Every June, the nonprofit PeopleForBikes releases its annual City Ratings. They score more than 3,000 American cities on a single defining question: how well does a city’s bike network connect people to the places they want to go? The results aren’t based on vibes or reputation. Instead, they’re built on hard data — protected bike lanes, residential speed limits, safe crossings, trail connectivity, and access to jobs, groceries, parks, and hospitals. All of it is mapped and measured through their Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA) tool.
For 2026, PeopleForBikes updated its methodology. For instance, new census data, tighter boundary analysis, and refined design standards now define what counts as quality infrastructure. In short, the bar got higher. And yet, several major American cities are clearing it with flying colors.
So if you’re planning a trip, scouting a new city, or simply ready to argue about your hometown at dinner, read on. Here are the ten best large cities — population 300,000 and above — to ride a bike in America right now, ranked by their 2026 PeopleForBikes score.
1. Brooklyn, New York — Score: 70
You’ve probably heard that New York is a great city for bikes. But here’s the finer point: Brooklyn is doing the heavy lifting. It lands at the top of the large-city list with a score of 70 out of 100. That places it in the 95th percentile of all 3,000-plus cities rated nationwide — a remarkable achievement for one of the most densely populated places in America.
What makes Brooklyn work for cyclists is its sheer completeness. Ride here, and you’ll find strong access to retail, core services, and transit — all scored in the high 70s and above. Protected lanes along corridors like Fourth Avenue and the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway give you real separation from traffic. Furthermore, the Prospect Park loop remains one of the best urban rides in the country. Add the bridges — the Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Brooklyn — and the whole borough opens up in ways that few cities of this size can match.
Brooklyn isn’t perfect, of course. Some neighborhoods still feel underserved by protected infrastructure. Still, no large American city scores higher. Pack your panniers accordingly.
2. Minneapolis, Minnesota — Score: 68
If Brooklyn earns its spot through density and energy, Minneapolis earns its through commitment. This city treats cycling not as an amenity but as genuine transportation infrastructure — and the results show up in every category PeopleForBikes measures.
Minneapolis scores 68 overall. It’s particularly strong in recreation (78) and retail access (81). That’s no accident. The city has been building toward this for years. Back in 2020, Minneapolis lowered the default speed limit on residential streets to 20 mph. PeopleForBikes specifically flags that move as a key factor in improving bike safety scores. It worked.
When you ride here, you feel it. The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway loops 50 miles through lakes, parks, and neighborhoods with almost zero car conflict. Then there’s the Midtown Greenway — a below-grade rail corridor converted into a car-free bike superhighway cutting straight across the city. Beyond that, on-street protected lanes have grown steadily for more than a decade.
Minneapolis also keeps riding through winter. Whether that’s a testament to the city’s toughness or a piece of remarkable infrastructure planning depends on your perspective. Either way, in summer, this city is simply one of the best places on two wheels in the country.
3. Seattle, Washington — Score: 66
Seattle is a city that works hard for its bike culture, and the 2026 score of 66 reflects that effort. What’s more, it ranks first in all of Washington State and lands in the 94th percentile nationally. Those are strong numbers for a city dealing with hills, rain, and some of the most challenging terrain of any major American metro.
Ride Seattle, and you get a tale of two cities. On one hand, you have the Burke-Gilman Trail — a 27-mile former railroad corridor running through the city’s heart, along Lake Union and Lake Washington. It’s flat, beautifully maintained, and a crown jewel of American bike infrastructure. On the other hand, Capitol Hill and Queen Anne will test your legs in ways no rating system fully captures.
Seattle’s recreation score (71) and retail access (79) are both strong. Transit integration, at 46, is the relative weak spot. Hilly topography also limits low-stress connectivity in some neighborhoods. Nevertheless, Seattle has been investing aggressively in protected lanes. For the rider willing to work for those views — and the views are extraordinary — this city absolutely delivers.
