Chicago vs Philadelphia
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, they tie 3–3. Character is a different question: Chicago is the city rebuilt after the fire; Philadelphia is the city where the republic began.
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Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Chicago
94
Philadelphia
58
Chicago leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Chicago
293
Philadelphia
329
Chicago leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Chicago
11
Philadelphia
13
Philadelphia leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Chicago
37
Philadelphia
90
Philadelphia leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Chicago
22
Philadelphia
24
Philadelphia leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Chicago
2
Philadelphia
1
Chicago leads
| What we measure | Chicago | Philadelphia | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 94 | 58 | Chicago |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 293 | 329 | Chicago |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 11 | 13 | Philadelphia |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 37 | 90 | Philadelphia |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 22 | 24 | Philadelphia |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 2 | 1 | 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: Chicago in orange, Philadelphia in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Chicago scorecard
The city rebuilt after the fire
Philadelphia scorecard
The city where the republic began
