- Cities
- South Africa
- Cape Town
How walkable is Cape Town?
Cape Town has a walkability score of 98 out of 100 around its centre, which makes it a Walker's Paradise, where daily errands do not require a car. It is the 2nd most walkable of 5 cities ranked in South Africa.
What's within walking distance
1,678 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Cape Town. The nearest grocery is Atlas Trading Company, about 2 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping, coffee, parks, schools and culture & entertainment.
- Atlas Trading Company130 m · 2 min
- KwikSpar200 m · 3 min
- Bo-Kaap Kombuis580 m · 7 min
- Faeeza’s Home Kitchen50 m · 1 min
- Lekka Kombuis110 m · 1 min
- Biesmiellah Restaurant150 m · 2 min
- Bo-Kaap Bazaar180 m · 2 min
- Bo-kaap Pharmacy180 m · 2 min
- Rocksole Shoe and Luggage Store200 m · 2 min
- Harvest Cafe140 m · 2 min
- Deluxe Coffeeworks190 m · 2 min
- Pang Specialty Coffee200 m · 2 min
- TymeBank Kiosk PNP Bo-Kaap660 m · 8 min
- FNB Long Street660 m · 8 min
- 22seven660 m · 8 min
- Table Mountain National Park410 m · 5 min
- Strand Street Quarry Sports Field540 m · 7 min
- De Smit Street Park860 m · 11 min
- Saint Paul's Primary School370 m · 5 min
- St. Martini Pre - Primary School690 m · 9 min
- Fundamental Pre School1.0 km · 13 min
- Clarkes Bookshop610 m · 8 min
- MLH Architects & Planners670 m · 8 min
- Chimurenga Book Store670 m · 8 min
- Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum150 m · 2 min
- Monkeybiz230 m · 3 min
- Ghoema Theatre260 m · 3 min
Measured from the representative point at -33.9213, 18.4138. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the representative point there are about 161 street intersections per km², and blocks average 69 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 90 to 100, and Cape Town's score of 98 is their median. Walkability is consistent across the centre.
| Point | Score | Map |
|---|---|---|
| City centre | 99 | Map |
| 1 km north | 100 | Map |
| 1 km east-northeast | 94 | Map |
| 1 km east-southeast | 90 | Map |
| 1 km south | 92 | Map |
| 1 km west-southwest | 100 | Map |
| 1 km west-northwest | 98 | Map |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Gqeberha, South Africa | 664 km | 83 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | 1,264 km | 96 |
| Durban, South Africa | 1,275 km | 99 |
| Pretoria, South Africa | 1,311 km | 85 |
| Maputo, Mozambique | 1,628 km | 86 |
Questions about walking in Cape Town
Is Cape Town a walkable city?
Yes. Central Cape Town has a walkability score of 98 out of 100, which makes it a Walker's Paradise, where daily errands do not require a car. It ranks 2nd of 5 cities in South Africa and 53rd of 252 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in South Africa?
Durban is the most walkable of the 5 cities ranked in South Africa, with a score of 99. Cape Town ranks 2nd with 98.
How does Cape Town compare with nearby cities?
Cape Town sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: Cape Town scores 98, against Gqeberha (83, 664 km away), Johannesburg (96, 1264 km away) and Durban (99, 1275 km away).
How is Cape Town'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 Cape Town 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.