

Chicago vs Portland, OR
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, they tie 1–1 (1 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Chicago is the city rebuilt after the fire; Portland, OR is the city at the confluence.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Chicago
94
Portland, OR
36
Chicago leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Chicago
293
Portland, OR
247
Portland, OR leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Chicago
11
Portland, OR
—
Chicago leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Chicago
37
Portland, OR
—
Chicago leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Chicago
22
Portland, OR
21
Tie
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Chicago
2
Portland, OR
—
Chicago leads
| What we measure | Chicago | Portland, OR | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 94 | 36 | Chicago |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 293 | 247 | Portland, OR |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 11 | — | Chicago |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 37 | — | Chicago |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 22 | 21 | tie |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 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: Chicago in orange, Portland, OR in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Chicago scorecard →
The city rebuilt after the fire
Portland, OR scorecard →
The city at the confluence