How walkable is Marseille?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Marseille has a walkability score of 83 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. It is the joint 2nd most walkable of the 6 cities ranked in France, with 1 other.
What's within walking distance of the centre
3,909 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Marseille. The nearest grocery is about a minute away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- Au Grand Saint-Antoine, 1 min
- Saladin Épices Du Monde, 1 min
Restaurants & bars
- Arigato Sushi, 1 min
- KFC, 1 min
Shopping
- Picwictoys, 1 min
- Le Temps des Cerises, 1 min
Coffee
- Café Prinder, 2 min
- Le Petit Dugo, 3 min
Banks
- Société Générale, 1 min
- Agence BNP Paribas, 2 min
Parks
- Jardin des Vestiges, 7 min
- Square Yves Montand, 8 min
Schools
- Vallet Robert, 6 min
- School Convalescents, 6 min
Books & libraries
- Gibert Joseph Marseille, 2 min
- Librairie Musicale Internationale, 4 min
Culture & entertainment
- Cinéma Les Variétés, 2 min
- Théâtre du Gymnase, 2 min
Measured from the centre at 43.2970, 5.3811, the point near Marseille'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 252 street intersections per km², and blocks average 61 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Marseille's score of 83 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 99 within 1 km of the centre, 87 from 1 to 3 km out and 77 from 3 to 5 km out. 25 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. 83% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot.
- 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 Marseille. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 100 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 99 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 87 | 81% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 77 | 82% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Nice, France | 159 km | 55 |
| Turin, Italy | 270 km | 85 |
| Lyon, France | 276 km | 83 |
| Genoa, Italy | 312 km | 75 |
| Toulouse, France | 320 km | 74 |
Questions about walking in Marseille
Is Marseille a walkable city?
Around its centre, yes. Marseille has a walkability score of 83 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. Its centre scores 100. 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 joint 2nd of 6 cities in France and joint 84th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in France?
Paris is the most walkable of the 6 cities ranked in France, with a score of 99. Marseille ranks joint 2nd with 83.
How does Marseille compare with nearby cities?
Marseille sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 83, against Nice (55, 159 km away), Turin (85, 270 km away) and Lyon (83, 276 km away).
Which part of Marseille is most walkable?
Marseille's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 100. Walkability averages 99 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south (averaging 85) and falls most to the north-west (53).
How is Marseille's walkability score calculated?
For Marseille it is the average of 66 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 55 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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