall and snow depth records date to 1 January 1884 and 1 October 1948, respectively.[23] In 2006, snowfall measurements were moved to National Park, New Jersey directly across the Delaware River from the airport.[24]
- 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 1981 to 2010.
- 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.[28] 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
- "Welsh Mountain". Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- "MyTopo – Welsh Mountain area". Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- "Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Philadelphia and Boston". Voice of America. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- Tucker, Laura (November 25, 2014). "Philadelphia". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- (Note: Mercer County, NJ is NOT part of the Philadelphia CSA according to this original source.) "Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas", OMB Bulletin no. 18-04, The White House, Office of Management and Budget, September 4, 2018
- "Greater Philadelphia Economic Development Framework" (PDF). September 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- "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.
- Analysis, US Department of Commerce, BEA, Bureau of Economic. "Bureau of Economic Analysis". www.bea.gov. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
- "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016 - United States -- Combined Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- "Local Television Market Universe Estimates" (PDF). Nielsen. The Nielsen Company. September 24, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
- Bond, Michaelle (November 7, 2017). "In historic win, Delco Dems take council seats". Philly.com. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- 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.
- "PHILADELPHIA DESIGNATED MARKET DATA". TruckAds. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2010-2016". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- "Land Area, Population, and Density for States and Counties: 1990". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
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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.