United States
Most of the United States is built for the car, but New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC are exceptions. Each has a dense, walkable core, a distinctive street plan and enough variety in a few miles to fill days of exploring on foot.
Cities in United States
New York City
A grid that makes getting lost almost impossible
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San Francisco
Steep streets, sudden views and fog rolling through the Gate
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Washington, DC
Monuments, free museums and a two-mile lawn to walk between them
Discover the cityWalking in United States
The United States is the most visited country outside Europe, and its biggest cities are among the most walkable urban areas in the world. New York's grid makes navigation easy and its neighbourhoods change every few blocks. San Francisco's hills are hard work but pay off with views at every crest. Washington, DC lays out its monuments and free museums along a two-mile lawn.
Distances between these three cities are large. New York and Washington are on the same Amtrak line, about three to three and a half hours apart. San Francisco is on the opposite coast, a six-hour flight from New York, so most visitors combine it with other western destinations rather than the East Coast cities.
Why United States is here
Third in the world in UN Tourism's 2024 figures. The US National Travel and Tourism Office reported 68.3 million international visitors for 2025; no other country's confirmed 2025 total exceeded that at the time of research.
Sources and review date
- World Tourism rankings (UN Tourism data, 2024), Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09-24)
- International Visitor Forecast, National Travel and Tourism Office (Spring 2026) (accessed 2026-09-24)