US Cities With the Most Dog Parks

By 247sarah Published Feb 21, 6:00PM EST

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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.)

Click here to see large US cities with the most dog parks

42. Tucson, AZ
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.4
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 557,827 — #32 largest

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41. Nashville/Davidson, TN
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.4
> Total dog parks: 10
> City population: 696,653 — #23 largest

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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

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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

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36. Raleigh, NC
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.5
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 477,476 — #40 largest

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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

leading the way (CC BY 2.0) by brando

34. Colorado Springs, CO
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.6
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 485,817 — #39 largest

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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

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31. Minneapolis, MN
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.7
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 424,175 — #44 largest

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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

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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

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26. Lexington/Fayette, KY
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.9
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 323,809 — #57 largest

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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

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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

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21. Jersey City, NJ
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.1
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 281,829 — #71 largest

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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

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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

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16. St. Petersburg, FL
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.3
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 265,119 — #80 largest

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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

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13. Chula Vista, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.5
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 275,373 — #76 largest

North Domingo Baca Dog Park, A... by Jon Hurd

North Domingo Baca Dog Park, A... (CC BY 2.0) by Jon Hurd

12. Albuquerque, NM
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.6
> Total dog parks: 15
> City population: 572,101 — #31 largest

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11. Norfolk, VA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.8
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 248,416 — #90 largest

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A small dog explores the Ancho... by Paxson Woelber

A small dog explores the Ancho... (CC BY 2.0) by Paxson Woelber

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

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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

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6. Tampa, FL
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 4.1
> Total dog parks: 16
> City population: 390,996 — #49 largest

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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

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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

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1. Boise, ID
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 6.3
> Total dog parks: 15
> City population: 239,077 — #92 largest

About the Author 247sarah →

Sarah Burns is an editor and writer at 24/7 Wall St. She previously worked at AOL and MSN. She began her career in book publishing at Viking Press/Penguin Books and has been writing and editing general and financial news stories for the last 15 years.

In addition to 24/7 Wall St. and 24/7 Tempo, her stories have appeared in USA Today, MSN, MarketWatch, Business Insider, and Yahoo Finance.

Sarah has edited numerous travel and garden books. She teaches urban farming in New York City public schools and is an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. She graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine with a bachelor’s degree in English. She is based in New York City.