New sidewalk and trail with a pedestrian crossing on Oakdale in West St. Paul.

West St. Paul Is the 8th Most Walkable City in Minnesota

Thanks to Mike’s Butcher Shop for their support. Hosting a dinner party? Simply looking for something quick and easy? From fresh cuts to grill-ready kabobs, you’ll find everything you need at Mike’s.

West St. Paul is the eighth most walkable city in Minnesota, according to a ranking by Walk Score.

What: Walk Score rates cities on pedestrian friendly factors including distance to amenities, road metrics, and population density. San Francisco has the best Walk Score in the country with 89 on the zero to 100 scale.

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Where are we: West St. Paul’s average Walk Score of 45 earned it a place in the top 10 in Minnesota, which suggests there’s a low bar. Minneapolis earned the top spot in the state with a score of 71. For comparison’s sake, West St. Paul has the same score as Des Moines and Fargo.

Improving: While the rating is average, it does seem to reflect recent improvements. Since 2017, the city has added 13.4 miles of sidewalks and trails.

  • “I am not surprised about ranking eighth,” said West St. Paul Mayor Dave Napier. “We’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past 10 years.”

Why it matters: “Sidewalks connect people. They allow for people to get out and walk the neighborhood!” Napier said. “The value that is often overlooked is the safety of students walking to school.”

Other rankings: Walk Score also rates transit and biking, with West St. Paul earning a 36 for transit (good for sixth in the state; low bar?) and 45 for biking (32nd in the state).

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