There’s nothing higher than exploring a metropolis on foot – visiting retailers, meandering via alleys, and saying good day to neighbors. Strolling lets you decelerate and take within the ambiance, surroundings, and tradition of wherever you’re. It may additionally present quite a few well being advantages and assist cut back your carbon footprint when you would in any other case drive or taxi.
However what makes a metropolis walkable? Stroll Rating, the authority on walkability, says that inhabitants density, intersection density, block size, and distance to facilities like eating places and grocery shops are an important elements. Stroll Rating takes all of this under consideration to find out a metropolis’s Stroll Rating. In brief, the extra facilities and density an space is, the extra walkable it’s.
On this Redfin article, we’ll discover the ten most walkable cities within the U.S. in keeping with Stroll Rating, diving into their facilities, infrastructure, and market developments. So, whether or not you’re a present resident or are searching for a brand new place to stay, tie up your laces as we uncover probably the most walkable cities in the USA.
Listing solely contains cities with a inhabitants of 200,000 or higher.
1. San Francisco, CA
- Stroll Rating: 89
- Median Sale Value: $1,400,000
- Median Lease Value: $2,697
- Most Walkable Neighborhoods in San Francisco: Chinatown, Tenderloin, and Polk Gulch
Don’t let the hills idiot you – San Francisco is probably the most walkable metropolis within the U.S. The historic and compact metropolis is house to dozens of widespread parks like Golden Gate Park, a whole bunch of accessible world-class facilities, and a walkable avenue structure. Iconic landmarks just like the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf are simply accessible on foot, amongst many others. It doesn’t matter what you’re searching for, you may stroll to it.
It’s additionally handy to hop onto a BART bus or practice for the longer journeys. Stations are all over the place all through the Bay Space, serving to eradicate the necessity for a automotive.
San Francisco is dedicated to enhancing its walkability additional. Packages just like the Pedestrian Program purpose to shortly and successfully enhance intersections, add public transportation, renovate giant streets, and improve faculty security. Pilot applications like Gradual Streets, Play Streets, and Daylighting (a statewide regulation) are additionally underway.
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2. New York, NY
- Stroll Rating: 88
- Median Sale Value: $735,000
- Median Lease Value: $2,804
- Most Walkable Neighborhoods in New York: Bowery, NoLita, and Little Italy
New York Metropolis, the most important metropolis within the nation, is the second-most walkable metropolis within the U.S. Identified for its iconic landmarks just like the Empire State Constructing, Central Park, and the Statue of Liberty, New York Metropolis can be well-known for its walkability.
Dense neighborhoods with retailers on each nook, intensive public transportation, and 12,000 miles of sidewalks assist make exploring town on foot simpler than ever. Residents take this to coronary heart, too; simply 45% of NYC residents personal a automotive, and even fewer use a automotive to commute.
New York continues to prioritize pedestrian security, decreasing fatalities, and enhancing walkability all through town. Packages comparable to Open Streets and Parks With out Borders, together with efforts to broaden inexperienced areas just like the Excessive Line and East River Esplanade, are just some methods town is investing in pedestrians.
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3. Boston, MA
Boston is a historic and charming metropolis recognized for its compact structure and walkable streets. With facilities on each block and a community of parks and inexperienced areas, pedestrians are prioritized and strolling is inspired. A spotlight is the two.5 mile Freedom Path, which passes by 17 locations important to U.S. historical past. The Boston Frequent is one other well-known landmark simply accessible by foot. In truth, many of the metropolis’s points of interest sit on a single square-mile peninsula.
The town’s walkability is multiplied by its sturdy and environment friendly public transportation system. Nicknamed the “T”, Boston’s public transit contains buses, ferries, and greater than 153 subway stations that seamlessly combine into town’s dense and various neighborhoods.
Boston is constantly working to enhance walkability and create extra accessible public areas for everybody. WalkBoston, Go Boston 2030, and the Summer time Avenue Pilot Program are three initiatives that Boston hopes will make it probably the most walkable metropolis within the nation.
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4. Chicago, IL
Chicago is the fourth-most walkable metropolis within the nation. Characterised by its iconic gridded streets, stocky skyscrapers, and lakefront parks, strolling is a breeze within the Windy Metropolis. And when it’s too chilly or moist to stroll within the winter, the Pedway offers 5 miles of tunnels and bridges that join downtown.
Like Boston, Chicago’s public transit system (the CTA) is widespread and accessible, selling walkability all through town. It’s straightforward to take the “L” to Millennium Park, bus to Wrigley Discipline, or stroll alongside the Riverwalk and thru the Navy Pier. To not point out 1000’s of different points of interest in America’s third-largest metropolis.
The town is at present engaged on the Chicago Pedestrian Plan, specializing in enhancing sidewalk infrastructure and highway security. It’s additionally collaborating on Elevated Chicago, which is a multi-sector challenge aimed toward enhancing fairness via strolling, biking, transit, and opening up public areas.
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5. Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. is the fifth-most walkable metropolis within the U.S. Designed over 200 years in the past with pedestrians in thoughts, town is house to an environment friendly metro system (WMATA), a navigable round grid, and vast sidewalks and tree-line avenues all through. The area’s iconic nationwide monuments, museums, and well-maintained public areas additionally contribute to a straightforward and pleasurable strolling expertise.
Due to town’s compact structure, it’s straightforward to stroll to the Nationwide Mall, take the Metro to the Smithsonian, or go on a stroll via Rock Creek Park. Exceptionally unhealthy site visitors might encourage you to commerce your automotive for sneakers, too.
Washington, D.C. is endeavor many giant initiatives aimed toward enhancing walkability: MoveDC focuses on enhancing pedestrian and transit infrastructure; the DC Circulator is connecting extra strolling and transit routes; and the Pedestrian Program focuses on making high-traffic corridors safer.
