How Walkable Is St. Louis?
Yes — St. Louis is a walkable city. SafeStreets rates St. Louis "Walkable" for walkability overall, though it varies block by block.
St. Louis has a walkable downtown, a light rail system, and dense historic neighborhoods, but population decline and sprawl have left many areas underutilized.
St. Louis sits on the western bank of the Mississippi River, a once-booming industrial city whose dense brick neighborhoods still hold the bones of a highly walkable place. Decades of population loss and a hardened racial divide have left walkability uneven, strong in a handful of historic districts and thin across much of the rest.
Street Network in St. Louis
St. Louis is built on a connected grid that makes its historic core genuinely walkable where buildings still stand. The city's older neighborhoods follow a tight street grid laid out in the streetcar and walking eras, giving short blocks and frequent intersections. Districts like the Central West End, Soulard, and the Delmar Loop carry continuous storefronts, sidewalks, and crossings that reward people on foot. Cherokee Street remains a long, walkable commercial strip lined with shops and restaurants. Population loss has thinned the building fabric in many areas, leaving vacant lots and gaps that break the otherwise good network.
- Pattern: gridded streetcar-era blocks
- Walkable districts: Central West End, Soulard, Delmar Loop, Cherokee Street
Getting Around St. Louis
Metro Transit runs the region's rail and bus service, but rail coverage is limited to two MetroLink lines. Metro Transit operates MetroLink light rail and the MetroBus network across the St. Louis region. MetroLink runs two lines, the Red Line and the Blue Line, that together connect Lambert airport, downtown, the Forest Park area, and stations across the Mississippi River into Illinois. The two lines share track through the central corridor, so most of the city's neighborhoods rely on MetroBus rather than rail. Coverage is strongest downtown and along the central spine and thinner toward the residential edges.
- Rail: MetroLink Red Line and Blue Line
- Operator: Metro Transit (MetroLink plus MetroBus)
- Reach: Lambert airport to downtown to Forest Park into Illinois
Density and Daily Needs in St. Louis
St. Louis was built dense but has lost much of the population that once filled it. The city's peak population in 1950 was roughly 856,000, and it has since fallen to under 300,000 residents. That long decline left behind brick housing stock built for a far larger city, with vacancy and vacant lots common in many neighborhoods. Density holds up best in the Central West End, Soulard, and the Loop, where residents, jobs, and storefronts still cluster. Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the United States, anchors the central neighborhoods with green space.
- Peak population: about 856,000 in 1950
- Current population: under 300,000
- Anchor: Forest Park central green space
How St. Louis Got This Way
A Mississippi river city of brick neighborhoods, St. Louis still lives with the geography that redlining drew. St. Louis grew as a major Mississippi River port and rail hub, and the Gateway Arch on the downtown riverfront marks that founding role. Generations of redlining and segregation produced the Delmar Divide, the stark line along Delmar Boulevard separating wealthier, whiter neighborhoods to the south from poorer, predominantly Black neighborhoods to the north. The same history shaped where investment, disrepair, and walkable streets persist today. The result is a city whose best walking districts and its most neglected ones often sit only blocks apart.
- Landmark: Gateway Arch on the riverfront
- Divide: Delmar Boulevard (the Delmar Divide)
- Roots: Mississippi River port and rail hub
St. Louis Walkability at a Glance
- Median walkability score: 12.8 / 20 (EPA National Walkability Index)
- Walkable neighborhoods: 78% of mapped neighborhoods score above average
- Median home value: $191,400 (Zillow ZHVI 2026)
- Median household income: $57,563 (US Census ACS)
- Zero-car households: 12%
Based on 951 neighborhoods within 20 km of central St. Louis.
Walkability Distribution in St. Louis
- Most Walkable: 199 neighborhoods (21%)
- Above Average: 541 neighborhoods (57%)
- Below Average: 178 neighborhoods (19%)
- Least Walkable: 33 neighborhoods (3%)
Cost of Living in St. Louis
Estimated annual housing-plus-transport cost for the median home in St. Louis, MO (mortgage at 6.5% rate, 30 year, 80% LTV; AAA MO car cost; state-average property tax and homeowners insurance).
- Car-free household: $15,371 per year
- One-car household: $26,871 per year
- Two-car household: $38,371 per year
- Going car-free saves: about $23,000 per year
How People Get Around in St. Louis
- Drive alone: 69.3% (US average 68.1%)
- Public transit: 3.8% (US average 4.2%)
- Walk: 0.4% (US average 0.5%)
- Work from home: 2.1% (US average 2.5%)
Population-weighted shares from US Census ACS 5-year estimates, aggregated across 809 mapped neighborhoods.
Pedestrian Safety in St. Louis
147 pedestrian fatalities recorded by NHTSA FARS within 20 km of central St. Louis over 3 years (2022 to 2024). Annualized rate: 1.54 per 100,000 residents per year. US average: about 2.27 per 100,000 per year.
Health Outcomes in St. Louis
Adult-prevalence rates from CDC PLACES, aggregated across neighborhoods within 20 km of central St. Louis. US averages shown for comparison.
