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- Glasgow
How walkable is Glasgow?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Glasgow has a walkability score of 83 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 4th most walkable of the 20 cities ranked in the United Kingdom.
What's within walking distance of the centre
3,450 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Glasgow. The nearest grocery is about 3 minutes away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- Tesco Express, 3 min
- Good Nude Food, 3 min
Restaurants & bars
- Shang Hai Shuffle Restaurant, 1 min
- Hen of the Woods, 1 min
Shopping
- Home of Fashion, 1 min
- Geoffrey Tailor Kiltmakers, 1 min
Coffee
- Southern Spice - Authentic South Indian Cuisine, 1 min
- Smile Cafe, 2 min
Banks
- Royal Bank of Scotland, 3 min
- TSB Bank, 3 min
Parks
- Braid Park, 9 min
- Woodlands Millenium Park, 11 min
Schools
- ICS Learn, 3 min
- St Aloysius College, 4 min
Books & libraries
- Cooper Hay Rare Books, 3 min
- Assetreal, 3 min
Culture & entertainment
- Playwrights' Studio, Scotland, 1 min
- Matchbox Cine, 1 min
Measured from the centre at 55.8651, -4.2656, the point near Glasgow'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 76 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Glasgow's score of 83 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, 90 from 1 to 3 km out and 77 from 3 to 5 km out. 82% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot.
- 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 Glasgow. 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 | 90 | 97% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 77 | 71% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 67 km | 80 |
| Belfast, United Kingdom | 176 km | 76 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom | 194 km | 78 |
| Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom | 254 km | 68 |
| Bradford, United Kingdom | 281 km | 75 |
Questions about walking in Glasgow
Is Glasgow a walkable city?
Around its centre, yes. Glasgow has a walkability score of 83 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 4th of 20 cities in the United Kingdom and joint 84th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in the United Kingdom?
London is the most walkable of the 20 cities ranked in the United Kingdom, with a score of 98. Glasgow ranks 4th with 83.
How does Glasgow compare with nearby cities?
Glasgow is more walkable than its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 83, against Edinburgh (80, 67 km away), Belfast (76, 176 km away) and Newcastle upon Tyne (78, 194 km away).
Which part of Glasgow is most walkable?
Glasgow'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 south (averaging 96) and falls most to the south-west (59).
How is Glasgow's walkability score calculated?
For Glasgow it is the average of 84 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 69 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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