How walkable is Canberra?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Canberra has a walkability score of 55 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it somewhat walkable: some errands can be done on foot. It is the 8th most walkable of the 10 cities ranked in Australia.
What's within walking distance of the centre
1,309 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Canberra. The nearest grocery is about 4 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping, coffee, banks, parks, books & libraries and culture & entertainment.
Groceries
- Aldi, 8 min
- Supabarn, 8 min
Restaurants & bars
- 180 East, 1 min
- Onyx Sports Lounge, 2 min
Shopping
- National Measurement Institute, 2 min
- Shop Handmade, 3 min
Coffee
- Playing Fields Cafe, 1 min
- Bedst, 2 min
Banks
- Bank of Queensland Canberra City, 4 min
- BOQ, 4 min
Parks
- City Hill, 6 min
- Commonwealth Park, 7 min
Schools
- YWCA Canberra Reid Early Childhood Centre, 10 min
- Ainslie School, 20 min
Books & libraries
- Australian Customs Service Library & Research Center, 2 min
- Department of Resources Energy and Tourism, 2 min
Culture & entertainment
- Royal Theatre, 3 min
- Eye Candy Animation, 5 min
Measured from the centre at -35.2835, 149.1336, the point near Canberra's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 102 street intersections per km², and blocks average 81 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Canberra's score of 55 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 76 within 1 km of the centre, 58 from 1 to 3 km out and 49 from 3 to 5 km out. 32 of the 91 points within 5 km fall on water or on land without streets, such as hillsides, forest or farmland, and are left out, so the score describes only the built-up part. 39% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Canberra. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 98 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 76 | 57% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 58 | 38% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 49 | 35% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney, Australia | 247 km | 81 |
| Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | 358 km | 62 |
| Melbourne, Australia | 467 km | 87 |
Questions about walking in Canberra
Is Canberra a walkable city?
Partly. Canberra has a walkability score of 55 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it somewhat walkable: some errands can be done on foot. Its centre scores 98. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks 8th of 10 cities in Australia and joint 520th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Australia?
Melbourne is the most walkable of the 10 cities ranked in Australia, with a score of 87. Canberra ranks 8th with 55.
How does Canberra compare with nearby cities?
Canberra is less walkable than its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 55, against Sydney (81, 247 km away), Newcastle, New South Wales (62, 358 km away) and Melbourne (87, 467 km away).
Which part of Canberra is most walkable?
Canberra's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 98. Walkability averages 76 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south (averaging 77) and falls most to the north-west (23).
How is Canberra's walkability score calculated?
For Canberra it is the average of 59 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 23 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
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