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