

Phoenix vs Seattle
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Seattle leads 4–1. Character is a different question: Phoenix is the mural city; Seattle is the rainy port of the northwest.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Phoenix
21
Seattle
46
Seattle leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Phoenix
204
Seattle
249
Phoenix leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Phoenix
3
Seattle
6
Seattle leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Phoenix
-
Seattle
43
Seattle leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Phoenix
27
Seattle
31
Seattle leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Phoenix
0
Seattle
4
Seattle leads
| What we measure | Phoenix | Seattle | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 21 | 46 | Seattle |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 204 | 249 | Phoenix |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 3 | 6 | Seattle |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | - | 43 | Seattle |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 27 | 31 | Seattle |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 0 | 4 | Seattle |
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: Phoenix in orange, Seattle in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Phoenix scorecard
The mural city
Seattle scorecard
The rainy port of the northwest