2022’s Best Biking Cities in the U.S.

For some Americans, pedaling is a way of life. These people prefer to get around on two wheels over walking or driving.

But which U.S. cities are most ideal for avid cyclists?

To mark World Bicycle Day on June 3, LawnStarter ranked 2022’s Best Biking Cities in the U.S.

We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 24 key indicators of a cyclist-friendly lifestyle, such as access to bike lanes and bike rentals, the share of bike commuters, the presence of cycling clubs, and the number of bike races and tours.

Check out our ranking of the best and worst cities for two-wheelers below, followed by some highlights, lowlights, and expert tips.

City Rankings
Highlights and Lowlights
Ask the Experts
Methodology
Pedal Power

City Rankings

See how each city fared in our ranking:

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	City	Overall Score	Access Rank	Safety Rank	Climate Rank	Community Rank	Events Rank
1	San Francisco, CA	72.13	1	27	7	4	5
2	Minneapolis, MN	65.52	5	1	153	7	12
3	New York, NY	64.45	4	9	152	12	2
4	Portland, OR	63.4	2	12	63	2	20
5	Eugene, OR	62.21	3	8	95	5	28
6	Boston, MA	61.57	11	2	114	16	17
7	Denver, CO	60.94	9	10	83	11	9
8	Seattle, WA	60.18	6	21	81	3	31
9	Washington, DC	59.34	16	20	104	1	15
10	Chicago, IL	57.1	33	3	192	18	7
11	Madison, WI	54.66	17	7	183	9	125
12	Fort Collins, CO	54.23	7	34	79	6	94
13	Albuquerque, NM	53.78	15	23	55	50	29
14	San Diego, CA	53.53	25	30	11	28	12
15	San Jose, CA	52.89	14	28	4	40	39
16	Philadelphia, PA	52.63	53	11	141	32	24
17	Alexandria, VA	52.56	21	4	104	33	89
18	Tempe, AZ	52.34	73	5	56	15	65
19	Los Angeles, CA	52	60	32	29	10	14
20	Sacramento, CA	51.87	24	16	37	35	149
21	Richmond, VA	51.62	38	22	101	31	40
22	Orlando, FL	51.14	18	14	92	70	103
23	Salt Lake City, UT	50.66	12	113	93	23	3
24	San Antonio, TX	50.64	39	13	140	123	17
25	Houston, TX	50.44	27	26	195	52	10
26	Austin, TX	48.7	85	15	131	30	27
27	Fremont, CA	48.66	29	29	7	86	83
28	Boise, ID	48.53	55	35	71	22	31
29	Jersey City, NJ	48.19	41	17	168	46	125
30	Durham, NC	47.69	43	18	94	134	172
31	Miami, FL	47.64	8	68	88	74	31
32	Tampa, FL	47.3	32	31	75	42	103
33	Arlington, VA	46.97	35	39	104	27	45
34	Charlotte, NC	46.36	58	25	80	108	64
35	Buffalo, NY	44.96	19	44	176	56	49
36	Rochester, NY	44.84	23	43	159	41	67
37	Lincoln, NE	44.59	49	37	103	78	49
38	St. Paul, MN	44.42	44	41	153	54	31
39	Anchorage, AK	44.23	95	6	148	59	138
40	Long Beach, CA	43.2	10	169	15	84	71
41	Pittsburgh, PA	42.91	52	50	199	34	40
42	Santa Rosa, CA	42.84	34	118	1	43	71
43	St. Louis, MO	42.69	48	46	185	44	49
44	Atlanta, GA	42.67	45	65	107	39	40
45	Las Vegas, NV	42.62	71	47	40	100	40
46	Spokane, WA	42.57	28	54	85	87	108
47	Knoxville, TN	42.19	20	109	136	96	37
48	Colorado Springs, CO	42.07	30	154	73	45	16
49	Oakland, CA	42.05	47	144	7	25	61
50	Vancouver, WA	41.83	84	33	63	103	87
51	Honolulu, HI	41.71	22	155	6	38	89
52	Cincinnati, OH	41.68	13	122	143	117	58
53	Milwaukee, WI	41.43	26	119	145	81	37
54	Baltimore, MD	40.7	62	100	149	51	22
55	Phoenix, AZ	40.58	83	63	56	36	56
