Philadelphia was selected as the host city on February 12 , 2015 . The primary venue was the Wells Fargo Center ; the Pennsylvania Convention Center was also used . The last convention held in Philadelphia was the 2000 Republican National Convention ; the last time the city hosted the Democratic Convention was in 1948 . Philadelphia was selected over finalists Columbus , New York City , Birmingham , Cleveland , and Phoenix . Edward G. Rendell , the former mayor of Philadelphia and governor of Pennsylvania , played a crucial role in securing Philadelphia as the host city
2000 Republican National Convention
2000 Republican National Convention
2016 Democratic National Convention