How walkable is Johor Bahru?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Johor Bahru has a walkability score of 64 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 9th most walkable of the 18 cities ranked in Malaysia.
What's within walking distance of the centre
1,367 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Johor Bahru. The nearest grocery is about 5 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping, coffee, banks, parks and culture & entertainment.
Groceries
- Jb Vietnam Ck Mart, 6 min
- R & E Grocer, 7 min
Restaurants & bars
- H Two Eight Cafe, 1 min
- Elite 121 Bistro, 1 min
Shopping
- Pro Mobile, 2 min
- Syarikat Tong Seng, 2 min
Coffee
- Nimmies Pastry Cafe, 3 min
- SWELL by Vamos, 4 min
Banks
- Pajak Gadai Maxi Tunai, 7 min
- RHB Bank Taman Sentosa, 8 min
Parks
Schools
- Little Scholar Preschool, 8 min
- Zi Wei Feng Shui Academy, 8 min
Books & libraries
- Jiwa Book Store Sdn Bhd, 10 min
- SBC Book Center, 13 min
Culture & entertainment
- 新山中华公会大礼堂, 6 min
- Disc Laser Karaoke Lounge, 7 min
Measured from the centre at 1.4888, 103.7668, the point near Johor Bahru'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 167 street intersections per km², and blocks average 86 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Johor Bahru's score of 64 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 93 within 1 km of the centre, 72 from 1 to 3 km out and 53 from 3 to 5 km out. 22 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. 55% 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 Johor Bahru. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 96 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 93 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 72 | 69% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 53 | 36% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore, Singapore | 22 km | 81 |
| Batam, Indonesia | 46 km | 61 |
| Kluang, Malaysia | 80 km | 44 |
| Muar, Malaysia | 147 km | 47 |
| Malacca, Malaysia | 187 km | 66 |
Questions about walking in Johor Bahru
Is Johor Bahru a walkable city?
Partly. Johor Bahru has a walkability score of 64 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 96. 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 9th of 18 cities in Malaysia and joint 388th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Malaysia?
Petaling Jaya is the most walkable of the 18 cities ranked in Malaysia, with a score of 80. Johor Bahru ranks 9th with 64.
How does Johor Bahru compare with nearby cities?
Johor Bahru sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 64, against Singapore (81, 22 km away), Batam (61, 46 km away) and Kluang (44, 80 km away).
Which part of Johor Bahru is most walkable?
Johor Bahru's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 96. Walkability averages 93 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south (averaging 77) and falls most to the south-east (23).
How is Johor Bahru's walkability score calculated?
For Johor Bahru it is the average of 69 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 38 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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