Seattle parks top-ranked for 5th straight year
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The Emerald City's park system is the eighth best in the nation, according to the 2025 rankings from the Trust for Public Land, the fifth consecutive year Seattle has placed in the top 10 among big city parks.
Why it matters: Our parks serve as community meeting spots and civic spaces, offer room for exercise and fresh air, and can draw in new residents.
Driving the news: Seattle dropped two notches from last year, but not through any fault of its own, per the trust.
- The slight drop was caused mostly by upward movement from Cincinnati and San Francisco, not changes to the local park system, TPL said in an emailed news release.
State of play: Seattle scored well across all ParkScore metrics, with 99% of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park — far above the national average of 76%.
- The city also invests heavily in green space, spending $418 per resident, more than triple the U.S. average of $133.
- Seattle's ranking was tempered by average marks for median park size, which, at 5.4 acres, matches the national norm.
Zoom out: Washington, D.C., took home top honors thanks in part to high access and investment scores.
What they're saying: "At a time when so much in our nation seems fractured or polarized, parks may be the last ideology-free zones, where everyone can come together, form meaningful relationships, and enjoy a few hours of peace," said trust president Carrie Besnette Hauser, in the emailed statement.