How walkable is Nairobi?
Nairobi has a walkability score of 86 out of 100 around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. It ranks 165th of 252 cities worldwide.
What's within walking distance
1,580 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Nairobi. The nearest grocery is Naivas, about 10 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for restaurants & bars, shopping, parks, schools, books & libraries and culture & entertainment.
- Naivas820 m · 10 min
- Nairobi Burma Market-Ramesh Enterprises1.1 km · 13 min
- Roydarc Gas Suppliers1.3 km · 16 min
- Mister Wok Parklands220 m · 3 min
- King's Suites300 m · 4 min
- Museum Heritage Restaurant390 m · 5 min
- Westminster Commercial Auctioneers210 m · 3 min
- Witchdoctor Kwamfu Okomfo220 m · 3 min
- Sys Link Computers270 m · 3 min
- Pizza Inn - Ojijo930 m · 12 min
- feelinpoa1000 m · 12 min
- Creamy Inn - Ojijo1.0 km · 13 min
- Kenya National Police DT SACCO600 m · 8 min
- DADA by Stanbic Bank850 m · 11 min
- ABC Bank950 m · 12 min
- John Michuki Memorial Park200 m · 2 min
- Unnamed park220 m · 3 min
- Globe Roundabout830 m · 10 min
- Wamuini Shepherd Academy470 m · 6 min
- Sankofa academy490 m · 6 min
- Dr. Ribeiro Parklands Boys High School650 m · 8 min
- Textbook Centre Kijabe street460 m · 6 min
- Kenyatta University School of Law Library710 m · 9 min
- KICD Library1.3 km · 16 min
- Snake Park270 m · 3 min
- Earth Sciences Department,National Museums of Kenya300 m · 4 min
- National Museum of Kenya350 m · 4 min
Measured from the representative point at -1.2743, 36.8167. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the representative point there are about 88 street intersections per km², and blocks average 99 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 34 to 100, and Nairobi's score of 86 is their median. Walkability changes a lot across the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
| Point | Score | Map |
|---|---|---|
| City centre | 100 | Map |
| 1 km north | 86 | Map |
| 1 km east-northeast | 97 | Map |
| 1 km east-southeast | 100 | Map |
| 1 km south | 75 | Map |
| 1 km west-southwest | 59 | Map |
| 1 km west-northwest | 34 | Map |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Kampala, Uganda | 504 km | 86 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | 674 km | 53 |
| Harare, Zimbabwe | 1,947 km | 75 |
| Maputo, Mozambique | 2,786 km | 86 |
| Pretoria, South Africa | 2,879 km | 85 |
Questions about walking in Nairobi
Is Nairobi a walkable city?
Yes. Central Nairobi has a walkability score of 86 out of 100, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. It ranks 165th of 252 cities worldwide on How Walkable.
How does Nairobi compare with nearby cities?
Nairobi is at least as walkable as its nearest ranked neighbours: Nairobi scores 86, against Kampala (86, 504 km away), Dar es Salaam (53, 674 km away) and Harare (75, 1947 km away).
How is Nairobi'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 Nairobi 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.