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.
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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