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- Utrecht
How walkable is Utrecht?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Utrecht has a walkability score of 69 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 least walkable of the 4 cities ranked in The Netherlands.
What's within walking distance of the centre
2,066 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Utrecht. The nearest grocery is about 5 minutes away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- Toko Tjiau Jiang, 6 min
- SPAR city Utrecht WTC, 6 min
Restaurants & bars
- NSR Personeelsverblijf, 4 min
- Backwerk, 4 min
Shopping
- Jambelle Beenmode, 4 min
- Bershka, 4 min
Coffee
- Kiosk Centraal, 5 min
- Korenbeurs, 5 min
Banks
- GWK Travelex Utrecht, 4 min
- ABN AMRO, 8 min
Parks
- Moreelsepark, 4 min
- Regulierenkloostertuin, 10 min
Schools
- Instituut Blankestijn, 11 min
- Luzac Utrecht, 11 min
Books & libraries
- HBO Kennisinfrastructuur (HKI), 5 min
- Bruna, 5 min
Culture & entertainment
- Beatrix Theater, 5 min
- Duo/IB-Groep, 6 min
Measured from the centre at 52.0869, 5.1113, the point near Utrecht'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 200 street intersections per km², and blocks average 50 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Utrecht's score of 69 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 96 within 1 km of the centre, 82 from 1 to 3 km out and 53 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. 59% 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 Utrecht. 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 | 96 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 82 | 80% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 53 | 34% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam, The Netherlands | 35 km | 87 |
| Rotterdam, The Netherlands | 48 km | 77 |
| The Hague, The Netherlands | 56 km | 85 |
| Antwerp, Belgium | 109 km | 81 |
| Duisburg, Germany | 135 km | 55 |
Questions about walking in Utrecht
Is Utrecht a walkable city?
Partly. Utrecht has a walkability score of 69 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 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 4th of 4 cities in The Netherlands and joint 310th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in The Netherlands?
Amsterdam is the most walkable of the 4 cities ranked in The Netherlands, with a score of 87. Utrecht ranks 4th with 69.
How does Utrecht compare with nearby cities?
Utrecht is less walkable than its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 69, against Amsterdam (87, 35 km away), Rotterdam (77, 48 km away) and The Hague (85, 56 km away).
Which part of Utrecht is most walkable?
Utrecht'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 96 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the north (averaging 77) and falls most to the south-west (42).
How is Utrecht's walkability score calculated?
For Utrecht 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; 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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