According to a recent study by the American Pet Products Association, 69 million American households have a dog, and ownership of pets of all kinds has gone up during the pandemic. Meanwhile, many people have sought to escape densely-populated cities such as New York and have looked for less crowded places with good amenities because of COVID-19. (For those who can’t move, these are the best apartment dog breeds in America.)
With all this in mind, 24/7 Tempo has identified the U.S. cities with the most dog parks by reviewing data on dog parks in the 100 largest cities from “City Park Facts 2021 – Facilities and Recreational Amenities Data,” an annual report from nonprofit The Trust for Public Land. Cities are ranked by the number of dog parks per 100,000 residents.
Dog parks, also known as off-leash dog areas, are an important amenity. They enable dogs — and their owners — to exercise and socialize. They have the added benefit of being outdoors, an important consideration for people who want more recreation and less risk.
The No. 1 spot on our list is claimed by Boise, Idaho, which has a total of 15 dog parks, or 6.3 per 100,000 residents. Some states, particularly in the Sunbelt, deserve a shout-out for their dog friendliness. California has seven entries, and Florida and Nevada have three each. It stands to reason that cities with good climates offer more opportunities for outdoor recreation and might have more dog parks. Virginia, which isn’t a Sunbelt state but has a nice climate and obviously loves dogs, has three entries. (These are the states with the most dogs.)
42. Tucson, AZ
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.4
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 557,827 — #32 largest
41. Nashville/Davidson, TN
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.4
> Total dog parks: 10
> City population: 696,653 — #23 largest
40. Lincoln, NE
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.4
> Total dog parks: 4
> City population: 293,761 — #68 largest
39. Durham, NC
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.4
> Total dog parks: 4
> City population: 279,277 — #73 largest
38. Chandler, AZ
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.4
> Total dog parks: 4
> City population: 281,520 — #72 largest
37. Reno, NV
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.5
> Total dog parks: 4
> City population: 265,857 — #79 largest
36. Raleigh, NC
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.5
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 477,476 — #40 largest
35. North Las Vegas, NV
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.6
> Total dog parks: 4
> City population: 252,566 — #84 largest
34. Colorado Springs, CO
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.6
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 485,817 — #39 largest
33. Cincinnati, OH
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.6
> Total dog parks: 5
> City population: 309,456 — #62 largest
32. New York, NY
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.7
> Total dog parks: 145
> City population: 8,502,614 — #1 largest
31. Minneapolis, MN
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.7
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 424,175 — #44 largest
30. Miami, FL
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.7
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 461,859 — #42 largest
29. Des Moines, IA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.7
> Total dog parks: 4
> City population: 228,877 — #99 largest
28. St. Louis, MO
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.9
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 313,929 — #61 largest
27. Seattle, WA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.9
> Total dog parks: 14
> City population: 740,227 — #19 largest
26. Lexington/Fayette, KY
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.9
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 323,809 — #57 largest
25. Denver, CO
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.9
> Total dog parks: 14
> City population: 741,500 — #18 largest
24. Boston, MA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.9
> Total dog parks: 13
> City population: 699,253 — #22 largest
23. Chesapeake, VA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.0
> Total dog parks: 5
> City population: 249,746 — #88 largest
22. Long Beach, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.1
> Total dog parks: 10
> City population: 473,567 — #41 largest
21. Jersey City, NJ
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.1
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 281,829 — #71 largest
20. Aurora, CO
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.1
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 375,803 — #53 largest
19. Laredo, TX
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.2
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 269,616 — #78 largest
18. Fremont, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.2
> Total dog parks: 5
> City population: 231,567 — #97 largest
17. Washington, DC
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.3
> Total dog parks: 16
> City population: 706,137 — #20 largest
16. St. Petersburg, FL
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.3
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 265,119 — #80 largest
15. Pittsburgh, PA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.3
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 308,432 — #63 largest
14. Bakersfield, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.3
> Total dog parks: 9
> City population: 388,817 — #50 largest
13. Chula Vista, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.5
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 275,373 — #76 largest
12. Albuquerque, NM
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.6
> Total dog parks: 15
> City population: 572,101 — #31 largest
11. Norfolk, VA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.8
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 248,416 — #90 largest
10. Anchorage, AK
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 3.0
> Total dog parks: 9
> City population: 301,209 — #66 largest
9. Sacramento, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 3.1
> Total dog parks: 16
> City population: 508,357 — #36 largest
8. Arlington, VA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 3.4
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 232,588 — #95 largest
7. Oakland, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 3.8
> Total dog parks: 16
> City population: 417,040 — #45 largest
6. Tampa, FL
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 4.1
> Total dog parks: 16
> City population: 390,996 — #49 largest
5. San Francisco, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 4.2
> Total dog parks: 37
> City population: 881,791 — #17 largest
4. Madison, WI
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 4.2
> Total dog parks: 11
> City population: 264,742 — #81 largest
3. Henderson, NV
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 5.1
> Total dog parks: 16
> City population: 314,232 — #60 largest
2. Portland, OR
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 5.8
> Total dog parks: 38
> City population: 656,300 — #26 largest
1. Boise, ID
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 6.3
> Total dog parks: 15
> City population: 239,077 — #92 largest