City Stories Index · United States · 2026 edition
Los Angeles vs Washington D.C.
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Los Angeles leads 3–1 (1 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Los Angeles is the city of stars on the pavement; Washington D.C. is the planned capital.
Change the matchup
| What we measure | Los Angeles | Washington D.C. | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 52 | 63 | Washington D.C. |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 290 | 344 | Los Angeles |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 13 | 12 | Los Angeles |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 73 | 33 | Los Angeles |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 24 | 25 | tie |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | — | 2 | Washington D.C. |
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: Los Angeles in orange, Washington D.C. in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Los AngelesWashington D.C.
18 places
arts & culture25 places
9 places
legends & myths9 places
9 places
parks & leisure8 places
6 places
industry & modern era5 places
Los Angeles scorecard →
The city of stars on the pavement
Washington D.C. scorecard →
The planned capital