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
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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
Source: Ryan Jello / iStock via Getty Images
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
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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
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
Source: tonythemisfit / Flickr
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
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
30. Miami, FL
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 1.7
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 461,859 — #42 largest
Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images
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
Source: aiisha5 / Getty Images
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
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
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
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
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
Source: FluxFactory / E+ via Getty Images
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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Source: Sundry Photography / iStock via Getty Images
18. Fremont, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.2
> Total dog parks: 5
> City population: 231,567 — #97 largest
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
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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Source: Lacheev / iStock via Getty Images
16. St. Petersburg, FL
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.3
> Total dog parks: 6
> City population: 265,119 — #80 largest
Source: Althom / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
15. Pittsburgh, PA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 2.3
> Total dog parks: 7
> City population: 308,432 — #63 largest
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
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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Source: Roy_Bartels / iStock via Getty Images
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
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Source: Capuski / E+ via Getty Images
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
Source: Jeremiah Dauphinais / iStock via Getty Images
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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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
8. Arlington, VA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 3.4
> Total dog parks: 8
> City population: 232,588 — #95 largest
Source: SerhiiBobyk / Getty Images
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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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
6. Tampa, FL
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 4.1
> Total dog parks: 16
> City population: 390,996 — #49 largest
Source: worldphotosbypaola / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
5. San Francisco, CA
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 4.2
> Total dog parks: 37
> City population: 881,791 — #17 largest
Source: Courtesy of Marissa B. via Yelp
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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Source: LPETTET / Getty Images
3. Henderson, NV
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 5.1
> Total dog parks: 16
> City population: 314,232 — #60 largest
Source: jose1983 / Getty Images
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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Source: Melissa Kopka / iStock via Getty Images
1. Boise, ID
> Off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents: 6.3
> Total dog parks: 15
> City population: 239,077 — #92 largest
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