Updated September 23, 2026 07:33AM
Key takeaways: The American College of Sports Medicine released its 2026 list of the nation’s 100 fittest cities. This annual report ranks the community health and fitness across major U.S. cities. Our contributor, Jen Murphy, who regularly reports on fitness, casts an Outside lens on the rankings and features the best ways to be active outdoors, from new trails and parks to urban waterways, in the top 10 fittest cities.
Urban living doesn’t mean you’re beholden to a gym. Cities can be awesome outdoor playgrounds for fitness. I spent much of my twenties and thirties living in big cities and discovered amazing communities for running, cycling, and climbing. More and more of America’s cities—big and small—are investing in walking and cycling infrastructure. Now, when I travel, I love how easy it is to use urban bike share systems—almost ubiquitous in most cities— and explore. And I feel like I can always find a fun workout in a park, be it a local yoga class, 5K run, or an old-school fitness trail.
The American College of Sports Medicine recently released its 2026 list of the nation’s 100 fittest cities. For the last 19 years, this annual report ranks the community health and fitness across major U.S. cities. A composite of health behaviors (like the percent of residents who bike or walk to work), health outcomes (such as diabetes or obesity), community infrastructure (like urban biking trails), and local policies that support a physically active lifestyle. Considerations also included food security, air quality, walk and bike-ability, and the number of swimming pools and pickleball courts in a city.
As a fitness nerd who’s lived in two of the top ten fittest cities in the U.S. and currently right outside one, I can say this list feels pretty spot on. Whether you’re considering a move or looking for some inspiration for your next trip, here’s an Outside take on the best places to be active outdoors in the country’s fittest cities.
10. Boston, Massachusetts
“America’s Walking City” also offers world-class rowing and extensive cycling paths
One of the main reasons I decided to attend college in Boston was because of the city’s amazing green spaces and easy access to beaches and mountains. As a runner, I loved starting my day logging miles along the Charles River and historic routes like the Freedom Trail. I’m sure years of cheering on participants in the iconic Boston Marathon helped plant the seed for me to come back and cross that finish line on Boylston Street years later. I always admired the rowers, already on the river at dawn, training for the esteemed Head of the Charles regatta. For non-rowers Paddle Boston rents canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards. The city is full of lovely parks, like Boston Common and Boston Public Garden, and I appreciated that it is incredibly walkable and boasts a fantastic public transportation system that can whisk people to Revere Beach or the Middlesex Fells Reservation.
The city doesn’t require a car. I walked or biked nearly everywhere and that accessibility has only gotten better since I moved. The Boston Boundless Trail officially launched last June. This massive 91-mile urban hiking loop traces the city’s perimeter through 12 communities and it connects over 100 green spaces and coastal paths. The City on The Hills Trail, another recent addition, spans from Millennium Park in West Roxbury to Castle Island in South Boston, taking in lesser-known city parks, preserved open spaces, and neighborhoods.
9. Madison, Wisconsin
The unofficial bike capital of the Midwest is a year-round outdoor playground
If you think the Midwest is all farm country, think again. Wisconsin may be “America’s Dairy Land,” but Madison offers much more than bucolic farmland. The capital is surrounded by five sparkling lakes, which equates to 15,000 acres of water for residents to sail, canoe, kayak, fish, swim, and SUP. One of only five platinum-level bike cities in the U.S., it’s a mecca for cyclists. The 6.5-mile Lake Wingra Loop is a great option for visitors as it takes in a mix of natural beauty, cultural landmarks, including ancient Native American effigy mounds, and neighborhoods like Nakoma and Greenbush. Just Madison is also a great jumping-off point for gravel cyclists. Come winter, a number of Madison’s 290 parks, such as Elver Park and Owen Conservation Park, have groomed trails for cross-country skiing.
