04-08-2025
Seattle tops U.S. walkability for sightseers
Seattle just strutted past the competition to become the most walkable city in the U.S. — at least for tourists.
Why it matters: The ranking puts a little spring in our steps just as the city unveils major pedestrian upgrades, including the newly opened Overlook Walk and a car-free Pike Place Market pilot program.
What they did: British shoe company FitFlop chose five popular destinations in each of 30 U.S. cities, comparing distance, elevation, steps and Walk Score to find the winners, Travel + Leisure reported last week.
In Seattle, those destinations included Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Museum of Pop Culture and the Colman Dock ferry terminal, which can all be walked in a 1.4-mile loop.
"In just 32 minutes, you can see all five top attractions and get about 3,360 steps in while you're at it," wrote Travel + Leisure.
What we're saying: That's cute, but now try going somewhere uphill on wet cobblestone with a coffee in one hand and a stroller in the other.
Reality check: It would be more accurate, some Reddit critics say, to call Seattle a highly walkable city for tourists who want to hit a few urban core highlights in one day.
Seattle scores an average 74 out of 100 on Walk Score, placing it behind San Francisco, New York, Boston and Chicago.
Only 44% of Emerald City residents live within walking distance of basic services, so many Seattle neighborhoods are still car-dependent and fall short of the " 15-minute city" ideal, per Walk Score, a Redfin company that promotes walkable neighborhoods.
That ideal calls for groceries, schools, parks and other essentials to be reachable within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home.
