Boston vs Washington D.C.
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, they tie 3–3. Character is a different question: Boston is the cradle of revolution; Washington D.C. is the planned capital.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Boston
46
Washington D.C.
63
Washington D.C. leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Boston
299
Washington D.C.
344
Boston leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Boston
4
Washington D.C.
12
Washington D.C. leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Boston
60
Washington D.C.
33
Boston leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Boston
6
Washington D.C.
25
Washington D.C. leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Boston
3
Washington D.C.
2
Boston leads
| What we measure | Boston | Washington D.C. | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 46 | 63 | Washington D.C. |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 299 | 344 | Boston |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 4 | 12 | Washington D.C. |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 60 | 33 | Boston |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 6 | 25 | Washington D.C. |
| 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, Washington D.C. in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Boston scorecard →
The cradle of revolution
Washington D.C. scorecard →
The planned capital