56	St. Petersburg, FL	40.36	40	145	75	58	23
57	Providence, RI	39.67	37	73	158	69	172
58	Tallahassee, FL	39.61	31	80	181	92	149
59	Tucson, AZ	39.59	79	156	52	26	21
60	Sunnyvale, CA	39.54	98	58	5	29	83
60	Raleigh, NC	39.54	46	77	115	88	108
62	Toledo, OH	39.24	54	56	167	144	172
63	Columbus, OH	39.06	72	59	189	128	49
64	Reno, NV	38.91	76	116	54	82	55
65	Des Moines, IA	38.8	61	60	134	140	172
66	Rockford, IL	38.77	68	55	175	163	108
67	Indianapolis, IN	38.71	78	133	188	61	11
68	Riverside, CA	38.69	50	135	16	101	138
69	Garden Grove, CA	38.63	36	168	16	80	125
70	Detroit, MI	38.6	42	148	164	84	24
71	Winston-Salem, NC	38.43	65	131	109	64	40
72	Greensboro, NC	38.32	70	107	86	140	58
73	Grand Rapids, MI	38.15	113	110	182	63	6
74	Scottsdale, AZ	38.04	88	75	56	75	65
75	Fort Wayne, IN	38.03	75	84	142	108	77
76	Dayton, OH	37.91	51	95	171	105	172
77	Dallas, TX	37.91	82	88	117	65	62
78	Omaha, NE	37.9	66	81	133	127	108
79	Nashville, TN	37.9	89	89	156	71	31
80	Bellevue, WA	37.6	100	38	78	98	108
81	Tulsa, OK	37.49	118	120	177	153	1
82	McAllen, TX	37.39	101	49	128	146	108
83	Louisville, KY	37.28	92	83	163	117	31
84	Laredo, TX	37.21	197	24	128	189	172
85	Fort Lauderdale, FL	37.16	110	36	88	59	125
86	Hayward, CA	37.09	56	173	10	129	83
87	Mesa, AZ	37.05	108	79	56	79	45
88	Springfield, MA	37	67	108	111	175	94
89	Macon, GA	36.94	180	19	102	184	172
90	Cleveland, OH	36.8	64	126	191	67	71
91	Pasadena, CA	36.48	123	127	30	8	125
92	Modesto, CA	36.36	59	170	53	106	94
93	Yonkers, NY	36.28	57	129	168	163	125
94	El Paso, TX	36.16	109	92	45	152	49
95	Plano, TX	35.96	86	67	117	153	149
96	Aurora, CO	35.89	99	105	83	104	82
97	Worcester, MA	35.72	91	91	162	124	67
98	Irvine, CA	35.49	121	112	16	37	71
99	Wichita, KS	35.32	90	97	138	120	108
100	Savannah, GA	35.1	81	163	108	47	87
101	Fullerton, CA	35.03	77	181	30	71	125
102	Torrance, CA	34.85	129	123	30	13	103
103	Huntsville, AL	34.81	93	99	170	124	149
104	Fort Worth, TX	34.78	96	98	117	89	149
105	Chattanooga, TN	34.52	97	172	178	150	8
106	Lexington, KY	34.34	178	48	127	135	49
107	Memphis, TN	34.33	80	165	166	95	58
108	Henderson, NV	34.23	141	45	40	174	149
109	Huntington Beach, CA	33.82	74	195	16	48	76
110	Salem, OR	33.56	136	106	70	49	172
111	Corpus Christi, TX	33.56	87	136	96	175	172
112	Syracuse, NY	33.41	134	87	190	92	67
113	Norfolk, VA	33.24	94	121	66	112	172
114	Glendale, CA	33.19	144	164	16	17	89
115	Salinas, CA	33.17	150	78	3	189	172
116	Pomona, CA	33.05	145	159	30	14	149
117	Springfield, MO	33.04	146	66	155	111	149
118	North Las Vegas, NV	33.04	181	42	40	99	138
119	Paradise, NV	33.01	174	40	47	106	172
119	Santa Ana, CA	33.01	117	149	16	55	103
121	Chula Vista, CA	32.78	124	138	11	137	57
122	Chandler, AZ	32.56	157	85	56	57	71
123	Orange, CA	32.46	132	101	30	76	125
124	Newark, NJ	32.35	119	134	161	189	30
125	Port St. Lucie, FL	32.22	160	69	77	150	172
126	Oklahoma City, OK	32.15	114	150	126	124	47
127	Mobile, AL	32.01	112	125	173	189	108
128	Cape Coral, FL	31.91	155	74	130	175	138
129	Peoria, AZ	31.77	168	52	72	90	138
130	New Orleans, LA	31.74	102	199	179	24	4
