Boston vs Chicago
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Chicago leads 3–2 (1 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Boston is the cradle of revolution; Chicago is the city rebuilt after the fire.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Boston
46
Chicago
94
Chicago leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Boston
299
Chicago
293
Tie
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Boston
4
Chicago
11
Chicago leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Boston
60
Chicago
37
Boston leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Boston
6
Chicago
22
Chicago leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Boston
3
Chicago
2
Boston leads
| What we measure | Boston | Chicago | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 46 | 94 | Chicago |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 299 | 293 | tie |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 4 | 11 | Chicago |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 60 | 37 | Boston |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 6 | 22 | Chicago |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 3 | 2 | Boston |
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: Boston in orange, Chicago in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Boston scorecard
The cradle of revolution
Chicago scorecard
The city rebuilt after the fire