8. Atlanta, Georgia
“Running City USA” is also a haven for urban hikers
With nearly half of its land area covered in a dense tree canopy, Atlanta has earned a reputation as the “City in a Forest.” That greenery extends to 343 parks and largely shades the city’s 125 miles of multi-use trails. Nearly 17 miles of the ambitious Atlanta Beltline debuted this summer ahead of the World Cup. When completed in 2030, the Beltline will feature a 22-mile loop of trails, parks, and future transit connecting 45 neighborhoods. The city’s existing trails attract a devoted community of runners. According to Scarborough Sports Data, almost 25 percent of Atlantans consider themselves a runner or jogger, and Atlanta Track Club proudly declared its home, Running City USA. Located in the heart of the city, Piedmont Park is the stage for many races, and local shops, like Big Peach Running Co. host regular social group runs around the city. But the city’s running claim to fame is the July 4th AJC Peachtree Road Race, the largest 10K road race in the world. Not a runner? The Atlanta Outdoor Club connects people through activities ranging from backpacking and kayaking to camping and biking in wilderness areas like Stone Mountain Lake and Sawnee Mountain Preserve.
7. Irvine, California
A master-planned city where parks take center stage
More than 25 percent of this master-planned city in the heart of Orange County is parkland. That equates to 16,500 acres of open space for hiking and biking. Popular parks include William R. Mason Regional Park, notable for its nine-acre lake, two sand volleyball courts, and network of hiking and biking trails, and the Great Park, which is a model for urban green spaces with its farmer’s market, farm and food lab, Olympic-sized ice rink, and a 194-acre sports complex. SoCal’s mild, sunny climate makes it possible to be outside year-long and the city is close to larger wilderness areas like the Santa Ana Mountains, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, and Crystal Cove.
6. San Francisco, California
The “City of Seven Hills” offers an ultimate glute workout, plus the ocean and bay
I spent five years living in San Francisco and if I had to move back to a big city, this is the one I’d return to. I had glutes of steel from walking its many steep hills. So I wasn’t surprised to learn that the city received the top walk score in ACSM’s Fitness Index and was also one of three cities within a ten-minute walk to the park. I loved running along the Embarcadero and over the Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Park’s car-free paths are a haven for urban cyclists and the park also hosts the annual Outside Lands Music Festival. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is in a league of its own, and the city’s food scene is unbeatable when it comes to hyper- local sourcing. I could get my surf fix at Ocean Beach in the Sunset District and kitesurf and foil right on San Francisco Bay. And that was all in the city. Just over the bridge, Marin County is a dream for hiking and trail running: the annual Dipsea—the oldest trail run in America—should be on every runner’s bucket list.
5. Denver, Colorado
A bikeable city close to the mountains
The Mile High City, nicknamed for its elevation, is a lung-buster. The gateway to Colorado’s famed 14,000-foot peaks, ski areas, and Rocky Mountain National Park has plenty of urban adventures to keep residents busy during the work week. Within the city limits, you’ll find more than 250 parks, many connected by its 850-mile trail network. And the Denver Moves Everyone initiative is actively adding 270 more miles of bikeways, bike boulevards, and separated bike lanes on streets by 2050. I live close by in Boulder (another uber- fit city) and when I visit I head to Washington Park to run the crushed granite jogging path; the park also has a rec center with an indoor pool, plus a soccer field and tennis courts. Sloan’s Lake is my go-to for paddleboarding and frisbee and anglers can cast for bass, carp, and catfish. My partner and I love to end our summer days at Cherry Creek State Park. Located just 15 miles southeast of downtown, this 4,000-acre recreation area is anchored by an 880-acre reservoir that we love to e-foil in at sunset.
Fifteen miles west of the city, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater is known for being one of the country’s best outdoor concert venues. It’s not only laced with awesome hiking and biking trails, but offers a punishing workout: running its nearly 200 amphitheater stairs. I think it’s super cool that Denver lays claim to the country’s only urban snow sports terrain park, Ruby Hill Rail Yard. The city also hosts Outside Days, our annual music and outdoor festival which brings together some of the top minds and influencers in the industry.
4. Seattle, Washington
An urban haven for water lovers
In ACSM’s Fitness Index, Seattle ranked second overall for personal health, a measure of health habits (nutrition, exercise) and health outcomes (diabetes, obesity), with nearly 87 percent of Seattle residents reporting they exercised in the last month. And we’ll bet most of those residents got their heart rates up outside. Hemmed by water and backed by mountains, Seattle makes it easy to play outdoors. The city is a paradise for water lovers, with Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington on the east, plus Lake Union and Green Lake in Seattle’s interior.
