Philadelphia is located in
Philadelphia County and is the county seat. It is situated south of
Allentown along Interstate 76, across the Delaware River from New Jersey. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 1,436,287, a decrease of 149,290 since 1990. Philadelphia is part of the
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-New Jersey metro area.
William Penn, a Quaker, founded Philadelphia in 1682. The community grew to be the largest in colonial America and played a central role in the American Revolution.
Philadelphia is home to the University of Pennsylvania. The city's Fairmount Park is one of the largest city parks in the world, covering about 4,000 acres. The city is a shipping center, with connections to the Atlantic via the Delaware River, and a financial center as well. The nation's first bank, the Bank of North America, was chartered here in 1781, and the Philadelphia Mint was created by Congress in 1792.