The City Transit Division of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) operate almost all of Philadelphia's public transit, including all six trolley, three trackless trolley, and 70 bus lines within city limits. Some of the bordering municipalities are served by the City Transit division, despite not being part of the city. For example, Cheltenham Township has 13 city division routes and no Suburban Division ones. The City Transit division also operates the 400 Series routes which are designed to serve students attending schools in the city of Philadelphia.

The City Transit Division is broken down into seven districts (Allegheny, Callowhill, Comly, Elmwood, Frankford, Midvale, and Southern) and Contract Operations.

History 19th century Transit in Philadelphia began with multiple independent horse car, cable, and traction companies, including the privately established entities: Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company, the Thirteenth & Fifteenth Street Passenger Railway Company, West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company, etc.

In 1895, these companies began amalgamating into three large operations: the Electric Traction Company, the People's Traction Company, and the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC). The following year they consolidated as the Union Traction Company (UTC). In 1902 UTC went bankrupt; it was reorganized as the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (PRT) on July 1.

20th century In 1939, despite efforts by Thomas E. Mitten, PRT went bankrupt. A new Philadelphia Transportation Company was formed in 1940 to assume PRT's business. National City Lines (NCL) took over management of the PTC on March 1, 1955, and began a program of converting streetcar lines to bus routes. SEPTA was created in 1962, and purchased PTC's transit operations on September 30, 1968. The former Philadelphia Suburban Transit Company's Red Arrow Lines followed on January 29, 1970, after which SEPTA designated the city services as its "City Transit Division".

21st century Many of the present-day bus and trackless trolley routes were once streetcar lines. Many of the numbered routes were once lettered or named bus routes.

Former streetcar lines • Former lettered routes 2 3 5 6 7 12 17 23 25 26 29 30 31 33 37 38 39 40 42 43 46 47 48 52 (originallytrolley Route 70) 53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 64 66 73 75 79 Route Formerly 1 Boulevard Limited 4 C, Nedro service 8 FOX (Frankford–Olney Express) 14 B 16 C, Cheltenham service 18 S 19 W, Krewstown branch 21 D 24 N 28 T, Rhawn Street branch 35 Z 41 J (Feb 2025) 51 L (Feb 2025) 63 G (Feb 2025) 65 E 67 W 68 M 70 Y 71 H (Feb 2025) 77 X 81 XH (Feb 2025) 82 R (Feb 2025)

The first bus route was Route A, established in 1923 between Center City Philadelphia and Frankford Terminal via Strawberry Mansion, Hunting Park Avenue, and Roosevelt Boulevard. Route R replaced Route A along Hunting Park and Roosevelt. Route A then served Roxborough and Andorra within Philadelphia and Barren Hill in Montgomery County. Route A was eliminated and replaced by bus Routes 9, 27, and 32 on February 4, 1984.