131	Bridgeport, CT	31.69	163	72	139	160	125
132	Gilbert, AZ	31.67	161	61	56	117	125
133	Ontario, CA	31.46	115	167	16	129	172
134	Elk Grove, CA	31.43	116	132	37	161	172
135	Lancaster, CA	31.39	147	182	30	19	149
136	Virginia Beach, VA	31.38	153	102	66	94	94
137	Clarksville, TN	31.15	69	187	157	199	172
138	Naperville, IL	31.11	137	62	197	175	149
139	Birmingham, AL	31.1	103	177	184	120	94
140	Lakewood, CO	31.08	107	160	112	66	125
141	Lubbock, TX	31.06	189	103	43	129	108
142	Kansas City, MO	31.01	105	147	146	142	172
143	Palmdale, CA	30.99	143	189	30	19	138
144	Tacoma, WA	30.86	106	146	81	112	172
145	Anaheim, CA	30.78	125	190	16	77	62
146	Killeen, TX	30.76	196	53	131	170	172
147	Cary, NC	30.72	104	157	115	115	149
148	Oceanside, CA	30.71	128	171	11	83	83
149	Escondido, CA	30.68	126	194	14	53	26
150	Columbus, GA	30.67	166	111	86	144	108
151	Midland, TX	30.64	185	64	39	175	172
152	Olathe, KS	30.38	179	51	150	137	108
153	Arlington, TX	30.23	156	94	117	97	149
154	Brownsville, TX	30.14	194	76	100	175	108
155	Stockton, CA	29.92	63	198	46	163	172
156	Moreno Valley, CA	29.77	139	161	16	170	149
157	San Bernardino, CA	29.66	142	178	16	153	67
158	Glendale, AZ	29.64	164	130	56	68	89
159	Fontana, CA	29.33	152	162	16	153	149
160	Thornton, CO	29.28	111	185	112	153	125
161	Amarillo, TX	29.25	195	57	74	189	172
162	Bakersfield, CA	29.15	135	186	51	163	108
163	Overland Park, KS	28.97	172	96	146	148	108
164	Santa Clarita, CA	28.89	131	197	16	19	94
165	Hialeah, FL	28.89	120	150	88	143	172
166	Mesquite, TX	28.85	183	70	144	175	94
167	Fresno, CA	28.85	127	176	65	120	172
168	Little Rock, AR	28.75	167	175	110	161	47
169	Fayetteville, NC	28.73	162	142	99	149	172
170	Irving, TX	28.69	186	71	117	137	138
171	Augusta, GA	28.67	170	139	174	163	94
172	Joliet, IL	28.6	140	93	197	189	149
173	Oxnard, CA	28.42	133	191	2	146	125
174	Frisco, TX	28.3	187	90	117	159	94
175	Aurora, IL	28.27	158	115	192	184	108
176	McKinney, TX	28.1	184	114	117	129	77
177	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	27.88	130	192	16	116	149
178	Pembroke Pines, FL	27.85	148	137	88	170	149
179	Garland, TX	27.7	193	82	117	153	149
180	Shreveport, LA	27.52	188	124	160	175	172
181	Metairie, LA	27.46	182	86	179	102	103
182	Corona, CA	27.43	151	184	44	187	138
183	Kansas City, KS	27.41	192	143	150	136	108
184	Sioux Falls, SD	27.4	198	117	137	163	77
185	Miramar, FL	27.34	149	140	97	187	172
186	Spring Valley, NV	27.15	175	141	47	189	149
187	Newport News, VA	27.14	165	158	66	112	77
188	Grand Prairie, TX	27.1	190	104	117	169	149
189	Paterson, NJ	27.06	173	152	165	199	138
190	Akron, OH	26.8	138	174	187	184	149
191	Jacksonville, FL	26.11	154	188	135	110	138
192	Enterprise, NV	26.09	175	166	47	175	172
193	Chesapeake, VA	25.93	159	180	66	170	108
194	Hollywood, FL	25.88	122	200	97	62	17
195	Sunrise Manor, NV	25.43	175	183	47	189	138
196	Montgomery, AL	24.28	199	153	196	189	77
197	Murfreesboro, TN	24.1	171	179	172	129	149
198	Pasadena, TX	23.36	191	128	200	71	89
199	Jackson, MS	20.85	200	193	186	189	172
200	Baton Rouge, LA	20.75	169	196	194	91	149