- Obesity: 36.5% (US 33.4%)
- Diagnosed diabetes: 13.5% (US 12.0%)
- No leisure-time physical activity: 28.5% (US 25.5%)
- High blood pressure: 38.4% (US 34.1%)
- Current asthma: 11.6% (US 10.4%)
- Frequent mental distress: 18.1% (US 16.8%)
St. Louis Walkability Highlights
- MetroLink light rail connects downtown to the airport, Clayton, and Illinois
- Central West End is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the Midwest
- Forest Park (larger than Central Park) is surrounded by walkable neighborhoods
- Dense brick rowhouse neighborhoods provide traditional urban walkability
Transportation and Transit in St. Louis
Metro Transit operates MetroLink light rail (2 lines) and MetroBus. Light rail connects the airport to downtown and reaches into Illinois.
Most Walkable Neighborhoods in St. Louis
Central West End. Premier walkable neighborhood with Euclid Avenue restaurants, shops, and MetroLink
Soulard. Historic neighborhood with brick rowhouses, the Soulard Farmers Market, and nightlife
The Grove. Walkable entertainment district along Manchester Avenue with restaurants and bars
Lafayette Square. Restored Victorian neighborhood with a walkable park square and local dining
Walkability Challenges in St. Louis
- Significant population loss has reduced street activity in many neighborhoods
- City-county separation fragments governance and transit planning
Frequently Asked Questions About Walkability in St. Louis
Is St. Louis walkable?
St. Louis is rated "Walkable" for walkability on SafeStreets. St. Louis sits on the western bank of the Mississippi River, a once-booming industrial city whose dense brick neighborhoods still hold the bones of a highly walkable place. Decades of population loss and a hardened racial divide have left walkability uneven, strong in a handful of historic districts and thin across much of the rest.
What are the most walkable neighborhoods in St. Louis?
The most walkable neighborhoods in St. Louis include Central West End, Soulard, The Grove and Lafayette Square. Premier walkable neighborhood with Euclid Avenue restaurants, shops, and MetroLink
Can you live in St. Louis without a car?
About 12% of households here already live without a car. Metro Transit operates MetroLink light rail and the MetroBus network across the St. Louis region. MetroLink runs two lines, the Red Line and the Blue Line, that together connect Lambert airport, downtown, the Forest Park area, and stations across the Mississippi River into Illinois. The two lines share track through the central corridor, so most of the city's neighborhoods rely on MetroBus rather than rail. Coverage is strongest downtown and along the central spine and thinner toward the residential edges.
How do you get around St. Louis?
Metro Transit runs the region's rail and bus service, but rail coverage is limited to two MetroLink lines. Metro Transit operates MetroLink light rail and the MetroBus network across the St. Louis region. MetroLink runs two lines, the Red Line and the Blue Line, that together connect Lambert airport, downtown, the Forest Park area, and stations across the Mississippi River into Illinois. The two lines share track through the central corridor, so most of the city's neighborhoods rely on MetroBus rather than rail. Coverage is strongest downtown and along the central spine and thinner toward the residential edges.
Why is St. Louis walkable the way it is?
A Mississippi river city of brick neighborhoods, St. Louis still lives with the geography that redlining drew. St. Louis grew as a major Mississippi River port and rail hub, and the Gateway Arch on the downtown riverfront marks that founding role. Generations of redlining and segregation produced the Delmar Divide, the stark line along Delmar Boulevard separating wealthier, whiter neighborhoods to the south from poorer, predominantly Black neighborhoods to the north. The same history shaped where investment, disrepair, and walkable streets persist today. The result is a city whose best walking districts and its most neglected ones often sit only blocks apart.
Is it safe to walk in St. Louis?
St. Louis records 1.54 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people a year, below the US average of 2.27, based on 147 fatalities NHTSA recorded over 3 years. Most pedestrian deaths happen on wide, fast arterials, so safety changes block by block. Check the street safety score for a specific address.
How is walkability measured?
SafeStreets scores walkability from 0 to 10 using four weighted parts: daily-needs reach (40%), street safety (30%), transit access (15%), and walking comfort (15%). Street safety folds in pedestrian-fatality data from NHTSA FARS and WHO, not just how many places sit nearby. Every input is public (EPA, OpenStreetMap, US Census, CDC PLACES, NHTSA) and the full method is documented.
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Walkability in Other Cities
New York, NY · San Francisco, CA · Chicago, IL · Boston, MA · Philadelphia, PA · Washington, DC
Compare St. Louis With Other Cities
St. Louis vs Kansas City · St. Louis vs Chicago
View all city walkability guides →
Sources: EPA Smart Location Database, Zillow ZHVI 2026, US Census ACS 5-year, AAA Your Driving Costs 2024, Tax Foundation / ATTOM property tax 2023, Insurance Information Institute HO-3 averages 2023 to 2024.
Cite as: SafeStreets by Streets & Commons. "How Walkable Is St. Louis?" https://safestreets.streetsandcommons.com/walkability/st-louis-mo
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