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