Infographic of 2022's best biking cities in America is based on bike score, trails, safety, and more — Note: Although we ranked 200 cities, the lowest ranking positions for some metrics above may not be 181 due to a number of ties among the cities. Depending on the number of cities that tied for a particular metric, not all cities may be displayed for presentation purposes.

Highlights and Lowlights

Big-City Speeds

The bigger the city the better it rides on our list. Here’s why: Large metros need to invest in good biking infrastructure to support high population density. That’s reflected in our top biking cities, such as San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis, and New York: Each claimed one of the best spots in our “Access” category.

Eugene, Oregon, is the exception. Although smaller than the other nine cities in our top 10, Eugene managed to get ahead because cycling is clearly a lifestyle: The city ranked No. 3 in Access, No. 5 in Community, and No. 8 in Safety.

Let’s connect the big-city dots: If you have the endurance, the gear, and the time, you can recreate your own version of the ultra-distance Race Across America (RAAM) by hitting up every city in our top 10. Or race in the actual RAAM event, which historically begins in Oceanside, California, and ends in Annapolis, Maryland.

Tour de San Francisco

For the second year in a row, the The Golden City is also our gold medalist.

You might wonder why a city defined by its steep hills could be the best city for avid cyclists, but it’s those challenging inclines that help bikers develop strong endurance — and legs. That and San Francisco simply has a lot going for it: The city coasted through just about every category but owes its win particularly to Access and Climate.

San Francisco swept four out of six Access metrics, and among our best 10 cycling cities, only the Golden City managed to rank in the top 25% in Climate. Weather matters when you’re out in bike shorts — that’s how otherwise great biking cities lost the race again to San Francisco in our ranking.

It’s little shock, then, why San Francisco is home to one of the largest cycling communities.

Pulling the Brakes on the South

While no single region dominated the top of our ranking, the South and Southwest claimed much of the bottom spots. In fact, the last 10 places are all occupied by cities from these two regions.

That’s no surprise: Biking requires a lot of outdoor time, which isn’t as easy in places like our worst city overall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, No. 157 for extremely hot days and No. 189 for annual rain. Warm and wet don’t mix well with cycling.

It also makes sense that many of these cities, such as Montgomery, Alabama, and Jackson, Mississippi, have few bike trails and bike commuters. Why invest in the infrastructure if the climate can’t match it? But don’t let that stop you — if you love cycling enough to hit that wet pavement when the air is thick as soup, ride on.

