What Are Boston, New York & Philadelphia Collectively Called?

Boston, New York, and Philadelphia are key nodes in the BosWash Megalopolis (or BosWash Corridor)—the densely populated, economically integrated urban region stretching ~500 miles from Boston, MA to Washington, DC.

The BosWash Concept

Coined by geographer Jean Gottmann (1961), "BosWash" describes a continuous urban corridor encompassing:

• Major metros: Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC
• Dozens of mid-sized cities and suburbs
• ~50+ million residents (≈15% of US population)
• GDP exceeding most countries

Why These Three Cities Anchor It

• Boston: Northern anchor; education, biotech, finance
• New York: Central hub; global finance, media, culture
• Philadelphia: Historic core; healthcare, education, logistics

Together with the Baltimore-Washington corridor, they form the Northeast's economic spine—connected by I-95, Northeast Corridor rail (Acela), and dense air links.