How walkable is Jerusalem?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Jerusalem 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 less walkable of the 2 cities ranked in Israel.
What's within walking distance of the centre
1,911 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Jerusalem. The nearest grocery is about 5 minutes away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- Feelbox, 7 min
- Market Beit HaKerem (מרקט בית הכרם), 11 min
Restaurants & bars
- Cohen's Deli, 3 min
- Bagel House, 3 min
Shopping
- א. בן-עמי, משרד עו"ד בירושלים, 3 min
- בית מרקחת הפלמח, 3 min
Coffee
- מגדניה דובשנית, 5 min
- Zigmond, 7 min
Banks
- בנק דיסקונט, 15 min
- גבעת אורנים, 17 min
Parks
- גן מעלה צ'רלס קלור, 4 min
- עמק המצלבה, 4 min
Schools
- בית ספר ביס, 3 min
- בית הספר היסודי "חורב בנות" ירושלים, 8 min
Books & libraries
- Katamon Books, 7 min
- אדרבא, 11 min
Culture & entertainment
- מוזיאון פעיל עין יעל, 4 min
- "Henry Crown Concert Hall | אולם קונצרטים ע"ש הנרי קראון", 7 min
Measured from the centre at 31.7690, 35.2110, the point near Jerusalem'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 150 street intersections per km², and blocks average 75 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Jerusalem'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 92 within 1 km of the centre, 75 from 1 to 3 km out and 38 from 3 to 5 km out. 10 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. 42% 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 Jerusalem. 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 | 92 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 75 | 78% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 38 | 13% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Tel Aviv, Israel | 54 km | 81 |
| Amman, Jordan | 72 km | 69 |
| Damascus, Syria | 218 km | 33 |
| Beirut, Lebanon | 238 km | 86 |
| Cairo, Egypt | 424 km | 76 |
Questions about walking in Jerusalem
Is Jerusalem a walkable city?
Partly. Jerusalem 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 2nd of 2 cities in Israel and joint 520th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Israel?
Tel Aviv is the most walkable of the 2 cities ranked in Israel, with a score of 81. Jerusalem ranks 2nd with 55.
How does Jerusalem compare with nearby cities?
Jerusalem sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 55, against Tel Aviv (81, 54 km away), Amman (69, 72 km away) and Damascus (33, 218 km away).
Which part of Jerusalem is most walkable?
Jerusalem'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 92 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the west (averaging 70) and falls most to the south-east (19).
How is Jerusalem's walkability score calculated?
For Jerusalem it is the average of 81 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 34 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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