Ask The Experts

The pandemic fueled a bike boom. Two years in, bike buyers are still running into a dead end across many parts of the world — not just in the U.S. — as bike suppliers grapple with supply-chain delays.

We turned to a panel of cycling experts for tips on finding bikes and riding for the first time. See what they had to say below.

What are the top three benefits of cycling?
What are some alternative places to find bikes amid the current national bike shortage?
What are your three best tips for first-time cyclists?

N. Travis Triplett, PhD, CSCS*D, FNSCA

Professor of Exercise Science, Exercise Science Undergraduate Program Director, Department of Health and Exercise Science

Scott A. Conger, Ph.D., FACSM

Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology

N. Travis Triplett, PhD, CSCS*D, FNSCA

Professor of Exercise Science, Exercise Science Undergraduate Program Director, Department of Health and Exercise Science

Appalachian State University

N. Travis Triplett, PhD, CSCS*D, FNSCA

Professor of Exercise Science, Exercise Science Undergraduate Program Director, Department of Health and Exercise Science

Appalachian State University

1. What are the top three benefits of cycling?

Cycling is a great form of exercise because it improves the cardiorespiratory system, which is important because heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S.
If cycling is done on hilly terrains, there is even greater stress to the muscular system than on flatter terrains, which is important for maintaining strength.
Cycling is also an excellent choice for individuals who need to do low-impact exercise due to joint problems, such as arthritis.

2. What are some alternative places to find bikes amid the current national bike shortage?

Bicycle shops’ inventory may be slow to recover as production catches up, but individuals may be able to still find a good bike on local buy-sell-trade sites as some individuals may have upgraded their bicycle during the pandemic and now have a bicycle to sell that still has some usefulness. There may be some great deals available.

3. What are your three best tips for first-time cyclists?

My best advice about cycling is to first find a bike that fits your body and the type of surfaces you will most likely be riding on. Bicycles vary greatly with the construction of the frame, the type of tires, and the components (gears, brakes, etc).

While your local bicycle shop is your best resource, there are articles online about how to get a general idea of what frame size you need and how to choose the type of bike that will be best for your riding conditions.

Second, find people to ride with. It is not only safer, but you also can learn about cycling a lot faster, including basic bicycle maintenance. Many bicycle shops have group rides for people of varying abilities.

Third, invest in proper cycling shorts. You will be a lot more comfortable and enjoy your rides much more.

Scott A. Conger, Ph.D., FACSM

Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology

Boise State University

Scott A. Conger, Ph.D., FACSM

Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology

Boise State University

1. What are the top three benefits of cycling?

Cycling is a great way to increase your physical activity, which has numerous physical and mental health benefits.
Cycling is a low-impact exercise. It is a great option for health benefits while reducing impact-related stress on knees, ankles, hips, and lower back.
Cycling is the most efficient form of locomotion, meaning that it requires less energy per kilometer than any other type of human-powered movement. This can expand your “playground” to allow you to explore a much greater area. While it may take five to seven hours to cover 20 miles while hiking, you can cover that same distance on a bicycle in one to two hours.

2. What are some alternative places to find bikes amid the current national bike shortage?

The shortage of new bicycles will probably continue for the next six to 12 months. However, there are still lots of places where bicycles are still available. There are several websites where used bicycles can be found that are sold by local sellers, including Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Nextdoor.

Also, check local sporting goods and outdoor consignment stores. If you already have a bicycle that hasn’t been used in a few years, your local bicycle shop can tune it up for you and have it ready to go in just a couple of days.