You can get your beach fix at 135.9-acre Alki Beach Park, which features volleyball courts and Venice, California-esque paths for roller blading and biking. Or walk along Seattle’s new 20-acre Waterfront Park, which stretches along Elliot Bay from Belltown to Pioneer Square. And if you’re into wild swimming, this is a great spot for a cold plunge. Or, you can warm up first in the city’s unique wood-fired floating saunas Wild Haus or hot tub boats on Lake Union, then jump overboard for a refreshing dip.
3. Minneapolis, Minnesota
A city that doesn’t hibernate and gets moving on a network of Nordic trails
Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, cycling and Nordic ski trails. Minneapolis lives up to its nickname, City by Nature. The city received top marks in the ACSM fitness index bike score category, which measures how well a city supports cycling through local infrastructure and the number of people who use bikes to commute. Much of that score can be attributed to the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway System. One of the country’s longest continuous systems of public urban parkways, the 51-mile loop highlights the city’s top attractions, including 53-foot Minnehaha Falls and the famed Chain of Lakes. We love the all-season attitude toward the outdoors. In summer, there’s ample beach access along the lakes for swimming, kayaking, and paddleboarding. In winter, bundle up and hit the Nordic trails of Theodore Wirth Regional Park, the city’s largest park spanning over 740 acres.
2. Washington, D.C.
Every walk or run is a history tour in the nation’s capital
Runner-up for the fourth year in a row, the nation’s capital owns bragging rights as America’s most trail-endowed city, with a whopping 235.3 miles per 100,000 residents. When I visit, I appreciate that my morning run doubles as a sightseeing tour taking me along the National Mall or up the Watergate Steps. The Capital Runner is my go-to resource for routes and races. Unfurling across 1,754 acres of public land, Rock Creek Park is DC’s answer to Central Park. The first national park established in a major U.S. city, it provides urbanites with 32 trails and paths to explore, plus a dose of history with buildings dating to the 1700s.
The developing Great American Rail-Trail, the first cross-country path from Washington, DC, to Washington State, can be picked up on the Capital Crescent Trail, which starts in historic Georgetown along the Potomac River. Steps. Key Bridge Boathouse, also in Georgetown under the Francis Scott Key Bridge, offers rentals, classes, and guided Monument kayak tours that paddle past Theodore Roosevelt Island, the Lincoln Memorial, Watergate, and the Kennedy Center. Further downstream, the Thompson Boat Center rents bicycles, canoes, and rowing shells, and the Potomac Boat Club has members ranging from recreational rowers to Olympians. While outdoor climbing areas, like Elizabeth Furnace, are over an hour’s drive away, there are plenty of top-notch indoor climbing gyms, such as DC Bouldering Project and Sportrock Climbing, where weekend warriors can train.
Check out our guide on everything to do within City Limits: Washington, D.C.
1. Arlington, Virginia
This rail trail pioneer has parks that feel like true wilderness
Directly across the Potomac River from our nation’s capital, you’ll find the fittest city in the country. Physical activity levels, access to parks and recreational facilities, and supportive transportation infrastructure were all reasons ACSM ranked Arlington America’s fittest city for the ninth year in a row. Nearly all residents live within a short ten-minute walk of a park or trail. We love it for its nearly 50-mile interconnected trail network for walking, running, and cycling. The 18-mile stretch known as the Mt Vernon Trail, which follows the Potomac around Theodore Roosevelt Island through Arlington toward George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, is the ultimate route for marathon training. And the 45-mile Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail—one of the first in the country—helped pave the way for future rail trails in urban areas. There are also plenty of easy-to-access urban nature escapes, like 14-acre Windy Run Park, which has forested trails and a 35-foot waterfall.
Jen Murphy is a regular Outside contributor and fitness nerd. She has lived in two of the top 10 fittest cities and considers her home in Boulder, Colorado, close enough to Denver to count it as a third.
