The 20 Best US Cities For Cyclists

REUTERS/Robert Galbraith

According to a recently released report from the Alliance For Biking & Walking, the number of people biking to work in America has steadily grown for much of the last decade.

That growth can largely be attributed to the increased availability of bicycle facilities in the form of bicycle lanes, multi-use paths, and signed bicycle routes.

The Alliance compiled a ranking of cities with the most miles of bicycle facilities per square mile using data submitted by the 52 largest municipalities in America.

According to the report, San Francisco is the most bicycle friendly city in the country, with 7.8 miles of bicycle facilities per sq. mile. Austin and Long Beach came in second and third, with 4.6 and 4.5 miles of bike facilities per sq. mile, respectively. San Francisco's time at the top of the list may be short lived, as Austin plans to expand its facilities by an additional 1,100 miles over the next eight years.

Interestingly, 16 of the top 20 cities in the Alliance's rankings are located west of the Mississippi, with 6 of those cities located in California. However, eastern cities like New York, Charlotte, and Memphis are expected to move up the rankings in the near future with construction of 3,100 miles of bicycle facilities planned over the next two decades.

Here are the 20 best cities in America for bicyclists:

1. San Francisco (CA)
2. Austin (TX)
3. Long Beach (CA)
4. Philadelphia (PA)
5. Mesa (AZ)
6. Albuquerque (NM)
7. Seattle (WA)
8. Minneapolis (MN)
9. Boston (MA)
10. Washington D.C.
11. Sacramento (CA)
12. Fresno (CA)
13. Tucson (AZ)
14. Denver (CO)
15. Portland (OR)
16. San Jose (CA)
17. Honolulu (HI)
18. New York (NY)
19. Chicago (IL)
20. San Diego (CA)