Where The Civic Republic Is In The Walking Dead (How Far From Alexandria & The Commonwealth)

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is largely based within the Civic Republic – a community that is famous for keeping its location a secret.

The location of the Civic Republic is a closely-guarded secret within The Walking Dead‘s world, but the franchise has confirmed its placement on the map. Secrecy is the Civic Republic Military’s core philosophy, meaning the whereabouts of the Civic Republic – as well as its military’s various outposts and bases – are known only to a select few The Walking Dead characters. Even the Civic Republic’s allies in Omaha and Portland are kept in the dark.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live largely takes place in and around the Civic Republic, and the spinoff dispels any lingering doubt over where in the US the community is located. The Civic Republic’s geographical clarification naturally invites follow-up questions over how far the community is from Rick’s home of Alexandria and the Commonwealth, which is run by his old group after The Walking Dead season 11’s ending.

The Civic Republic Is Located In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Also referred to as the Hidden City, the main Civic Republic settlement is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was first hinted at by marketing materials AMC released back when The Ones Who Live was still a Rick Grimes spinoff movie, which contained what appeared to be Philadelphia’s skyline. The Hidden City’s eventual live-action reveal in The Walking Dead‘s finale and World Beyond season 2 further cemented Philadelphia as its location, and Jadis drops an in-dialogue reference to “Philly” in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 3.

The CRM, however, is not permitted to operate within the Civic Republic’s walls, and its force containing tens of thousands of soldiers is camped on the city’s borders. Since the organization strives to keep its very existence elusive, it seems incredibly likely that a much larger portion of Pennsylvania falls under CRM territory. The land beyond Philadelphia is not inhabited, rebuilt, or cleared of undead, but if another survivor group attempted to pitch their tents anywhere remotely nearby, they could likely expect repercussions. Major General Beale does not seem the type to welcome new neighbors with open arms.

The Civic Republic is essentially a repopulated Philadelphia, and the CRM appears to have a firm grasp on most of Pennsylvania, but the group’s true influence actually spreads across the entire United States. The Walking Dead: World Beyond revealed a Civic Republic facility in New York, Fear The Walking Dead showed helicopter supply drops in Texas, and the Concordia base Rick and Thorne have been assigned to in The Ones Who Live lies on the West Coast. Though it hides in the shadows, the CRM is unquestionably the highest authority in the US during The Walking Dead‘s timeline.

How Far The Civic Republic Is From The Walking Dead’s Other Communities

The distance between the Civic Republic and The Walking Dead‘s other communities directly influences The Ones Who Live‘s story. Rick and Michonne’s ability to escape depends partially on how long the journey back to Alexandria would take, while any future interaction between the CRM and Commonwealth could potentially lead to an unexpected reunion between Rick Grimes and his old friends.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Alexandria, Virginia is a very achievable journey, even in a zombie outbreak. The distance can be walked in around one week – accounting for undead – and if Rick and Michonne were lucky enough to find a car, they could be home in a few hours. While this short distance boosts Rick and Michonne’s chances of escape, it also means Alexandria really is in danger of being wiped out by CRM helicopters, which can make the aforementioned journey in an even shorter time.

The Walking Dead‘s Commonwealth community is located in Ohio, most likely Toledo, putting it considerably farther from the Civic Republic – over eight hours by car. While the Commonwealth may be a safer distance from the CRM compared to Alexandria, the protagonist alliance that formed at the end of The Walking Dead season 11 joined Ohio to Virginia. That feels like the kind of long-range union that the CRM wouldn’t want so close to its own borders. It’s surely only a matter of time before the CRM discovers the Alexandria-Commonwealth alliance stretching across the United States and deems it a security threat.