Austin vs Chicago
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Chicago leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Austin is the capitol and the music; Chicago is the city rebuilt after the fire.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Austin
34
Chicago
94
Chicago leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Austin
272
Chicago
293
Austin leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Austin
3
Chicago
11
Chicago leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Austin
15
Chicago
37
Chicago leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Austin
28
Chicago
22
Austin leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Austin
0
Chicago
2
Chicago leads
| What we measure | Austin | Chicago | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 34 | 94 | Chicago |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 272 | 293 | Austin |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 3 | 11 | Chicago |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 15 | 37 | Chicago |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 28 | 22 | Austin |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 0 | 2 | Chicago |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Austin in orange, Chicago in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Austin scorecard
The capitol and the music
Chicago scorecard
The city rebuilt after the fire
