The 12 Most Walkable Cities Across the U.S., According to New Data

Designed by William Penn himself, Philly’s grid structure features short blocks lined with restaurants, corner stores, and cafés, making for an extra-cozy feeling as you stroll. Coming in with a walkability score of 75, the city’s center is just about 2.4 miles wide and walkable in just about 50 minutes.

Also earning a 75 on the hundred-point scale, Oakland is home to not one, but three lakes, seriously boosting the city’s outdoor culture. Lake Merritt, Grand Lake, and Adams Point all feature walking paths alongside local shopping districts, while Piedmont Avenue is home to a small-town-esque, ultra-walkable Main Street.

Newark’s cityscape is defined by its bustling downtown streets and dense network of student housing. The central business district is a hub for high foot traffic and public transport access, boasting service from Newark Penn Station. The prominence of college campuses in the city has made for an abundance of green spaces and high pedestrian accessibility. It’s earned a walkability score of 76.

While the majority of Miami’s shoreline streets are car-dominant, the city’s core was made for walking—literally. Featuring a similar grid structure to Philly and NYC, the streets of South Beach are widely considered pedestrian-friendly, and the Underline offers a 10-mile linear walking and biking trail under the famous Metromover monorail. The shaded neighborhood sidewalks of Coconut Grove and the Wynwood art district earned the sunny metro a walkability score of 77.

D.C. is famous for the National Mall. Jam-packed with culture, history, and monuments, the attraction stretches about 2.3 miles in total and takes just under an hour to walk if you don’t stop to take in the sights. If you’re hoping for a more recreational setting, nearby Dupont Circle and U Street are known to be ultra-walkable, boasting cafés, shops, and nightlife-lined streets. The public transport system keeps the city feeling connected and has helped the nation’s capital earn a score of 77.

With both the Chicago Riverwalk and Millennium Park, Chicago made the top-five ranking for walkability. The Windy City is also home to the 606 elevated park trail and rows of continuous sidewalks, building pedestrian-friendly streets straight into the city’s infrastructure. Chi-Town scored a 77 on the hundred-point scale.

Boston comes in with a score of 83 as the city is packed with parks, brick-lined streets, and college spirit. Home to Boston University, Harvard, and MIT (just to name a few schools!), over five percent of the city’s land is taken up by college campuses, contributing greatly to overall walkability. The 2.5-mile Freedom Trail brings an air of slow-paced recreation to the bustling downtown, while the Rose Kennedy Greenway brings nature to the heart of the city.

Overlooking the Hudson River, Jersey City earned a whopping 87 on the PODS Walk Score scale. Brimming with bike paths, sidewalks, and 2.8 miles of walking trails in Liberty State Park, Jersey City offers robust outdoor culture right alongside sweeping views of the famous Manhattan skyline. The downtown district boasts pedestrian-friendly waterfront promenades, while Journal Square serves as a central hub for foot and MTA traffic to and from the Big Apple.

The streets of New York City are almost always overflowing with foot and paw traffic, with over 1.1 million dogs calling the Big Apple home. According to the PODS metrics, New York earns a score of 88 when it comes to overall walkability. The city offers the same famous grid structure that placed Miami and Philadelphia on the list, as well as top-notch public transportation and pedestrian paths across some major bridges. That’s right, you could walk all five boroughs if you plan your route right!

The Golden City tops off the list with a walkability score of 89. Known to boast a seven-by-seven geographical size, the city is as compact as it is steep. Cultural hubs, shopping, and entertainment are all concentrated in one general area, meaning you can grocery shop, plan your date night, and grab a sweet treat without ever having to start up your car.