# What do you consider "walking distance" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182 "2010-09-09T14:59:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/1 "2010-09-09T14:59:12Z")
? Poll to come. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/2 "2010-09-09T15:04:09Z")
A mile to a mile and half. Anything farther than that and you need a bike. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/3 "2010-09-09T15:04:26Z")
Seeing that the average walking speed is about 3 mph I’d say that “walking distance” shouldn’t be much more than a 20 minute walk (about a mile). ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/4 "2010-09-09T15:04:54Z")
I used to consider up to three miles as a maximum that was practical. Now a mile is about the maximum I can walk. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/5 "2010-09-09T15:05:19Z")
Depends on the situation. I mean, I could walk to Taco Bell for lunch without difficulty, but it’s a mile and a half away and it would take my entire lunch break to get there and back. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/6 "2010-09-09T15:08:40Z")
Not enough options in the poll. The fridge is kind of far away. And if the distance from the couch to the TV was walking distance I wouldn’t have a remote. _They have chairs with wheels and here I am using my legs like a sucker_! - H. Simpson ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/7 "2010-09-09T15:12:42Z")
I was on honeymoon in San Francisco, staying at Fisherman’s Wharf. I remember asking directions to get to the stadium for a baseball game. The person I asked was aghast at the thought that we wanted to _walk_ there. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/8 "2010-09-09T15:16:41Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > I was on honeymoon in San Francisco, staying at Fisherman’s Wharf. I remember asking directions to get to the stadium for a baseball game. The person I asked was aghast at the thought that we wanted to _walk_ there. Ah, that leads into my follow-up question: are you willing to walk farther to do/see stuff when on vacation? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/9 "2010-09-09T15:17:55Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > > [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > > > I was on honeymoon in San Francisco, staying at Fisherman’s Wharf. I remember asking directions to get to the stadium for a baseball game. The person I asked was aghast at the thought that we wanted to _walk_ there. > > Ah, that leads into my follow-up question: are you willing to walk farther to do/see stuff when on vacation? Haha, I was just going to say that. I don’t walk much and prefer to bike, but when we went to Toronto last month, we walked everywhere. I got blisters on my blisters, but it was marvelous. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/10 "2010-09-09T15:19:37Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > > [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > > > I was on honeymoon in San Francisco, staying at Fisherman’s Wharf. I remember asking directions to get to the stadium for a baseball game. The person I asked was aghast at the thought that we wanted to _walk_ there. > > Ah, that leads into my follow-up question: are you willing to walk farther to do/see stuff when on vacation? Totally. We spent out honeymoon in Manhattan and walked everywhere (well, between subway stops, at any rate). Probably walked more in that week than in the entire preceding year. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/11 "2010-09-09T15:19:57Z")
I’m a little torn between 1/1.5 miles and over 1.5 miles … I don’t think over 1.5 miles is too _far_ to walk, but depending on what you need to walk to, it can be a little time-consuming making it not that practical. Also, are you carrying stuff? Like if you are bringing a tray of cupcakes to a potluck, 1.5 is going to feel a lot longer. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/12 "2010-09-09T15:20:05Z")
Too many variables. For example, I live 5 blocks from a grocery store, easy walking distance even by my standards. Until you realize I’m going to be burdened with heavy shopping bags on the return trip. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/13 "2010-09-09T15:22:29Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > I’m a little torn between 1/1.5 miles and over 1.5 miles … I don’t think over 1.5 miles is too _far_ to walk, but depending on what you need to walk to, it can be a little time-consuming making it not that practical. Also, are you carrying stuff? Like if you are bringing a tray of cupcakes to a potluck, 1.5 is going to feel a lot longer. And what is the weather like? Too wet, too cold, and too hot will definitely shorten the acceptable walking distance. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/14 "2010-09-09T15:24:22Z")
Like **Really Not All That Bright** says it depends on the situation. My local pub is a mile away but sometimes I take in another pub so the total walk that day would be more like 5 miles. If I’m picking up a Chinese or Indian take-away a mile away I’ll take my bike so the food stays hot. If I’m in London and in no particular hurry I’ll walk several miles instead of using the hot crowded tube. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/15 "2010-09-09T15:25:34Z")
I voted over a mile and a half, but it depends on where I’m going. When I lived in downtown Memphis, I used to regularly walk from my apartment to Overton Square, which Mapquest says is a distance of 4 miles, if the weather was good and I was in no particular hurry. The same apartment building had a hot tub on the roof. I would only let myself use it if I walked the entire distance from lobby to roof (twelve stories) four times. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/16 "2010-09-09T15:30:02Z")
If I’m ‘going for a walk’, then I’ll happily walk for a couple of hours. If I’m going to the shop to get some milk, then 10 minutes each way is as long as I want to take. So it’s really situational. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/17 "2010-09-09T15:31:39Z")
I walk to and from work regularly, it’s about 3 miles each way. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/18 "2010-09-09T15:34:54Z")
A mile to school or a cafe is no big deal, because I’ll be sitting down when I get there. I wouldn’t walk a mile to work, though, because I’m a nurse, and on my feet for the better part of 12 hours a day. So, yeah, it depends. I would walk pretty much anyplace that was within a .5 mile, so I erred on the side of inclusive. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/19 "2010-09-09T15:37:43Z")
I voted .5 to 1 mile based on having a somewhat tight schedule. If I have places I need to be I will gladly walk a little distance but I don’t want to be late for work or an appointment if I can help it. If it is something that has no real scheduling need I am willing to walk quite a ways. I used to live at 157th St and several times my fiance (now husband) and I walked down to Zabars, so we would walk 70 blocks to go buy cheese and baked goods. It was always a fun way to spend an afternoon but we did always take the train back so our stuff wouldn’t spoil on the trip home. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182/20 "2010-09-09T15:42:53Z")
I’m thinking mostly in terms of giving someone directions, like to my house, tourist sites, the metro, etc. I think 20 minutes is pretty much as long as I would give the average person as a reasonable distance to walk. However, if I’m on vacation, I’ll walk all over the place, for many hours. That doesn’t mean that I would say going from the British Museum to my hotel in Kensington (three and a half miles) is something I’d describe as walking distance, no more than a 10 miler is “jogging distance.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-walking-distance/553182.md?page=2)