How walkable is Melbourne?
Melbourne has a walkability score of 98 out of 100 around its centre, which makes it a Walker's Paradise, where daily errands do not require a car. It is the most walkable of 5 cities ranked in Australia.
What's within walking distance
5,969 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Melbourne. The nearest grocery is Hi Mart, about 5 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping, coffee, parks, schools, books & libraries and culture & entertainment.
- Hi Mart420 m · 5 min
- Foodworks West Melbourne510 m · 6 min
- Club Chef530 m · 7 min
- The Butterfly Inn110 m · 1 min
- Roslyn Thai Cafe210 m · 3 min
- Royal Standard Hotel270 m · 3 min
- Cafeideas Melbourne80 m · 1 min
- Spacespace Studio120 m · 2 min
- s2z CBD studio180 m · 2 min
- Rachels Rooms210 m · 3 min
- The Dispensa300 m · 4 min
- Lucky 8 Cafe310 m · 4 min
- Commonwealth Bank Lonsdale St. Melbourne Branch800 m · 10 min
- Commonwealth Bank William St. Melbourne Branch820 m · 10 min
- Bank of China820 m · 10 min
- Flagstaff Gardens100 m · 1 min
- Eades Park300 m · 4 min
- Howard and William Street Reserve350 m · 4 min
- Haileybury City240 m · 3 min
- Datum College Pty Ltd320 m · 4 min
- St Mary's Primary School, West Melbourne500 m · 6 min
- National Heart Foundation190 m · 2 min
- The Melbourne Book Market390 m · 5 min
- Library & Information Services (Victoria)490 m · 6 min
- Royal Historical Society of Victoria370 m · 5 min
- Victorian Concert Orchestra390 m · 5 min
- Bird's Basement440 m · 6 min
Measured from the representative point at -37.8095, 144.9535. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the representative point there are about 276 street intersections per km², and blocks average 53 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
Walkability around the centre
Scores at seven points within 1 km of the centre range from 98 to 99, and Melbourne's score of 98 is their median. Walkability is consistent across the centre.
| Point | Score | Map |
|---|---|---|
| City centre | 99 | Map |
| 1 km north | 99 | Map |
| 1 km east-northeast | 98 | Map |
| 1 km east-southeast | 98 | Map |
| 1 km south | 98 | Map |
| 1 km west-southwest | 99 | Map |
| 1 km west-northwest | 98 | Map |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide, Australia | 655 km | 96 |
| Sydney, Australia | 714 km | 98 |
| Brisbane, Australia | 1,378 km | 97 |
| Auckland, New Zealand | 2,640 km | 98 |
| Perth, Australia | 2,736 km | 96 |
Questions about walking in Melbourne
Is Melbourne a walkable city?
Yes. Central Melbourne has a walkability score of 98 out of 100, which makes it a Walker's Paradise, where daily errands do not require a car. It ranks 1st of 5 cities in Australia and 41st of 252 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Australia?
Melbourne is the most walkable of the 5 cities ranked in Australia, with a score of 98. Sydney is second with 98.
How does Melbourne compare with nearby cities?
Melbourne is at least as walkable as its nearest ranked neighbours: Melbourne scores 98, against Adelaide (96, 655 km away), Sydney (98, 714 km away) and Brisbane (97, 1378 km away).
How is Melbourne's walkability score calculated?
The score counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and deducts up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long. For Melbourne it is the median of seven points within 1 km of the city centre, using open map data from Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.
Scores follow a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. City position and population from GeoNames.