3. What are your three best tips for first-time cyclists?

Invest in a good pair of cycling shorts and a new helmet. Cycling shorts with padding will help reduce some of the soreness that will inevitably occur after you spend an extended amount of time on your new bicycle saddle. Don’t worry if the skin-tight lycra look isn’t for you — there are lots of options of shorts with a padded liner that look like “regular” shorts. The helmet doesn’t need to be expensive, but it needs to have a Consumer Products Safety Committee (CPSC) sticker. Purchasing a new helmet will ensure that the protective components have not been damaged due to a previous accident or from an accidental drop.
Learn how to change a bicycle tire. A flat tire 10 miles from home can turn a morning bike ride into a long walk home. Check with your local bike shop or sporting goods store to see if they offer classes on basic bicycle maintenance.
Keep it fun! Incorporate cycling into family activities, visit a new park or trail, or ask a friend to join you on a bike ride. We are less likely to continue an activity if we do not enjoy it. If it starts to become a chore, slow down or shorten the ride. You will still get many health benefits with a 10- to 20-minute bike ride.

Methodology

We ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities from best (No. 1) to worst (No. 200) for biking based on their overall scores (out of 100 possible points), averaged across all of the weighted metrics listed below.

Metric	Weighting	Min. Value	Max. Value	Best
Access
Friendliness of State Bike Laws	2	1	49	Min. Value
Miles of Bike Lanes per Square Mile	5	0.1	5.4	Max. Value
Number of Bike Trails	5	0	34	Max. Value
Bike-Sharing Program Present (1 = Yes, 0 = No)	3	0	1	Max. Value
Bike-Rental Facilities per Square Mile	2	0	0.87	Max. Value
Bike Shops per Square Mile	2	0	1.3	Max. Value
Safety
Bike Score	4	27	83	Max. Value
Share of "Moderately Difficult" and "Hard" Biking Trails	1	0%	100%	Max. Value
Biking-Related Fatalities per 100,000 Residents	5	0	3.28	Min. Value
Vision Zero Program Present (1 = Yes, 0 = No)	5	0	1	Max. Value
Bike Thefts per 100,000 Residents	3	0	277.39	Min. Value
Share of Roads in Poor Condition	3	4%	71%	Min. Value
Natural Hazards Index	2	9	20	Min. Value
Climate
Historical Number of Extremely Cold Days	1	0	192	Min. Value
Historical Number of Extremely Hot Days	1	2	169	Min. Value
Historical Average Monthly Inches of Precipitation	1	5.37	65.28	Min. Value
Historical Average Percentage of Sunshine	1	42%	85%	Max. Value
Median Air Quality Index	1	19	77	Min. Value
Community
Share of Workers Who Bike to Work	3	0	5.4	Max. Value
Number of Bike Clubs	2	0	25	Max. Value
Number of Bike Meetups	1	0	48	Max. Value
Events
Number of Cycling Races and Events	3	0	12	Max. Value
Number of Bike Tours	2	0	25	Max. Value
Naked Bike Ride Present (1 = Yes, 0 = No)	1	0	1	Max. Value

Sources: AllTrails, Bikeshare.com, Bike Index, The League of American Bicyclists, Meetup, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, National Centers for Environmental Information, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, TRIP, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA Cycling, Vision Zero Network, Walk Score, World Naked Bike Ride, and Yelp

Pedal Power

The global bike shortage might have slowed the pandemic-fueled bike boom, but there’s no shortage of exciting news in the cycling world:

Cycling is kicking back into high gear amid rising gas prices. Since fuel costs started hitting record highs in March, metros like the Bay Area, Cincinnati, and San Antonio have seen spikes in bike sales.

E-bikes, suddenly all the rage, outsold electric cars and plug-in hybrids combined in the U.S. in 2021, according to Electrek, and projected demand is strong.

Cycling events canceled during the pandemic are back on the road. New York’s TD Five Boro Bike Tour, the nation’s largest charitable bike ride, for example, will operate at full capacity this year. The prestigious 200-mile Unbound Gravel ride in Emporia, Kansas, also is still on course for June 4.
A first-of-its-kind federal bill will help develop long-distance bike trails and expand mountain biking access to public lands.

But you don’t have to be a pro cycler to enjoy a ride out. Even if you’re a more casual or beginner bicyclist, there are many ways to enjoy — and benefits to reap from — pedaling on two wheels.

So, grab your helmet, and enjoy your ride this World Bicycle Day, June 3.

Main photo credit: Shutterstock