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6. Miami, FL
Ditch your automotive and take a stroll via sunny Miami, the sixth-most walkable metropolis within the U.S. Miami combines bustling metropolis life with the attract of gorgeous oceanscapes, catering to a variety of existence. The town’s walkability is characterised by landmarks just like the Miami Riverwalk Path, the Wynwood Partitions, and The Wharf.
Miami’s distinctive neighborhoods and iconic seashores additionally add to town’s walkability. South Seashore and Surfside Seashore present scenic strolling paths alongside the shoreline, whereas Little Havana and Coconut Grove are full of life and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with facilities all over the place you look. You may as well take the Metrorail, Metrobus, or Metromover to loads of spots all through town.
With a rising emphasis on public areas and mixed-use developments, it’s simpler than ever to discover the area’s distinctive landscapes on foot. Miami is engaged on dozens of walkability initiatives, together with Miami 21, Baywalk, and Little Havana Me Importa.
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7. Oakland, CA
Simply throughout the bay from San Francisco, Oakland is the seventh-most walkable metropolis within the nation. The metropolis is thought for its beautiful landscapes, giant public areas, and vibrant neighborhoods, with grocery shops, nook retailers, and hip eating places wherever you flip.
Oakland can be the transportation hub of the Bay Space and affords loads of accessible methods to get round with no automotive. It’s straightforward to stroll to a close-by BART or AC Transit station and get the place you might want to go, whether or not it’s to Berkeley for a day journey or into the center of San Francisco for work.
Oakland is at present embarking on a variety of pedestrian-first initiatives. For instance, the 5-Yr Paving Plan renovates high-traffic streets to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and the Lake Merritt Station Space Plan goals to revitalize Lake Merritt with pedestrians as the main focus. Finances deficits are posing challenges throughout town, although.
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8. Philadelphia, PA
Well-known for its distinctive delicacies and wealthy historical past, Philadelphia is the eight-most walkable metropolis within the U.S. The town is densely populated and accommodates limitless actions and facilities for pedestrians, like strolling via Rittenhouse Sq., purchasing on the Studying Terminal Market, or consuming at one among a whole bunch of native eating places.
Philly’s public transportation is world-class as properly, which solely provides to the area’s walkability.
Moreover, Philadelphia demonstrates its dedication to pedestrians via initiatives and initiatives. The Schuylkill River Path enlargement, for instance, will lengthen and enhance the long-lasting pedestrian greenway, and The Rail Park challenge goals to rework outdated railways into miles of trails. These facets mixed helped make Philly one of many greatest locations to stay in Pennsylvania.
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9. Seattle, WA
The poster little one of the PNW and one of many rainiest and cloudiest cities within the nation, Seattle is the ninth-most walkable metropolis within the nation. Seattle is chock-full of historical past, hills, and lovely vistas that make dwelling there one among a sort.
Seattle has undergone super tech-fueled progress up to now decade, serving to deliver density and facilities to the area, which has enormously improved walkability. The walkable and revitalized South Lake Union neighborhood and Elliot Bay waterfront space are simply two examples of town prioritizing pedestrians.
King County Metro and Sound Transit work to scale back the necessity for automobiles, however the system isn’t as sturdy as most different cities on this checklist. Seattle is actively working to enhance walkability all through town, with initiatives just like the Pedestrian Grasp Plan.
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10. Lengthy Seashore, CA
- Stroll Rating: 73
- Median Sale Value: $855,000
- Median Lease Value: $2,150
- Most Walkable Neighborhoods in Lengthy Seashore: Downtown, Eastside, and St. Mary
Chill out and unwind by the ocean in Lengthy Seashore, the tenth-most walkable metropolis within the U.S. A seaside city that pairs limitless city facilities with sunny climate and year-round views, Lengthy Seashore offers industrial appeal and an ideal high quality of life. Ocean Boulevard and Shoreline Village are particularly walkable areas within the metropolis, providing a mixture of leisure, eating, and points of interest just like the Queen Mary.
Lengthy Seashore additionally advantages from proximity to downtown Los Angeles. Sadly, the area’s public transportation isn’t as developed as many different giant cities, so strolling is much less possible for touring longer distances. Most individuals use automobiles to get round
The town’s dedication to pedestrians and inexperienced areas is clear via applications such because the Mobility Component, Seashore Streets, and Secure Streets LB. Regardless of the place you’re within the metropolis, it’s a pleasure to observe the sundown over the water.
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The place can we go from right here?
Probably the most walkable cities within the U.S. are San Francisco, New York, and Boston. These cities prioritize accessible public areas, dense and related city planning, and plentiful public transportation.
Apparently, some cities experimented with pedestrian-first initiatives throughout the pandemic, as fewer folks had been on the roads. A few of these initiatives caught round, comparable to New York Metropolis’s Open Streets, and plenty of others across the nation. This reveals that decreasing the variety of automobiles in cities is usually a internet constructive for pedestrians. Fewer automobiles and extra reliance on public transportation may decrease a metropolis’s carbon footprint, serving to some attain formidable emissions objectives.
Methodology
Information comes from Stroll Rating, a Redfin firm. Stroll Rating charges areas from least to most walkable on a scale from 0-100. To calculate a Stroll Rating for a metropolis, Stroll Rating analyzes and aggregates 1000’s of strolling routes to close by facilities, inhabitants density, and metrics comparable to block size and intersection density. Factors are awarded primarily based on the gap to facilities in every class.
Stroll Rating and housing market information sourced February 2025. Listing solely contains cities with a inhabitants of 200,000 or higher.
