USA Today readers and travel experts recently voted San Francisco as the 6th most walkable city for tourists in the United States. SF’s widespread attractions and parks, outstanding pedestrian infrastructure, and compact size earned it a coveted spot on the list, just behind major metropolitan cities such as Boston and Philadelphia. Here’s what made San Francisco stand out.
Walkability in San Francisco
Compact size
At only 7×7 miles, San Francisco is one of the most compact of the major U.S. cities. This means that many SF neighborhoods are in close proximity to each other, easing travel between them.
Dense, mixed-use neighborhoods
SF’s neighborhoods often combine housing, shops, restaurants, and transit, meaning that you don’t always have to travel far to get what you need.
Good public transit
A robust public transit system goes hand-in-hand with city walkability, and SF’s is well-connected between Muni, light rail, and BART.
Pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, crosstown trail
Most SF streets have sidewalks, crosswalks, and countdown timers. USA Today also cites the 17-mile Crosstown Trail as a fantastic urban hiking and biking route that connects essential parts of the city.
Proximity to parks and attractions
As of 2017, all San Francisco residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park. City attractions are often spread across neighborhoods, so you can reach popular destinations almost everywhere.
Which other US cities are considered walkable?
USA Today’s 10 best walkable cities for tourists in the US were nominated by a panel of travel experts and voted on by readers. San Francisco ranked ahead of major cities, including New York and Washington, D.C., and is incidentally the only West Coast city to make the list.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Burlington, Vermont
- Columbus, Ohio
- Boston, Massachusetts
- San Francisco, California
- Chicago, Illinois
- Savannah, Georgia
- Washington, D.C.
- New York City, New York