Once you have your rental car in Philadelphia you have to make you way through the city. Driving through the city is not too intimidating, but it is a good idea to keep the following information in mind.

Philadelphia is the second largest city on the East Coast and the fifth largest in the country, with a metropolitan population of 5.8 million. Philadelphia is located 100 miles south of New York, 133 miles north of Washington, D.C., and 55 miles from Atlantic City. This can translate into a lot of traffic and congestion on the roads, but thankfully the Philadelphia-South Jersey metropolitan area is lucky to have an excellent system of highways that service the entire area.

There are two principal highways that run into the City of Philadelphia. One is the I-95 which runs along the entire eastern border of Pennsylvania along the Delaware River and eventually crosses into New Jersey just north of Trenton, NJ. The other principal highway which runs into the City of Philadelphia is I-76 or the Schuylkill Expressway. The Expressway runs from King of Prussia south along the Schuylkill River to South Philadelphia where it connects with the Walt Whitman Bridge into New Jersey.

The City of Philadelphia is set out as a grid, which makes it one of the easiest cities to drive in the eastern US. Broad Street runs north and south through the entire city and Market Street runs east and west across the center of the city from West Philadelphia to the Delaware River. Broad Street intersects with Market Street in Center City at Philadelphia City Hall. All numbered streets are one way. To the East of Broad Street, odd numbered streets run south to north, and even run north to south. To the west of Broadway, odd-numbered streets run north to south, even-numbered streets south to north. Street running east and west are named after trees and also alternate directions as one way streets.

Philadelphia is conveniently located within driving distance of many major cities. Driving times to several of the major cities are listed below.

Parking in Philadelphia
Philadelphia has over 7,000 metered and non-metered timed spaces in the central business and shopping areas. Meter rates are between $1.00 and $.50 per hour depending upon whether the meter is in a central location or not. Maximum parking time for meters varies from 1 - 4 hours. Most meters take quarters only; but several still take dimes and nickels. To avoid unnecessary tickets, make sure to note posted meter and regulation signs. Red signs tell you when you can't park, and green signs tell you when and how long you can park. For more information you can contact the Philadelphia Parking Authority at (215) 683-9600.

For information on driving laws and regulations please click here. For up to the minute traffic information click here.