All cities / Rankings / Best for biking
Best US cities for biking, ranked
All 14 cities ranked by PeopleForBikes network score, out of 100, best first, as of October 2026.
Portland, OR has the best bike network at 55 out of 100, ahead of Denver (47) and Tucson (41). Chicago has the weakest at 11.
- 1. Portland, OR
- 55/ 100
- 2. Denver, CO
- 47/ 100
- 3. Tucson, AZ
- 41/ 100
- 1
Portland, ORQuantum Fiber reaches 98 percent of addresses, and one $2.80 TriMet fare covers bus, MAX and the streetcar.55/ 100 - 2
Denver, CONear-citywide fiber and the best bike score on this list.47/ 100 - 3
Tucson, AZThe lowest 1-bedroom rent on this list, and the buses and streetcar are free.41/ 100 - 4
Austin, TXBig-city tech hub with two near-citywide fiber networks and a $1.25 bus fare.36/ 100 - 5
Nashville, TNA $2 bus ride, a $4 all day pass, and a bootstrapper meetup that actually meets.36/ 100 - 6
Atlanta, GAA monthly Indie Hackers meetup, rail to the airport, and home prices below most cities here.33/ 100 - 7
Chattanooga, TNCity-owned fiber reaches every address, with rents among the lowest on this list.33/ 100 - 8
San Diego, CABeach city with the highest home prices on this list and a trolley that covers the core.28/ 100 - 9
Miami, FLNear-total fiber coverage and a free downtown people mover, at big-city rents.28/ 100 - 10
Riverside, CAInland Empire prices well below coastal California, with Metrolink trains toward Los Angeles.26/ 100 - 11
Las Vegas, NVThe lowest Airbnb prices on this list, in a city built for driving.24/ 100 - 12
Anaheim, CAOrange County base with strong fiber coverage, priced like the coast and laid out for cars.23/ 100 - 13
Asheville, NCSmall mountain city with a $1 bus and weekly founder mornings, best with a car outside downtown.19/ 100 - 14
Chicago, ILThe one city here where living without a car is normal: over a quarter of households have none.11/ 100
The numbers behind the ranking
The PeopleForBikes City Ratings network score measures how well low-stress bike routes connect homes to jobs, shops, schools, parks and transit, from 0 to 100. Source: PeopleForBikes City Ratings 2026.
| Rank | City | PeopleForBikes network score, out of 100 | Low-stress miles | Bike to work | Walkability | July high |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland, OR | 55 | 3,651 | 3.2% | 17.1 / 20 | 82°F |
| 2 | Denver, CO | 47 | 3,680 | 1.5% | 15.8 / 20 | 90°F |
| 3 | Tucson, AZ | 41 | 3,961 | 1.3% | 14.6 / 20 | 100°F |
| 4 | Austin, TX | 36 | 5,598 | 0.9% | 15.8 / 20 | 97°F |
| 5 | Nashville, TN | 36 | 5,066 | 0.4% | 15.5 / 20 | 91°F |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | 33 | 2,631 | 0.9% | 15.7 / 20 | 90°F |
| 7 | Chattanooga, TN | 33 | 2,098 | 0.2% | 13.5 / 20 | 91°F |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | 28 | 5,261 | 0.6% | 15.5 / 20 | 75°F |
| 9 | Miami, FL | 28 | 1,188 | 1.6% | 15.1 / 20 | 88°F |
| 10 | Riverside, CA | 26 | 1,459 | 0.5% | 13.3 / 20 | 93°F |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | 24 | 3,009 | 0.4% | 13.9 / 20 | 104°F |
| 12 | Anaheim, CA | 23 | 969 | 0.9% | 14.4 / 20 | 84°F |
| 13 | Asheville, NC | 19 | 101 | 0.6% | 14.6 / 20 | 86°F |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | 11 | 1,834 | 1.8% | 16.8 / 20 | 85°F |
Questions people ask
Which US city has the best bike network for digital nomads?
Of the 14 cities on Nomading USA, as of October 2026, Portland, OR has the best bike network at 55 out of 100, ahead of Denver (47) and Tucson (41). Chicago has the weakest at 11.
How is PeopleForBikes network score, out of 100 measured?
The PeopleForBikes City Ratings network score measures how well low-stress bike routes connect homes to jobs, shops, schools, parks and transit, from 0 to 100.