City Stories Index · United States · 2026 edition
Austin vs Washington D.C.
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Washington D.C. leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Austin is the capitol and the music; Washington D.C. is the planned capital.
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| What we measure | Austin | Washington D.C. | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 34 | 63 | Washington D.C. |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 272 | 344 | Austin |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 3 | 12 | Washington D.C. |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 15 | 33 | Washington D.C. |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 28 | 25 | Austin |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 0 | 2 | Washington D.C. |
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, Washington D.C. in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
AustinWashington D.C.
9 places
arts & culture25 places
10 places
legends & myths9 places
1 place
parks & leisure8 places
5 places
industry & modern era5 places
Austin scorecard →
The capitol and the music
Washington D.C. scorecard →
The planned capital