This Southern Destination Was Named The Most Walkable City In The U.S.

When you think of Southern cities, walkability probably isn’t your first thought. You may start dreaming of historic architecture, incredible food, and friendly locals—and you wouldn’t be wrong to. In fact, all three of those things are present in a certain Southern city that recently was named one of the world’s most walkable places. A study by AllClear Travel Insurance found New Orleans, Louisiana, to be the country’s most walkable city. The Big Easy came in fourth in the study’s overall list of most walkable cities worldwide. Globally, Amsterdam in the Netherlands took the top spot as the most pedestrian-friendly place.

To find its walkable winners, AllClear chose 240 top tourist destinations across the globe and studied their topographic maps. They recorded two major statistics: average elevation and the elevation range between their highest and lowest points. They assigned a difficulty score to each, and the combined total of both scores was used to determine how easy it would be to walk around each city. Amsterdam and Rotterdam came in at 20.1 and 20.7 respectively, with Venice, Italy, following at 22.8 and New Orleans right after at 25.1. Other Southern U.S. cities to make the list included Miami, coming in at number 9 and Tampa, which tied for 12^th with Sacramento.

What Makes It So Convenient

The two main areas of New Orleans is a big part of what make it so convenient for visitors. The French Quarter and the Central Business District, pack a lot of fun—from entertainment venues to bars to restaurants to landmarks—into a small area. Spanning just two miles, you’ll find more than 500 restaurants and 100 attractions across the two districts. Popular attractions like Café Du Monde, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, St. Louis Cemetery, the Saenger Theatre, and Bourbon Street are all within a 30-minute round-trip walk from one another. The 1.3-mile-long French Quarter River Walk, which meanders along the Mississippi River just a block from Jackson Square, is a great place to take a stroll and see several landmarks including the Washington Artillery Park, the Steamboat Natchez, the Moonwalk Riverfront Park, and more.

The Rich History

Designed by French military engineer Le Blond de la Tour in 1721, the city has stood the test of time, remaining one of the world’s most walkable places for 300-plus years and counting. Whether you’re visiting for Mardi Gras or an impromptu weekend getaway, New Orleans always delivers the food, fun, and exceptional flair. And when you get tired of walking, you can always hitch a ride on a historic streetcar.