Public transport in Philadelphia

Overview

Philadelphia's urban rail network is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which serves the city along with Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The rail network itself had no formal name until 2024, when it was branded "SEPTA Metro" to make the system easier to navigate; each line was given a single letter, with numbers denoting different service patterns.

For a visitor, riding end to end is straightforward. On buses, trolleys, and the subway/elevated lines you pay a flat fare per trip, and you can tap a contactless credit or debit card, phone wallet, or a reloadable SEPTA Key card at the fare validator. On Regional Rail you tap on at your origin station and tap off at your destination, because the fare depends on how many zones you cross. Transfers between bus and Metro services are free within a two-hour window when you use the same Key card or contactless card for every segment, so keep one card for your whole journey.

The network

SEPTA Metro covers 78 miles (126 km) of rail and combines two rapid transit lines, a light rail system with five branches, a streetcar line, a light rail line with two services, and a light metro line.

Market–Frankford Line (L Line, locally "The El"): runs west–east, half underground and half elevated, from 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby through Center City to Frankford in Northeast Philadelphia. It serves Fishtown, Northern Liberties, Old City, Penn's Landing, the Historic District, Market East, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, City Hall, Rittenhouse Square, and University City.
Broad Street Line (B Line): runs underground north–south between Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia and FDR Park in South Philadelphia. It serves the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, Avenue of the Arts, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and Temple University. A spur (B3) stops near the Historic District.
Broad–Ridge Spur: a branch of the Broad Street Line serving the Ridge Avenue corridor.
Norristown High Speed Line (M Line): a light metro running from 69th Street to Norristown in Montgomery County; it is separate from Regional Rail.
Subway–Surface Trolley Lines (T Route): routes 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36 run at street level in West and North Philadelphia and travel underground through the Center City tunnel.
Route 15 Girard Avenue Line (G Route): a streetcar line using restored 1947 cream-and-green cars, running from Port Richmond through Fishtown to West Philadelphia.
Routes 101 and 102, Media–Sharon Hill Line (D Route): light rail from 69th Street Transportation Center to terminals in Delaware County.
Regional Rail: 14 commuter rail lines with more than 150 stations, reaching north to Doylestown and south to Newark, Delaware. All lines stop at 30th Street Station and at Suburban and Jefferson stations in Center City. Notable lines include the Airport Line and the Trenton Line, which connects to the Trenton Transit Center for NJ Transit service to and from New York.
Bus: more than 1,000 buses on 115 routes over 1,200 miles of road, including the L1 OWL bus running from midnight to early morning between Northeast and West Philadelphia.
Ferries: the RiverLink and Freedom Ferry services run between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, from April to September, with direct service to Camden's waterfront concert venue and access to other waterfront attractions including an aquarium.

Tickets & fares

Fares below are the published rates at the time of writing; treat them as approximate, as they change.

