Seattle has one of the country's best park systems
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
At 534 acres, Discovery Park on the shores of Puget Sound is the city's largest public park. Photo: Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
With driftwood beaches and designer gardens, playgrounds and hills for kite-flying, Seattle has one of the country's best park systems, new data shows.
Why it matters: As loneliness and social disconnection rise, parks and green spaces can foster community building and help repair "our frayed social fabric," the nonprofit Trust for Public Land (TPL) wrote in its 2024 report.
- On average, the top 25 ParkScore cities had 26% more social connections between low- and high-income individuals compared to lower-ranked cities, per the report.
Driving the news: Among TPL's annual parks rating for the 100 most populous cities in the U.S., Seattle ranked No. 6, up from No. 8 last year.
What they did: The score accounts for the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk to a park, access in communities of color, acreage, amenities and the city's financial investment in parks.
By the numbers: With 489 parks and 6,441 acres of recreational space and natural areas as well as community centers, pools and golf courses, Seattle's park system takes up about 12% of the city's land area.
- Seattle scored 77.4 out of a possible 100 with extra high marks for access — 99% of Seattle residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park — and investment in publicly accessible parks and recreation.
- Residents in neighborhoods of color also have access to 42% more park space per person than the city's average neighborhood, per the report.
What they're saying: Parks superintendent AP Diaz said in a written statement the ranking brings "immense joy."
- "And a special shout out to the people of Seattle, who hold a special place in their hearts for our parks and are committed to preserving and enhancing them," Diaz said.
What to watch: Waterfront Park, a 20-acre jewel of public space on Elliott Bay, is expected to open next year after more than a decade of planning and development.