D.C. ranks #1 in the country for public parks
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The National Mall in green D.C. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
D.C. boasts the country's best big city park system, a new ranking finds — our fifth year in a row at #1.
Why it matters: The District tops a list of 100 most populous U.S. cities when it comes to park acreage, access, amenities, investment and equity — the five main categories used in the 2025 ParkScore index.
- Arlington, Virginia clocked in at #7.
What they found: D.C. scored 85.5 points, thanks in part to high access and investment rankings, according to the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a pro-park nonprofit.
- 90% of D.C. and Arlington residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
- D.C. spends roughly $393 per resident on parks, while Arlington invests $301 — double the national city average of $133.
Between the lines: Irvine, California, came in second, while Minneapolis ranked third.
- Arlington dropped from #5 to #7 — mostly due to upward moves from other cities, not changes to the local park system itself, according to a TPL spokesperson.
Zoom in: D.C. stands out in a few ways, TPL's team tells Axios.
- Around 90% of our acreage is managed by the National Park Service (NPS), which means a higher level of investment compared to other metros.
- "It almost has an asterisk to it, just because of the nature of where it is and amenities that exist," Carrie Besnette Hauser, TPL president, tells Axios.
Also, 21% of D.C. land is reserved for parkland that's spread evenly across town — "unique among big cities, where parks tend to be concentrated in wealthier areas," Will Klein, TPL parks research director, tells Axios.
- Klein says that speaks to keen foresight by city planners over the past two centuries, "and something we want to continue to do over the next 100 years."
Yes, but: Money isn't guaranteed. Pandemic-era federal infrastructure funding won't last forever, and major NPS cuts are underway in the Trump administration.
- The DMV is "uniquely vulnerable," according to TPL, with major federally run green spaces like the National Mall and Rock Creek Park.