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Best Times to Visit Philadelphia
The best time to visit Philadelphia is from March to May, when the city thaws from the cold winter and moderate room rates can be found at the hotels. Plus, a spring visit will yield a burst of photogenic cherry blossoms around the city. Fall and winter are the coldest and cheapest seasons to visit the City of Brotherly Love. Peak season is the summer when multitudes of tourists swarm sites like Independence Hall and the Philadelphia Zoo.
Weather in Philadelphia
Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center
| March-May |
Spring is a nice season in Philadelphia. Although temperatures are still a bit brisk – ranging from the mid-30s and lower 50s in March and the mid-50s and lower 70s in May – the hotel rates are reasonable. You might run into field trips of school children, but these crowds will be nothing in comparison to the peak summer's throngs. What's more, this is the prime time to see the city's cherry blossom trees in bloom, especially in Fairmount Park. Key Events:
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| June-August |
The high season takes place during June, July and August. Average temperatures range between the lower 70s and mid-80s, so the weather is perfect for enjoying the city's many outdoor festivals and events. But large crowds drive hotel rates up, making this season the most expensive time to visit. Key Events:
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| September-November |
September starts out warm with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the 60s, but temperatures drop – as do the numbers of tourists – come November, when highs dip into the mid-50s. You'll also find declining room rates. But if you've made the trip in search of changing leaves, head to Independence Hall, Fairmount Park, Wissahickon Valley Park and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Key Events:
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| December-February |
Winter is by far the cheapest time to tour Philly, but it is also frigid with average low temperatures in the mid-20s. But even with the chilly weather, visitors and residents alike manage to make the best of winter with a variety of indoor and outdoor events, including a bevy of holiday light shows and the season-long Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest. Key Events:
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Popular Times to Visit Philadelphia
Tourism volume is estimated based on in-market destination search query interest from Google and on travel.usnews.com in 2015-2016. Hotel prices are sourced from a sample of U.S. News Best Hotels rates through 2015-2016.
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