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4. Queens, New York — Score: 63
Queens is the great under-told story of New York City cycling. While Brooklyn grabs the headlines, Queens quietly scores a 63 — placing it fourth among all large American cities and in the 93rd percentile nationwide.
Diversity defines Queens, both culturally and infrastructurally. You can ride from the wide, flat paths of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park to Jamaica Bay’s coastal greenways, then connect to the Rockaway Beach boardwalk without ever touching a highway. The borough’s bike network has expanded significantly in recent years. Because Queens is lower-density than Brooklyn or Manhattan, you’ll also find stretches where riding actually feels relaxed.
In addition, the borough benefits from its connection to the broader NYC bike network, including Citi Bike stations extending into western Queens. The tradeoff is that eastern neighborhoods — Jamaica, St. Albans, Bayside — remain car-dependent, and the score reflects those gaps. Even so, Queens offers something for nearly every kind of rider, from the casual weekend cyclist to the serious commuter logging miles before dawn.
5. San Francisco, California — Score: 61
San Francisco’s place on this list will surprise exactly no one. It has long been a cycling city by identity, and a score of 61 puts it firmly in the top tier of large American metros. It ranks 21st in California — impressive given how many bike-friendly communities crowd the state’s coastal cities.
But here’s what the score doesn’t tell you: riding San Francisco is an experience like nowhere else. The hills are real, and they are brutal. The descent on Market Street toward the Ferry Building, however, is one of the great urban cycling thrills in America. Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive, now permanently car-free, is a gem. And the Bay Trail circles the entirety of San Francisco Bay with views that no car window can match.
San Francisco’s weaknesses show up in transit integration and in connecting neighborhoods across steep topography. Low-stress routing can also be circuitous. Nevertheless, strong scores in retail and core services access mean you can genuinely run your daily life by bike here — if you’re willing to earn it on the hills.
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6. Portland, Oregon — Score: 61
Portland and San Francisco share a score, but they feel like different cycling universes. Portland is flat, approachable, and historically the city that made protected bike infrastructure mainstream in America. Its 2026 score of 61 places it among the elite large cities. In terms of cultural commitment to cycling, arguably no major U.S. city rivals it.
Ride Portland, and you’ll understand the reputation immediately. The network of neighborhood greenways — low-traffic residential streets with traffic calming and bike signage — is the backbone of the city’s infrastructure, and it works. You can cross the entire city east-to-west on these streets with minimal car stress. The Springwater Corridor adds a 40-mile trail connection to the southeast. Bridges across the Willamette give you easy north-south movement.
What holds Portland back from a higher score is a complicated story. Bike commuting rates have slid from their peak. Some infrastructure has aged. And the city’s growth has created connectivity gaps in newer neighborhoods. Nevertheless, Portland’s cultural infrastructure — the bike shops, the advocacy organizations, the sheer number of people on bikes at any given moment — remains unmatched.
7. Washington, D.C. — Score: 58
Washington, D.C. doesn’t always get credit as a cycling city. But the 2026 PeopleForBikes score of 58 tells a story of real and sustained progress. The nation’s capital has invested heavily in protected bike lanes, expanded its Capital Bikeshare system, and built a trail network connecting the city to Maryland and Virginia suburbs.
When you ride D.C., the trails are the highlight. The Metropolitan Branch Trail links Union Station to Silver Spring through a corridor that feels more Pacific Northwest than mid-Atlantic. The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is undergoing continued expansion. Rock Creek Park’s trail system gives you genuine wilderness inside the city limits, complete with deer sightings and tall trees.
Furthermore, D.C.’s grid street layout has gotten progressively more bike-friendly. Protected lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue, L Street, and M Street have made a meaningful difference. The result is a city where cycling has crossed a tipping point. More than 17,000 people now ride to work here regularly. That number has tripled since 2007. The infrastructure is catching up to the ambition.
8. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Score: 57
Philadelphia is in the middle of a cycling transformation. The 2026 PeopleForBikes score of 57 captures a city genuinely on the rise. Not long ago, Philly was an afterthought in conversations about bike-friendly American cities. Today, it belongs in the top ten, and its trajectory is pointing upward.
Protected bike lanes have been added at a meaningful pace. South Street’s cycletrack, the Schuylkill River Trail, and the growing waterfront network all give you solid car-free options. The Schuylkill Banks trail is one of the most scenic urban greenways in the Northeast. It runs from Manayunk to Center City with views of Boathouse Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Riding Philly, you notice its compactness right away. Distances between neighborhoods are short, making bikes the genuinely logical choice. Flat terrain through most of Center City and South Philly is a real advantage. Gaps in the network remain — particularly in North and West Philadelphia — but the direction of travel is clear. Keep an eye on this city.
9. Denver, Colorado — Score: 50
Denver is the surprise entry on this list — not because it doesn’t belong. However, its cycling reputation has historically lagged behind its outdoor identity. While Coloradans love bikes, Denver has been slower than cities like Seattle or Minneapolis to build urban infrastructure that makes cycling practical for everyday trips. A score of 50 puts Denver right at what PeopleForBikes calls the “tipping point” — the threshold above which a city genuinely starts working for bike riders.
Ride Denver, and you feel both the potential and the gaps. The Cherry Creek Trail runs 40 miles from the mountains into downtown, and it’s exceptional. The Platte River Trail connects to it, opening up the city’s entire river corridor for riding. Downtown protected lanes on 15th Street, Colfax Avenue, and Broadway have made commuting significantly more accessible.
Moreover, Denver’s aggressive expansion of bike infrastructure over the past several years has shown results. Hundreds of miles of lanes and trails have been added since 2019. The mountain backdrop reminds you constantly that you’re in one of America’s most outdoor-oriented cities. For visitors, Denver offers a base camp feel — explore by bike, then point toward the foothills.
10. Chicago, Illinois — Score: 45
Chicago closes this list. A score of 45 is a fair representation of a city with both extraordinary cycling assets and significant gaps. The lakefront alone would make Chicago worth visiting by bike. The 18-mile Lakefront Trail runs the entire length of the city’s shoreline, completely separated from traffic. It’s one of the great urban bike paths in America, period.
Beyond the lakefront, though, the story gets complicated. Protected bike infrastructure in many Chicago neighborhoods remains sparse. Car-dependent areas vastly outnumber bike-connected ones. And many existing protected lanes feel disconnected from each other.
That said, Chicago has been investing steadily. The Bloomingdale Trail — an elevated greenway on the city’s northwest side — has become a model for urban trail design. Divvy, Chicago’s bike-share system, has expanded to more than 800 stations. The city has also made commitments to expanding protected infrastructure in historically underserved south and west side neighborhoods.
Chicago earns its spot through the promise of what it’s building. Start at Navy Pier, then ride south along that magnificent path along Lake Michigan.
The Bigger Picture
The 2026 PeopleForBikes City Ratings are a reminder that great cycling cities don’t happen by accident. They happen because local leaders, advocates, and everyday riders push for infrastructure that is safe, connected, and equitable. Every city on this list has earned its place through sustained investment and political will.
The national average PeopleForBikes score for 2026 is 36. Every city on this list clears that mark by a wide margin. More importantly, most of them are still climbing.
So grab your helmet. These cities are ready for you.
PeopleForBikes’ full 2026 City Ratings, including scores for more than 3,000 cities, are available at cityratings.peopleforbikes.org.
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About The Author
Randy Yagi is an award-winning writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS from 2012 to 2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across 23 CBS websites, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. During his peak years with CBS, Randy had a reported digital audience reach of 489 million and 5.5 million monthly visitors. Additionally, his stories have appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget, NBC.com, NJ.com, MSN.com and Radio.com. He earned a Media Fellowship from Stanford University and is a Bay Area Travel Writers (BATW) member.
