Chicago vs Scottsdale
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Chicago leads 2–1. Character is a different question: Chicago is the city rebuilt after the fire; Scottsdale is the desert resort town.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Chicago
94
Scottsdale
25
Chicago leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Chicago
293
Scottsdale
152
Scottsdale leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Chicago
11
Scottsdale
1
Chicago leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Chicago
37
Scottsdale
—
Chicago leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Chicago
22
Scottsdale
—
Chicago leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Chicago
2
Scottsdale
—
Chicago leads
| What we measure | Chicago | Scottsdale | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 94 | 25 | Chicago |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 293 | 152 | Scottsdale |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 11 | 1 | Chicago |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 37 | — | Chicago |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 22 | — | Chicago |
| 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, Scottsdale in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Chicago scorecard →
The city rebuilt after the fire
Scottsdale scorecard →
The desert resort town