Geography of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The geographic center of Philadelphia is located at approximately 40° 0' 34" north latitude and 75° 8' 0" west longitude. The 40th parallel north traverses Northeast Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia, including Fairmount Park. The city spans 142.71 square miles, 134.18 square miles of which are land and 8.53 square miles, or 6%, of which are water. The Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, lakes in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, and the Cobbs, Wissahickon, and Pennypack creeks are natural bodies of water. The largest artificial body of water is Fairmount Park's East Park Reservoir.

The lowest point is sea level and the highest point is approximately 446 feet above sea level in Chestnut Hill on Summit Street near the intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike at the coordinates 40.07815 N, 75.20747 W. Philadelphia is situated on the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line, which divides the Atlantic Plain and Piedmont. The rapids of the Schuylkill River at East Falls were flooded by the completion of the dam at Fairmount Water Works.

The city serves as the county seat. Six adjacent counties surround the city: Montgomery to the northwest, Bucks to the north and northeast, Burlington County, New Jersey to the east, Camden County, New Jersey to the southeast, Gloucester County, New Jersey to the south, and Delaware County to the southwest.

According to the Trewartha climate classification, Philadelphia has a temperate maritime climate (Do) that is limited to the north by a continental climate. However, Philadelphia lies on the northern edge of the humid subtropical climate zone (Dc). Summers are typically warm and humid, while autumn and spring are typically mild, and winters are moderately cold. The plant hardiness zones 7a and 7b correspond to an average annual minimum temperature between 0 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Some winters experience only light snowfall, while others are characterized by intense snowstorms.

Population

According to the calculations of the U.S. Census Bureau for the year 2020, there were 1,603,797 residents of Philadelphia, a 1.2% increase from the 2019 estimate. 22.8% of the population lived in poverty with a median household income of $52,889 49.5% of the population drove alone to work, while 23.2% took public transportation, 8.2% carpooled, 7.8% walked, and 7.0% worked at home.

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