How walkable is Gothenburg?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Gothenburg has a walkability score of 74 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. It is the 2nd most walkable of the 3 cities ranked in Sweden.
What's within walking distance of the centre
2,536 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Gothenburg. The nearest grocery is about 2 minutes away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- NK Te & Konfekt, 5 min
- LiDL Vasagatan, 6 min
Restaurants & bars
- Storköket, 1 min
- S.A.K., 1 min
Shopping
- Naturkompaniet, 2 min
- Trädgårdskiosken, 2 min
Coffee
- Café & Bar Grindstugan, 2 min
- Barista Coffee Bar Goteborg, 2 min
Banks
- Länsförsäkringar Göteborg och Bohuslän, 3 min
- Ålandsbanken, 3 min
Parks
- Trädgårdsföreningen, 1 min
- Kungsparken, 1 min
Schools
- Klara Teoretiska Gymnasium, 3 min
- AniaraGymnasiet, 5 min
Books & libraries
- Akademibokhandeln, 4 min
- SCA Molnlycke AB, 5 min
Culture & entertainment
- Palmarum, 2 min
- Palladium (Göteborg), 2 min
Measured from the centre at 57.7033, 11.9710, the point near Gothenburg'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 161 street intersections per km², and blocks average 79 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Gothenburg's score of 74 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 98 within 1 km of the centre, 83 from 1 to 3 km out and 62 from 3 to 5 km out. 21 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. 63% 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 Gothenburg. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 100 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 98 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 83 | 81% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 62 | 42% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Copenhagen, Denmark | 229 km | 87 |
| Malmö, Sweden | 242 km | 66 |
| Oslo, Norway | 255 km | 75 |
| Stockholm, Sweden | 398 km | 79 |
| Hamburg, Germany | 479 km | 80 |
Questions about walking in Gothenburg
Is Gothenburg a walkable city?
Around its centre, yes. Gothenburg has a walkability score of 74 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it very walkable: most errands can be done on foot. Its centre scores 100. 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 2nd of 3 cities in Sweden and joint 222nd of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Sweden?
Stockholm is the most walkable of the 3 cities ranked in Sweden, with a score of 79. Gothenburg ranks 2nd with 74.
How does Gothenburg compare with nearby cities?
Gothenburg sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 74, against Copenhagen (87, 229 km away), Malmö (66, 242 km away) and Oslo (75, 255 km away).
Which part of Gothenburg is most walkable?
Gothenburg's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 100. Walkability averages 98 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the north-east (averaging 83) and falls most to the south (37).
How is Gothenburg's walkability score calculated?
For Gothenburg it is the average of 70 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 44 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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