List of routes Numbered routes Current routes RouteTerminalsMajor streets traveledDistrictService notesHistoryParx Casino54th Street and City AvenueCity Avenue, Ridge Avenue, Hunting Park Avenue, Roosevelt BoulevardComly & FrankfordLimited-stopNo Sunday serviceOriginally known as the "Boulevard Limited", service began November 18, 1957, operating from Pennypack Circle to Hunting Park and Wissahickon Avenues Extended north to Tremont Street on June 22, 1959. Extended to 54th Street and City Avenue on September 3, 1963 Service redesignated as Route 1 on September 12, 1988, with service extended to Red Lion and Academy Roads in Northeast Philadelphia and to 69th Street Terminal Service to 69th Street Terminal was eliminated September 9, 1996 Byberry Industrial Park service began September 13, 1999 Parx Casino service began February 12, 2007Decatur Road and Drummond DriveLimited-stopSelect weekday trips onlyByberry East Industrial ParkLimited-stopSelect rush hour trips only20th and Johnston StreetsPulaski and Hunting Park Avenues16th Street (northbound) / 17th Street (southbound)Midvale & SouthernFirst trolley line in Philadelphia to receive a route number on October 11, 1911, when Brill Nearside cars were placed in service Buses replaced streetcars on November 4, 1956 Southbound service moved from 15th Street to 17th Street on December 19, 1957, replacing Route 21 bus (former streetcar route) north of Market Street and Route 32 streetcar south of Market Street Northbound service continues on 16th Street todayLimited weekday service began February 27, 201733rd Street and Cecil B. Moore AvenueFrankford Transit CenterCecil B. Moore Avenue, Kensington Avenue, and Frankford AvenueFrankfordBuses replaced streetcars on February 4, 1956Smith Memorial PlaygroundWeekend only service started in 2013Fern Rock Transit CenterBroad Street and Pattison Avenue (NRG Station)Broad StreetMidvale & SouthernService began February 19, 2012 Service was formerly the Fern Rock division of the Route C Original Route 4 went from South Philadelphia to North Philadelphia via 6th and 7th Streets, Master Street, and 2nd and Front Streets until 1930, when it was replaced by Routes 57 and 65 Another Route 4 was created between 1958 and 1960; it went from Snyder Terminal to the Food Distribution Center via Broad, Oregon, 7th, Pattison, and Galloway. It looped via Oregon, Broad, Snyder, and 12th. By 1964, it looped around the food distribution center, and extended via Pattison, 11, Terminal, and Broad to the Philadelphia Naval Base. This became part of Route 17 on April 8, 1973.Front Street and Market StreetsFrankford Transit Center3rd Street (northbound) / 2nd Street (southbound), Frankford AvenueFrankfordRoute 5 streetcar ran from Frankford Avenue and Bridge Street to 3rd Street and Oregon Avenue Buses replaced streetcars on December 24, 1955, as the second trolley route operated full-time by PCC's to be converted to bus operations in Philadelphia Service south of Old City (2nd and Spruce Streets) merged into Route 57 on May 16, 1993 Northbound service via 3rd Street replaced by Route 57 Service cut back to Front & Market Streets on December 6, 19986Cheltenham and Ogontz Avenues LoopOlney Transit CenterOgontz AvenueAllegheny24-hour serviceOnce a popular trolley line to Willow Grove Amusement Park (now the Willow Grove Park Mall) By 1932, it extended south replacing all of Route 49 Buses replaced trolleys north of Cheltenham Avenue to Willow Grove on June 8, 1958. Bus service known as "6 Bus" (see: Route 22 History) Remaining trolley service operated south of Cheltenham & Ogontz Avenues Loop (Cheltenham Square Mall) Buses replaced the streetcars on the remaining portion of the Route 6 on January 11, 1986 Route "6 Bus" renamed Route 22 on the same date to eliminate confusion over the current Route 6Pier 7033rd and Dauphin StreetsOregon Avenue, 22nd Street (northbound) / 23rd Street (southbound), 29th StreetSouthernRoute 7 streetcar ran from 33rd & Dauphin Streets (Strawberry Mansion) to 20th & Johnson Streets. (South Philadelphia). Buses replaced streetcars on May 29, 1955. Weekday service extended via Oregon Avenue to 2nd Street with peak hour service to Delaware Avenue and Christopher Columbus Boulevard on May 2, 1964, replacing Route 80 bus (former Route 80 trackless trolley). Full service on