Where to stay in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh ( PITS-burg) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located in southwestern Pennsylvania where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River, it had a population of 302,971 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia.

The first European to "discover" the site of Pittsburgh was French discoverer/trader Sieur de La Salle in his 1669 expedition. The settlement of Pittsburgh began as a strategic point at the confluence of three rivers, with Britain, France, and the local Native American tribes all vying for control over this spot and thus, the region. On what is now referred to as The Point, where the rivers meet, several forts were constructed by competing French and British forces during the French and Indian War.

This system of districts is based upon the Pittsburgh Wayfinder System, a series of 5-colored maps of the city you will see on directional signs throughout the city. Each color indicates a different region, while the blue lines represent the three rivers.

See the Districts articles for more listings. Downtown has the greatest concentration of hotels. It is sometimes possible to get a room at some of the top downtown hotels (the Marriott, the Hilton, and the William Penn, for example) at bargain basement prices ($45-70) from discount sites such as Priceline and Hotwire, so do a search before calling the hotel. For those visiting the universities or other attractions in the Oakland area, there are a number of convenient options. Airport accommodations, near the airport outside of Pittsburgh, are mostly in Robinson Township, about 12 miles (19 km) west of Pittsburgh.

Getting in

Pittsburgh International Airport is the normal way in, although the area is also served by the smaller Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, primarily used by private and corporate airplanes. The airport is near Robinson Township in Findlay, about 20 miles (30 km) west of downtown, translating to about a $35 cab ride ($50 in rush hour traffic). Hotel shuttles and buses are available, and can be cheaper. A city bus, route 28X, connects the airport to Downtown and Oakland, taking a reasonably fast route mostly along freeways and dedicated busways, and costing much less than a taxi.

Getting around

Pittsburgh is difficult for strangers to get around in because the roads go every which way, constrained by the rivers and hills. Many are one-way and nearly all are narrow, as they were laid out in the days of horse-and-buggy transportation. Those with a GPS navigation device should get around all right. For those without, a taxi is an option until you get used to the roads, but the public transit, operated by the Port Authority (see below), works quite well for travel within the city. If you do find yourself lost or unsure, however, do not be afraid to ask for help.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.