How walkable is Tapachula?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Tapachula has a walkability score of 47 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 96, and open map data lists fewer everyday places away from the centre here, so the score is likely an underestimate. It is the least walkable of the 51 cities ranked in Mexico.
What's within walking distance of the centre
1,018 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Tapachula. The nearest grocery is about 7 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping, coffee, banks, parks, books & libraries and culture & entertainment.
Groceries
- Cervecentro 13 Sur, 9 min
- Tenis YOMA, 10 min
Restaurants & bars
- Ribby’s Smokehouse, 1 min
- GoldenPress Specialty Coffee, 1 min
Shopping
- Piñatas Bambi, 1 min
- Go Games Tapachula, 2 min
Coffee
- ANFE, 3 min
- Casita Kopal, 3 min
Banks
- Banco del Bienestar, 5 min
- Citibank, 8 min
Parks
- Parque Niños Héroes, 7 min
- CEDECO Estación Ferroviaria, 12 min
Schools
- Escuela Primaria Federal 29 Batallon, 8 min
- Secundaria Constitución Vespertino, 9 min
Books & libraries
- Biblioteca Municipal Tapachula, 6 min
- Librería La Ceiba, 12 min
Culture & entertainment
- Jardín de la Sexta, 3 min
- Karaoke bar la llorona, 4 min
Measured from the centre at 14.9015, -92.2612, the point near Tapachula'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 98 street intersections per km², and blocks average 98 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Tapachula's score of 47 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, 63 from 1 to 3 km out and 27 from 3 to 5 km out. 23 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. 34% 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 Tapachula. 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 | 63 | 46% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 27 | 11% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Guatemala City, Guatemala | 190 km | 68 |
| Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico | 225 km | 67 |
| Villahermosa, Mexico | 351 km | 61 |
| San Salvador, El Salvador | 358 km | 66 |
| Coatzacoalcos, Mexico | 430 km | 51 |
Questions about walking in Tapachula
Is Tapachula a walkable city?
Its centre is, but most of the area around it is not. Tapachula has a walkability score of 47 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 96. Open map data lists fewer everyday places away from the centre in some cities, so scores there may be underestimates. 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 51st of 51 cities in Mexico and joint 627th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Mexico?
Mexico City is the most walkable of the 51 cities ranked in Mexico, with a score of 95. Tapachula ranks 51st with 47.
How does Tapachula compare with nearby cities?
Tapachula is less walkable than its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 47, against Guatemala City (68, 190 km away), Tuxtla Gutiérrez (67, 225 km away) and Villahermosa (61, 351 km away).
Which part of Tapachula is most walkable?
Tapachula'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-west (averaging 67) and falls most to the east (7).
How is Tapachula's walkability score calculated?
For Tapachula it is the average of 68 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 23 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.
Ask about walking anywhere in ChatGPT with the How Walkable app, for example "How walkable is Tapachula?"