weekdays and weekends extended to Oregon and Delaware Avenues on June 19, 1983 Service extended to Pier 70 Shopping Center on December 6, 1998Whitman PlazaLimited service21st and OregonOlney Transit CenterFrankford Transit CenterTabor Road, Roosevelt Boulevard, Pratt StreetFrankfordLimited stop service; weekdays onlyFormerly known as the "Frankford-Olney Express" ("FOX") Service began June 19, 1973, was redesignated Route 8 on September 4, 1984 Midday service has been eliminated and restored several times, most recently restored September 2, 2008. For PTC Route 8 streetcar service, see Routes 39 and 57Ridge Avenue and Cathedral Road (Andorra)4th and Walnut StreetRidge Avenue, Schuylkill Expressway, Chestnut Street, and Walnut StreetAlleghenyNo stops between Wissahickon Transportation Center and 30th Street StationService replaced Route A Express service via Ridge Avenue and to Andorra on February 5, 1984 Service cut back from Andorra to Summit Loop on September 1, 2002, due to community opposition Service extended to Andorra Shopping Center on November 12, 2006 Route 9 streetcar from South Philly to Fairmount Park via 4th and 5th Streets, Arch Street, 22nd and 23rd Streets, Cecil B Moore, 31st and 32nd Streets was discontinued in 19561063rd Street and Malvern Avenue Loop13th Street stationLansdowne Avenue, Lancaster AvenueCallowhillTrolley via subway–surface tunnel24-hour servicesee SEPTA Route 1011Darby Transit Center13th Street stationWoodland AvenueElmwoodTrolley via subway–surface tunnelsee SEPTA Route 11Christopher Columbus Boulevard and Dock Street50th Street and Woodland AvenueWalnut Street (westbound) Locust Street (eastbound) Grays Ferry AvenueSouthernRoute 12 trolley ran from 13th & South Streets to Darby via Grays Ferry and Woodland Avenues Service was cut back from Darby to Island & Elmwood Avenues on November 6, 1955 Buses replaced streetcars on July 21, 1956, with bus service operating from 49th Street & Woodland Avenue to 5th & Market Streets via Market Street Route 90 merged into Route 12, with service in Center City rerouted via Walnut and Locust Streets on September 7, 1997 Service Extended to From 3rd and Pine to Columbus and Dock in 201513Chester and Callahan Avenues (Yeadon)13th Street stationChester AvenueElmwoodTrolley via subway–surface tunnel24-hour serviceLimited service to Darbysee SEPTA Route 139th Street and Ridge AvenueNeshaminy MallFrankford Transit CenterRoosevelt Boulevard and Lincoln HighwayComly24-hour serviceFormerly known as Route B, service began June 26, 1921 (oldest still-operating bus route in the City Transit Division) Service at one time operated to Trenton Extended from Langhorne to Oxford Valley Mall September 3, 1978 Redesignated Route 14 on June 16, 1985 Major restructuring occurred January 31, 1982, June 16, 1985, and September 11, 1988 New service to Byberry Industrial Park introduced February 14, 1990 Service to Sesame Place added June 6, 2021 Original Route 14 ran along 42nd Street, became part of Route 30 after 1971 Service to Sesame Place introduced in 2021Oxford Valley MallLimited service except overnightsSesame PlaceLimited service during park hoursByberry East Industrial ParkLimited weekday service1563rd Street and Girard AvenueRichmond and Westmoreland LoopGirard AvenueCallowhillTrolley (operates 24 hours)see SEPTA Route 15 The line resumed limited streetcar operation as June 16, 2024 following a 4-year suspension. Trolleys run to Richmond-Westmoreland Streets Loop, while buses (and limited trolley service) serve the Northern Liberties Loop (Rivers Casino Philadelphia). City Hall (15th and Market Streets)Cheltenham & Ogontz Avenues LoopBroad Street, Cheltenham AvenueMidvaleService began February 19, 2012 Formerly the Cheltenham Division of the Route C Original Route 16 went from Center City to Fairmount Park via 19th and 20th Streets and York and Dauphin Streets (eliminated in 1929, as it was redundant to Routes 8/39 and 33)Front and Market20th and Johnston StreetsMarket Street, 19th Street (southbound) / 20th Street (northbound)Southern24-hour serviceBuses replaced streetcars on December 28, 1957. Extended to the former Philadelphia Naval Base on April 8, 1973, replacing Route 4. Route 71 replaced weekday midday service from Pattison Avenue to the Philadelphia Naval Business Center on February 22, 2004