484 Area Code 🌍☎️

Allentown is the third-most populous city in Pennsylvania with 125,845 residents as of the 2020 census and serves as the county seat of Lehigh County in the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which ranks as the 68th-most populous metro area in the nation with 861,899 residents. Founded in 1762 by wealthy shipping merchant William Allen on land purchased in 1735, the city is located 48 miles north of Philadelphia and 78 miles west of New York City on the Lehigh River, a 109-mile tributary of the Delaware River. The city's original layout included 42 blocks and 756 lots organized between present-day 4th and 10th streets, with many streets named after Allen's children including Margaret, William, James, Ann, and John, while Allen Street (now 7th Street) served as the main thoroughfare. Originally called Northampton Towne, Allentown emerged as the largest of three adjacent Lehigh Valley cities alongside Bethlehem and Easton after Allen's attempt to relocate the county seat from Easton to his newly founded city failed in 1763 due to the Penn family's political influence. The area was inhabited by the Lenape people before colonial settlement and was officially deeded as part of the 1737 Walking Purchase, in which 23 tribal chiefs transferred land to the sons of William Penn in exchange for trade goods including shoes, buckles, hats, and rum. Philadelphia, the sixth-most populous U.S. city with 1.60 million residents at the 2020 census, is located in Pennsylvania and anchors the Delaware Valley metropolitan area of 6.33 million people, the nation's ninth-largest. Founded in 1682 by English Quaker William Penn, the city served as the birthplace of American independence, hosting the Continental Congresses and the Declaration of Independence signing on July 4, 1776, before functioning as the nation's first capital from 1775 to 1800. Known for its influential role in American culture, music, and higher education - boasting 17 universities and colleges and 67 National Historic Landmarks including Independence Hall - Philadelphia hosts more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other U.S. city and maintains a passionate sports culture with five professional teams. The metropolitan area's economy generated $557.6 billion in gross product as of 2023, supported by 13 Fortune 500 headquarters, a "Cellicon Valley" biotechnology sector specializing in cancer immunotherapies, and the nation's oldest stock exchange, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, now owned by Nasdaq. Philadelphia's strategic transportation infrastructure includes 30th Street Station, the third-busiest Amtrak hub with over 4.1 million passengers in 2023, plus Philadelphia International Airport, a major seaport, and Interstate 95 access along the U.S. East Coast. Reading, Pennsylvania is the county seat of Berks County in southeastern Pennsylvania with a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown. The city is historically significant as the namesake of the Reading Railroad, a now-defunct major anthracite coal transporter that became one of four railroad properties on the classic Monopoly board game and played a vital role in 19th and 20th century East Coast commerce. Reading earned the nickname "The Pretzel City" due to numerous local pretzel bakeries including Bachman, Dieffenbach, Tom Sturgis, and Unique Pretzel, and pioneered outlet shopping as a tourist industry. Founded in 1748 by Richard and Thomas Penn with Conrad Weiser and named after Reading, Berkshire in England, the city served as a Revolutionary War military supply depot and iron production center that exceeded England's output by the time of American independence. Today, the Reading area has transformed into a cycling destination with over 125 miles of trails across five major preserves and is designated an International Mountain Bicycling Association ride center, though the city has historically faced economic challenges with a 35.4% poverty rate as of 2018.