Bus and Metro pay-per-ride: $2.90 per trip with a contactless credit/debit card or mobile wallet, a SEPTA Key Card, or cash/Quick Trip. The SEPTA Key Card itself costs $4.95 and holds "Travel Wallet" funds that you reload via the app, website, or station kiosks.
Quick Trips: $2.90, sold at most Metro stations (restrictions apply), valid only on the day of purchase, not valid on buses, and single-rider with no transfers.
Free transfers: with a SEPTA Key or contactless card you get up to two free transfers within a two-hour window, provided you use the same card for every segment; this is not available with cash or Quick Trip. Free interchanges between Metro services at designated stations require no faregate passage and are available to all riders regardless of payment method. Transfers apply only between bus and Metro, not to trips involving Regional Rail.
Bus and Metro passes: One Day Convenience Pass $7.50; Three Day Convenience Pass $19.00; Weekly TransPass+ $31.00; Monthly TransPass+ $116.00. TransPass+ is valid anywhere on weekends and major holidays and on Regional Rail to and from Center City and Zone 1/Airport.
Regional Rail pay-per-ride: $5.00–$11.00 per trip with contactless or Key (tap on and tap off — failing to tap off charges the maximum fare); $5.00–$13.00 if bought on board with cash or Quick Trip, where onboard fares are higher than advance purchase at ticket offices or kiosks. Conductors cannot accept $50 or $100 bills. Regional Rail fares carry no transfers and cover a single ride.
Regional Rail zones: Zone 1/Center City, Zone 2 (Philadelphia and nearest suburbs), Zone 3 (outlying Philadelphia and nearby suburbs), Zone 4 (distant suburbs, Philadelphia International Airport, and Delaware), and NJ for New Jersey. Fares vary by zone, day of week, and payment method.
Regional Rail passes (these also include bus and Metro travel): One Day Neighborhood FleX Pass $12.50 for travel up to Zone 2 (3 for $33.75); One Day Anywhere FleX Pass $16.25 for travel anywhere in Pennsylvania and Delaware (3 for $43.75); Weekly TrailPass $31.00–$69.75; Monthly TrailPass $116.00–$255.00. Weekly and monthly passes are valid anywhere on weekends and major holidays.
Discounts: children under 12 ride free with a fare-paying adult. Riders with disabilities may be eligible for half fare with a Reduced Fare card. Seniors 65+ ride free with a valid Senior Fare Card for travel within Pennsylvania; travel to or from New Jersey or Delaware costs 50% of the weekday fare, payable on board by cash or major credit card.
Multi-Rider: up to five passengers traveling together can use one card on all SEPTA services.
SEPTA Access (paratransit, formerly CCT): $5.75 per one-way trip for program members, or $5.25 per person for groups of three or more; the same rates apply to one escort traveling with a member. General public trips are $75.00 one-way, or $68.35 per person for groups of three or more.
PHLASH visitor shuttle: purple buses looping from Penn's Landing to the Philadelphia Museum of Art with more than 12 stops, including Independence National Historical Park, The Franklin Institute, and LOVE Park, plus seasonal stops at the Philadelphia Zoo and Please Touch Museum. Fares are $5 for an all-day pass and $15 for a family pass (2 adults + 2 children); free for children under 4, seniors, and SEPTA Pass and Key cardholders. It runs daily April–September with weekend service through December, roughly every 15 minutes.

You can buy and reload a SEPTA Key at transit stores, sales and ticket offices, fare kiosks, and around 500 retail locations; activation is available at (855) 567-3782 or www.septakey.org. Contactless payment works for single rides on the subway, bus, trolley, and Regional Rail using an RFID credit or debit card or a phone wallet such as Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo, CashApp, or PayPal.

From the airport

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley and lies about 25 minutes from the city by train. The SEPTA Regional Rail Airport Line connects the airport directly to Center City, and the airport sits in Regional Rail Zone 4, so the fare depends on the zone and payment method. All Regional Rail lines stop at 30th Street Station and at Suburban and Jefferson stations in Center City, and 30th Street Station is also a stop on the Market–Frankford subway line, with a taxi rank and several car rental agencies. If you are arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport or Baltimore–Washington International Airport instead, both are connected by Amtrak to 30th Street Station — roughly 1 hour from Newark and 80 minutes from Baltimore.

Etiquette & customs

Have your fare ready before you reach the turnstile or board: tap your Key or contactless card at the validator, and on Regional Rail remember to tap both on and off.
On escalators, stand to one side so people in a hurry can pass — a widely observed convention in Philadelphia and other U.S. cities.
Priority seating near the doors is intended for older riders, pregnant passengers, and people with disabilities; offer your seat if someone needs it more than you do.
Eating and drinking are generally discouraged on transit vehicles, and many systems formally prohibit it; keep food and open drinks out of the cars.
During rush hour, move into the car rather than blocking the doors, let passengers off before you board, and keep backpacks and bags out of the aisle.
Keep phone calls and music quiet, especially in the underground Center City sections where sound carries.
SEPTA is accessible and bicycle-friendly, so expect to share space with wheelchairs, strollers, and bikes at off-peak times.

Official links

Survival terms

Philadelphia's transit system operates in English, so the key terms you will see on signs and hear from staff are the English ones listed here.

Subway/metro — "the subway" or "the El" (the elevated Market–Frankford Line)
Ticket — ticket; on buses and Metro you tap a card or pay a fare instead
Line — line (for example, the L Line or B Line)
Entrance — entrance
Exit — exit
Transfer — transfer (free within two hours on bus and Metro with the same card)
Single fare — single fare ($2.90 on bus and Metro)
Day pass — One Day Convenience Pass ($7.50) for bus and Metro

Load a SEPTA Key or set up contactless payment before you leave your hotel, and always tap the same card for every leg of a journey so your free two-hour transfers register correctly.