Philadelphia
UN/LOCODE USPHL · United States · Americas · PA
Philadelphia (UN/LOCODE USPHL) is a designated seaport with an adjacent airport in United States (PA) in the northern western Atlantic region. The port operates on America/New_York, uses the US Dollar (USD), runs shore power at 120V/60Hz (Type A/B). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), 11 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- 39.9527237, -75.1635262
- Time zone
- America/New_YorkUTC -05:00observes DST
- Local currency
- USD— US Dollar
- Languages
- en
- Nearest airport
- PHLPhiladelphia International Airport~11 km
- Electricity
- 120 V60 Hzplugs A, B(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- CfaHumid subtropical
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 1--45---
seaport · airport · postal exchange
- Port authority
- Port of Philadelphia
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
Pilotage / VTS
VTS Delaware Bay / Philadelphia Traffic
- VHF: Ch 11 / 12 / 16
- Phone: +1 215 271 4800
- Web: www.philaport.com
P&I correspondents
- · Rawle & Henderson Philadelphia (multi-club)
- · Hill Rivkins Philadelphia
- · Freehill Hogan & Mahar Philadelphia
Port agents
- · Norton Lilly Philadelphia
- · Inchcape USA Philadelphia
- · Moran Shipping Philadelphia
ISPS security level (normal): 1
Delaware River approach; compulsory pilotage at Cape Henlopen; Packer Marine Terminal containers; Sunoco tanker terminal at Marcus Hook.
Helplines for seafarers in United States
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- NAMMA — North American Maritime Ministry AssociationAmericas · Office hours · en
- Apostleship of the Sea — USA (Stella Maris USA)Americas · Office hours · en, es
- Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association (MEBA)Americas · Mon-Fri 9-17 ET · en
- Seafarers International Union (SIU) — USAAmericas · Mon-Fri 9-17 ET · en
- Stella Maris USA (Apostleship of the Sea of the United States)Americas · Mon-Fri 9-17 CT, port chaplains 24/7 · en, es
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US)Americas · 24/7 · en, es
Other ports in United States
Port-state-control region: uscg MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Philadelphia: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Philadelphia?
- Shore leave at Philadelphia is governed by United States immigration rules, the flag administration's policy, and the port authority's local rules. Seafarers normally need their seaman's book + a shore-leave permit issued by the agent. Confirm with your agent before going ashore — local policy changes frequently.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Philadelphia?
- Seafarers calling at Philadelphia on a vessel are generally exempt from regular tourist visas under Convention 108 / 185 (Seafarers' Identity Documents) if their flag administration has ratified the convention and they hold an SID. The standard document is the seaman's book + ship's crew list. United States may also require a shore pass issued by the agent. Confirm before you board the vessel — visa rules vary by nationality and by recent immigration-policy changes.
- Is there a seafarer welfare centre at Philadelphia?
- Yes — 1 seafarer welfare centre is listed for Philadelphia in our directory. The centres are typically run by the Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea), or a regional ministry, and offer wifi, transport, shop, chaplaincy, and advocacy. Walk-in is normal; no appointment needed.
- Is there a crisis or welfare helpline I can call from Philadelphia?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for United States in our directory, plus ISWAN's 24-hour multilingual SeafarerHelp (+44 20 7323 2737) and the ITF Helpline. Helplines handle crisis support, abandonment, wage theft, mental health, and bereavement.
- What's the nearest hospital to Philadelphia?
- Most major ports have a port-area hospital with seafarer-accustomed admissions; the welfare centre and the ship's agent can both advise. For serious cases, the nearest international hospital is normally in the same city or the next major city. The nearest major airport is Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), about 11 km away — useful for medevac planning.
For the arriving crew
- Pilot ladder (SOLAS V/23) — rigging + inspection + Master's duty of care.
- Pre-arrival checklist — the standard bridge + engine + agent workflow before entering port.
- Ships' agent — role + documentation + interface with pilotage + tug + immigration.
- Currency at port — cash-carrying limits + declaration + safe practices.
- Hours of rest — STCW VIII/1 + MLC A2.3 rest rules during port operations.
Sources & verification (14)
- country_iso3 · ISO 3166-1 (US)retrieved 2026-05-05
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (US)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (USD)retrieved 2026-05-05
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (USD)retrieved 2026-05-05
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (US)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (America/New_York)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (America/New_York)retrieved 2026-05-05
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (US)retrieved 2026-05-05
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (1--45---)retrieved 2026-05-05
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (America/New_York)retrieved 2026-05-06
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (PHL)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q1345)retrieved 2026-05-07
- osm_relation_id · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q1345)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (US)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.