Pennsylvania

Understand

Pennsylvania is a geographically diverse state with a Great Lake on one shore and a major seaport on the other. The climate of Pennsylvania is pleasant, with cold, often snowy winters, mild to hot, humid summers, gorgeous green springtimes, and spectacular displays of colorful autumn foliage.

Pennsylvania hosts a number of vital cities, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. The city of Philadelphia, the state's largest city, houses the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, two major national historical landmarks. The interior of the state has a number of subcultures worth exploring, including the famous Amish countryside, a religious community.

Pennsylvania is also home to a diverse group of people, with ethnic enclaves of black and Hispanic populations in its major cities. The culture also differs from region to region, with the eastern half of the state around the city of Philadelphia being largely of Mid-Atlantic character, and the western half, including around the city of Pittsburgh, having a more Midwestern character. The Appalachian regions have a culture akin to that of West Virginia in the South.

Pennsylvania is also diverse in that the south central and southeastern parts of the state are urban and densely populated, while much of the rest of the state is rural and/or mountainous. Pennsylvania is a swing state in presidential elections.

The state is bordered by New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are the state's two largest cities followed by Allentown, Reading, and Erie. Other cities include Bethlehem, Scranton, Lancaster and Harrisburg (the state capital).

Pennsylvania was the second state established in the nation after Delaware.

Tourist information

• Visit Pennsylvania website

Regions

Cities

• Harrisburg — the state capital
• Allentown — largest city of the Lehigh Valley, third largest city in state
• Erie — home to Pennsylvania's waterfront on Lake Erie, great for boating and beaches
• Hershey — birthplace of Hershey's chocolate
• Lancaster — a relatively large city right at the heart of Amish country; the birthplace of the battery-powered watch, and a good shopping destination for Amish goods
• Philadelphia — "The City of Brotherly Love," a major city with lots of history, cheesesteaks, sports, music, and everything in between
• Pittsburgh — "The Steel City," a scenic city with some of the most avid sports fans in the nation
• Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — coal region towns perhaps best known for TV's The Office
• Williamsport — host to the annual Little League World Series

Other destinations

• Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
• Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
• Gettysburg National Military Park — the site of the most famous battlefield and bloodiest battle on U.S. soil, and the turning point of the Civil War
• Johnstown Flood National Memorial
• Lehigh Valley — large metropolitan area, roughly equidistant from Philadelphia and New York City
• Penn State University — the third-largest "city" in the state, but only when the Nittany Lions football team is playing
• Poconos and Endless Mountains
• Steamtown National Historic Site

Get in

By car

Pennsylvania is a densely populous state in a densely populous part of the country, with many roads in and out. Interstate highways lead most traffic into the state. Major national interstate highways leading to Pennsylvania include I-95 S from New England, I-95 N from the American South, and I-70 E, I-80 E & I-90 E from the American West and Midwest. Specifically, clockwise from north of Harrisburg:

• from Montreal & Ottawa to Scranton and Harrisburg: I-81 S.
• from Boston to Scranton: I-90 W to I-84 W.
• from Boston to the Lehigh Valley and Harrisburg: I-84 W to I-91 S to I-95 S to I-287 W to I-78 W.
• from Boston to Philadelphia: I-84 W to I-91 S to I-95 S.
• from New York City to Scranton: I-80 W.
• from New York City to the Lehigh Valley and Harrisburg: I-78 W.
• from New York City to Philadelphia: I-95 S.
• from Baltimore to Philadelphia: I-95 N.
• from Baltimore to Harrisburg: I-83 N.
• from Baltimore to Pittsburgh: I-70 W.
• from Washington, DC to Philadelphia: I-95 N.
• from Washington, DC to Harrisburg: I-95 N to I-83 N.
• from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh: I-270 W to I-70 W.
• from West Virginia to Pittsburgh: I-79 N.
• from Columbus and Indianapolis to Pittsburgh and Harrisburg: I-70 E.
• from Cleveland to Pittsburgh: It's close, but complicated.
• from Cleveland and Chicago to Erie: I-90 E.
• from Toronto and Buffalo to Erie: I- 90 W.

Also, U.S. Routes 219, 15, and 220 (soon to be I-99) all enter the state at alternative points from both the north and south.

State-operated Welcome Centers and Comfort Facilities are found just inside the borders at all major crossings into Pennsylvania.

