2021’s Best And Worst Dog Park U.S. Cities

August 5, 2021

Dog parks are great places for pups — and their owners — to meet. While their fur baby roams free and makes pals, mom and dad can socialize with fellow dog lovers.

But you won’t find pup-friendly green spaces everywhere in America, and if you do, they won’t all be up to snuff. So, what are 2021’s Best Dog Park Cities?

LawnStarter ranked 97 U.S. cities based on access, quality, and climate factors to find out which U.S. cities offer the best dog parks. See which 10 cities lead and which 10 lag behind the pack below, followed by some highlights and lowlights from LawnStarter’s report.

2021’s Best Dog Park Cities

1. San Francisco, CA
2. Oakland, CA
3. Portland, OR
3. Boise, ID
4. Fremont, CA
5. Henderson, NV
6. Norfolk, VA
7. Long Beach, CA
8. Chula Vista, CA
9. Tampa, FL

2021’s Worst Dog Park Cities

88. Fort Worth, TX
89. Arlington, TX
90. Plano, TX
91. Cincinnati, OH
92. Wichita, KS
93. Newark, NJ
94. Cleveland, OH
95. Garland, TX
96. Omaha, NE
97. Laredo, TX

Highlights and Lowlights

San Francisco: Leader of the Pack

The Golden City exerts its dominance over the rest of America’s dog-park hubs as our No. 1 Best Dog Park City.

Dogs are clearly man/woman’s best friends there! Pups (purportedly) outnumber children — human children, that is — in San Francisco. So it’s only natural that the city would devote so much green space to one of its largest populations. In fact, the Golden City outranks 92 other cities in number of dog parks per 100,000 (two-legged) residents.

Couple that stellar performance in Access (No. 5) with its balmy climate (No. 8), and San Francisco easily earns its half-point edge over Oakland to snag first place overall. This city takes puppy love to a whole new level.

West in Show

San Francisco isn’t the only western city to steal the spotlight in our ranking. Four other California cities, along with Portland, Oregon, at No. 3, Boise, Idaho, at No. 4, and Henderson, Nevada, at No. 6, claim the other spots in the top 10.

How did the West win the race? California’s biggest cities ride high on their Mediterranean-type climate — ideal for comfortable, year-round visits to the dog park. Boise, Portland, and Henderson, on the other hand, boast the three highest numbers of dog parks in the country when adjusted for population size. Live with your canine companion in one of these cities, and you’ll raise one spoiled pup.

Texas Cities in the Doghouse

The Lone Star State’s biggest cities finish in our ranking with their tails between their legs. At No. 41, El Paso is tops among Texas cities. Unfortunately, five Texas cities land in the bottom 10, including Fort Worth, Arlington, and Plano in 88th to 90th places, respectively, and Garland in 95th. Laredo comes in dead last.

What accounts for their poor showing? Lack of access to dog parks is largely to blame. For Laredo, it’s also poor average park quality — the poorest, in fact, among the cities we measured. Bad, Texas!

The full ranking and analysis can be found here.

FYI: July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month, so keep a close eye on your pup, especially at the dog park!