San Francisco vs Washington D.C.
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Washington D.C. leads 3–1 (2 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: San Francisco is the gold rush city; Washington D.C. is the planned capital.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
San Francisco
60
Washington D.C.
63
Tie
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
San Francisco
329
Washington D.C.
344
Tie
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
San Francisco
4
Washington D.C.
12
Washington D.C. leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
San Francisco
23
Washington D.C.
33
Washington D.C. leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
San Francisco
22
Washington D.C.
25
Washington D.C. leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
San Francisco
6
Washington D.C.
2
San Francisco leads
| What we measure | San Francisco | Washington D.C. | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 60 | 63 | tie |
| 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 | 4 | 12 | Washington D.C. |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 23 | 33 | Washington D.C. |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 22 | 25 | Washington D.C. |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 6 | 2 | San Francisco |
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: San Francisco in orange, Washington D.C. in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
San Francisco scorecard
The gold rush city
Washington D.C. scorecard
The planned capital
