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How walkable is Bloemfontein?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Bloemfontein has a walkability score of 49 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 98, 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 5 cities ranked in South Africa.
What's within walking distance of the centre
680 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Bloemfontein. The nearest grocery is about 4 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping, coffee, banks, parks, schools and culture & entertainment.
Groceries
- Pick n Pay Loch Logan, 6 min
- Woolworths Loch Logan, 8 min
Restaurants & bars
- KFC, 2 min
- Four Four Bar & Restaurant, 3 min
Shopping
- Edgars, 2 min
- GRAND EPiC Photography, 2 min
Coffee
- Mugg & Bean, 6 min
- Kodak Express/Kodak Cafe - Loch Logan Waterfront, 6 min
Banks
- Bidvest Bank, 5 min
- Capitec Bank Bloemfontein Waterfront, 5 min
Parks
- Happy Valley Conservancy, 8 min
- Ross Garden, 10 min
Schools
- Monyatsi Primary School, 4 min
- I Grow Nursery School, 9 min
Books & libraries
- Adelaide Public Library, 11 min
- American Corner Mangaung, 12 min
Culture & entertainment
- Mangaung Civic Theatre, 3 min
- Civic Centre, 3 min
Measured from the centre at -29.1133, 26.2140, the point near Bloemfontein'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 78 street intersections per km², and blocks average 92 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Bloemfontein's score of 49 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 88 within 1 km of the centre, 55 from 1 to 3 km out and 40 from 3 to 5 km out. 16 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. 16% 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 Bloemfontein. 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 | 88 | 83% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 55 | 16% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 40 | 7% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg, South Africa | 372 km | 61 |
| Pretoria, South Africa | 423 km | 52 |
| Durban, South Africa | 474 km | 68 |
Questions about walking in Bloemfontein
Is Bloemfontein a walkable city?
Its centre is, but most of the area around it is not. Bloemfontein has a walkability score of 49 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 98. 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 5th of 5 cities in South Africa and joint 605th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in South Africa?
Cape Town is the most walkable of the 5 cities ranked in South Africa, with a score of 74. Bloemfontein ranks 5th with 49.
How does Bloemfontein compare with nearby cities?
Bloemfontein is less walkable than its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 49, against Johannesburg (61, 372 km away), Pretoria (52, 423 km away) and Durban (68, 474 km away).
Which part of Bloemfontein is most walkable?
Bloemfontein'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 88 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south-west (averaging 59) and falls most to the east (14).
How is Bloemfontein's walkability score calculated?
For Bloemfontein it is the average of 75 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 12 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 Bloemfontein?"