£289+ Cheap flights to Pittsburgh

City overview

Visitors to Pittsburgh will be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t have steel roots. Generations of locals (those born in the city and those who made it their home) powered the steel mills that have given Pittsburgh its nickname of “The Steel City”. Today, most of the steeled-milled skyline has been replaced with contemporary art museums and sculptures, sparkling glass buildings and green spaces.

Due to its location along the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, Pittsburgh is one of the most water-filled cities in America. Outdoors enthusiasts booking a flight to Pittsburgh will enjoy hiking in the Allegheny Mountains, while city-goers will revel in the city’s famed shopping district. If you’re in the mood for a little adrenaline rush, head to Pittsburgh’s amusement park where you’ll find one of the fastest track roller-coasters in the United States.

Movie lovers can take a road trip to Philadelphia, 300 miles (482 km) away and run up the stairs of the Capitol building – just like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky.

Pittsburgh climate

Winters are not usually extreme, with temperatures staying a few degrees above freezing. In spring things warm up quickly and summers are hot and sunny, with fairly low humidity.

Getting around Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s hilly and watery layout makes it difficult for first-time visitors to get around. Taxis are probably best until you get your bearings. Public transport consists of buses, light rail and the incline services (Duquesne and Monongahela). The Gateway Clipper and Pittsburgh Cruise Lines operate boat services to Heinz Field and PNC Park. One of the nicest ways to see the city is by bike. There are many biking trails along the rivers.

Getting from the Airport to the City

There are lots of ways to get to the city centre after your flight to Pittsburgh International (PIT). Taxis, shuttles (including hotel courtesy shuttles) and limos are available from the Ground Transportation area (outside baggage claim). The Airport Flyer travels via West Busway every 20 minutes or so.

What is good to know if travelling to Pittsburgh?

• According to the locals, the only way to see Pittsburgh is by taking the Duquesne Incline to the summit of Mount Washington. The funicular travels at a stately pace of 6 miles (9.6km) per hour.
• Pittsburgh has an astounding number of bridges. There are 446, more than Venice. It’s a hilly city too and has more than 700 sets of public steps and stairs – more than San Francisco. 
• Pittsburgh is the home of the Big Mac, that delicious concoction of burgers, cheese, pickles and sesame-seed bun. It was created by Jim Delligatti, one of the earliest franchisees of Ray Kroc’s empire, who ran several restaurants in the Pittsburgh area.

Pittsburgh airport overview

Pittsburgh International Airport is about 32km (20 miles) from central Pittsburgh. There are more than 160 flights to Pittsburgh International Airport every week, making it the second-busiest airport in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia International.

The city of Pittsburgh is built at a confluence of two rivers, so the city’s 2.5 million citizens are divided into pockets with different architecture and cultures. The combination of bridges, rivers and steep hills make it a scenic city to explore.

This is a large and well-designed airport which frequently wins awards for quality, and has plenty of shops and restaurants near the gates to keep you entertained before departure. Although there’s no train service, it’s easy to get from the airport into the city by bus.