By train

Amtrak offers a total of nine different passenger train lines in or across the state of Pennsylvania. Most services run through 30th Street Station in Philadelphia including the Acela Express and Northeast Regional trains between Boston, New York and Washington, as well as long-distance trains such as the Vermonter to and from Vermont and Silver Service trains to and from Florida. Keystone trains run from New York and Philadelphia west to cities including Lancaster and Harrisburg, while the daily Pennsylvanian crosses the rest of the state all the way to Pittsburgh. Service to Chicago runs via the Cardinal three times per week from Philadelphia, and the Capitol Limited daily from Pittsburgh.

By bus

Most areas in Pennsylvania are serviced by Greyhound Bus service. Bus service from New York to areas in Eastern Pennsylvania, like Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, and the Poconos, is very easy, quick, and inexpensive. A convenient way to find bus service to Eastern Pennsylvania in New York is at Port Authority Bus Terminal in lower Manhattan. To Philadelphia, some options include Chinatown buses, Megabus, and Greyhound. To the Lehigh Valley, some options include Trans-Bridge and Bieber Bus. To the Poconos, some options include USA Coach and Mertz.

By plane

The two major airports in Pennsylvania are Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Pittsburgh International (PIT). Both are served by all major carriers and have low-fare service by Southwest. Philadelphia is a major hub for American Airlines, and has service from Frontier. Philadelphia is one of the Northeast's major international termini, with flights to an array of European destinations.

Regional airports in Pennsylvania include Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) in Allentown and airports in Harrisburg (MDT) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP). All of these airports are served by American Airlines, Delta and United.

Get around

By bus

Information on Pennsylvania transit can be found here.

By car

In addition to the Interstate highways that enter Pennsylvania and travel throughout:

• The Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) is a toll freeway that is the main east-west route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with state capital Harrisburg along the way. Take note of the four tunnels through Appalachian ridges.
• The Turnpike's "Northeast Extension" (I-476, also toll) reaches north from Philadelphia to Allentown and Scranton. Another tunnel is found along it.
• U.S. Route 322 travels diagonally from the Philadelphia area to just below Erie. Many portions have been converted to freeway, but numerous small towns still lie directly on the way.
• U.S. Route 22 is an alternative, more mountainous path west through Altoona and Johnstown to Pittsburgh.
• U.S. Route 6 is a long, rural, scenic drive across Pennsylvania's "Northern Tier". Go west from the northern Poconos through the valley of Scranton and its suburbs, follow the Susquehanna River through the "Endless Mountains", spend three hours through state and national forest land, and end near Lake Erie.
• U.S Route 30, also named the Lincoln Highway, is a section of the first coast-to-coast paved road in the United States. The highway is especially nice in the central part of Pennsylvania where it passes agricultural areas and is the main street of many small historic towns. Many of these towns have attempted to capitalize on their location on the Lincoln Highway by preserving original structures and opening them as visitors' centers.
• Interstate 80 runs east and west throughout the northern area of the state.

There also exists a wide network of state highways and municipal roads that reach into the mostly forested and farmed rural areas. The more mountainous of these areas should be traversed with caution by visitors as they can be drastically winding, narrow, or steep (or all three!) in parts.

Speed limit signs are almost exclusively posted in miles per hour, "mph". Seatbelt use is mandatory, and a second ticket and fine will be issued to those who are pulled over for speeding, etc. if not worn. Pennsylvania has not yet enacted a ban on hand-held cell phone usage while driving, except for commercial truck drivers. The cities of Philadelphia, Allentown, Bethlehem, Erie, Harrisburg, and Wilkes-Barre have enacted bans. Texting while driving is illegal statewide.

As conditions go, Pennsylvania has two seasons according to an old joke: winter and construction. In the rural majority of the state, large snowfalls render the most minor of roads impassable, but the major thoroughfares like Interstates are comparatively well plowed and salted. Still, car travel anywhere should be done with extreme care in the winter, especially by those unfamiliar with the visited area.

Likewise, the jest rings true in the remainder of the year. Look out for occasional paving, line painting, or road widening projects on freeways that restrict travel to a single lane. Bridge repair or any major redesign may force detours that are typically marked clearly. Speed limits in work zones are always reduced and State Police will impose double fines for breaking them. Proceed carefully around PennDOT (state transportation department) crews, who are easily visible in fluorescent yellow attire.

Wild animals, most notably deer, can be a problem when driving on rural Interstates and highways. Pennsylvania has an overpopulation of deer, so try to avoid them while they are crossing the road. They are unpredictable animals and panic when scared, so stopping is usually the best option until it has cleared the road.

By thumb

Although uncommon, hitchhiking is fairly well-received, especially in more rural areas. It is always illegal to hitchhike on highways closed to pedestrians, so it's better to find a rest stop or a gas station right off the highway.

