D.C. ranks #1 in the country for public parks
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
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.
Open embedded content from datawrapper.dwcdn.netBetween 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."
Open embedded content from datawrapper.dwcdn.netYes, 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.