10 Most Bike Friendly Cities in USA

— Find out where you’ll get the best cycling resources and trails in the country

Bicycling.com recently revised their annual list of most bike friendly cities of the US, and here are the top 10. They were determined by how many segregated bike lanes are available, whether there are municipal bike racks and boulevards, as well as interviews with over 100,000 people.

1. Minneapolis, MN

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: mulad)

This city may be cold during the winter, but people are nevertheless excited about the bike access throughout – 2.1% of its citizens use bikes to get to work.

The bike community in Minneapolis enjoys over 120 miles of on and off street bicycle facilities, a plethora of bike racks and parking, and plenty of other bike facilities. You can find the Minneapolis Ride Maps online or make your own ride maps.

2. Portland, OR

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: stofiska)

The bike-worthiness of Portland is obvious the moment you get into the city, with ample bike lanes and riders everywhere. Bikes even get priority on many roads, with bike boxes painted in front of car lanes at red lights.

In Portland, OR, 3.5% of the population uses a bike to get to work, proving that it must have good access to bike facilities and trails. Check out Portland Ride Maps online for a closer look at what’s in store.

3. Boulder, CO

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: amagill)

This city has an impressive 95% bike-friendliness of the arterial streets, with a total of 380 miles of trails and bike facilities. Get full access to the Boulder ride maps here, but you can find even more information on their GOBikeBoulder.net site which offers turn by turn bike routes, calories burned, and miles traveled.

They’ll even calculate how much greenhouse gas emissions you save by taking a bike ride rather than driving in a car.

4. Seattle, WA

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: cmrf_crumlin)

Seattle’s population loves bikes, too – 2.3% of them use one to commute most days, even in the rain. In fact, they’re a good rival for Portland. They’ve got a $240 million bike master plan that will add to their more than 450 miles of bike paths.

Navigate your way through Seattle using their Seattle Ride Maps. Ninety-five percent of the population of Seattle has access to a bike facility within a quarter of a mile of their home.

5. Eugene, OR

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: wka)

With a 5.5% bicycle mode share in Eugene, OR (which is 5 times the national average), this bike-friendly city has a thriving bike community. There’s an impressive network of bikeways throughout the community and connecting to outlying areas, including rural roads and low-traffic areas. T

here’s also an excellent number of lit bike paths and plenty of bike parking. You’ll find their ride maps online as well.

6. San Francisco, CA

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: marc_smith)

You can bike across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, as well as miles of other multi-use, on-street, and signed bike lanes and routes.

There’s even a bike shuttle across the Bay Bridge for rush hour commuters, of which there are many – close to 2% of all San Franciscans use a bike to commute to work every day, with the bike community increasing every single year. Get access to their ride maps here.

7. Madison, WI

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: cig)

With a bike plan that dates back to 1975, Madison has an impressive number of on- and off-street bike paths and lanes, with 120 miles of signed bike routes alone. Bike through cities and farmland alike – check out their Madison ride maps for a full list of options for getting to your next destination.

8. New York, NY

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: rdale)

More than just a pretty city, New York is also home to a lot of bike facilities for cycling aficionados. Of course, Central Park is car-free, making it one of the best places for cyclists to ride, but the city is also home to a world-class number of other bike resources and lanes, all of which you can access on their online rides maps.

9. Tucson, AZ

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: daquellamanera)

Sunny year-round, Tucson Pima County Bicycle and Pedestrian Program makes sure that there’s a bike rodeo for schools as well as other education programs throughout the year. They teach traffic skills, commuting lessons, and more to thousands of people annually.

The city boasts over 600 miles of on-street bikeways and 550 miles of bike lanes and paved shoulders, and all new road construction must include bike lanes. In Tucson, 2.2% of people use a bicycle to commute to work every day. You can find Tucscon’s bike maps online here.

10. Chicago, IL

Bike Friendly Cities(photo credit: spablab)

Chicago, one of the most bike friendly cities, has a long list of bike lanes, indoor bike racks, valet bike parking, and more, with over 315 miles of bikeways throughout the area.

Even the mayor is a bike enthusiast, and has been an active advocate for expanding the network of bike lanes and bike stations with valet bike parking, showers, and racks plentiful, all of which you can find on their online maps.

More resources:

The Various Do’s and Don’ts of Glamping

16 Modern & Creative Camper Trailers