Philadelphia vs Washington D.C.
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, they tie 2–2 (2 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Philadelphia is the city where the republic began; Washington D.C. is the planned capital.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Philadelphia
58
Washington D.C.
63
Washington D.C. leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Philadelphia
329
Washington D.C.
344
Tie
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Philadelphia
13
Washington D.C.
12
Philadelphia leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Philadelphia
90
Washington D.C.
33
Philadelphia leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Philadelphia
24
Washington D.C.
25
Tie
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Philadelphia
1
Washington D.C.
2
Washington D.C. leads
| What we measure | Philadelphia | Washington D.C. | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 58 | 63 | Washington D.C. |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 329 | 344 | tie |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 13 | 12 | Philadelphia |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 90 | 33 | Philadelphia |
| 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 | 1 | 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: Philadelphia in orange, Washington D.C. in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Philadelphia scorecard
The city where the republic began
Washington D.C. scorecard
The planned capital
