For most Americans, Pittsburg is stuck with its steelworker reputation. Once referred to as "the smoky city" and "hell with the lid off" because of its sooty factories, today it is a modern, hip, beautiful and cultured city.  The British first established its presence in 1753, before the start of the French and Indian War. Pittsburg was named after Fort Pitt which was earlier known as Fort Duquesne. The economy of the city dipped with the Great Depression which again witnessed a boom after the rising demand of mass-produced automobiles in the 1930s. The city has over 70 miles of urban riverfront—more than any other inland port city in America. The transformation of Pittsburgh from an industrial center to a leader in science and technology and the success of its rehabilitation efforts have moved President George W. Bush to call it "Knowledge Town," and the Wall Street Journal to rank it as one of the top technology markets (going so far as to nickname it "Roboburgh").

Pittsburgh is located at the point where the Monongahela and the Allegheny Rivers join the Ohio. The neighborhood areas are connected by seven picturesque bridges.

The city's humid climate is modified influenced by its relative proximity to the Atlantic Seaboard and the Great Lakes. The Pittsburgh area experiences extremes of all four seasons, with temperatures ranging from zero to 90° F. Precipitation is uniformly distributed with a good bit of the precipitation occurring as snow during the winter months. From April through October, the sun shines more than 50 percent of the time.

Area: 58.35 square miles

Elevation: 696 feet above sea level at river base; 1,223 feet above sea level at highest point

Latitude: 40.44 N

Longitude: 79.98 W

Average Annual Temperatures: January, 28.4° F; July, 73.1° F; annual average, 50.3° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 36.85 inches of rain, 43 inches of snow

Population: 316,718 as on 2005

Attractions

• Point State Park
• Fort Pitt Blockhouse
• Pennsylvania Station
• Frick Building
• Union Trust Building
• Omni William Penn Hotel
• Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center
• Carnegie Science Center
• Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium
• Kennywood Park
• Frank Lloyd Wright house

Festivals

• St. Patrick's day parade
• Pittsburgh Folk Festival
• Three Rivers Arts Festival
• International Children's Festival
• Mellon Jazz Festival
• Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival
• Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival
• Three Rivers Storytelling Festival