Stay safe

Outside of Greater Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Lehigh Valley, crime is not a major problem in Pennsylvania. Gang activity is high in the larger cities, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Reading. You know you are in a rough area when you see graffiti, abandoned houses and vehicles, and shoes tossed over telephone wires, known as shoefiti, to mark that drugs are for sale. Street drag racing and prostitution are also problems in the state's urban areas.

As with most locations in the United States, a major cause of injury and death in Pennsylvania comes from automobile accidents. Drivers can be down-right hostile on some of the more notorious urban freeways, such as the Schuykill Expressway in Philadelphia (usually it's a parking lot anyway), route 22 in Allentown, the 376 in Pittsburgh and on the Interstate 95 corridor in the southeast section of the state. The roads in Pennsylvania are notoriously bad, so be careful.

Road rage can be a problem during rush hour, so if you aren't familiar with the highway system, stay out of the left hand lane. The key to safe driving is to stay defensive, you are in unfamiliar areas and while you may feel wronged, it may be the norm.

Motorcyclists are not required to wear helmets in Pennsylvania, but it is still advised.

Rural mountain roads can sometimes be steep, and impassable in times of heavy snowfall. In many parts of the state, especially around Pittsburgh, steep cliffs reside next to major roads, and rock slides can occur, though rare. When traveling in the central to western part of the state, it is best to stay on main roads and highways. If you're canoeing, skiing, or doing any other outdoor activity, take necessary precautions.

Be sure to stay out of abandoned mines and quarries. As this industry falls out of the state's economy, mines and quarries are left abandoned. If you explore one, you risk the dangers of unstable supports, unstable ground, rats, snakes and other animals, forgotten explosives, blasting caps, explosive methane gas, and pockets of "blackdamp" or air without enough oxygen to support life.

Exploring the woods alone can be dangerous, due to the large deer and other wild animal population. Use insect repellent to avoid disease, wear long clothing, and do not wander onto someone's property.

Flooding and snow are the most common natural disasters. Flash flooding can be a problem. Tornadoes are rare but experienced, and earthquakes are almost unheard of. Hurricanes coming up the Atlantic can strike, so be prepared. Temperatures in the summer can reach 100 degrees in places, so bring water and sunscreen. Thunderstorms are common in the summer.

If you are not from Pennsylvania you can buy any 1.4g (Class C /Consumer Grade) fireworks from an outlet for transport out of state, however, Pennsylvania residents can only purchase "Safe and Sane" fireworks (those that do not leave the ground or explode) without a permit. All brick and mortar stores will have additional information, but tents and other temporary sales locations may or may not have correct information. Local laws vary greatly and many campsites prohibit their use outright, so you will need to check before you use them in-state. Fireworks stores and tents tend to be in border areas but can be found throughout the state.

You do not need a permit to carry a firearm openly throughout the state, except in the city of Philadelphia. Gun laws are fairly loose compared to other states. Carrying concealed, however, requires a state license to carry, issued by county sheriffs (or city police) with various policies and levels of strictness. Licenses for non-residents are available, the county with the most favorable non-resident license policy is Centre County. Carrying a handgun in a vehicle is considered concealed carry, and therefore requires a license. If in possession of a handgun, remember that New York State and New Jersey share very lengthy borders with Pennsylvania, and both have some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.

Drugs, including marijuana are illegal in Pennsylvania. However, medical marijuana is legal. In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the punishment for under 30 grams of marijuana is only a $25 fine, or $100 if caught smoking in public. Elsewhere, you can expect a heightened punishment.

During periods of hunting season, persons entering the woods are advised by the Pennsylvania Game Commission to wear "blaze orange".

Respect

Pittsburgh and some parts of Philadelphia are very liberal in terms of politics and culture. Outside of these areas, political and cultural attitudes vary significantly between individuals. Many rural areas are more conservative and vote Republican.

Go next

• Delaware - Pennsylvania's southeastern neighbor was the first state to ratify the Constitution (hence its nickname of the "First State") and offers an urban experience in its northern parts while providing a rural experience to the south.
• Maryland - To the south of Pennsylvania, Maryland offers "America in Miniature" with everything from history to nature to modern cities.
• New Jersey - The Garden State borders Pennsylvania to the east, offering everything from the glitz of Atlantic City to the migratory birds of Cape May.
• New York - The Empire State borders Pennsylvania to the north and east, making the Catskills and New York City easy daytrip options.
• Ohio - The Buckeye State is Pennsylvania's western neighbor, offering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
• West Virginia - Pennsylvania's southwestern neighbor is the only state in the USA to lie completely within a mountain range (in this case, the Appalachians).
• Washington, D.C., just beyond Maryland, is not too far from south-central and southeastern parts of the state and contains more history and attractions.